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October 6, 2010 in City
Tour ‘doing what we can to help gay youth’
I’m From Driftwood shares LGBT stories
Film director Marquise Lee and project creator Nathan Manske, left, talk Tuesday at Olive It Café about stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth they’ve collected.
(Full-size photo)
Everyone has a story to tell, but there is not always someone to listen.
A team of three is trying to change that. They set out to collect and share true stories from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities all over the United States.
Spokane was Tuesday’s stop on the I’m From Driftwood Fifty State Story Tour.
The purpose of the tour is to prove “gay people are everywhere,” said project creator Nathan Manske.
“It’s really just to let LGBT youth not feel so alone,” he said. “No matter who you are, what you’re going through, or where you’re from, you are not alone.”
Manske’s inspiration for the project came after he watched the movie “Milk” and recalled a photograph of Harvey Milk in the San Francisco Pride parade holding a sign that reads, “I’m From Woodmere, N.Y.”
To Manske, it meant there are gay people in every small town and big city across America.
Manske is joined on the tour by director Marquise Lee and logistics coordinator Nick Manske. The four-month tour, which will visit all 50 states, began last month.
“We’re just the little gay engine that could,” he said. “We’re just chugging along across the nation doing what we can to help gay youth.”
Nathan Manske was also inspired by his own experience growing up in Driftwood, Texas, where the tour began. His family was supportive of his sexuality, but he still felt alone in the rural town, he said.
“Even to this day, I’ve never experienced homophobia to my face,” he said. “But I have felt alone. When I was younger I just didn’t have anyone to relate to or talk to about it. I just didn’t know anyone that was gay.”
While on tour, the crew will collect hundreds of stories, on video and in writing.
“That’s the point of the story tour – to get these stories in front of people,” Manske said. “Based on the feedback, I know these stories do help people.”
The crew began raising money for the tour in 2009 and will hold fundraisers along the way. Right now, they do not have enough funding to finish the tour, Manske said.
“It’s all very grass-roots right now,” he said.
They have stretched their dollar by crashing on supporters’ couches.
“It feels kind of like crowd surfing,” he said. “People pass us along to the next community or town. No one has dropped us yet.”
The crew chose what towns to stop in based on online suggestions from project supporters.
The reason Spokane was chosen is simple: “The reason we’re here is it’s on the map,” Manske said.
While their reasoning may seem too simple, he said, it shows they really can go anywhere in the world and meet members of the LGBT community.
“It doesn’t matter where we go,” he said. “There are going to be gay people.”
Although the point of the project is to help LGBT youth by showing them they are not alone, Manske said the journey has been rewarding for him, too.
“I’ve actually been learning a lot on this trip,” he said. “
It’s just very inspiring to see people overcome such difficult things in their life.”
1992 murder trial begins against sex offender 
ChefGus/ John Olsen on October 06 at 7:13 a.m.
As a volunteer and contributor to Odyssey Youth Center… i’d suggest these folks start there …. www.odysseyyouth.org John
philipgregory on October 06 at 7:21 a.m.
If you want to help them, help them change.
Help them deal with their confused feelings.
Help them deal with being preyed upon by homosexuals.
misjustice on October 06 at 8:17 a.m.
In addition to this effort by Mr. Lee and Mr. Manske, their is a project called “It Gets Better”.
The message of It Gets Better is for young people to hold on - don’t harm yourselves - live gets so much better after high school, after college, after you can move on and live your authentic life.
Here’s the link;
http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 06 at 9:07 a.m.
A comment for parents: a lot of the time, young people assume that everyone is anti-gay unless they say otherwise, including/especially their family members. *If* you would still love your children if they were gay, be sure to say so - out loud, in words. It’s not something they can safely ask about, in case the answer is no. If they are gay (or think they might be), it will be a huge load off their minds; if they’re not, it will show them what a cool parent you are.
(And FYI philipgregory - some of us were never confused and were never preyed upon.)
