Phoenix Pride 2012 in Pictures
The average high temperature in Phoenix in April is 85 degrees. In theory this would be a perfect month to host Phoenix Pride, however, for some reason Pride weekend is always way hotter than the average. This year was no different. And since I like numbers, I did some research about the weather the past few years on the weekend of Phoenix Pride.
April 19, 2009- high 95 (day two of Pride hit 97)
April 20, 2010- high 96 (day two of Pride hit 89)
April 16, 2011- hight 95 (day two of Pride hit 97)
And this year:
April 21, 2012- high 103 (day two of pride 105!)
Don’g get me wrong, I love the heat, but this year I said, “It is too damn hot!!” I was in the sun from 9:30 a.m. until about 4 p.m. Luckily I had managed to slather on a thin layer of SPF 4, so I was only a little bit crispy by the end of the day with just a touch of sun poisoning. (I slept like a baby.)
This was the second year I’ve been in the parade, but the first time I got to be a car. Read more 
Mormon Stories Expanding to Include Gay Mormon Stories
I’ve been a fan of Mormon Stories for a looooooooong time. A number of years ago it was just one podcast where complex issues regarding Mormon theology, culture, and history were discussed in depth by Mormon apologists, disaffected Mormons, active Mormons, Mormon historians, scholars, etc. In short, it was the meat that many of us had been looking for after lots and lots of milk.
Mormon Stories filled a need within Mormon culture as a neutral, safe place for deep questioning, discussion and for many people, serious healing. As the podcast has grown, so has the Mormon Stories community. There are Facebook groups all over the country, regional conferences, meet-up groups. I’ve met so many wonderful people in Phoenix at the Mormon Stories book clubs and other social events that have been organized. At the Mormon Stories conference in February I felt at home among “my people.”
Today I am happy to announce the forthcoming addition to the Open Stories Foundation (which Mormon Stories is a part of) – Gay Mormon Stories. Read more
Online Strangers Say the Darndest Things…
VIDEO: Coming out Live
This is the first time I remember seeing a video like this, of someone coming out to a mother who doesn’t know she is being filmed. I came out years ago and it wasn’t filmed but that experience is still fresh in my mind. My parents reacted a similar way this mother does in the video. I can’t imagine a parent reacting any other way than with love, support, and happiness. Anything less is unacceptable.
I thought this was a heartwarming video, but others did not. There are some ugly and hateful comments left by complete strangers, bullies who stand in the way of love and progress and peace. But love always prevails despite the tortures it must sometimes endure. Love conquers all, always has and always will. Read more
Bryan Safi needs his own TV show
These videos, produced for a segment called “That’s Gay” for Info Mania (or Current TV, I’m not sure) are a few years old but hot diggity damn they are funny!
Bryan Safi needs his own show. Which is exactly what I tweeted him a few weeks ago and he tweeted me back (swoon) and said he agreed! Read more
Elder Jay E. Jensen and Marriage Equality
On January 8, 2012 Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. The talk was same old, same old. The Desert News covered his Church Educational System (CES) Devotional address and reported that he spoke about the three themes of the Holy Ghost. I don’t want to embed the video but here’s a link
The Desert News failed to report this quote from his address (skip ahead to the 18 minute mark of his talk to hear it):
“The adversary seeks to deorganize and to destroy, especially families, as evidenced today by abortion, divorce, and same-gender marriage.”
Let that sink in for a moment.
Divorce AND marriage are destroying families. What?! Read more
Second Class Citizens Documentary
This video is making the rounds on Facebook so I wanted to share it here. It’s a preview of a documentary that will be completed if the filmmaker, Ryan James Yezek, can raise enough money on Kickstarter. (Click here to see the Kickstarter page and make a donation.) Read more
My Interview on QTalk Arizona
The Joe and Babe show is back for a new year and I was the first guest of 2012.
You can listen to the episode here or find it on iTunes (when you search for QTalk). I was there to promote my new book “Downtown Phoenix.”
From the QTalk website:
We’re baaaaaack!! We’re super-excited to be back on the Internet airwaves in 2012! Our first guest of the year is no stranger to QTalk Arizona, he’s none other than J. Seth Anderson who started our “What The Hell Is Going On In Arizona?”podcast!
