Author Archive
Freddie M.
The hits Freddie Mercury wrote for Queen are numerous. When you look down these list of hits, you can see the different genres and styles that make it hard to pinpoint one style for Mercury. He said he hated doing the same thing over and over and he kept his word. I believe his unpredictable style coupled with his massive talent made him the superstar he became.
In 1970, Mercury and Brian May with Roger Taylor formed the band Queen. Mercury said that in naming the band, "I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it". His vocal range and technique were astonishing. I found the complexity of the music he wrote, like in "Bohemian Rhapsody", fascinating as did millions of other worldwide.
As late as the mid 1980s homosexuality was still listed in the the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychological Association. The DSM listed homosexuality as a disorder along side mental illnesses such as psychosis and schizophrenia. When homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1986, it was not without controversy. Detractors held fast to the belief that homosexuality is a deviance from nature, therefore must be classified as a mental disorder.
Ignorance and bigotry, mainly found in religious communities, further promotes the idea of homosexuality as a disorder. Many churches may see homosexuality as an act of the devil's influence or even a demonic possession. However these sects of people are shrinking.
What would you do for $5?
When it comes to make your voice heard, no matter which is the chosen broadcasting voice you use (in my case, blogging), there is one thing you should know: advertising is the key.
In the past few years I had a few online businesses and I learned that you can sell anything with the proper marketing campaign. There will be always someone interested in your products.
The main problem of a newbie (like I was) is the… budget. Advertising costs and we are talking about hundreds of dollars spent on a campaign that might or might not return the investment.
Looking back through history, you'd think that gay people just popped out of nowhere in the last fifty years. But by taking a closer look at certain people in history, you'll find that homosexuals have been around since recorded history began. Even knowing that there had to be a pretty decent list of famous gay people throughout the past, I was a bit surprised when I i discovered just how many well known names in history were not heterosexual.
Putting together a complete list of all of those in history who were gay or suspected to be gay would take forever and create an incredibly long list. So here is a small sampling of some of the most surprising or notable historical homosexuals.
Homosexuality always existed...
It is only recently in our society that gay culture is becoming more mainstream. It's possible to see gay relationships on TV, or read about LGBT issues in a magazine. As little as twenty years ago, our society tried to hide or diminish gay culture. I'm not sure what anyone had to be afraid of, or why some people still don't want gay people to have a voice. Many people ignore the fact that homosexuality has existed as long as people have. Ancient Egypt is just one society that shows evidence of homosexuality.
Getting an accurate picture of homosexuality in ancient Egypt is difficult, but clues suggest homosexual relationships did exist. Parts of a fragmented text talk about the story of a pharaoh and his general. This is suggested to be based on a real pharaoh who would sneak out in the middle of the night to stay with his general. Many think the text alludes that the pharaoh and his general were secretly lovers.
Check out the short gay film '306'; written, directed and produced by film maker Elliot London. Set in Chicago, IL, this 11 minute short film shows a day in the life of a young man. Without a single word spoken, '306' is full of emotion and shows us exactly how Eric (played by Brian Estel) feels at all times. Beautifully shot and great acting.
In just one month, '306' received over 95,000 hits on Vimeo and was viewed in over 155 countries in every continent of the world.
I have noticed that open relationships are becoming more common or at least admitted in today's society. This steady uprising has left me to wondering why so many are choosing an unusual path in the love circuit. I guess it is the natural urge of most people to want it all but to apply it to ones relationship honestly confounds me. However, there must be something to it for so many to choose that route.
The convenience of being able to enjoy the benefits of always having someone to come home too yet experiencing a variety of different sexual partners. Although, I can't seem to beat the feeling of that starting some arguments one time or other. It's hard to see if the benefits would really be worth the unfavorable outcomes. Yet still the thought of so many people choosing it makes me wonder still.
Still interested I started asking questions and searching the Internet. I found that a large majority of believers of open relationships are homosexuals. This leading to another why, of course and whys can never go left alone. In my searches I found several different opinions and reasons for this.
Homosexuality in modern society can provoke strong reaction from many people. Part of what we believe about homosexuals comes from society, other parts from our family upbringing; for many of us, religion is the strongest influence. Religion, especially fundamental and orthodox religions, can be very harsh in their viewpoints on homosexuality. They will claim it is unnatural or against the norms of society, others will claim it is an abomination to God.
The problem with all of this, is that we grow up thinking that what we are taught today is the way it has always been. But when you begin to study history, you begin to understand that cultures throughout history have not always thought and lived the way we do today. This is especially true with society’s viewpoint on homosexuality. A good example of this different view point is that of ancient Greece.
Of all ancient societies, it is the Greeks that have the most artifacts left for us to examine. Much of their culture can be seen today as it was more than two thousand years ago. The viewpoint of homosexuality by the ancient Greeks is not completely clear as it applies to older adult males. It is mentioned in Greek literature and there doesn’t seem to be negative connotations associated with it.
If you're gay, you really should consider coming out. First of all, you should never deny who you are as a person - be yourself. No one should hide who he or she is. You need to be true to yourself, and not live in hiding. Once you come out, you will be more able to live your life to the fullest. If people around you have trouble with who you are, then that is their problem.
Every gay person is unique and has their own individual situation. You may not feel comfortable admitting your gay if your parents would disapprove. Another reason people don't want to come out and advertise their homosexuality is their peers. If you're young and still in junior high or high school, it may be easier on you to keep your sexual preference to yourself.
That is not always possible, but if it's an option you may want to consider as kids in school can be pretty cruel. Once you're older and out of school, believe me it becomes much easier. This is especially true if you live in a small town where there are few homosexuals.
I do not understand the big words so I wish you all a simple but sincere Happy New Year!
God give us all health and a few shreds of happiness from time to time. Nothing more.
Below, a dedication for you:
