Six years ago today, October 21, 2004, my brother Rob took his life due to HIV and AIDS related complications.  He finally reached a point where he knew, if he waited much longer, the disease would immobilize him and he wouldn’t have the strength to go through with it.  The lesions in his brain were […]

We are all perfect, complete, and whole.  Why, then, do we feel depressed, sick, angry and separated?  Because we have forgotten Who we are.  How is that possible?  …Because we are surrounded by others who have also forgotten Who they are.  Here’s the kick; it’s up to you to help them remember, and in turn, […]

On September 22nd America suffered a loss.  It was not due to a terrorist attack or some natural phenomenon.  America lost one of its most valuable resources; a young man attending Rutgers University with a bright future ahead of him named Tyler Clementi.  Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge after he […]

Is there really such a thing as a “gay lifestyle?”  It is a phrase used over and over again by both those within and outside the LGBTQ community.  A “lifestyle” is the manner by which a person chooses to live their lives.  The key word is “choose.”  Do LGBTQ people choose their lifestyle?  It depends […]

“Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes, turn and face the strain… Ch-ch-Changes, just gonna have to be a different man.”  These lyrics from David Bowie’s song “Changes” are as pow­erful and meaningful now as they were when Bowie first sang them in 1973. The power of change is strong.  It can propel one forward to new begin­nings depending on the […]

“All in the family” brings many thoughts to mind.  First and foremost is the 1970’s sitcom that made fun of bigots and got us thinking about diversity.  It was a stark reminder that a homogenous society in which everyone thinks, acts, dresses, and looks the same, has the same religious, moral and societal beliefs as […]

One’s race, ethnicity and sexual orientation are not usually topics that are discussed together as an inclusive and dynamic entity.  We are accustomed to focusing on minority groups in distinct and separate terms.  It is not often that we visualize a perspective in which sexual orientation is considered as a separate inherent trait and part […]

Wikipedia defines “empowerment” as “increasing the spiritual, political, social, or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities.”  Empowerment is a term that is often used too much and has become cliché.  Yet at the same time it is a concept that best describes many situations. […]

All great movements in history fostering change or having motivated individuals to step forward from their comfort zones to take action for the betterment of society have one key component in common.  It is what drove early explorers to the shores of North America, created the desire of early settlers to forge westward and beyond, […]

While spending a nice quiet day with my parents on Thanksgiving, we watched a wonderful movie that I had forgotten about, and is one of my favorites entitled, “Somewhere in Time” starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.  It is a movie about time travel and love in its deepest and truest form; love that transcends […]