SpokaneLiberal on October 06 at 9:14 a.m.
Help them change how PhilipGregory?
There is no evidence of anyone being preyed on more than in society at large.
Hopefully people can help those whose suicide rates are sky high, who have higher instances of depression, and create something positive.
I read about “It Gets Better” and think it is awesome - and hopefully it will within society at large.
spokanecougar on October 06 at 9:25 a.m.
philipgregory - Are you saying help gay people change? I am a openly gay male and if thats what you saying that is horribly offensive. If thats what your saying its people like you that so many gay teens have killed themselves in the last month for being harassed and bullied for being gay. Gay people cannot change, kind of like straight people cannot change to being gay. If you don’t believe that, then you try and turn me straight while the same time I will try and turn you gay……lets see who wins.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on October 06 at 9:28 a.m.
Phillip Gregory www.pflag.org You are not conversant with the truth about being gay in many ways. j
bdr on October 06 at 10:01 a.m.
I believe the song Ode To Billie Joe pretty much mirrors the latest young mans suicide to the T.
The song written in 1967 gives us some mile markers of national gay recognition in the song.
I believe in the song the young lady and friend killed Billy Joe because he was queer and threw him off the Tallahassee bridge.
The wiki informs us: Billy Joe’s story is analyzed in Professor John Howard’s history of gay Mississippi entitled Men Like That: A Queer Southern History as an archetype of what Howard calls the “gay suicide myth
In my mind and experience Gay behavior is nothing more than experimentation of youth.
If left uncorrected these youngsters WILL be gay until their into their late 20s. (reversal will occur without parents urging)
Scoutster on October 06 at 10:16 a.m.
Wow..it’s hard to believe this is 2010 reading some of these posts…
spokanada on October 06 at 10:36 a.m.
BDR,
You are correct. Homosexuality has been around since the beginning of time and more often than not Gay behavior has been nothing more than experimentation of youth. Even the cavemen kids got tired of playing on their nintendo wii’s and decided to play with their wee-wee’s for a while.
Scoutster, it may be 2010 but in Spokane years it is only 1959. I’m proud to say I surround myself with progressive liberals and conservatives but Spokane still has it’s share of uneducated idiots.
Dazzeetrader11 on October 06 at 10:41 a.m.
Suicide’s up in all groups across the board. Nothing special about gays with an elevated rate. It’s everywhere. I wonder if we should fund new and special programs for those hopelessly gay. (<should raise=”” a=”” few=”” eyebrows).=”” truth=”” is,=”” there=”” are=”” small=”” or=”” “special”=”” needs=”” groups=”” everywhere.=”” should=”” we=”” be=”” making=”” special=”” programs=”” to=”” make=”” them=”” better?=”” only=”” if=”” they=”” want=”” to=”” get=”” better=”” (better=”” than=”” what?=”” most=”” don’t=”” want=”” to=”” change).=”” only=”” if=”” there=”” is=”” money=”” to=”” fund=”” programs=”” (=”” there=”” isn’t).=”” facts=”” are,=”” this=”” will=”” bring=”” attention=”” to=”” nothing=”” we=”” don’t=”” know=”” about.=”” people=”” are=”” gay..and=”” some=”” commit=”” harm=”” to=”” themselves=”” and=”” others.=”” huge=”” majority=”” are=”” straight=”” and=”” do=”” harm=”” to=”” themselves=”” and=”” others.=”” most=”” gay=”” people=”” like=”” being=”” gay.=”” most=”” straight=”” people=”” like=”” being=”” straight.=”” so=”” why=”” is=”” this=”” article=”” something=”” special.?=”” answer:=”” nothing=”” new=”” here.=”” chose=”” the=”” gay=”” or=”” straight=”” lifestyle,=”” there=”” will=”” be=”” issues.=”” live=”” with=”” your=”“ choices.=”“>
SpokaneLiberal on October 06 at 10:54 a.m.
