So it's been awhile since there has been a new Swivek album but never fear I'm working on it now. A 13 track set entitled "I GUESS I'M NOT ALONE". The songs featured include songs left off of the EVERYBODY HATES YOU album, plus some old lyrics and themes I've wanted to tackle for awhile. I'm also incorporating my pals Devin Tait of Devin Tait & The Traitors, members of the former Signal Ranch group and my pal Amy Crosby of Shitting Glitter to help out. I'm getting very excited, but first recording must commence.
With Prop 8 getting overturned (once again) today seemed to be the perfect to start recording my song "Wounded." The lyrics and music were written the day after Prop 8 was announced as legal back in 2008 (one month after I got married), I was devastated, hurt, and 'wounded.' But I knew (know) our day will come so I wrote the song.So I wrote it the day after Prop 8 was legal and I'm going to re-record it the day Prop 8 was deemed unconstitutional. Seems perfect.
Here are the lyrics:
W O U N D E D Written by Bradley Jacobson
You can’t change what is true Heaven knows, what about you? You’re fading fast from memory You’re on the wrong side of history
I’ve been wounded, I’ve been scorned I’ve burned in flames and been reborn There’s nothing more you will take from me With your hate and your bigotry I’ll walk right through your brimstone And I will find my way home
Why don’t you walk the path of right instead Of hiding behind a book to spew hatred Your time of lies will fade away And bring about a brighter day
I’ve been wounded, I’ve been scorned I’ve burned in flames and been reborn There’s nothing more you will take from me With your hate and your bigotry I’ll walk right through your brimstone, yeah And I will find my way home
And when you’re burning in your own brimstone God will carry me home God will carry me home
I don't like to get political on this blog but since it is Bradley's Buzz and I'm Bradley I'm gonna buzz.... It's been about one year since I woke up in the morning to find out one of my rights was taken away by a majority of people who don't even know who the hell I am. Today, I woke up with the same feeling since Maine has now lost their gay marriage rights.
Maine made a Legislative law that gay marriage was legal and of course anti-gay bigots decided to turn it to the people because you know the majority rules is always, always the right course of action. I don't care what anybody says if there were to be a new proposition to take away marriage between black and white people there are certainly places the majority would rule for it. That's because there are twisted, sick, overly religious, over judgemental, overpowered people everywhere. People are selfish and want what they think is best for them. The court is supposed to step in some cases where those selfish people are not capable of making the right decision.
The courts in Maine knew that, the courts in California knew that, the courts in 4 other states know that and yet people can come in and vote away rights. That's exactly what it is. If the law says that you can do something but I can't, then that my pals is a civil right violation.
In Washington, the government decided that since all these religious zealots keep saying you can have your civil unions and domestic partnerships just as long as you don't call it marriage (an idea that also permeates in the head of our elected Obama), they would come up with the "Everything But Marriage" Act. It sounds perfect - everyone is happy despite the whole separate but equal imposition - but again those opposed to anything gay decided to throw it on the ballot. I guess "you can call it anything but marriage" was still too big of a crumb to throw to your fellow citizens.
I can't tell anyone enough how this whole thing boils down to religion and people who think being gay is a choice. After all what a choice one could make - in other countries gay people are punished by death and somehow it seems to me had someone asked them if they would now choose to be straight, some may, just may, turn around and say, "Fine I'm straight. Can I live now? After all this was all just the wrong decision." Bullshit.
Wanda Sykes mentions in one of her comedy specials that if gay people are choosing to be gay doesn't that mean that straight people are choosing not to be gay. "Why do you choose to live your life as a gay?" well "Why did you choose to be straight?" Some in other minorities believe they fought for something more important, they were born black, Asian, Indian etc. Well I can whole heartily say I was born gay.
The people who feel this gay fight is not akin to the civil rights fights before also seem to think gay people can pass where a black man walks into a room and everyone knows he's black, well I can also atone to the fact that when I walk into a room, people know I'm gay - they have always known that. Now sure I could probably take some asinine class to show me how to walk, talk more masculine and perhaps "pass"... but doesn't all that seem a little like the thing that light skinned black people also went through?
It's all a bunch of bullshit, because gay marriage, gay civil rights, anti-discrimination laws and the like have nothing to do with religion. Our country may have religious backdrops but the fact was the people who came over and stomped over the civil rights of those crazy natives that lived here, came here so they could have freedom.
Well I want freedom - I want my rights and I want the rights for everyone. Our government is supposed to separate church and state so that the Catholics can't make everything under Catholic theology, so the Mormons can't make everything under Mormon mythology, so the Atheists can't make everyone see the world as they do. The laws are about people and not about what particular religions or ideas rule. We are all people.
