My Proudest Moment.
For YEARS now I have made a career out of singing “cheesy pop songs”, styling Celebs, hosting TV segments based on fashion, music, and pop culture, and most recently I have had the pleasure of reporting “fluffy showbiz news pieces” for Australia’s #1 network Channel 7. I have LOVED every minute of this and am great full for the opportunity to pursue my dreams. BUT, I have never been more proud and felt so exhilarated to report on what I did yesterday. Marriage Equality.
Thank you Sarah Stinson and The Morning Show team for allowing me the chance to share the most important message for me and millions of the LGBT community around the world.
PLEASE CLICK HERE to view this incredible story that perhaps will change your view on such an important modern issue.
Spread the word and share for all to see!
To see a written transcript of what I prepared (although LIVE with out a teleprompter I paraphrased a bit..) See below.
Love,
Blair Pedersen-Late
1. Blair Let’s talk about WHY gay marriage is so important. So much discussion centers around the term but that video really hits home the importance of marriage equality.
It absolutely does. See, Marriage for the gay community is NOT just about “pomp and circumstance and ceremony” although like anyone else we do enjoy that part of it. But it is also about BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. At this point, people like Shane, with out a legal binding contract, have ZERO rights when it comes to finances, inheritance, hospital rights, social security rights, insurance, etc…..for 44 states in this country these rights are NON EXISTING for the entire gay population. His case is unfortunately a perfect example of that.
2. The video we’ve just seen has gone viral..You actually know Shane – the man who made the video after the death of his partner . Watching that – and seeing what he went through because of a lack of marriage equality – how does that make you feel?
First of all yesterday we did a story about “hollywood heros”, I believe that what Shane did is as HEROIC as it gets. He did what I have always strived to do, TURN a negative situation into a Positive, and is using his VOICE to save others from what he had to endure. HE showcased incredibly strength. I talked to Shane yesterday and he seems to be currently overwhelmed with the outpooring of positive love he is receiving from around the world. Watching the video certainly makes me very angry and sad, and also scares me as I would never want that to happen to my partner Jeff. But it also empowers me and gives me hope that the world we live in is evolving and changing at a rapid pace and I am so excited for the future thanks to people like Shane.
3. As we all know, you very recently tied the knot…But that doesn’t mean you have the same rights – far from it in fact, right?
So, surprisingly one of the most liberal states in the US, CA, does not have GAY MARRIAGE at this point. The closest thing we have to a marriage license is our DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP, which does thank god, give us the hospital rights, and financial rights at the STATE level. SO in a way, we do have equal rights at a STATE level to “married straight” californians. BUT let me make something clear, EVEN in states like NEW YORK, who are able to obtain a gay MARRIAGE license, the FEDERAL government does NOT recognize our rights. SO things like FEDERAL tax rights that straight married couples receive and SOCIAL SECURITY rights, some adoption rights, ALL of these things at the FEDERAL level are INVISIBLE for any state that recognizes GAY marriage and/or civil unions/domestic partnerships. So its all very confusing.
Also, for those that wonder WHY we had our CEREMONY in the VERY conservative state of GEORGIA, where we would have ZERO rights it was because of a couple of reasons.
FOR ONE, Savannah is beautiful and I wanted to celebrate there.
But furthermore, by getting “married” there, I proved to myself, my partner, and our friends and family that even a place was conservative as GA. would welcome us with open arms, AND BELIEVE ME they DID. WE had a CHRISTIAN minister who did our ceremony and was 100% behind us, as was everyone we worked with out there. It was an incredible feeling to be embraced and treated as EQUALS while we were planning a wedding and getting married there.
4. Obama’s comments are a big step forward for the marriage equality movement – not just in the U-S but globally… Do you think it will change attitudes?
Absolutely! Leaders around the world PRAISED Obama’s statements. Including the British PM, the new French President, and even NEw Zelands PM, John Key, came out FOR marriage equality today.
Its an unstoppable global trend as more and more countries are joining the marriage equality band wagon including CUBA, NEPAL, DENMARK, AND COLOMBIA.
5. But there’s still a long way to go… As the recent decision to outlaw same-sex marriage goes to show.
Hollywood has also shown its support for the President, right?
Yes, most ALL of the A LIST tweeters, Lady gaga, Ellen, Kim Kardashian, Ricky martin, sang their praises for Obama’s powerful words, BUT here is my problem.
The MEDIA and HOLLYWOOD put a TON of pressure on the PRESident to speak out for gay rights.
BUT, what about THEM? Why are we not holding THEM accountable.
The very network that INTERVIEWED Obama yesterday has HIGH profile ANCHORS who still to this day are closeted and will not speak out on their OWN sexuality. Other High Profile Anchors on MAJOR cable networks do EXPOSES ALL the time against gay bullying and for PRO gay rights, YET the very people BEHIND the news desk are silent about their own sexuality.
AND DONT even get me started on HOLLYWOOD.
The exact same MAJOT STUDIO Executives who write Obama checks and CLAIM to be FOR GAT RIGHTS are themselves BEHIND some of the BIGGEST celebrity COVERUPS! They make sure THEIR biggest STARS are kept in the CLOSET.
SO until the MEDIA and HOLLYWOOD themselves come out we will STILL maintain the status quo with CHILD SUICIDES, BULLYING, and will continue to give conservative states the REASON to TREAT GAY’s as SEOND CLASS CITIZENS.
The PRESIDENT is ONE MAN. WHat about all the OTHERS? I’m certainly proud to be OUT and tell my story…now if only the media stars and the hollywood stars would follow suit, it would definitely make a difference.
6. Despite Obama taking a stand, the same can’t be said for our own leader
When quizzed about Obama’s comments – our Prime Minister said in no uncertain words that her views towards gay marriage had not altered.
What message do you have for Australia’s political heads?
I would say to Prime Minister Gillard. Its not about her opinion its about BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.
If it were up to peoples OPINIONS women in her country as well as around the WORLD would most likely today ALSO still be TREATED as second class citizens and would NOT be able to VOTE much less hold political OFFICE, because the OPINIONS of the MAJORITY of MEN for centuries was that WOMEN were SECONDARY. The same can also be said for the religious African American Ministers in the US who have a SIMILAR OPINION to The Prime Minister of Australia. I would suggest that go back into the HISTORY books and see how PAST OPINIONS affected MOST of man kind in a negative way who were NOT WHITE MALES.