Daisy while suicides may be up across the board Gay youth commit suicide at a rate of four times the rate of Straight youth.
And yes we should create programs for special groups who are suffering, especially like when in this case, it isn’t funded with tax dollars.
Every choice and lifestyle has issues, but my straightness is not a choice (although my choice to have sex is). Gayness is similarly not a choice (although the choice to have sex is).
MrNatural on October 06 at 11:00 a.m.
What an interesting look into the opinions and beliefs about being gay. I even find myself agreeing partially with Ms. Minken’s pragmatic POV.
But I like to leave the issues of being gay up to those who are gay and take them on their word. Similar as I take minorities on their word about racism. I cannot and should not speak on issues and experiences I am not personally familiar with.
I do defend anyone’s human rights in that we are created equal and should not be subject to bigotry or oppression.
Btw the link is for bdr
http://www.filibustercartoons.com/billyjoe.htm
Dazzeetrader11 on October 06 at 11:18 a.m.
Well Natural…of course you agree with Daisy…well done!…for two reasons 1. I’m practical and 2. You admit your shortcomings. Never can go wrong being honest.
Liberal…let the gay people design their own unfunded programs. Not the government’s domain. AND…if you have link showing the suicide rate is as high as you claim, I’d like to have a look at it.
Now many will say that straight people have all kinds of programs. Wahhhh….so do gays. Special treatment isn’t warranted unless there’s a special problem….other will say there’s a bias wound throughout favoring strights. Wahhhhhh……..again. Is there a special program for left handed blue eyed dwarfs? Well yes…I’m sure there are a few somewhere….and this group is simply stuck. No choice. No therapy…no nothing. Let’s rejoice in our differences and leave it at that.
SpokaneLiberal on October 06 at 11:32 a.m.
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/399.html
http://gaylife.about.com/od/gayteens/a/gaysuicide.htm
Per the study about 10 % of all high schoolers attempt suicide. 40% of GLBTQ high schoolers attempt suicide.
There is actually several studies on it and from what I read the 4x as high figure is a conservative estimate.
Since you say special treatment is unwarranted unless there is a special problem and this shows a special problem can I now assume you want special treatment for this problem ;)?
And they did form their own unfunded program and raised funds for most of it.
Diana on October 06 at 11:44 a.m.
Daisy, tell more about when you chose your gay or straight lifestyle. How old were you? How did you weigh your options? Was it an easy choice?
Dazzeetrader11 on October 06 at 12:16 p.m.
Well DIana…you ask a biased questioned designed to trap. Nuthin doin Doll. “When did you quit beating your husband???” type question.
A better question might be this: why is the Gay suicide rate 400% on normal stright kids? Brain chemistry? Nature-nuture argument? My guess would be that nobody knows….assuming Liberals data is correct. Why is it high in some places and not others? Lots of Q’s..fewer answers.
misjustice on October 06 at 12:24 p.m.
DAZE, Diana’s question is meant to illustrate that sexual orientation is NOT something that is chosen…
SpokaneLiberal on October 06 at 3:02 p.m.
I know I didn’t choose to be straight. Women where just very attractive to me and men were not. I did choose to marry and have sex with my wife, but I didn’t choose to be attracted to women and not men - I just was.
Diana on October 06 at 3:49 p.m.
Daisy, just asking based on what you wrote in your post:
“Chose the gay or straight lifestyle, there will be issues. Live with your choices.”
Just wondering how it went when you chose.
hawken on October 06 at 4:29 p.m.
Diana… shame on you for asking Daisy about her personal life…. yours must be exempt from the things that the rest of us, less than perfect mortals, face each day.
Homosexuals have the same access to our social support systems as heterosexuals with their own problems.
Homosexuals have clearly demonstrated over the years that support is not their goal…. which is reasonable…
Homosexuals want to publish and promote their homosexuality hoping to entice others to join in with them in their sexuality.
