Posts made by leatherbear

Chely Wright Pleads for Brad Paisley's Forgiveness

Chely Wright made headlines earlier this month with the surprising announcement  that she is a lesbian, marking the first time in history that an award-winning country artist has publicly come out of the closet. Now, Chely is revealing even more details of her story – including her relationship with one of country's biggest stars -- from the comfort of Oprah Winfrey's couch.

"I was told in church that there were building blocks of sin and evildoing, and these words were strung together to scare me -- drunkard, thief, adulterer, homosexual. I thought, 'That's what I am,'"she told Oprah on Wednesday's episode of the popular talk show, explaining why she waited so long to come out. "I prayed every day for God to change me. And it was: 'Dear God, please don't let me be gay. I promise to be a good person.' I said that prayer every day, multiple times a day."

In and out of a relationship with a woman named Julia for several years, Chely tried to keep that aspect of her life hidden from those closest to her. Even her family and her best friend were unaware of her inner turmoil. "When you start telling people, it puts people in the position to lie for you, and I knew that," she says. "So I just didn't tell people. I wasn't just in the closet. I was behind the sheet rock in the closet. The duality of my existence was so much work."

So determined was the rising star to keep her sexual orientation hidden from everyone, she tried to date men, including country artists Vince Gill and Brad Paisley. It was a decision that she profoundly regrets. "My dating men was my giving it a Hail Mary toward normal," she reveals. "I ultimately just confused the heck out of them because I couldn't love them the way they loved me."

Chely's relationship with Brad happened about a decade ago but still haunts her today. "I have a lot of regret for how that began and had a middle and ended," she admits. "I had no business being in a relationship with him ... I was making a deal again with myself: 'Well, Chel, you'll forego love. You'll go without love. Find someone with whom you can spend your life that makes you laugh, that you like how they live their life, that you can share a life with.'"

Now, years later, she still hopes to someday set things right with her famous ex. "Doing anything with someone you shouldn't be doing something with -- having sex with him, kissing on him, going into a movie and holding hands with a man when you're a lesbian feels wrong," she says. "When you want to be with someone else, it's wrong. I wronged him ... I damaged [Brad], and I hope he forgives me. I hope this fills in some emotional gaps for him. I don't assume he's pining over how Chely Wright hurt his feelings a few years ago. I'm assuming he's happy and moved on, but I would welcome any chance [to talk to him]."

Resolved to tear down stereotypes, and willing to wear the title as the first openly gay country singer, Chely says she is still a bit shocked at her own boldness. "Had you told me in 2000, had you said, 'You're going to be the first chart-topping country music singer to step forward and acknowledge her homosexuality,' I would have laughed in your face," she admits.

Feeling support from her fans from all over the world, she admits the support from fellow stars has not been what she had hoped. "They all have my e-mail, and it's been a little disappointing that I haven't heard from more," she reveals. "That said, I have had hundreds of e-mails and phone calls and text messages from the country music community at large."

Ultimately, the timing was right. "I've been whispered about in country music for a long time," she says. The word 'lesbian' has been used as an insult … You can say I'm ugly. You can say my songs are stupid, but I won't allow the word 'lesbian' to be used as an insult toward me anymore."

Chely released both a memoir, 'Like Me,' and a new CD, 'Lifted Off the Ground,' earlier this month. She's now prepping for her 10th annual Reading, Writing and Rhythm event on June 8, along with special guests Rodney Crowell, Sarah Buxton, Justin Moore and Bucky Covington.

or Americanized Chinese Fortune Cookie Advice…....

Man who run in front of car get tired.

Man who run behind car get exhausted.

Man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day.

Foolish man give wife grand piano, wise man give wife upright organ.

Man who walk through airport turnstile sideways going to Bangkok.

Man with one chopstick go hungry.

Man who eat many prunes get good run for money.

Baseball is wrong: man with four balls cannot walk.

Panties not best thing on earth, but next to best thing on earth.

Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cat house.

Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night.

It take many nails to build crib, only one screw to fill it.

Man who drive like hell bound to get there.

Man who stand on toilet is high on pot.

Man who fish in other man's well often catch crabs.

War does not determine who is right; war determine who is left.

~ Shane Coulter ~p


~ Alex Tyler ~

.jpg)

~ Alex Tyler ~

.jpg)

Human rights campaigners attack Malawi gay couple conviction

Men could face up to 14 years in prison with hard labour in 'devastating blow for human rights in Africa

Steven Monjeza (l) and Tiwonge Chimbalanga in court in Blantyre, Malawi, earlier this year.

A couple in Malawi were today found guilty of gay sex, a crime under laws dating from the colonial era, in a judgment that campaigners warn could set back human rights across Africa.

