While I continue trying to get on top of things around here (they’ve been a little more than hectic since the “Brave Teen” post), I hope you don’t mind if I share another response (this one quite different) that came in response to I’m Christian, unless you’re gay.
When I first published that blog post, you may remember this paragraph from it:
“Today’s post is not about homosexuality. It’s not about Christians. It’s not about religion. It’s not about politics. It’s about something else altogether. Something greater. Something simpler. It’s about love.”
Yet for some reason, that part was quickly forgotten by many of the commenters and a lot of unloving and even hateful debate ensued. It got so bad with the “Brave Teen” response that I eventually felt a need to disable the comments on that post altogether.
But, a lot of people definitely did get it, too. Since I first published I’m Christian, unless you’re gay in November, I’ve shared several responses that have come in its aftermath. Many hearts have been touched by the stories and pleas that have come in from brave individuals.
I have been floored by the things people have shared, but I don’t know if any of them have hit me the way one man’s did.
His name is James Geiger. I met him a few days ago after he posted a link onto my SDL Facebook wall to a video diary that he made. It was called, “My response to “I’m Christian, unless you’re gay.” I had a lot going on at the moment, but I for some reason felt a need to click on it. I am so glad I did.
James is a 27 year old good looking guy from Tampa, FL. He also happens to have Cerebral Palsy. This is what he had to say after watching my live reading of I’m Christian, unless you’re gay. Please take a moment to watch it, all the way to the end.
Man oh man. I shouldn’t have watched that again while putting this post together. James, I love you brother.
I am listening to you. And you have some beautiful things to say…
“Look at the heart. Look at the mind…. When you really listen to people, and listen to the words that they are saying, then you’ll get to the heart of the person.”
“What are you guys going to do to make the discrimination and the hurt stop? It’s up to every single one of you.”
Thank you, James, for recognizing that what I wrote was about so much more than religion or sexual orientation. Thank you for being direct and loving. Thank you for letting us hear your heart. Your spirit will fill many rooms today. Some hearts are definitely bigger than the bodies that hold them.
I hope more people will follow James’ lead and share their feelings and their stories on YouTube.
Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing
Please share James’ message. And please leave your comments today. What did James’ passionate plea make you feel? Did you learn anything or think of anything new while watching his video?
Oh, and on top of getting his Master’s degree, James is working to become a motivational speaker. I think it would be fantastic if you could all go to his Facebook page and “like” it to show your support.
A dear professor friend of mine is always saying, "Stop and do inventory." What he means is for us to break out of our self-enclosed bubble, look around us and see what really matters. He's given me the "freedom" to talk to perfect strangers, to smile at cute kids who are sticking their tongues out at me, the hug an elderly woman who was crying on a bench all alone. What freedom! James is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! I always tell myself to imagine what a boring world this would be if we all looked alike, spoke alike, had the same beliefs, desires, etc. Keep talkin' James. We're listening!
Great post! I've been following James for a while - such an impressive guy. The FB link you posted didn't seem to work so here's his public profile FB page - https://www.facebook.com/#!/jgproductions84
@wendyweb47 Thanks!
OMGosh! That's James! He's my friend! Thank you Dan, James really does have a heart bigger than his body and so do you! You rock and I'm so glad you did click on his video! <3
@xoZer0 Thanks!!!
Thank you so much, James. I am so grateful I got to hear what you said. I agree with all of it, and send to you all of the love I can muster, and best wishes for success as you finish your Masters degree.
And thank you, Dan, for posting it. Much love to you as well, for being so proactive about this cause.
@Rdubs Thank you so much!!! I now have my Master's!!!
