i know i know, i haven't been around. miss me?

what with illness and exhaustion and sleeping whole days and missing work and planning activities and fixing life, who can keep up

anyway, finally back

new column

"I Came, I Saw, I Swooned"

I just got so excited that I accidentally came too early. I mean, what gay man wouldn’t get excited about being so up close and personal with Alex and Jarrod and so many other hot young military boys? It’s enough to make one lose control of their faculties. Usually I’m more on top of my game than that, but things just got out of my hands that night.

So as I was saying, I came too early. It happens. Every once in a while, we men get a little too excited and can’t control ourselves. As it happens, I came a whole week before it was time. I showed up at Jim and Andrew’s home for an event featuring gay army veterans all dressed up and ready to swoon. And while Jim and Andrew were sweet to me that night, I still had that terribly embarrassing moment of realization when I was told by the men I was with that it was just too soon. Oh my, what’s a gay boy to do?

Finally, the next week came, and so did I, once again. Even though ill with the flu I still made time to visit with Jim and Andrew and meet these young military boys. And Alex and Jarrod did not disappoint! I may not have had the stamina I hoped, but I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity. These military guys are doing an amazing thing. They are about to hit the road around the country putting a face on the discriminatory nature of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ And they’ll be doing it in the most red of red-state areas looking to speak with conservatives who care about the military and its effectiveness and see how the discrimination hurts the military itself. And that these guys are just as good, or better, than any other recruits.

Now, I must admit, I’m not that familiar with the military. I don’t pretend to understand the ins and outs of it or its rules or what it means for us as a society. And I personally am quite glad I’ve never had to be personally involved in a war. I’m a writer; not a fighter. I can’t imagine myself holding a weapon. I just can’t ever fathom doing something like that. But I know that others have fought and died for my liberty and so I greatly appreciate that. I know that my father and my grandfather and probably many others in my family have served in wars and I admire them for that. And I know that liberty isn’t as free as we may want to pretend.

I also know discrimination when I see it. And while I don’t understand the military world, I do understand how terrible the discrimination against our LGBT brethren has been, and continues to be. So I am happy to support and promote these brave young soldiers as they make their trip around the country. I hope you will too. Go to www.calltodutytour.org to meet and support them.