Cherry Bomb: "Living Out Loud"

Hey, I live in Sydney... i feel like i can be gay in most places except the Hills District.  Basically it is Sydney's bible belt, it is the birthplace of Hillsong (a massive pentacostal church movement).  My ex girlfriend came from there and i remember that we could hold hands anywhere else in sydney except there. 

I didn't really understand at the time but then I met one of her primary school friends years later who was beaten with sticks and bullied really badly because she was a lesbian (she now gives speaches in schools raising awareness and educating school kids).  So it is a real threat in those parts of sydney. 

At the Sydney Mardi Gras, there is always homophobic violence.  It sucks.   It is always the straight people coming to pick a fight - it can get really messy.  I think there were 4 stabbings last year (i don't think anyone died, luckily).   

Thank you ladies for bringing this to people's attention. Many people I know don't realize that this kind of stuff happens all the time.

I live in Georgia, and I completely understand why someone would want to stay in the closet here. I actually just moved from the Atlanta area to a very small town in the middle of nowhere, and my very first day of school here, I was chased out of the building being called a "faggot." I've been out for a while and I'm not going to change that. Its way too obvious that I'm gay, and I'm not going to hide who I am anymore.

When I went back to the Atlanta area, I was at my old school's football game and my lesbian friend and I were holding hands and no one said a word. Although that might be because these southerners often mistake me for a guy, and not some kind of "city respect" XD

Where I live, It would be a disrespect to hold your girlfriend's hands in front of the parents. If they know about the relationship (you must be someone very lucky if you can tell them), they would strongly prefer not to see it in the open. My own sister once reprimanded me when my ex-girlfriend and I kissed. I wanted to scream at her face, "Did I say anything when you and boyfriend did it?!" I personally say we are more than tone-down. Even in the company of gay friends, we feel awkward and one of my friends would even say "sorry" for commiting the public display of affection. We Need to be Out There and Show The Love, Our Love!

The girl in the video is really cute. Something about how she spoke/ gestured reminded me of Emma Watson.. hmm

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wow you guys just opend my eyes on that..i thought that africa was the only place that gays are censored,am in the midwest and i still cant be out..my friends are anti gay..thought i would move to calif but its seems like its going to be a hustle too..

well i live in a small town in Texas  an i have had stuff said to me just cuz of how i look an i'm not even out  ...

I've been waiting for an episode like this for a while so thanks for tackling the subject. I was born and raised in South Carolina and now go to university in Colorado Springs, CO. Both places are extremely conservative, so it's made for an interesting journey (only started 'coming out' as queer a year ago). I am currently studying abroad in New Zealand though. My plan was to come here and finally be "gay all day" but I've ended up with super conservative flatmates, so it's turned into " secretly queer on the weekends". Anyway, thanks again for having a dialogue about the subject of location. As always, y'all were wonderful!

 

 

http://crescentcompositions.blogspot.com

I have never heard of a football player that are gay!:)

Great ep. as allways ladies.

Thanks for doing this every week; it is awesome.

I would love to be gay all day, and I have a childish sense of joy at the thought but it is dangerous. However I don't feel safe if I am surrounded by all girls either because alot of girls can be violent if they find out you are gay.

I work with all women and in a nursery setting and on facebook I am interested in men and women' as my interested in' one or two of my collegues are on facebook as well as my boss but nothing has ever been mentioned. If anyone asks me about my relationship status it is always 'do you have a boyfriend' and some of the statements they make offhand about being gay would stop me from coming out. The trouble is some people say something off the cuff and don't really mean it or don't understand the intention but it can put you off because it is negative about gay people. My brother says 'that's gay' and even though I tell him I don't like it and he knows and is supportive of me it is just part of his daily language because his friends say it he doesn't think about what it means or how it relates to me.

I live in a small town but I live close to Birmingham which has a huge gay centre but I am just too damn shy to go to it 

 

Yay Michigan, Freedom for a week.

Great topic. So many brave people out here.  Look forward to the show every week.  AE a little freedom every day.

hahahaha, i think the server has crashed!!!

Vermont is very small and when everyone knows everyone, it's seriously tough to be yourself walking down the street, if even only for the snarl-ey stares and cold glances...even after the gay marriage bill has been passed! Foliage season brings people here who are from all over the place, therefore more rigidity, the locals want to please and make their money...etc..