So so so soooo true. BUT the thing is we ARE born with open minds, so they "come that way" and family/society makes them smaller......sad. I am NOT at all a very tolerant mom when my kids talk about making fun of anyone!! My daughter (in 8th grade) came home mad at a boy for calling another boy gay at school. I told her I was proud of her for saying something to the one saying mean things and she was happy. But what do ya know she came home a few months later laughing about these kids making fun of a "fat girl" and I lost it! I admit I am not a very patient mom sometimes and I asked her how is it she was the SAME child who came home that one day standing up for ones who are gay, but the fat girl is funny??? Its NOT ok to make fun of ONE and Stand up for another!!! That makes it canceled out!! You now didn't stand up for ANYONE!!!!! YES one canceled the other!!! That should NOT be happening!! NO ONE should be making fun of ANYONE!!! I explained how at every excuse she gave me why it was funny(as she said she was just with the group, not saying it.....mmmmhmmm cause I was never a kid before).....Ways to make it justified like "she was laughing too" or "She is so mean Mommy"......I explained REALLY? Shes laughing too cause she would rather hear her OWN laugh then the bunch of you all laughing!! Or that She is MEAN cause you all MAKE FUN OF HER? Maybe cause she can NOT wear cute clothes like you or even go to school happy......maybe she had tried to diet and its impossible cause she has a hormonal problem yet her parents do NOT have insurance OR she is EMBARRASSED to get help cause Y'ALL make fun of her, maybe she will never be able to help herself or trust anyone in life and teach her kids to hate people with blue eyes(making a point to my kid)because she thinks they are MEAN really?!?!? Its NOT ok!! Its NEVER ok to make fun of anyone......if you DON'T have anything nice to say SHUT UP!!!!! Her whole school went to see the movie Bully last week and I was grateful. They have a very diverse school and yet they still make fun of each other's physical differences.....sad. And many will now find homosexuality ok (teenagers) because it is given more attention in the media(rightfully so).....but it really IS about respect all....hate hate.
Such people as James make life worth living and exploring. Such people give society hope.
James, I shared your post on my FB page. I am a special education teacher and your message spoke directly to me and the way I feel about people in the world. I just don't get why we are always fighting instead of embracing and learning from one another. Thank you for your courage to post this and share how you feel. We can make a difference!
I wish I could have watched this video. Unfortunately, I found that it has no captions. I am deaf--if a video has no captions then I am unable to understand anything that is said on the video. Yes, I know about the beta "voice recognition" automatic captioning thing, but that works so very poorly on the vast majority of videos I have tried it with I have basically given up using it. It can be so frustrating to see so much important dialogue going on around me that I can't engage in due to the lack of accessibility (I'm a deaf bisexual atheist woman with multiple disabilities so I relate to this dialogue on multiple levels). If there is no captioned version of the video, is there a transcript somewhere? Thanks.
I listened to this video several times and transcribed it so that you could receive James' message. It is a beautiful message. The transcript is as follows:
Hi guys. James here. I wanted to make a response in regards to the video in the essay: I'm Christian, unless you're gay. I have watched that video a few more times now and every time I come out crying because it hurts me that in 2012 we are still dealing with these same issues. Issues of hatred, these issues of discrimination. All because we are different. I have cerebral palsy. I have a speech impediment. I may not sound the best, I may not have a sexy voice. I have fine motor issues, and some people think that I am retarded because of it. I get stared at, I get mocked at every day of my life. When is this going to stop? It's 2012, guys. I'm sick of the ridicule, the discrimination of people who are different. I have a very good friend of mine who has green tubes in his ear. And he's a rebel and he's a dubstep DJ. He's an amazing person. But because he has piercings and tattoos and green tubes in his ears, people treat him differently. Why? Why do people have to be so cruel because of the way people look, act, dress? I want to address this write up: I'm Christian unless you're gay. If you watch this linger so much, this message needs to be told far and wide. And I'm doing my part. I'm disabled and I get picked on every day. Hell, I called the pizza place today and they hung up on me, because I talk differently. I experience this every damn day of my life. It gets sickening, it's gets tiring, it gets old quick. So, my challenge to you guys is - when is this going to stop? When is society going to tone down and accept people for who they are, and not what they look like? Because, let's face it. I'm 27, I'm getting my master's degree in IT.And yet, people still laugh at me and ignore me because they think I'm stupid or retarded. And there is so much more to a person than this. So much more. Look at their hearts, look at their minds. Listen to what they're saying. Not just hear them. Hearing and listening are two different things. Anyone can hear someone. Pass them up and judge them. But when you really listen to people, and listen to the words they - they are saying, then you'll get to the heart of the person. But yeah - that's.. What are you guys going to do to make the discrimination and the hurt stop? It's up to every single one of you. I just did a presentation last weekend. Entitled "Thinking outside the box. Living as a gay man with a disbility." And I inspired so many people. So many .. I opened so many minds by doing the presentation. Why do I have to be the one to open the minds? Why can't minds already be open? That's enough for now. I might do a part 2 later on, but thank you for listening. Bye bye.
