Pride Stories

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Michael Vaccaro

Sometimes life can feel so lonely and as though no one "gets you." It's times like this when life feels like it's out to get you. Like it has this unbeatable doom for you to be alone FOREVER. I've experienced that feeling before. It's very uncomfortable to go through.

Some people are able to hold a pocket of hope in their mind's eye. A small yet not insignificant bit of fantasy that something, somewhere, someday is waiting on you to arrive to it. And when you do, everything makes sense.

Michael Vaccaro came across a poem once, and never let it go. Till this day, he carries that poem in his pocket. Today you're going to hear a story of how two men were connected years before ever meeting or knowing each other existed all because of a simple poem. The natural wonder that Michael had led him to hold onto this poem year after year after year. Then one day, he meets its author. What unfolds from there is pure beauty. This is a story that is bound to move you. It will most likely tug your heartstrings.

Before Michael ever met his husband, its as though he was emotionally protected by him - having this poem to put hope in. And after his husband left, he continued leaving blessings in Michael's life. Giving him the gift of awareness of what life is all about: something more, something more significant than the physical.

I hope you enjoy today's story.

It's important to note that Michael Vaccaro permitted me to use his story in today's episode. The audio used today was initially sourced from a video I came across on facebook called "That Moment Death Becomes Less Scary" and was produced by "Soul Pancake." LGBT Stories is not the original producer of this audio and own none of the rights to it. It's simply a beautiful story that I knew I wanted to share with you all here. Enjoy!

 

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https://www.youtube.com/user/ChildOfTheSeventies1?fbclid=IwAR2sqqhwNKaCA94mx3cAVHl43bVGBu7S1KdcrzZG1cPCx1qZ-bYSTn7HggQ

 

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Finding My Inner Self - James Lucas

 

Today's guest is someone I've known for I'd say somewhere around 3 years now. His name is James Lucas, and he and I are actually roommates.

When I first met James, he had been sharing with me and a few mutual friends different stories of his life and some of the struggles that he had been experiencing. I couldn't help but more personally introduce myself to him, as we seemed to have a lot in common. I can remember just being there to let him know that if he wanted some support, it was here for him. That was the start of a beautiful friendship.

I have wanted James to share his story on the show for a few years now; however, the timing for him just hadn't been right. And now, finally, my friend is opening up with you all his incredible story.

James tells us what it was like growing up gay on a British island, what it felt like when his father passed away when James was in his early 20's, and how hiding from the world in the safety of his childish home negatively impacted his ability to open up intimately, later in life. Well - until now, that is. Today you'll see how put-together James has become and how he is thriving - allowing himself to try new things and address the reasons why he lived in so much isolation growing up.

James is someone that I know loves being of service to others in need and sees the value of a Friday evening at home watching Netflix with his beautiful dog. If you ask me, he has done an incredible job balancing his natural tendency to retreat with the part of his heart that loves supporting others - in whatever way he can.

 

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Coming out to your friends and family is never really that amazing of a thing. It's exhausting and oftentimes terrifying. If you're lucky, you were raised in a family that expressed emotions and create space for you to be just as you are, which made it easy for you to "come out."  If that was you, damn, I am happy for you! However, for many others, that was not their experience. For some who haven't come out yet, they continue to operate in a space where they fear the worse.   Today's guest is Rick. Rick's coming out experience was pretty pleasant and "easy." He is going to share with you what it was like for him to tell his family that he is gay and how that lead him on a path to writing his book, "Rainbow Relatives - Real World Stories and Advice on How To Talk to Kids about LGBTQ+ Families and Friends."   Talking to children about this topic is essential. I think that parents need to educate themselves more on the LGBTQ community. Your kids, whether you like it or not, are going to interact with LGBTQ people throughout their lives. Many of your children are going to most likely, at some point, come out at LGBTQ in their lifetime. Why not get in front of it sooner? If you could normalize and make this life at all easier for your children, would you not do that?   It's time to start having conversations with children about sexuality and gender far sooner than we are. There is so much evidence that kids are aware of their sexuality much sooner than we begin educating them on the subject. We all know that by the time we are talking about it with them, it's too late. The damage is often already done. And this is why I think books like Rick's are so important.

 The author is also the writer and producer of the film Walk A Mile In My Pradas, starring Tom Arnold, Dee Wallace, and Bruce Vilanch and it is on Amazon Prime at http://tinyurl.com/gnwsehl

Connect with Rick online

www.rickkaratas.com 

 

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Happy National Coming Out Day (NCOD)! To everyone who took the leap of faith and came out, congratulations to you! Today you did something courageous and exciting. Proclaiming who you love may it be someone specific that you're revealing or gender in general, I am proud of you!

For those of you who are not coming out today, I am also proud of you. Making a decision for yourself to stay closeted is also a huge decision to make. We might not know your reasons for it, but I chose to believe that you have very valid ones. I want to make sure that you know that there is space for you in this world to operate and be as unseen or low-key as you would like to be. When so many people today are waving the pride flag bright and high in the sky, there can be a lot of pressure to come out of the closet before you're actually ready. Not giving in to peer pressure, or the influence of society to do that is commendable and equally as courageous. I hope you know this too. Knowing who you are inside, even if only to yourself, is also a really great gift to yourself.

