Monday, November 03, 2008

Recapping


I had an AMAZING Halloween complete with my boyfriend, my friends, and all the alcohol I could handle, and then some. My friends and I decided we were going to dress up as our favorite Mario Kart Characters, and of course we brought the fun! The one awkward thing is Bradley around my friends because of that whole age difference. Between Bradley and I we have a 3 year gap, and between most of my friends and myself there's a 2 to 3 year difference. So poor Bradley had to spend his evening with a bunch of ppl more than half a decade older than he was and sometimes it made things a little awkward. There's all this talk of me "robbing the cradle" but its really annoying because EVERYBODY forgets that I am really not as old as they are!

I woke up Saturday with a massive hangover, but I felt like the pain was well worth the fun I'd had the night before. So I got dressed and soldiered my way south to this teen event I said I would do. It was crazy how they all knew who I was (from that FUCKING TV SHOW!) and I felt super awkward most of the day, but when that all wore off it felt really amazing discussing the ocean with a bunch of kids that I could tell really cared about it a lot. It was a lot of fun to do something like this and I will definitely file that under "kick ass afternoon" in the old memory bank.

Still, after that day finally ended I was EXHAUSTED! I finally started to feel the crazy weeks that preceded me and all I wanted to do was hit the sack. Also Bradley had a match on Sunday and I haven't been able to make it to any of them since the season started and I was starting to feel like a total douche because of it. So I blew off my part in Santa Barbara for some super intense action @ Bradley's event. Sometimes I forget how amazing of an athlete Bradley is because he is so humble and the complete opposite of what you would think a varsity division 1 athlete should be. But watching him out there it makes me realize Brad's quite possibly the greatest man to ever live.

After all the craziness we went home got all cleaned up and then headed down to Hillcrest to represent against prop 8. I know I haven't spent any time talking about this even after all those emails that a lot of you guys have sent me. The reason for me not writing about prop 8 on my blog isn't because I don't care; its just really hard for me to articulate how important this is for me and how crushed I will be if my fellow Californians decide I am unworthy of the equality I know I deserve. Family is the most important thing in the world to me and it scares me to think there is a possibility that in the eyes of the law the man I love will NEVER be my family. As an Asian, an athlete, an (reluctant) entertainer, and a gay man, I have had to struggle to accomplish everything I have earned, but no matter what I was able to make it happen. In this situation right here I feel powerless to do anything but go to the voting booths tomorrow and hope with all my heart my vote matters.

I saw this clip of prop 8 and it really resonated with me because of how relatable his words were to who I am as a minority and as a child of immagrants (though my dad was technically born in an American Teritory and my mother was born in America but made in Europe I still kind of felt like the son he was talking about). Watching him speak finally gave me the inspiration to say what was on my mind on this issue and even though it almost made me shed a tear I wasn't sad. For the first time in awhile I was hopeful. Not because I think everybody is going to listen to that dude from Harold and Kumar and Vote no on 8 cuz he said so! But because his words reminded me that everyday is a new chance to make things better, and even if tomorrow I am told that I am less than I know I am, doesn't mean that opinion will never change. I know in my heart what love, family and commitment are and I will never give up on believing that this is what I deserve.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You don't realize how easy you have it....

A little less than 40 years ago, gays were getting arrested for patronizing the Stonewall bar in NYC.

A little over 25 years ago, the country was shocked to learned Rock Hudson was gay and had AIDS.

A little over 10 years ago, Ellen came out as the FIRST openly gay woman on network TV.

The times have changed, so much in the last 40 years, you don't realize how lucky you were to be born only 23 years ago....

There's been along gay rights struggle before you, that provides you with your freedoms...

Have you ever imagined if you were 23 in the sixties...you'd probably be married to a woman, and having hateful sex on the DL...

Or if you were 23 in the early 80's, you might even had died by age 25.

You live a the most beautiful time...not beautiful enough, but most beautiful in recent times... I hope prop 8 fails tomorrow to make these times even more beautiful...

Jason said...

Thank you for sharing, I know how difficult this was for you (you use a lot of long ass sentences when you are nervous!). Sometimes all we can do is hope, tomorrow I am going to the voting booth and I am voting no the same as you. Our votes do matter. Whatever the outcome, they matter!

Anonymous said...

You may not be able to get married in California, but at least this isn't 40 years ago... Today is crappy, but tomorrow might be better. Don't give up hope man.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your words of hope. I've been reading my favorite blogs looking to clear the anger in my head. Anger will not bring change. Attacking the Mormon church will only make them feel persecuted and justified.
I love the way you put it. You have an amazing way with words. "I know in my heart what love, family and commitment are and I will never give up on believing that this is what I deserve." I hold that sentence close to my heart.