Steven Monjeza, 26, and 20-year-old Tiwonge Chimbalanga were convicted of unnatural acts and gross indecency, prompting anger and condemnation from activists in Malawi and around the world. The couple, who will learn their sentence on Thursday, could be jailed for up to 14 years with hard labour.

Monjeza and Chimbalanga became Malawi's first same-sex couple to commit publicly to marriage at a symbolic ceremony last December. They were arrested two days later and detained in harsh conditions. Homosexuality in Malawi is outlawed and remains deeply taboo.

Delivering judgment in Blantyre today, magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa found the couple guilty of buggery – which he described as "against the order of nature". He added: "The state proved the case beyond reasonable doubt."

Police prosecutor Barbra Mchenga asked the magistrate to mete out a harsh punishment because the couple had left a "scar on morality" in Malawi. "They showed no remorse, they showed no regret of their action," Mchenga said. "They seemed to have been proud of their action."

Mauya Msuku, a lawyer for the couple, appealed for mercy. "As first offenders, they should not be given custodial sentence. This was a technical offence and the defence is convinced the convicts have already paid for the offence." An acquittal would have been likely to cause outrage in the socially conservative and impoverished country. But the guilty verdict provoked no less anger from activists and human rights groups.

Gift Trapence, director of the Centre for the Development of People, said: "I am not convinced of the conviction. Human rights have been trodden upon."

Undule Mwakasungura, head of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, said the conviction showed Malawi was not "accommodating on issues of human rights". "We have been let down. Homosexuality is both a human rights and public health issue. Gays need to find a strategy to challenge … for a policy and legal framework that would allow them to operate as a minority group in Malawi."

Richard Brigden, a legal consultant with the Southern African Litigation Centre, said the conviction was a "major tragedy for all Malawians who will now not be able to fight for human rights". The judgment would make it difficult for people to fight for the rights of minority groups such as gays, he added. "The trial does not afford people protection and freedoms."

Brigden said Malawi's estimated 10,000 homosexuals would be unable to seek help to tackle HIV/Aids because they were unrecognised and would continue to live in fear.

Church leaders in Malawi have backed the government, saying homosexuality is "sinful" and the west should not use its financial power to force Malawi to accept homosexuality. Malawi relies on donors for 40% of its development budget.

Gay sex remains illegal in 37 countries in Africa and is widely vilified. There are fears that the Malawi judgment could set a precedent for other governments eager to crack down on increasingly assertive liberation movements.

Mark Bromley, of the Council for Global Equality, said: "The verdict is shocking and represents a devastating blow for human rights in the region. Fortunately the US government is joining many other governments and human rights organisations in speaking out against this injustice."

Peter Tatchell of the rights group Outrage! disputed the court's finding that the men had engaged in sexual intercourse. "This is an outrageous verdict," the veteran British campaigner said. "While Steven and Tiwonge freely confirmed their love for each other, there was no credible evidence that they had committed any illegal homosexual acts."

He added: "I appeal to governments worldwide, especially the South African government, to condemn this harsh, bigoted judgment and to urge its reversal."

IMHO ~ These men are an exceptional example of what we all should aspire to become…... Brave courageous Gay Men willing to speak out and pursue personal happiness regardless of the Laws or Moral implications associated.

Today I have 2 new HEROES and I pray they do not become Martyrs but remain a living example for change in Malawian Laws.

This being a Human Rights violation,all Western Donors should cease all funding immediately.

I can't imagine these two will have a very long stay in prison. They will not live long if this kind of hatred of the Homosexual Lifestyle is the rule in Malawi.

It is clearly obvious that this crowd is happy to see these two men being made an example for the rest of Malawi. The crowd appears to be having fun watching these men being paraded thru town in an open truck. This is not JUSTICE this is State Sanctioned INJUSTICE!!

 



CLIFF PARKER

JAKE ANDREWS

I intend to make this for my nieces and nephews soon and we will see how "FOOL PROOF" this is. I suspect this recipe is about testing ones skills at cooking. So many times one has to use their eyes, nose and ears when cooking and not some given time frame for  frame for a recipe.

:jaj: Excellent recipe!!! :jaj: Perhaps the easiest I've seen for an Apple Salad :jaj:

BTW: Loving the stories behind the recipes.

Once again, a politician that will only respond to an attack on his re-electability. With out a mass out cry from his election base his Homophobic attitude will continue to be the norm.

 They could have taken the wallets and cell phones with out the beat down and name calling. This was a hate motivated crime period. The fact that property was stolen is a secondary issue. This crime scene was chosen by the criminals because it was a Gay Neighborhood and they assumed easy targets were plentiful.


It will interesting to see the reaction of detectives to changing this to a Hate Crime.