Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:
If you read my last blog post ("Born Straight, Refuse To Hate"), you'll know that it included my recommendations for pro-marriage equality slogans. My friend, the radiant Miss LM was making glitter glue poster board signs for a Tampa Bay rally. Miss LM, myself and several friends would be attending the rally to show support for our local LBGT community as well as the entire the marriage equality movement.
Miss LM has many talents and man, can that lady make one snazzy poster. Miss LM has been my partner in crime at many a rally. We stood in a claustrophobic crowd for 6 hours to hear President Obama and former President Bill Clinton speak in 2008. (Oh and Jimmy Smits spoke too - which led me to believe that maybe Obama would be ditching Biden and going with a hot Latino VP ... but no. Sigh.)
Perhaps it was this rally experience that drew the local news media to us. When the local news affiliate came by and asked if they could interview me, I practically Irish Riverdanced right in front of the camera. I mentally kicked myself because I knew I should have brought my diamond-encrusted microphone!
It was an incredibly unseasonably cold evening in Tampa Bay and by the end of the rally, I had wrapped myself in a giant furry blanket to stay warm. I looked like a boxer's manager who wears a full-length fur and speaks in all motivational slogan sound bites. ("You're a winner, kid - a real winner!")
At the end of the evening, my friends and I scanned the news and internet media to see how many times we popped up. I had a sound bite on Fox, my smiling, award-winning, more gorgeous than a supermodel face was on ABC and my picture was on a couple internet news sites as well as on Facebook pictures from people who attended the rally. I should have been wearing a t-shirt (or a faux fur coat) that said "LilyOnTheLam.com."
I texted a friend that with all this media exposure, I was most certainly now to be considered the Angelina Jolie of my island neighborhood community. She whole-heartedly agreed. (Probably because she feared I had suffered a psychotic break and she was too young to be butchered in the streets, but I digress ...)
My eloquent interview on the 14th amendment, equal protection under the law, the constitution, how my parents' inter-racial marriage would have been illegal as recently as around 60 years ago and how this is not a gay issue but a human rights issue was boiled down into a 2 second sound bite at the end of a story but I can now add "television star" to my resume.
(Side Note: I have previously also appeared on the local CBS affiliate in a restaurant review. I wore a kicky black and white hat that I bought on a whim in Vancouver, British Columbia. In my mind, I looked like a combination of sexy flapper and bohemian hipster. In my mind, I look like a lot of things. When it comes to local news, I have now graced all the major networks except NBC. As my friend Nicky G pointed out, if NBC didn't care about Ann Curry how could I possibly expect NBC to broadcast my half-Asian face? Obviously NBC doesn't realize I am a STAR! Get with the program NBC, I have faith in you - now go knock out your competition in the 3rd round so we can go drink some raw eggs.)
I do hope the United States Supreme Court will rule on the side of equal rights under the law for all citizens when their decision is announced in June. Until then, I can only hope. As part of the Marriage Equality fervor, I have been listening to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' song "Same Love." Given that the rap world still tends to have a homophobic gloss, I applaud Ben Haggerty (a.k.a. Macklemore)'s bravery in releasing this song. It is honest, pure and with the amazing, ethereal Seattle Singer/Songwriter Mary Lambert's vocals in the chorus; it is a wonderful, heart-embracing song.
It was in repeated listenings of "Same Love" that I decided I needed to hear more of Mary Lambert's music. I downloaded some of her songs from iTunes, but didn't listen to them until I was sitting in the car at a car wash today.
Whenever I am in a car wash with the shimmering soapy brushless rollers gliding over the car, I think of the movie "Corinna, Corinna" and I stop and wonder where my own personal Whoopi Goldberg is hiding.
(Side Note: I looked on YouTube to see if I could find a clip of the car wash scene from "Corinna, Corinna", but a search for car wash just gave me a bunch of soapy, chicks in bikinis videos - um, no thank you.)