Homosexuals have a right to pursue their sexuality with other homosexuals as they choose…. or, they have the right to remain celibate if they choose…. which many heterosexuals choose for their own reasons. Yet, they do not promote celibacy in an effort to gain universal approval.
What homosexuals do not have a right to do, going unchallenged, is to promote their homosexuality, which they have proven to be quite effective at over the years.
Do not homosexuals ultimately want universal approval and promotion of their homosexuality in their tireless public quest?
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 06 at 5:19 p.m.
hawken, please define “promoting.”
Thayne on October 06 at 5:36 p.m.
thatoneguy, don’t encourage squawken, it’s ok for him to call people names, but today he’s being the blog police. Hawken, I thought you claimed to have a PHD. in what? It sure isn’t psychiatry or social or cultural studies. Please explain how homosexuals promote their lifestyle more than heterosexuals. What do they do to entice people to their lifestyle? You can count on one hand the number of shows on TV that have an openly gay character. How many shows, regardless of the genre, promote straight sex? My fingers would get numb typing them in. You don’t wake up one morning and decide you are going to be gay. Just like you don’t decide to become an alcoholic. You should refrain from your bombastic comments if they are nothing but BS.
hawken on October 06 at 5:54 p.m.
thatoneguy: Promote defined - Websters Dictionary
a : to advance in station, rank, or honor : raise b : to change (a pawn) into a piece in chess by moving to the eighth rank c : to advance (a student) from one grade to the next higher grade
2
a : to contribute to the growth or prosperity of : further <promote international=”” understanding=”“> b : to help bring (as an enterprise) into being : launch c : to present (merchandise) for buyer acceptance through advertising, publicity, or discounting
3
slang : to get possession of by doubtful means or by ingenuity
hawken on October 06 at 6:06 p.m.
Thayne: your assertion and that of many others that homosexuality is not a choice…. simply does not stand up under scrutiny. There are significant opponents to this veiw even within the homosexual community.
Please note these quotes from researchers on the question by homosexuals themselves:
I”n recent years, however, even homosexual researchers and philosophers are beginning to admit that there is no such thing as a “gay gene” that predisposes homosexuals to engage in sodomy. The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality has published a series of these admissions by homosexual researchers and philosophers in “The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science.” Homosexual researcher Dean Hamer has stated: “There is not a single master gene that makes people gay … I don’t think we will ever be able to predict who will be gay.” Simon LeVay, a homosexual researcher and activist studied the differences in the brains of homosexual and heterosexual men. He admits: “It’s important to stress what I didn’t find. I did not prove that homosexuality is genetic, or find a genetic cause for being gay. I didn’t show that gay men are born that way, the most common mistake people make in interpreting my work.”
Lesbian author and activist Camille Paglia has stated: “Homosexuality is not ‘normal.’ On the contrary it is a challenge to the norm … Nature exists whether academics like it or not. And in nature, procreation is the single relentless rule. That is the norm. Our sexual bodies were designed for reproduction … No one is born gay. The idea is ridiculous … homosexuality is an adaptation, not an inborn trait.”
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/urban/seven.php
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 06 at 6:15 p.m.
OK, so it sounds like you’re probably thinking of the Definition 2 group.
I don’t see a problem - actually I don’t see a problem with any of the definitions, except possibly #3 which is slang that I never heard before.
I don’t have time right now to say any more but will check in again latter.
hawken on October 06 at 6:26 p.m.
thatoneguy: No…. I’m referring to No 1…. “to advance in station, rank, or honor”…. the primary definition according to Websters. The overall definition according to Websters affirms the same.
hawken on October 06 at 6:30 p.m.
thayne, misjustice, spoketucky et al…. I would like to hear your response to my posting at 6:06pm on homosexuality…
Diana on October 06 at 6:47 p.m.
I’ll respond to your question:
Do not homosexuals ultimately want universal approval and promotion of their homosexuality in their tireless public quest?
No.
hawken on October 06 at 6:53 p.m.
