What happens when you risk losing one life, to save another?

A few months ago, Cell Phone Boy and I went to see a great documentary called Little Man and I’ve not been able to get it out of my head ever since.

What was supposed to be a documentary about surrogacy, turned into a documentary about faith and life when the filmmaker and her partner had to decide whether to carry the baby to term, thus risking the life of the surrogate, or terminating the pregnancy.

Nicolas is born 100 days premature. Weighing less than one pound, Nicolas’s chances for survival are slimmer than his ‘frog-like’ legs. Every day, it seems there is a new hurdle to jump. A string of medical ordeals and stress. Not to mention the strain on the family unit; filmmaker, Nicole, and her activist Partner, Gwen, struggle with a young daughter at home and an ailing son in the N-ICU.

“little man explores the core of the human spirit as a family realizes that they are capable of enduring what they never thought possible. Through dedication, love and commitment to the sheer force that is family, the miracle of life extends its hand to all of us. Do we choose to grab on?”

Why blog about this? Well, the DVD has just been released and as it is an Independent Production, I think they could use all the help they can get. Please forward this link, or this post to everyone you know. I’d love for everyone to see this film and for it to get the recognition and support it deserves.

There are several DVD specials on, as it is a new release. This is definitely one movie that I strongly recommend everyone watch, and everyone buy. I never advocate burning or stealing media, and this is no exception. Please buy this DVD, and not just ‘steal’ it.

Purchase 1 DVD: $27.95

Purchase 1 Soundtrack: $16.95

DVD & CD Soundtrack Combination: SAVE $3

More deals and specials on the website

The DVD also comes with a special section, with deleted scenes and a ‘Family Update” showing Nicolas as he is doing today (in a word… GREAT!)

Little man was shown several times in the US in May, and has won 12 Best Documentary Awards at several Film Festivals, on top of several other awards. It has yet to be shown on Canadian television.

PLEASE check out this website. PLEASE watch the trailer. PLEASE buy this DVD. It will make you want to call everyone you know and tell them how much you love them.

Love to you all,
Lance

What Have You Done Today, To Make You Feel Proud?

Pride (pr d) n.
1: A sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self-respect.
2: Pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association.

Gay Pride was started with the Stonewall Riots in NYC, June 1969. After several abusive raids on local Gay Bars, NYC Finest (Any by that, I mean those fierce drag queens) fought back against the police brutality and bribery and scandal. They fought back and never stopped fighting.

Over the past 37 years, the Gay / Lesbian (et al) community has been continuing the fight against oppression and discrimination. We have been fighting for acceptance and tolerance and have been made several huge leaps in those years.

No longer locked up in jail for "indecent" acts. No longer sent to asylums for mental dysfunction. No longer kicked out of restaurants, stores and jobs, or at least having the law on our side if we are. We can now get married. We can now adopt children together. We can now walk down most streets without fear of getting our asses kicked (or killed) on a regular basis.

Pride Week in Toronto has just wrapped up for another 51 weeks. My week has been filled celebrating the TRUE meaning of Pride. I celebrate the achievements we have all made, on a national or global level (such as lobbying for Human Rights), and the achievements we have all personally made in our own lives (such as coming out, being confident of ourselves, living through suicidal thoughts, pushing forward and fighting for what’s duly yours). Every year before Pride, I imagine all the fun I will have dancing, drinking with friends, swimming, going to this event or that… but as the official day approaches, I always get over come with a huge sense of joy and love for my brethren.

As I was helping The Boyfriend host brunch for our ‘family’ yesterday, I found myself cutting up fruit salad and I almost started crying just thinking how happy I am that, in my life, I could have a boyfriend to host brunch with. How happy I am that Cell Phone Boy’s mother was going to be joining us. How happy I am that I lived in a time where I could be myself and love whomever my heart chooses.

I almost cried when we were standing on a roof top, having wine cocktails I looked down onto Church and Wellesley Streets (The unofficial home base of Toronto Pride) and saw, literally hundreds of thousands of people; young and old; human, feline and canine; skinny and not; queer and straight and everything in-between; white, black, and brown all covered in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. Hundreds of thousands of people who know that EVERY HUMAN should be proud of who they are, no matter what the church or the government or conservatives or anyone else thinks of us.

I almost cried when I lay down to bed with The Boyfriend. Spending the entire day looking at him, thinking how much I loved him. Stealing kisses on the dance floor. Holding hands. I’m in love with the most wonderful man on the planet, and I am able to tell the world how wonderful he is, without fear, without hatred, without an ounce of concern.

It’s a pretty good time to be here.

To The Stonewall Girls: Thanks for kicking some ass. Thanks for opening doors that were held shut for so long. Thanks you for making it possible for us to live fearlessly. Many of you have been killed fighting for what you believe in. Many of you were abused and jailed countless times for trying to live your lives. Thanks for your strength and confidence and for giving me Pride. This week is for you! I celebrate for you!

To all my old friends: Cell Phone Boy, The Great Scot, Her Royal Pinkness, Puma, Cousin Janet, The Philantropist, Halfaneese, Lorne, Dray-gun, Val & Gail etc: Thanks for celebrating a great weekend with me. Thanks for being such great friends by accepting me and yourself. Wish you all a life filled with pride and acceptance.