It was amidst the quiet, solitary whir of the car wash, enveloped in suds and chemical potions that Mary Lambert's song "I Know Girls (Body Love)" started playing.
And suddenly I didn't have to ask where my own personal Whoopi Goldberg was ... because I was getting an eye-opening smack of girl power reality wrapped in beautiful, clever lyrics through my Harman Kardon speakers. Mary Lambert had me hooked the moment I heard the verse about girls "fleeing bombs from the mosques of their skin."
The weather in Tampa is finally catching up to the season's average temperatures. I feel like I am slowly defrosting from a cold, dark place and stepping into the light. I am not surprised that the video for Mary Lambert's song is filmed in a sunny field. Her words beam truth with a light so bright that you can't help but stop and feel the heat sear the soul.
It's funny how a song about civil rights equality (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Same Love) led me to a song about loving yourself and having a positive body image and high self-esteem. But maybe it's not a coincidence. In the same way we should not ostracize the LGBT community from basic civil rights, we should not ostracize ourselves and our esteem from basic human kindness. We often treat others around us much better than we treat ourselves.
I want to send Mary Lambert's video to everyone I know. It is so pure of heart and strong of message. So I am starting here with you, LilyOnTheLam.com readers. Watch the video, hear the message and pass it along. Because we are all worthy and worthwhile. However sometimes, we need to be reminded of it. I hope you enjoy the song.
P.S. And a picture from the Tampa Marriage Equality Rally too ...
P.P.S. Mary Lambert's Twitter account (@MaryLambertSing) favorited my Tweet announcing this blog post. In my mind, Mary Lambert was hanging out checking her Twitter on her Smartphone, saw my Tweet and exclaimed melodically "LilyOnTheLam.Com is the best blog ever!" and then favorited my Tweet. The reality may be that Mary Lambert has an army of unpaid interns who monitor her social media. So whether it was Mary herself or some interns hopped up on Starbucks, I thank you for the social media love.
LilyOnTheLam.com Google Affiliate Ad:
If you read my last blog post ("Born Straight, Refuse To Hate"), you'll know that it included my recommendations for pro-marriage equality slogans. My friend, the radiant Miss LM was making glitter glue poster board signs for a Tampa Bay rally. Miss LM, myself and several friends would be attending the rally to show support for our local LBGT community as well as the entire the marriage equality movement.
Miss LM has many talents and man, can that lady make one snazzy poster. Miss LM has been my partner in crime at many a rally. We stood in a claustrophobic crowd for 6 hours to hear President Obama and former President Bill Clinton speak in 2008. (Oh and Jimmy Smits spoke too - which led me to believe that maybe Obama would be ditching Biden and going with a hot Latino VP ... but no. Sigh.)
Perhaps it was this rally experience that drew the local news media to us. When the local news affiliate came by and asked if they could interview me, I practically Irish Riverdanced right in front of the camera. I mentally kicked myself because I knew I should have brought my diamond-encrusted microphone!
It was an incredibly unseasonably cold evening in Tampa Bay and by the end of the rally, I had wrapped myself in a giant furry blanket to stay warm. I looked like a boxer's manager who wears a full-length fur and speaks in all motivational slogan sound bites. ("You're a winner, kid - a real winner!")
At the end of the evening, my friends and I scanned the news and internet media to see how many times we popped up. I had a sound bite on Fox, my smiling, award-winning, more gorgeous than a supermodel face was on ABC and my picture was on a couple internet news sites as well as on Facebook pictures from people who attended the rally. I should have been wearing a t-shirt (or a faux fur coat) that said "LilyOnTheLam.com."
I texted a friend that with all this media exposure, I was most certainly now to be considered the Angelina Jolie of my island neighborhood community. She whole-heartedly agreed. (Probably because she feared I had suffered a psychotic break and she was too young to be butchered in the streets, but I digress ...)