The other arguments of the horrible slippery slope of moral decay has nothing to do with me and it has nothing to do with others religious beliefs. I think a world where everyone is equal sounds pretty nice and peaceful to me. The implications of what happens in my bedroom as a gay person is just as much their business as what happens in their house. I don't care, why the hell do they care so much about me?
Gay marriage is a marriage between two people of the same sex, if you do not want to get married to a person of the same sex, no one is forcing you do it. So how can I be forced to not do it. Or even worse being able to do it in one place and not in another.
The thing is the opposition states this is about marriage but it's not, it's about hating gay people. They don't want us to get married because they don't want us around. These people want us to repent, to change who we are or to die. Harsh, sure, but no matter how they 'tolerate' us or how many 'gay friends' they have, it's all rubbish. If Maggie Gallagher really has a gay friend I want to meet him so I can slap his face for hanging out with such a retched character.
I don't know where our next stop on this horrible twisted ride into gay Apartheid will take us but I do know that until that damn DOMA is knocked down, this is going to go on forever with more and more states giving rights, people taking them away until something is going to snap.
I was never been so fired up and proud as I was when the GLBT groups rose up and protested against the passage of Prop 8. This is a fight and we need to rise up and keep fighting. I don't know how exactly to do that, since every time there is a loss it feels like a part of your soul has been ripped out, but I do know that this can't end. We need to regroup and do it again and again but I have to say we really need the government to step in - until then we are just going to go through heartache after heartache.
Obama was voted in for change, I guess the gay community was left out of that change. I am happy and pleased that we got a few rights and the Matthew Shepard Act was finally brought onto the books, but come on - this is America.
After all of this, I have to say because California gave the LGBT people marriage rights before they were taken away, the Leivas and I are one of the 18,000 who are still legally married in California.. but that just means I'm separate in my state from the rest of the country (DOMA) and we're separate from those couples who want to get married post-Prop 8. I want rights for all of us and I don't want people I don't know telling me what they think is right is right and what I think is right is wrong. It's not their call.
This morning, The California Supreme Court will announce its decision on Proposition 8 Tuesday, May 26th. If it follows past practice, the court will make its announcement at about 10 AM Pacific Time (1 PM, Eastern / 12 noon Central). Hopefully, things will go the way I would like them to go - or at the very least keep me married... but either way all across the nation and beyond the powers that love are holding a day of decision rally. You can check out what's happening around you at www.DayofDecision.org and here's a little more info:
Depending on what the court decides, we will either PROTEST or CELEBRATE We will PROTEST if:
-- The court upholds Prop 8, and invalidates the 18,000 same-sex marriage licenses that California already issued; or, -- The court upholds Prop 8, but upholds the 18,000 same-sex marriages already performed, which would be a cruel, but pyrrhic victory for equality. We will CELEBRATE if:
-- The court rejects Proposition 8 and says that same-sex couples are entitled to the marriage rights that heterosexual couples already have. So call, email, Facebook, Twitter your friends – DAY OF DECISION actions are TUESDAY NIGHT! Robin TylerAndy Thayer Co-founders, www.DayOfDecision.org
Ugh! For the last two frickin' weeks I've been sick and it doesn't seem to be getting better. So finally I went to the doctor who told me I just had a lingering cold. He gave me some Cough Syrup with yummy yummy Kodine in it and some nasal spray. But it's driving me nuts. In fact I think this just might be the end. I'm going to be having a dry cough for the rest of my days and everyday is going to be the same, I'll get up spray my nose, go to work, come home take my Kodine fall asleep on the sofa, wake up and eat dinner, watch TV and go to bed. Yes, living la vida loca is what I'm all about.
Meanwhile, today the Supreme Court of California is hearing the arguments on Prop 8. Hopefully when it's all said and done, I will still be married and all gay people will be able to get married in California as well. Of course the only real way it's all going to be equal is when the Federal government realizes that DOMA is bullshit and should be revoked. It feels so nice to fill out a joint tax form for state and have to file differently for the Federal government because my marriage isn't recognized as legal.
You can watch the proceedings on the net and on TV - I found this link to watch what's going on but I'm sure there are others.
and I have to mention that Lynda Carter - Wonder Woman if you're nasty - is back to performing and singing. Anyone my age who loved the woman will remember she had a ton of TV specials in the late 70's and early 80's where she sang and she even recorded an album in 1978. Well now she has a new album of standards coming out and she's performing in LA the next three days at the Catalina Jazz Club. I haven't bought tickets yet because of my friggin' cough. As it's such a small venue and she'll probably be performing with only a piano accompienment, I'm afraid my cough is going to ruin her whole set. We'll see how this illness goes (though I seriously think I have that Stephen King The Stand flu)... but for all you here in La La Land well enough to go - here's a link.
