To Fetch a Pail of Water
This summer marks 25 years since I came out of the closet. Today, coming out happens so often in the world of the Hollywood A-listers, athletes, journalists and elected officials that it hardly makes news. Harvey Milk said we must come out and, while not everyone can right now, plenty visible folks are twirling out of the closet, wire hangers and all.
The Walls Come Tumbling Down
When marriage equality became the law of the land the morning of June 26, I kissed my husband and went right back to work.
Outside of Celebrity
In 2007, Kevin Sessums' "Mississippi Sissy" (St. Martin's Press, $24.95) became a best seller. The book opened our eyes to the life of a boy touched by tragedy, feeling like an outsider in an ultra-conservative southern state, and his molestation at the hands of a trusted minister.
LGBTQ Americans Need Support of Everyday Folk
Now, with marriage equality poised to become the law of the land when the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the cases coming out of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, many of us have begun to raise awareness of the dangers of being a member of the LGBTQ community.
Gov. Bryant: Stop Running Off LGBT Mississippians
How can you deny that fostering an oppressive and hateful atmosphere towards the LGBT community forces hard-working taxpayers to seriously question where their pink dollars are spent?
Thank You, Jackson
Witnessing the Mississippi business community coming together to speak out against discrimination of any kind through the lens of being a business owner in the LGBTQ community makes it all the more powerful to me.
Random Acts of Love
I’ve long maintained that I don’t care for public displays of affection. I’ve said it countless times to two long-term boyfriends, a few suitors and my husband. By turning my nose up at other couples, I’ve been able to hide my fear of being spotted.
As SB2681 Passes, A Gay Mississippi Businessman Talks Back to the Far Right
"I don't have to look back very far in my lived experience to recall a time when I was afraid to live openly. I once thought the very best I could hope for was to get a job, fall in love, and keep that part of my life hidden from family and clients."
I Do
If you've read anything I've written over the last three years, you know that I've done my level best to stay optimistic on the subject of marriage equality. It hasn't been easy, especially when keeping up with comments from the opposition.
We Are Family
A few weeks ago the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Proposition 8, the California law banning same-sex marriage, and the Defense of Marriage Act, the law Congress passed in 1996 that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Created Equal
Watching the inauguration of President Barack H. Obama was bittersweet. I was proud to have advocated for my president, and I feel validated by his inclusion of the LGBT community and the diversity on display.
Sedaris Seeks Jackson
This year marks the 10th year Justin has been putting up with me and my shenanigans, so we’ve been celebrating since Sept. 9 in big and small ways.
Behind the Chair
I've been in the beauty industry for 17 years. After laying hands on and listening to countless women, I know for a fact--as celebrity stylist Tabatha Coffey says--"It's not always about the hair."
A Pistol, and a Plea
There's something I need to tell you that I've not had the strength to share. There's something I've alluded to over the years that I've not had the will to move beyond.
Tupelo's 'Dirty Little Secret'
Since my "coming out" 20 years ago, my understanding of who and what I am has evolved—not unlike our president. I wrestled mightily with what I was taught as a youngster in my small Baptist church in the Mississippi Delta. I readily admit it's a source of aggravation for me.
The Good Fight
A few months ago, after watching one of the Republican debates, I placed a call to my sweet little momma. She lives in what I call a FOX News bubble: She doesn't have access to the Internet or pay much attention to opposing views.
[Outlaw] Yes. We. Can.
There was a weight on me—a black cloud that threatened all manner of lightening and rain, and I just couldn't shake it. "This," I thought to myself, "this will never end unless someone who matters stands up for us."
That'll Do, Pig. That'll Do
I sat in my driveway, in my running car, staring at the thermostat. A week ago I'd been complaining about the cold snap and rain interfering with my ability to run. Now, after having missed the chance that morning, I was staring down the barrel of Ninety-Four degrees.
For The Children, Y'all
There was no starting gun, but there was a preacher, so i was obviously prepared to run. I surveyed the group that had assembled behind the starting line and noted that not everyone looked like a runner, so that helped calm my nerves. There were people of varying degrees of fitness, the young and the old. As I became more relaxed, it was easier to make polite conversation with those around me. Pretty soon, much to Terry's chagrin, I was telling everyone it was my first 5K.
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To My 5K
I woke up around five the morning of the big day. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was what I'd had for dinner, but I had the worst case of indigestion that I can recall. Ever. Eventually, after flopping around in the bed, I ran to the bathroom to rid myself of the problem. I hate to throw up, but it was happening wether I wanted to or not.
[Outlaw] Cooking Like Mother
I'd help tend to mother's beans, squash, tomatoes, peas.
Now I Know I Can
Terry set the pace, explaining that there was no need to "showboat" during the first mile. I was encouraged to pull back when I felt it was needed, to charge the inclines when the earth pushed against me and to ease off for recovery on the other side.
Praying To God, Cher And Oprah
I've been making a concerted effort to get healthy, as of late. In the past few weeks, I've taken up running, yoga and strength training. Sure, there is an aspect is vanity at play here, but there's also a dose of prevention.
Of Mats And Men
"You're just not gonna stop, are you?" I replied.
Mid workout, "The Devil" (my personal trainer) suggested that I try yoga. His reasoning was that it would help strengthen certain areas of my forty-year-old body and help with flexibility.
Flirting With The Idea
"3 miles tonight?" was all it said.
Late on a Tuesday afternoon, looking forward to an evening with nothing I had to do, I received a text from Terry, or "the devil," as I've come to call him.
Dead Man Running
It was a Saturday, which usually means a more relaxed environment at work, and I clipped along at a leisurely pace. It was easy to chat up my clients that day because I was trying not to think about what was to come later that afternoon.
Who Says There Are No 40-Year-Old Underwear Models?
I'm standing in front of my mirrored closet door, in nothing but athletic shorts and my running shoes, practicing my pose for a "before" picture. Yes, I said "before," meaning, down the road there should be an "after" picture, and I'm hoping there will be obvious results. As I round out my shoulders, shift my weight to the right hip and suck in ever so slightly, I'm not mortified with what I see, as long as I ignore the one love handle still peaking around my left side.
[Outlaw] A More Perfect Union
Change will come—even in the state that seems slowest to change.
[Outlaw] Home on the Ranch
Feel free to judge, but I've lived in eight different places since 2004. Yes, I'm aware that makes me sound like a Gypsy, but I can defend myself. Justin and I talked about home ownership the way some heterosexual couples talk about having kids—one day, just not today.
[Outlaw] The Act of Creativity
I found myself neck deep in a community serious about its art.