@JenniferRizer
JenniferRizer, thank you so much for providing this transcript, I appreciate the help with this. Yes, it's a good and important message (and so familiar for those of us who also have disabilities, albeit different disabilities from his) and I'm glad to be able to read it.
I wish I could have watched this video. Unfortunately, I found that it has no captions. I am deaf--if a video has no captions then I am unable to understand anything that is said on the video. Yes, I know about the beta "voice recognition" automatic captioning thing, but that works so very poorly on the vast majority of videos I have tried it with I have basically given up using it. It can be so frustrating to see so much important dialogue going on around me that I can't engage in due to the lack of accessibility (I'm a bisexual atheist woman so I relate to this dialogue on multiple levels). If there is no captioned version of the video, is there a transcript somewhere? Thanks.
Good for him. Strong man. We need more to speak out. I'm speaking out on my blog here http://toriabipolar.blogspot.ca/ Fight the hatred and bigotry and misogyny with kindness, love and compassion. Be polite and firm and forthright that they are wrong. Keep speaking out on your blogs, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. We will create a quiet revolution with our fingers tapping out messages like this one.
My two year old daughter has CP, she has Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and I am terrified for her future. She can't talk or sit or crawl but I think she is so intelligent. I don't want her to be made fun of or treated as though she is mentally challeneged. But you give me so much hope for my daughter James! I can see that no matter if she is presented with struggles from society, she can overcome them and become a wonderful and inspiring person. I will admit, I was one of those people that didn't understand disabilities and probably passed judgment when I shouldn't have. But now that I have my daughter, my eyes have been opened and I am trying to open the eyes of others. Although my daughter does not have full control over her body, she is the same as any other two year...wanting to be independent and do what she wants to do. I will certainly share your story and I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone in the fight! Good luck with everything! You seem like you have your head on your shoulders and I know people your age that aren't as far as you and they have no disabilities to overcome. Thank you for sharing!
Both of my parents have CP. They are pretty amazing, too.
James, I applaud your strength in posting this. I believe that all children are born with open minds and it's our parents, community, religion, society and fear that causes them to close down. I was fortunate that my parents never directed me one way or another for various reasons and it allowed my mind to stay open to others. Until we can teach our children to live without fear of others, until we can learn to not laugh at the expense of others, until we can all really see the heart that you so eloquently stated needs to be seen, we will continue on this retched path. But James, you and Dan are doing your small parts to change the world and I am fortunate to still be around to watch as the changes slowly take place.
Profound video. I was awed and I sobbed. I have faced/ witnessed and been affected by discrimination and ignorance as we all have. I work with courageous men and women who live with severe co-occurring disorders.... I am a woman, a single mother, the parent of a child with Cerebral Palsy, a recovering addict.....the list could go on.... Thank you for who you are, sharing the things you do
Posted this to my wall and liked his page as well.... The louder the voice, the more people are forced to hear
James, you are a beautiful man, and you DO have a sexy voice! Thank you for sharing...all the best to you!
I don't have a speech impediment or cerebral palsy. However, I do have one of Utah's worse case of bipolar, O.C.D, and P.T.S.D... On top of that I have early signs of schizophrenia... I was recently kicked out of school illegally... However, my family doesn't have enough money to do anything about it... I've gotten "in trouble" at school 32 times withing the last two years so it is easy to see where most of my frustration towards people came from... This doesn't stop at school... we've had four great neighbors move away due to the rumor system in small towns... Their houses are all vacant... This is obviously discouraging... BUT seeing this video has helped a LOT... To see James act in anyway other than with hate is somehow something I overlooked... I'll try to handle my problems like he does, in a more respectful way...
That was wonderful. I love his remark at the end "Why do I have to be the one to open the minds? Why can't they already be open?" Bless both of you!
What an amazing man you are. Blessings and White Light all around you...
LOVE THIS!!! My 3 yr old has CP and I worry about these things as he gets older all the time!! I know how cruel people can be and it's just sad!!! James is an amazing person!!! Keep spreading the love James!!
Very moving. Thank you for sharing this response.
Wow! Such beautiful words of wisdom!!
I posted to my wall. He needs to be heard.
Amen! Thank you for sharing with us James. Thank you for posting it Dan.
I don't just like this I LOVE this, I love James! Thank you for posting his heart touching plea!
Bless his heart!
Beautifully said James!!! You rock!!!
Thanks, Dan! So glad you introduced us to someone as amazing as James!
