• HOP AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA

    IT STARTS AT HOME, FOLKS.

    As adults, we teach our kids to walk, talk, read and write. We also teach our kids right from wrong (in most cases) and we teach them what is acceptable in behaviour, when to speak up and when to be respectfully quiet.

    Well, that’s what I teach my kids.

    It doesn’t always go to plan, I’ll admit.  Unfortunately, inheriting traits like being stubborn and short-tempered, and only having so many hours in a day is factored into this equation and sometimes there are nuclear reactions with vein-pulsing-in-my-forehead melt-downs. 

    But all in all, we do okay.

    I’m not proclaiming to be an inductee of the Mother of the Year award (because I have two kids who would do themselves an injury from laughing so hard if I did) but there’s something I also teach my kids… and that’s tolerance.

    Imma let you all in on a little secret. 

    Hate or intolerance of any kind is not inherited. 

    It is taught.


    I’m sure psychiatrists call it something technical, like ‘environmental behavioural science’ but whatever… To me, it’s just plain old monkey see, monkey do. 

    Kids hate because they’re taught to hate. They’re taught somewhere along the way, that it’s okay, that what they do, what they are, is better than someone else. And then those kids grow up to become teens who hate, who inevitably become adults, who hate. 

    And it’s not just homophobia. It’s not just racism. It’s not just religious discrimination.

    It’s all forms of intolerance. 

    Thinking someone is stupid, or inferior to you, because of the books they read, the TV shows they like, the clothes they wear, are all forms of intolerance. 

    So next time someone in your house says someone is ‘stupid’ or ‘lame’ or whatever, for supporting a different football team, or liking a certain band or singer or driving a certain kind of car, stop and think…

    What exactly are you condoning?

    Intolerance is intolerance, no matter what it’s disguised as. 

    And none of it’s acceptable. 

    If kids think it’s okay to hate someone because of the football team they support, or the clothes they wear, then they’re learning that it’s okay to hate someone for any other reason. 

    And it needs to stop. It needs to stop with our kids, so they can teach their kids, and the cycle of hate stops. 

    I’ll leave you with something Nelson Mandela once said…



    So, let’s spread the word on Homophobia and Transphobia.  The m/m community is a fabulous place to start. 

    May 17th – 27th is when we blog hop to celebrate tolerance and share experiences. 

    Thank you for dropping by, and as a show of appreciation, I’d like to offer a copy each of Blind Faith and Through These Eyes to one lucky person who comments on my blog post. To enter, follow my blog if you’re not already, leave a smiley face in the comments and then hop along to another blog and read what that author has to say.  I’ll draw a random winner on the 27th. 


    The link to the Blog Hop page is http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com/ 










  • Jess Buffett guest post – Come meet Jared Stewart.

     
    The lovely Jess Buffett stopped by my blog and interviewed her main character, Jared Stewart.
     
     
     
    Hi, Jared. Tell us a bit about yourself:
    I’m a lawyer and I live in my hometown of Newport. I co-own the firm I work at with my dad and our partner Tristan who is engaged to my sister. You know, we like to keep it in the family.*smirks*
    Tell us something not many people know about you:
    Well…people are only just finding out that I’m gay, and how much I love Seth. I wasn’t exactly out in high school, I didn’t have Seth’s courage. But i’m not hiding anymore. And now Seth is home, so it’s time to put up or shut up, you know.
    Why did you wait so long to make your move if you love Seth?
    At first it was fear–fear of rejection, fear of the unknown. Then it was timing. Seth had so many things to deal with, and I did what I could to make things easy for him. He wasn’t ready for me to suddenly come back into his life, so I waited, got my life in order. Now I’m ready.
    What do you dislike the most?
    Being played. I hate people lying and manipulating, especially when it hurts the people I love.
    Favorite music?
    I’m love listening to Maroon 5, probably my favorite group.
    What’s it like to work for your dad?
    *Laughs loudly* Depends on what day you’re asking. The man can love busting my chops, but he’s a great guy. I really love and respect my dad. Richard Stewart is a formidable man who will do anything for his family. He’s a dad that knows what unconditional love means, and a regret ever doubting that.
    Do you believe in true love?
    Yes. Without a doubt. And I know that I have that with Seth…I just have to prove it to him. *smirks* Not that I mind. It’ll be fun convincing him.
    How do you feel about Seth being a dad?
    I love it actually. I’ve only briefly met the kids, but Lucas and Ally are great kids. Seth was always meant to be a dad. I’m sorry it happened the way it did, but I’m crazy about all of them, and can only hope they have enough room for me.
    Which is stronger, love or fear?
    For years I let fear rule me. It’s time for love to have its turn.
    Where can we find out more about you guys?
    Our story comes out May 4th with Silver publishing. By the end of it, Seth will know that he has always been mine.
     
    Book blurb:
     
    Seth Hall returns to his hometown for the first time in eleven years. Now a father of two, he vows not to let his past intervene when he sets up a happy, stable life for them. That is, until Jared, the boy who had broken his heart all those years ago, turns up wanting a chance with him.
     
    Jared Stewart thought he had lost his only chance to be with Seth. When Seth finally comes home, Jared makes it his mission to catch Seth once and for all but unfortunately not everyone wants that to happen.
     
    Will they be finally able to make a life for themselves together? Or will they be torn apart again, by people they thought they could trust?
    Short author bio:
    Hmmm, what can I say about myself…I was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. I married my highschool sweetheart and we live on the Central Coast with our two children. I am absolutely a hopeless romantic who loves stories about true love that sizzle with a happy ending (which is probably a good thing given what I write). I’m a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door. I’m a firm believer in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up. 
     
     
    Author links:
     
     
     
     
     
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