While today is Friday and we usually have a First Kiss Friday story for you, it's also NCOD. I felt it special to share someones coming out story with you all today! That is where my dear friend Whitney Easton comes into light. Whitney and I are very close friends. We talk just about every day of the week. She is one of the people in my life that I can call in tears, or full of laughs - she holds space for each for me. Having friends that offer this in the relationship is invaluable, I encourage you all to find that. Whitney is a Los Angeles based writer. She founded Wisdom With Whit, her freelance writing business where she writes about life, wellness, wholeness, and now, coming out of the closet in her 30s.

One thing that brought Whitney and me together the most I would have to say is that we are both LGBTQ Christians. What's that mean? Well, it's straightforward. We both identify as LGBTQ, and we are both Christians.

Here's the thing, though; when she and I met, she wasn't out at the time. I just knew that I had a friend who was a Christian and accepted me just as I was. Gay as ever... and I love God. I hadn't had any idea that this relationship I was benefiting from was also providing support for Whitney. I had merely been being myself, my vulnerable, authentic self. Isn't it amazing what is being woven together as we allow ourselves to be seen by others? Something takes place without us controlling the ship. The waves of life just do their thing.

As I said, Whitney is a writer, and recently came out to a few friends of hers (myself obvi included). She hadn't officially posted anything online or made any public statement about it until yesterday. That's when her article "I'm an LGBTQ Christian and I'm Ready to Start Talking" was released on the popular website "Medium." A subsidiary of Medium, "Our Human Family," commissioned her to write the piece. And my God, did she do the damn thing! This article is amazing! She speaks about her frustrations around the intersection of homosexuality and Christianity (something that often comes up on our show). What really moved me was where Whitney end's on her current relationship with God. And that, I will give you the gift of hearing for yourself.

 

Read Whitney's article online here http://bit.ly/2IHqQtT

Connect with Whitney online http://www.instagram.com/wisdomwithwhit

Whitney's website is https://www.wisdomwithwhit.com/

 

One Human Family has more articles from more writers here https://medium.com/our-human-family

 

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If you live in almost any major US city I am almost certain that you've seen many people zipping around the streets on electric scooters. Even electric bikes and skateboards are becoming more of a "thing". If you saw my Instagram post a few weeks ago you may have seen the post of myself and Karamo Brown from Queer Eye. And then if you read the caption, you'd see that I don't have a car (well, at the time I didn't have a car, I do now, but that's not important to the story). Living without a car in Los Angeles is not ideal, the transit system is anything but robust and glamorous. So as the rise of electric scooters took off, I naturally was a big fan. In fact, I needed to figure out how I could get one of these bad boys for myself! I started digging around the internet and thank you IG ads, I came across, Boosted Boards! Boosted Boards flagship product is that electric skateboard that you see all over town (at least here in LA). Well, they also now make whats they call the Boosted Rev, an electric scooter! When I was watching videos on their website and YouTube trying to get a good sense of this machine I was blown away. This truly is a beast. The thing has 3 modes and a top speed of 25mph. I have yet to find a scooter that gives you that much speed. So I'm digging and digging, mining the internet and keep coming back to the Boosted Rev. So finally, I end up on a call with their marketing team. Because only naturally, right? Full disclosure, I got the Boosted Rev. and I'm glad that I did! Yes, it's an awesome machine, but honestly, it's more about the team behind the scooter. I'm talking about the team at Boosted Boards. This is where I met Bobby. Bobby on the marketing team as Boosted Boards. When we started talking I was very candid with him letting him know who I was (i.e LGBT Stories) and that Boosted's web presence doesn't show one much of inclusion within the LGBTQ community. There was nothing that stood out that would make any LGBTQ kid who has that same "skater vibe" that Boosted does, feel personally connected to the company. He laughed when I said this, and then proceeded to tell me about how LGBTQ friendly the office. That was reassuring. That's when he told me that he was actually gay and a perfect example of how inclusive they are as a company. So this brings us to today's story. Bobby Dunn is going to share his LGBT Story with us all! I hope that this story reaches all the young skater boy kids out there that might be listening today. Growing up in America can often feel as though we have to conform to a specific group of people. A specific style or vibe. Well, what if we didn't? What if we could just show up to our peers, just the way we are and say, Hey, this is me. Like me or not, your call. But I'll be over here skating.

 

 

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In today's episode, our guests Steven & Lorevic share their journey going through the adoption process. They discuss what it was like when they first met and how at times the talk of children created some discomfort in their relationship. However, in the end, I think you'll see that it all worked out beautifully.

 

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Yesterday was Bisexual Visibility Day. It's a day for those in the bisexual community to stand up, declare their bisexuality, and proclaim their seat!

This last weekend has been nothing short of transformational for me. I went to the 2nd annual bisexual pride parade in West Hollywood, CA.

The event started off with a festival where I was able to meet new friends and eat good food, then a parade walking around the streets of West Hollywood. The bisexual flag was flying high above us all, while we chanted rhythmic chants in support of bisexuality. It was pretty amazing.