My eloquent interview on the 14th amendment, equal protection under the law, the constitution, how my parents' inter-racial marriage would have been illegal as recently as around 60 years ago and how this is not a gay issue but a human rights issue was boiled down into a 2 second sound bite at the end of a story but I can now add "television star" to my resume.
(Side Note: I have previously also appeared on the local CBS affiliate in a restaurant review. I wore a kicky black and white hat that I bought on a whim in Vancouver, British Columbia. In my mind, I looked like a combination of sexy flapper and bohemian hipster. In my mind, I look like a lot of things. When it comes to local news, I have now graced all the major networks except NBC. As my friend Nicky G pointed out, if NBC didn't care about Ann Curry how could I possibly expect NBC to broadcast my half-Asian face? Obviously NBC doesn't realize I am a STAR! Get with the program NBC, I have faith in you - now go knock out your competition in the 3rd round so we can go drink some raw eggs.)
I do hope the United States Supreme Court will rule on the side of equal rights under the law for all citizens when their decision is announced in June. Until then, I can only hope. As part of the Marriage Equality fervor, I have been listening to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' song "Same Love." Given that the rap world still tends to have a homophobic gloss, I applaud Ben Haggerty (a.k.a. Macklemore)'s bravery in releasing this song. It is honest, pure and with the amazing, ethereal Seattle Singer/Songwriter Mary Lambert's vocals in the chorus; it is a wonderful, heart-embracing song.
It was in repeated listenings of "Same Love" that I decided I needed to hear more of Mary Lambert's music. I downloaded some of her songs from iTunes, but didn't listen to them until I was sitting in the car at a car wash today.
Whenever I am in a car wash with the shimmering soapy brushless rollers gliding over the car, I think of the movie "Corinna, Corinna" and I stop and wonder where my own personal Whoopi Goldberg is hiding.
(Side Note: I looked on YouTube to see if I could find a clip of the car wash scene from "Corinna, Corinna", but a search for car wash just gave me a bunch of soapy, chicks in bikinis videos - um, no thank you.)
It was amidst the quiet, solitary whir of the car wash, enveloped in suds and chemical potions that Mary Lambert's song "I Know Girls (Body Love)" started playing.
And suddenly I didn't have to ask where my own personal Whoopi Goldberg was ... because I was getting an eye-opening smack of girl power reality wrapped in beautiful, clever lyrics through my Harman Kardon speakers. Mary Lambert had me hooked the moment I heard the verse about girls "fleeing bombs from the mosques of their skin."
The weather in Tampa is finally catching up to the season's average temperatures. I feel like I am slowly defrosting from a cold, dark place and stepping into the light. I am not surprised that the video for Mary Lambert's song is filmed in a sunny field. Her words beam truth with a light so bright that you can't help but stop and feel the heat sear the soul.
It's funny how a song about civil rights equality (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Same Love) led me to a song about loving yourself and having a positive body image and high self-esteem. But maybe it's not a coincidence. In the same way we should not ostracize the LGBT community from basic civil rights, we should not ostracize ourselves and our esteem from basic human kindness. We often treat others around us much better than we treat ourselves.
I want to send Mary Lambert's video to everyone I know. It is so pure of heart and strong of message. So I am starting here with you, LilyOnTheLam.com readers. Watch the video, hear the message and pass it along. Because we are all worthy and worthwhile. However sometimes, we need to be reminded of it. I hope you enjoy the song.
P.S. And a picture from the Tampa Marriage Equality Rally too ...
P.P.S. Mary Lambert's Twitter account (@MaryLambertSing) favorited my Tweet announcing this blog post. In my mind, Mary Lambert was hanging out checking her Twitter on her Smartphone, saw my Tweet and exclaimed melodically "LilyOnTheLam.Com is the best blog ever!" and then favorited my Tweet. The reality may be that Mary Lambert has an army of unpaid interns who monitor her social media. So whether it was Mary herself or some interns hopped up on Starbucks, I thank you for the social media love.
LilyOnTheLam.com Google Affiliate Ad:
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