I was just in an art show with the the couple who created this book, and the fun characters that are in it, in art/plush and other forms...I think you would like it: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=330782200296652&set=a.134000979974776.12879.133285613379646&type=3&theater
Thank you for sharing. Wow.
you can't choose your children s path, but you can make sure that path always leads home to you. You love your babies no matter what!
Thank you for reminding me how the image DOES NOT REALLY count!! My respect and admiration. From a 53 year old woman in São Paulo, Brazil.
Thanks for posting this, Dan. And THANKS for speaking out James, YOU ROCK!!! Keep up the good work getting the message out there!
Liked your FB page, James. Such a simple, yet pwerful message. We need to keep telling it.
Thank you Dan and James. My brother has Cerebral Palsey and I have spent a life time frustrated with the hatred that I see in others. I am very thankful that my brother has a big heart and is the most accepting person ever and doesn't seem to let the negativity of others get to him. You should both be proud of sharing this story. Through your sharing I hope others will find their way to kindness and acceptance of others.
James, thanks for sharing your story and for speaking out.
Thank you James, for your honesty and candidness. Poeple mock what they fear, and yeah it sucks that you have to be the person to bring the rest of us out into the shining daylight of tolerance and acceptance. but each day, especially with a post like this, you'll get more and more and more of us who proudly stand by your side and make an effort to let kindness and acceptance of others be our guides. it will get better, and it's because of YOU.
James, You are truly an inspiring and beautiful person. You asked why you need to be the voice. It's because that is your gift. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to stand up to a group of people and say "This is not right, this HAS to stop!". Although I have strong opinions on things, I don't have that strength. I have to say that I have witnessed first hand some of what you have been through. My Aunt was developmentally delayed, she looked and acted different. There were several occasions where I would make comments to people asking "What are you staring at?" or "You got a problem?". It was frustrating, rude and annoying. I was always taught that everyone is different in some way, that it doesn't matter what the outside is it's about what's inside. She may not have been what most people call "beautiful" but, my Aunt had the biggest heart of anyone I have ever or (will ever know). You also asked "what will you do to stop the discrimination?" I feel my part is with my kids. They are still young but, my husband and I feel it's important to start early teaching them that people are different, to be accepting no matter what. To not stare at people who look different, and treat them with nothing less than respect. I hope both you and Dan realize the positive impact your words have had on people. Keep up with the great work, James and thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I bawled like a baby when I watched this video. Thank you so much for putting yourself out there for everyone. You are truly inspiring.
Thank you James, and thank you Dan. I read this blog daily and it never fails to inspire me and provoke thought. Like one of the previous posters I was ignorant of the scope of Cerebral Palsy,so I took the time to educate myself with the hope of sharing my new found knowledge after listening to James speak. As a lesbian who is also a Christian the original "I'm Christian Unless You're Gay" post moved me tremendously. This response, and every other response for that matter, has served to push me forward even more. I hope to be a voice of change in some small way to every person I meet. Thank you again for moving me, for inspiring me, and for pushing me to be a better example of the changes we would all like to see.
I've said some of the exact things James said throughout my 49 years. I know his frustration because I've been in the same boat as I have CP too.. I've learned to just let things roll off my back most of the time. I figured people are ignorant and it is their loss. James, you are a wonderful person and I admire you for being outspoken and thank you for speaking what most of us think. And Dan, you are still awesome!
@JamesGeiger , I am so blessed to have known you. Your love for music and your quick wit have made an indelible mark on my life and on my soul. From all our laughs at play, and jamming along to all the incredible artists you have introduced me to, I cannot imagine my life having never met remarkable people like you. You know me, I'm not one for sappy mushy stuff, so I will simply say, I am PROUD to be in your company. You rock, bro! XOXO Victoria
James, you are such a beautiful spirit. Thank you for sharing your light and your love with us all.
So inspiring !!! Thanks you....
How beautifully spoken! Thank you so much for your bravery. Your ability to educate the world is unique so please never stop sharing. I've been reflecting on the crux of this issue of our general intolerance of differences, and I think that what it boils down to is that those who are attack others because they seem different, are really just afraid of their own "differentness". Individuality is beautiful and necessary, but it can definitely be scary if we don't have the self-esteem required to feel safe in being "different". Individuality and co-operation are also largely devalued by our society, so these behaviors may far more entrenched than we might think.
Maybe if each of us as individuals do our part, like you James, we can change the way the world works one heart at a time.