I could sense the pride and comfort that so many people there felt - they finally felt as though they're being not only seen but acknowledged. However, what they might not have been able to see was how I was feeling.

The entire time, and I mean, the whole time; I was feeling a deep sense of sorrow and remorse for my lack of participation in the bisexual community. Here I am, a gay man who has come so far in his life - living out and proud. Meanwhile, there are billions of bisexual people who are still today, in 2019, living in the shadows. And not just "the shadows"... MY SHADOWS.

Here's the thing, I refuse to sit back, have the platform of LGBT Stories and not acknowledge that so many of us in the gay, lesbian, and trans communities have devalued or belittled the bisexual community. I have so many times witnessed bigotry in our community directed towards the bisexual community. It's not ok. It needs to continue to be called out, and it MUST stop.

And I say this directly to my gay brothers, the slander, and hate that our community cast over the bisexual community is unacceptable and disgraceful. How dare so many of us do precisely what was done to us decades! Do not act as though it doesn't happen, because you and I both know that it does, and it.

And that is why I am so pleased to have Sarah share her story on the show today. I put a call out on social media yesterday for someone explicitly bisexual to share their story on LGBT Stories because today's episode airs one day after Bisexual Visibility Day. I am glad that I did.

When Sarah sent me the audio of the performance that you're about to hear, and I listened to it I was deeply moved by her way of telling a story, but more so by the continued confirmation of what people in the bisexual community struggle with daily. I encourage you to listen to her story and especially those of us who are gay, lesbian, and trans; try and see commonalities in your own life experiences.

 

Connect With Sarah

www.instagram.com/sarahkleg

Listen To Sarah's Show "What's Wrong With You?"

https://spoti.fi/2mqk0Rj

 

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IF YOU'RE IN DANGER, CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES 9-1-1 (IN THE UNITED STATES)

This episode is rated explicit. If you are under the age of 18, DO NOT LISTEN to this episode. There is mention of sexual assault as well as descriptions of sexual activities. This episode is only for adults over the age of 18.

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If you would like to support our mission to spread the stories of the LGBTQ+ community around the world, please do us a favor and donate as little as $5 to us. It helps keep the lights on around here. No really, all donations go back into promotion and the overall running of this big ship. Donate To LGBT Stories here http://bit.ly/donatelgbtstories thanks! It's no secret that many young boys are victims of sexual assault growing up. I'm not sure of the exact numbers; however, I would assume that more often than not, many of these young men go on never to speak a single word of the assault. Well, that is not what Sean Segerstrom did. From the age of only four years, old Sean experienced sexual assault from a family member and then a close family friend. This would continue until his late teenage years. Sean explains that he thought that that is how people show each other that they love them. It's these experience that causes Sean some of the struggles that he still battles today. Although these are real struggles, finding any positivity in a story such as this can be very uncomfortable, there has been a silver lining. Sean explains how he found his chosen family. He speaks about the people that, while not blood related to him, are his family. Those who sat with him in some of his darkest moments in life without an ounce of judgment. These are the people who've always made him feel safe. Sean does a beautiful job helping the audience know that they, too, can find their chosen family! I hope that those of you whom Sean mentioned are listening to today's episode. You deserve to hear the kind things he said about you all. The love he has for you all is undeniable. Thanks, Sean, for sharing your message and story with the world. We need more people like you not only to stand up against the injustices that they face but to also speak to the younger generations that are coming up after us. Young people, we need you guys to know that you're not alone. While it might feel that way now, it will not always be this way. There is a natural progression of life that happens and often its an uncomfortable growing pain that we don't at the moment often understand. The beautiful thing about it is if we take a step back and surrender control to something greater than ourselves, then, the possibilities of our life are endless and bountiful! Connect With Sean Instagram   CONNECT WITH LGBT STORIES ONLINE! If you haven’t joined our facebook group yet just go to facebook.com/groups/lgbtstories and click “Join”.   Instagram www.ourlgbtstories.com www.ourlgbtstories.shop www.kevingerdes.com   Contact Us [email protected] 310-750-3841 text or call us 24/7

 

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Laganja Estranja, you probably know her from Season 6 of Rue Paul's Drag Race. Well, behind every fierce queen's face, is an even a badass boy! For those of you who may not know, Laganja Estranga or Jay Evan Jackson is an American choreographer and drag queen based in Los Angeles, California. I personally never watched more than season 1 of Rue Paul's Drag Race, but I did know of Laganja from I guess word of mouth. Nevertheless, I was very excited to have her tell her story on the show. As with any guest who comes on LGBT Stories that has some sort of notoriety or fame, I'm not looking for stories of glitz and glam. I want the guest to go to a more intimate place with us. I love it when the guest finishes up their stories and tell me how "that was the best thing they have ever done" for themselves. There is something very powerful about sharing our true authentic self with others! I am blessed to be able to provide a space where my guest can experience this. Ok, back to Laganja! She starts her story off by telling us about the boy who started it all, little Jay. From sports to ballet as a young kid, to preforming drag professionally, releasing new music this year, stepping away from all things Drag Race, and struggling with alcoholism, Jay, or, Laganja is a force to be reckoned with!