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There is a whale being pulled out of the water by eight little birds. Certainly this is not a comfortable situation for any involved. However, how relevant is this to life? How many times have you felt like either one of the birds or the whale? Maybe you’ve been one of a group of people, like one of the birds, helping a friend, doing too many things at one time, or trying to accomplish a goal. Or maybe you’ve been in the same place the whale has been, trying to find help from anyone or anything.

I’ve been getting really anxious with this picture lately because it (typically) appears in the middle of a good Twitter conversation. However, after I thought about it, I realized that, if I had the option to put up a sign that said, “please wait a few minutes, I am trying to do too many things at once,” I would use it. I think we all would. I know that Twitter glitches and times when there are too many tweets can be annoying, but think about those hard-working birds and the miserable whale, take a few minutes to step away from the computer, and try again.

I came out June 22, 2004 on a church mission trip in Indiana. As a fourteen-year-old boy from Andover, Minnesota with no actual homosexual experiences, I wasn’t completely sure I was coming out the right way… [read more]

It’s really nice of Mr. Obama to recognize the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans community this month. I’m being serious. Although I am not totally sold on everything Mr. Obama has done or will do, it is vital to the progression of our country to start to recognize all types – including the GLBT community.

I came out six years ago (on June 22). To think of my life as an openly homosexual guy has only been six years in the making is a little ridiculous because I feel like I have so much still to do as a homosexual. I have certainly been doing a good amount of work with the community (MN AIDS Project, District 202, GLBT courses at the U, etc); however, there is still so many things that I can do as an ally to my community.

As an ally to the GLBT community, my friend Kate-Madonna Hindes is featuring some blogs about the GLBT community during the month of June. Kate-Madonna is using her awesome blog to give the spotlight to the GLBT community, a spotlight that many followers of hers will see.
The popular TV show GLEE has used their time on the air to show the struggle faced by Kurt, the young, gay male character and all-too-familiar circumstances he encounters in high school.
Mr. Obama has declared June national LGBT month.

My point is that all types of people are doing all types of things to recognize the GLBT community during June. If you don’t consider yourself an activist or like to volunteer, take a moment to think about another you might be able to use your strengths and voice to, along with others, recognize the GLBT community.

Most importantly, remember to be proud of yourself. I think LGBT month is a perfect time to celebrate each other and who we are as individuals, and how as individuals, we create a fantastic group of people sharing space on this Earth.

Stay proud.

1. Futuristic People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and
what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.

2. Adaptability People who are especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

3. Connectedness People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

4. Competition People who are especially talented in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.

5. Ideation People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

6. Self-Assurance People who are especially talented in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.

7. Significance People who are especially talented in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.

8. Belief People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

9. Input People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

10. Focus People who are especially talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.

11. Positivity People who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.

12. Maximizer People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

13. Individualization People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.

14. Achiever People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

15. Activator People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.

16. Arranger People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.

17. Consistency People who are especially talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.

18. Empathy People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.

19. Learner People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

20. Relator People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

21. Command People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.

22. Woo People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

23. Communication People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

24. Harmony People who are especially talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.

25. Responsibility People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

26. Restorative People who are especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.

27. Intellection People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

28. Strategic People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

29. Developer People who are especially talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.

30. Analytical People who are especially talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.

31. Discipline People who are especially talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.

32. Context People who are especially talented in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.

33. Deliberative People who are especially talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.

34. Includer People who are especially talented in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.

I value them both the same (100% of the time), but I am likely to follow the awake dreams, even though the sleep dreams affect me as much, if not more.

District 202 is an LGBT Youth Organization that I have been working with since January. After being asked to join their team by Executive Director, Curt Prins, I gladly accepted. I have been able to do a ton of great things and, in the process, realize my passion. I started by contacting area GSAs and starting to build a relationship with them. A few months in, I started to attend important meetings with these community members and important leaders involved with District 202. Working directly with Curt Prins has been a fantastic opportunity; I have been able to professionally and personally collaborate with him and learn (more than I expected) about the ins and outs of running a non-profit.

Five Minute Inspiration is the social change project created by me and Parker Mullins. Five Minute Inspiration is a website that allows viewers to read stories and watch videos about unexpected leaders sharing the stories about their unexpected lives. We are only in the beginning stages, but we have made some really great progress, thus far.

Leadership Class has changed my life, to say the least. It’s so hard to explain how. I have build so many powerful relationships with amazing, inspirational people. One of the most important things I am taking away from that class is that when a community forms and comes together, it’s a powerful thing.

GLBT Social Movements and GLBT Literature are two classes I had this semester that allowed me to reflect on the history of GLBT people and think about next steps to make the movement successful. After working at the Minnesota AIDS Project last summer, I have been inspired and I feel so pushed to continue working with the GLBT movement. The GLBT Social Movements class was taught by a teaching team of very powerful queers. My GLBT Lit class was taught by author Judith Katz. Together, they have reminded me and given me reason to be so proud to be gay. I am so proud to be a part of the GLBT community.

There are many other important people and important things that have played a large role in my development this semester. Coming up in my life is the start of living my life as a non-profit. To follow that process, please visit my non-profit life blog.

Peace

This family has been here since I started. They have been here longer than any of the other families, which may sound unfortunate, but for me (and the rest of the staff, I’m sure), it was totally fine. This family is small but full of tons of love, character, craziness, and power. After being at the shelter for about 7 months, they were the ones I looked forward to seeing every time I worked. I feel a special bond with them because they have been with me the entire time I have been working.

I woke up in the middle of the night from a dream where I was giving the family big hugs, wishing them luck, and telling them I will miss them. I knew this day was coming for a few weeks, but I didn’t know how much it would impact me.

My heart swells with compassion when I think about them because I only want the best for them. I feel like I am a part of their family and at the same time, I feel like I am losing part of my family. Knowing that I might not see them again is heartbreaking and bittersweet.

When I started working here, they never told me I would become so attached to the families. Sure, I would form bonds, but not this strong. I am so proud that they found somewhere stable to live, but I am so sad to see them go.

I know this is part of the job; I have seen families leave before. But I haven’t said goodbye to a family that has changed my life until now.

I am also still working on creating a vision and mission. These, I feel, are extremely important aspects of this venture and should not just be made up.

My goal was to have contacted and compiled a board by Friday. I think that will still be possible, but we’ll see.

I am very excited about this journey.

This is what I’m going to do. I am going to define a mission and vision for my life. I am also going to select a board of directors (six people) to meet with me four times within the next 12 months to help my non-profit (me). My goal is to have all of this figured out by next Friday so I can start in May. I want my board to be six people who do not know each other in any way. I want a diverse group of influential people (to me) to be in my board, but they must also have a basic understanding of who I am (my history, my values, etc).

I really think this will be a positive  experience. I am excited to outline and draw up a mission and vision, but I am more excited for the board of directors aspect. There are other things that will be going in to this, as well, but I am not at that stage, yet.

I am going to make it a goal to reflect every other day on this blog about the process. Not only for me, but for people who are thinking about doing this, too. I hope other people decide to join me because I think this could be a great venture.