Seth has lived in the Valley for many years, but over the past decade has really to come to love downtown Phoenix. He’s very actively involved in preserving historic buildings and working to create better ways of using our existing land. In fact, he’s so active that he recently co-authored a book on the very subject! The book, aptly named “Downtown Phoenix” is now available and it’s a beautiful book with countless wonderfully historic photographs that tell the stories of our downtown.
So I Made a YouTube Video….
Yes, I did.
I made this at the request of someone who is working on a project about homosexuality and Mormonism and approached me to tell my coming out story in an “It’s Gets Better” type of YouTube video.
My goal was to keep this under the 5 minute mark, but it ended up being just over 6 minutes. I’m ok with that. Read more
Like Father Not Like Son
In November 2011, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney signed an anti marriage equality pledge. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) created the pledge that commits signatories to fight for a “federal constitutional amendment defining marriage, to appoint federal judges who don’t see a Constitutional right to same-sex marriage, and to back the Defense of Marriage Act” should they be elected to the office of the presidency.
Brother Romney signed this pledge along with Michelle Bachmann and Rick Santorum. All three were praised by NOM as “three marriage champions.” Of course they are referring to what they call “traditional marriage” and that’s why it really bugs the hell out of me that Romney is being hailed as some great defender of “traditional” marriage.
Politics makes strange bedfellows, for as Mitt Romney lives and breathes he is a product of non-traditional marriages. His father, George Romney, was the descendent of Mormon polygamists who were living The Principle (as it was and is called today) across the border in Colonias Mormonas in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. In the 19th century, to escape persecution and discriminatory marriage laws in the United States, Brigham Young sent some of his followers to Canada and Mexico so they could live their alternative polygamous lifestyles. Read more
“Seth and The City” in this month’s ION Arizona
A few weeks ago I was contacted by ION Arizona, one of the Valley’s LGBT magazines, and asked if I would like to be interviewed for a story about my book. I said absolutely… under one condition: any photo of me would have to be airbrushed within an inch of my life. They agreed and kept their promise. And now the December 2011 issue is out with a delightful story about me and the new book. Thank you ION Arizona! Read more
Marriage is About Commitment, not Just Equal Rights
This story about how we should approach marriage equality in terms of commitment rather than equal rights ran in The Advocate a few weeks ago. I found it on a website called The Third Way, a think tank that advances moderate political ideas like strong private sector growth, clean energy, and making progress on divisive social issues.
I had never thought about framing my arguments supporting marriage equality in terms of commitment. When my straight friends get married they don’t say it’s for the purpose of filing taxes jointly or having hospital visitation rights or pensions, they say it’s about love and commitment. Because it is. Read more
Book Review: Dancing With Crazy
How much tragedy and heartbreak can one person live through?
Emily Pearson’s new memoir, Dancing With Crazy, gives the answer to that question: a person can live through a hell of a lot and live to tell about it with humor, wit and wisdom. Emily writes that her life was like a dance competition with a merciless partner named Crazy who delighted in her misery and, “thrived on my diminishment. He lived for my utter annihilation.” (p. 11)
From the very first paragraph of this scintillating memoir I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down and read the whole thing in about a day and half. Read more
Phoenix AIDS Walk 2011
The Phoenix AIDS Walk began in 1987. At its peak, the event raised $1 million and was one of the largest community events in Phoenix. After 16 years, the organization that hosted the event closed in 2003 and the Phoenix AIDS Walk disappeared. 4 years later, a group of individuals approached Aunt Rita’s Foundation, which up until that time hosted the annual SAVORlife Fundraiser. Aunt Rita’s Foundation agreed to host the Phoenix AIDS Walk and it was reintroduced in 2008.
I walked in the AIDS Walk in 2009 on Barbra Seville’s team known as “Barbra Seville’s Wonderful 100.” Read more
New Post on Main Street Plaza
Last February I wrote a story for Main Street Plaza about a cozy relationship between John Eastman and Apostle Dallin H. Oaks. Last week John Eastman was appointed Chair of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM).
I see an interesting connection between one of the highest ranking officials from the Mormon Church and NOM.
Read it here.
