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The Other Girls by Juliana Finch – Lyrics

Sitting up on the roof at our parents’ house
counting the days until we could get out
One more Monday coming on fast
For the small town survivors at the head of the class.

They asked were we fine
We said yes every time
Hoping that someone would see through the lie

Chorus:
We were the other girls
raised on pretending
that there was a part for us
in that storybook ending
Now that we’re grown
we see we’re not alone
and what did we find?
The other girls were here all the time

Pushing on through, keeping our heads down
Dodging sticks and stones with our hearts on the ground
Running out of places to keep all that shame
Until just one someone calls us by our name

And says I see who you are
and I know your scars
because they’re the same ones I’ve got on my heart

Chorus

Sitting up on the roof of your parents’ house
Counting the days until you can get out

Make sure you check out the extended version for interviews with the cast and crew of the 2010 North American tour.

It Gets Better by Emily S. Grosland – Lyrics

Every Who down in ‘Whoville’ liked Christmas a lot,
But the Who that didn’t fit in did not.
He hated the Who girls who loved the boys.
For him all their giggles and flirts were just noise!

What was sad, no sadder, no saddest of all,
Was when this Who’s smile started to fall.
He hated himself for his feelings and thoughts.
He yelled, I’d rather have antlers, pimplers, or spots.

No matter what this Who tried he couldn’t fit in.
And one day he took a Who’s fist to the chin!
The Who-bully called him a terrible name.
And other Who-boys repeated the same.

What hurt him the most was the holiday season.
But, he really did have a very good reason.
Under the mistletoe others kissed by the fire.
But, when he kissed the girls he felt like a liar.

He wanted to stop it, to end the whole thing.
But then the Phone-Ringler started to ring.
And who did he hear with his little Who ears?
It was he, he himself, in twenty-five years!

And his older self said to his younger lost Who.
Don’t end it I beg, we have so much to do.
Soon you will leave and move far far away,
And your world will grow three sizes that day.

You’re going to lose a few Who-friends, it’s true.
And parts of the journey will be scary, and new.
But you’re going to have great friends, family, and LIFE.
And you will take a man instead of a wife.

I know now that seems crazy and terribly scary.
But someday the world won’t care who you marry.
Don’t miss out on that change, please be a part of it!
Hang in there, fight through, and I promise you’ll love it!

Many will surprise you and love you for you.
And someday, I promise, even you’ll love you too.
And you’ll sit by the fire in your new Christmas sweater,
And think to yourself: Wow… It got so much better.

With five American teens taking their own lives in the recent weeks, after enduring bullying for their sexual orientation, it seems we are at a critical point. At times like these I am usually rendered speechless, and others seem to be better in conveying the right message.

If you are straight, you should read eHow’s How to be a Heterosexual Ally of the LGBT Community.
If you are an LGBT teen, you should check out Dan Savage‘s It Gets Better project. Here’s one video of many:

Go back to being fabulous
Ignore the pain inside
Find some compensation
for all the love denied
After all that we’ve been through
only tears can tell the truth
 
  - - “For All of Us” – from the musical “Closer To Heaven” by Pet Shop Boys

Last Saturday a masked gunman opened fire in a gay youth club in Tel Aviv, killing a 26 year old male and a 16 year old female and injuring eleven others, before fleeing the scene. The event rendered me speechless. I have been searching for the right words ever since and just now decided to give up that and use this platform to call people to action instead.

This coming Saturday a demonstration will be held in Tel-Aviv, supporting the gay community. Titled ‘Continuing With Pride’ this event will mark one week since the shooting and will be a more organized event, as opposed to the impromptu rallies that were held all over the country in the last few days. Singers will sing (Rita, Ninet, Ivri, Margol, Dana), speakers will speak (Mayor, ministers, MKs), but most importantly people will stand. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and loads of straights will make a stand for democracy, pluralism and freedom. Worldwide solidarity events are planned for the same time in Warsaw, Paris, Berlin, Bern and Madrid.

What: LGBT Demonstration
Where: Rabin Square, Tel-Aviv, Israel
When: Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 8:30pm
Why: Stand against homophobia and transphobia
Who: You, me, all of us
How much: Admission is free

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