TODAY IS A DAY WITHOUT A GAY - and below is a little blurb I got from a friend's bulletin (plagerizing is cool sometimes):
What does that mean?
All LGBT folks and our allies who believe in equal rights should:
1) Call in sick to work or take a vacation dayUnless you work for a lgbt company
2) No spending! Don't buy ANYTHING unless it's a gay owned business. I'm sure there are restaurants in your area that are gay owned, so have dinner out!
3) VolunteerEither volunteer at a local LGBT organization, or even better, get your gay friends together and volunteer for a STRAIGHT organization. Get out there and help your community, schools, seniors and let everyone know a gay for a day!
4) Come Out know it's hard for some of you, but maybe today is the day you make that big push and come out to SOMEONE...anyone. Your parents, your corner grocer, your mail man, your boss, your college friends.... just one person if you can. I swear if every gay person came out of the closet, that 10% may just be upped.
5) Did I mention don't spend any Money? Don't spend any money!!!! Unless it's a gay owned business! What if you're straight? Then have dinner at a gay owned business. Clean out your closet and make a donation to an organization - like Out of the Closet or your local LGBT Center. Volunteer with your gay friends! Or make a donation to Lambda Legal who is going to be going in front of the Supreme Court of California at the beginning of the new year.
What's the point of all this? Do you need a point? We are a viable community of American citizens, and organizations are trying to take our rights away. This is a show of solidarity. If just a few of you volunteer and talk to straight people, or if your coming-out opens just one person's eyes, it'll matter. Plus it's a great way for you to have respect for yourself by showing that you stand for equal rights and that you are part of this movement.
It also continues the show of a unified lgbt people and their allies across the United States who are going to CONTINUE to fight for equal rights for all. So don't pussy out. Take the day off!
From the press release from the Out And Equal Organization:December 8, 2008, SAN FRANCISCO - Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the only nonprofit organization whose sole mission is workplace equality for all people, has thrown its support behind the National Day Without Gay, which will take place on International Human Rights Day, Wednesday, December 10, 2008.National Day Without Gay is a nation-wide protest in support of human rights and full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. On that day, the LGBT community and its allies will take a historic stance against hatred. Intended as a continuation of the grassroots surge against Proposition 8 across the U.S., National Day Without Gay calls on all people to join in this public action to protest the writing of discrimination into California's highest legal document, the State Constitution. “We recommend that people use this day as an opportunity to promote awareness in the workplace,” said Selisse Berry, founding executive director of Out & Equal. “There are still no federal laws protecting people from being fired simply for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. And this is a good opportunity to help change people’s perceptions about the LGBT community. ..
Ideally, if you're planning on calling in "gay," you'll spend the day being productive and donate your time to queer-positive community service. But how would your absence at work affect your co-workers? Have a look at the little video LOGO NEW NOW NEXT made: http://www.newnownext.com/2008/12/its-coming-day.html
About a year ago there was a movie with that hottie tottie John Stamos called The Wedding Wars. In it, John is a gay wedding planner who is planning his brother's wedding, well the brother is a senator or something and decides gays shouldn't be married so John sets out to get all the people worked up and there is a gay rights revolt with gays walking out of their jobs and going on strike. I thought it was great... though there was also a movie a few years called "A Day Without Mexicans" which was similar and there was the real life day all the immigrant workers took the day off to protest to show how valuable they were..
Well now the Jointheimpact.com people are putting together a true to life strike - thanks also in part to straight writer Joel Stein in an article in the LA Times and he went so far as to get Kathy Griffen to be the spokeswhore for it... So here is the latest:
The worldwide media attention surrounding our massive grassweb efforts for gay rights has been tremendous. Join the Impact was a HUGE success and will continue to thrive because of our efforts. We've reacted to Prop 8 with anger, with resolve, and with courage. NOW, it's time to show America and the world how we love. Gay people and our allies are compassionate, sensitive, caring, mobilized, and programmed for success. A day without gays would be tragic because it would be a day without love.
On December 10, 2008 the gay community will take a historic stance against hatred by donating love to a variety of different causes.
On December 10, you are encouraged not to call in sick to work. You are encouraged to call in "gay"--and donate your time to service!
December 10, 2008 is International Human Rights Day. CLICK HERE to join us, and search or add to the list of human rights organizations that need our help RIGHT NOW.
If you are a non-profit in search of volunteers on December 10, 2008, post your info here, or email us at info@daywithoutagay.org, and we'll add information about your group.
and here's a little link from the movie (cuz it's funny):
Location: West Hollywood, California, United States
SHORT VERSION: Bradley Jacobson is a singer/songwriter, sometime actor, sometime writer, audio engineer and producer, and all around happy dude. He was the singer/songwriter of the electronic trashy punky pop band Swivek, but is now a "solo" artist releasing music under his own name.