Just recently I've become more brave to be in public places with my gf, never pda, or holding hands, only the quick casual touches and laughing together, like best friends. Sad...so sad...

Times are changing

Knowledge is Power.  Believe in yourself.

Well Tatum 

I think you need to sell that T-shirt.

Cherry Bomb

Gay All Day

I would buy it.

Being that Tallahassee is a college town, it's a little more liberal in most places, but in the rest of northern FL, it really is dangerous.

I love this!  This would make a very good gay pride T-shirt slogan.  It's sad that we are still in these times, but with more visibility, things will hopefully get better.  It is scary though to be in a small town and not have gay support.  It's always hard for those who fit the stereotypical gay appearance, even if they are straight. 

I love this show so much! I lived in Texas but in Dallas, so I felt a lot safer there- especially in Oaklawn. (It's like the gay area- pride flags everywhere.) But I've been to a lot of rural places in Texas that it is impossible to be out in. You will get hurt. It's sad that we still have to hide ourselves if we live in certain places but maybe one day we will be able to be out and happy.

The sad girl in the video beyond pretty. Too bad her best friend broke her heart. And it sounds like she lives in the UK :(

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"You can not pray away the gay!"--- Callie Torres

I grew up and lived in Vancouver, BC for 26 years and I could be as gay as I wanted to be mostly everywhere in the city and into the suburbs too. My gf and I could hold hands and kiss as we walked down the streets and it was pretty rare to hear anything said to us, but there were looks sometimes. I just moved to Lyon, France to be with my girl as she finishes school and I honestly miss that freedom that I took so for granted. We don't even really hold hands here because it just draws too much attention most of the time and I hate having to listen to comments. What's worse, is that there is pretty much nothing we can do to defend ourselves. Saying anything back would be just provoking these guys. It's been really difficult for me to come from such an accepting and open place where gay couples can be almost as affectionate in public as heterosexual couples to here, where the cliche goes that the French are the masters of PDA. Straight couples make out and are all over each other here and my love and I have to hide. It's just not fair. I feel like I might be putting us in danger if we are more open but I wish I had more courage to act and behave the way I would at home here.

Thanks for addresing that problem this week. Even though you guys didnt discuss being out somewhere out of the US (which makes sense because its where you lived most of your life) it still gives a voice for the rest of us who dont need to be so out in their hostile enviroment.

There is alot of pressure in the gay community to be somehow, out, but honestly considering some of the places some gay people live in...its frightening. I think its wise to not come out completely if its life threatening. I'm from the middle east which is highly homophoic and hateful towards homosexuals, and living in a constant state of terror because of my sexuality. Hopefully when my gf and I leave this place, we can live a somewhat normal life.

Well, in reply to the video girl, I'd like to share my experience. I dated a close friend of mine (who was very vague about her sexuality) for a while, then for some odd reason her religious obligations 'forced her' to dump me, then she had the guts to try to use god against me so I can change my sinful ways. anyways, I had to go to university with this person and sit through half of my classes with her. and the whole time her pretending like the months we were involved together never happened.

To save myself from the coming prospect of insanity, I just distanced and busied myself, like what Tatum said, and rarely spoke two words to her in  a day. Eventually we drifted apart and now I have no feelings for her whatsoever. She still tries to mess with my mind sometimes, out of boredom I guess, but I'm pretty immune.

so my advice is, dont create drama, distance yourself physically and emotionally, distract yourself with dating other people, doing other things, etc. Eventually she'll mean nothing to you as well.

 

It's been said already but there is homophobia everywhere. I've lived in New York City all my life and I have witnessed a mix of things. I've seen massive PDA from lesbians on the train with no heckling. but then again they have all been butch/femme couples, so perception could affect that. On the other hand I know people who have been jumped for being gay.

This summer coming out of the West 4th station this group of dudes started yelling slurs from across the platform to a friend of mine. Long story short, it was real close to being an huge brawl. I assume the thought that he was alone. There was maybe 20 of us and the group was scattered. When we saw what was happening we all ran up to where the two platforms connect to confront them.

They had nothing to say then...  smh