To all my new friends: Stephanie, Brad, Josh, Peter, Tiff, Laura, Lorne, Wayne, Craig, etc: It was great to meet you. Here’s hoping we run into each other at some point in the future.

To The Boyfriend: You are the most wonderful man in the world. Thanks for loving me. Thanks for letting me love you.

Enjoy life.
Happy Summer.

Live Fearlessly!

Eartha Kitt Cha Cha Heels UK TV

Purrrrrrrrrrrrfect!

Helping Others Is Good For Your Health

From The Toronto Star

It's the mantra of the 21st century: Work out, eat right and stay healthy. Today, it's more important than ever.

In Canada, heart disease is the No. 1 killer. Five million Canadians suffer from this ailment, making it the greatest burden on our national health care system. Obesity is not far behind.

In our quest to look and feel healthy, we'll eliminate entire food groups from our diet, swallow fistfuls of unproven herbal remedies or indulge in a small nip or a tiny tuck from time to time.

But what if we told you that volunteering at your local food bank is better than a multivitamin?

Usually described as the act of giving of oneself to benefit others, we believe that volunteering is actually about receiving. It is a "selfish" act that keeps the body healthy and it comes highly recommended.

Any type of good work will bring volunteers positive emotions and attitudes.

Even thinking about helping others boosts our health.

Harvard University psychologist David McClelland had a group of students watch a film about Mother Teresa's work in the Calcutta slums. All the students did was sit and watch. But in response to the film, tests on students revealed an increase in immunoglobulin A, a disease-fighting antibody.

According to a Health Canada report, volunteering creates support networks, social relationships and, above all, community cohesiveness. This, in turn, leads to positive health outcomes such as lowered blood pressure, strengthening of the immune system, lower premature death rates, as well as fewer instances of health risk factors, such as heart disease.

Truly, there is no mystery to being a volunteer.

It can be a simple act of mowing your neighbour's lawn or walking your grandmother's dog. It's not a pastime for seniors and stay-at-home moms or dads only. It's accessible to all who are willing to make the time.

By combining healthy eating habits and regular exercise with volunteering, Canadians will go a long way to meeting a looming national health crisis.

Craig and Marc Kielburger are founders of Free the Children and co-authors of Me to We. With this column, they are exploring the impact of global issues on young people in developing nations and what it means to youth in the GTA.

Read the entire article

Whatever, whatever! I Can Do What I Want!

Okay. So, by “I’m Baaaaaaaaaaaack!” I did in fact mean that I’m back into blogging. However, I never promised that I’d be back to a fast start.

I had the urge to get right back into this, but I have been so out of practice, that I’ve forgotten to sit down and do it. However, I shall give you a brief run down of my past few months…..

- Broke up with The Boyfriend. Broken hearted. Cried. Squish squish, Darling. Squish squish.

- Started having the occasional cigarette, now and then.

- Celebrated Cell Phone Boy, The Halfaneese and Her Royal Pinkness’ birthdays.
- Was named in 'Fashion' Magazine as one of Toronto's 25 Top colourists.

- Had a visit from Mom (#2- Jerry).

- Emotions ran deep and had a few fallings-out with good friends… all patched up now.

- Had a visit from The German Surgeon.

- Went to 5 screenings at the Insideout Toronto Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Most notable movies being little man & Another Gay Movie .

- Spent a lot of time with my good friend Leela
- Have been going full force with workouts and diet. Actually went THREE FULL WEEKS without meat (except fish/seafood), carbs (cheated occasionally) or booze (cheated more than occasionally, but not a lot). Updates and measurements soon.

- Puppy-sat Jasper three times.

- Was offered 7th row tickets to see Madonna in Montreal, including VIP passes to a Madonna Party afterwards at ‘Parking’, where (rumour has it) Esther, herself, would be in attendance.

- Found out my Mom (#1- Bio-Mom) was not going to be able to come visit. Major surgery and a blood pressure measuring something near 200, apparently, mean no travel.

- Got back together with The Boyfriend (A LOT more on this one later!!!!)

- Turned down said Madonna tickets.

- Now we’re into Gay Pride Week Festivities.

So much to write about. So much to mention. So much to foreshadow. It’s all too much for one homosexual.

Where should I begin? Should I just start fresh; consider this the lowdown and continue on? Or need I elaborate on some of the finer points?

Decisions. Decisions.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Yeah, so it’s been a while. Get over it. I’m back now.

I’ve been off the whole ‘blog thing’ for quite some time. Those of you who know me, know why. There’s been a whole lot of things going on in my life over the past 7 weeks, but “everything’s coming up roses” and I’m ready to get back to business.

Sorry for the absence.

Sorry for being aloof.

I promise to never do it again… at least until the next devastating-life-changing-heart-break. But that that will never happen again.

Trust that I am back. Forgive me if it takes a few days to get back into the full swing of things.

Love to you all. I’ll fill you in soon.

PS: From now on... no more hiding behind the curtains. I'll be upfront and honest... about everything... career; love; life; home; bowel movements. It's all gonna be here for you to read. Well, maybe not the bowel shit... uh, I mean stuff.

PPS: Darka: Glad to hear from you. Look forward to keeping in touch.