Well Diana…. if you are speaking for yourself… I will accept your response on face value… If you are speaking for yourself.
However, the public record for decades in this county demonstrates otherwise.
Let me ask you this…. what is your response to my posting at 6:06pm?
hawken on October 06 at 8:05 p.m.
OK…. I understand that my 6:06 posting is probably devastating to thayne, misjustice, Diana and especially spoketucky whom is an openly homosexual man by his own proclamation.
While they are ubiquitous when it comes to publishing the myth that homosexuals are born homosexual, they are deafeningly quite when they are confronted with scientific research, by homosexual scientists and homosexual practitioners whom vehemently deny and argue against the myth: Namely, that homosexuals are born homosexual.
Let me again quote Lesbian author and activist Camille Paglia:
“Homosexuality is not ‘normal.’ On the contrary it is a challenge to the norm … Nature exists whether academics like it or not. And in nature, procreation is the single relentless rule. That is the norm. Our sexual bodies were designed for reproduction … No one is born gay. The idea is ridiculous … homosexuality is an adaptation, not an inborn trait.”
It’s been a couple of hours now since I have ask my homosexual adversaries for a response to my 6:06 posting. Maybe they are simply on a dinner break…. Let’s give them until tomorrow sometime to see if they have a response.
I hope that I am wrong in this case…. but it has been my experience with these folks that when they are forced to deal with actual facts…. they simply go away and never respond. And I understand why they cannot respond…. it is a dilemma for them to deal with the facts….
Since they cannot dispute the facts with any credible science or evidence to the contrary…. It is better for them not to respond at all.
If, on the other hand they acknowledge the scientific facts, then their whole myth is exposed as dishonest and self-serving,,, or at least ignorant of the scientific facts.
Let’s see if they have a response later tonight or tomorrow.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 06 at 10:45 p.m.
I was at work.
I have no problem with the scientific facts. I don’t disagree with them or wish to refute them. I can’t speak for everyone, but I have no investment in finding homosexuality to be an inborn trait.
I personally have no interest in universal approval. Again, I can’t speak for everyone. I’m already liked (& approved of) by enough people.
As for promoting homosexuality in the sense of advancing it in station, rank or honor… yes, I think that would be a good thing — specifically having equal rights. (That would be a promotion from 2nd-class citizen to 1st class, yes?) I’m not interested in having special rights that others don’t get to have. I also don’t think it’s fair when some people get to have rights that others don’t.
I do believe in “promoting” it in the sense of telling young people it’s OK. Regardless of the science referred to above, I have never met or heard of anyone who said they made a choice to be gay. I have met & heard of people who had same-sex desires and chose not to act on them, or people who were bisexual and chose not to act on one set of feelings, but that’s not the same thing as not having those feelings in the first place. As I said above: even if it is a choice - so what?
I do believe that gay young people (or young people who are perceived as gay) should be protected from bullying, to the same extent that any other group is. School (and life) would be a better experience if fat kids weren’t ridiculed for being fat, home-schooled kids weren’t ridiculed for being home-schooled, etc. There is no law, not even an unwritten one, that says we must approve of obesity or home schooling, but basic decency says people should not be subjected to being beaten up and called names because of these things.
As for gay teens attempting suicide at a much greater rate than straight teens: unless you believe that all those people who have posted videos on the YouTube “It Gets Better” channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject#p/f/0/7IcVyvg2Qlo) have agreed to post the same imaginary story, it’s clear that feelings of being alone and unwanted with nowhere to turn SIMPLY BECAUSE OF BEING GAY have played a large part in many people’s misery. I will leave it to the scientists to figure out if homosexuality causes a genetic predisposition to depression &/or suicide, but it seems clear that being treated badly for a long time can create such a strong desire for the suffering to end that there seems to be no other way out.
I don’t know why straight kids kill themselves. Probably for much the same reasons, only without the “because I’m gay” part. “I’m alone, no one understands me or ever will, no one will ever love me,” that kind of thing. But as I said, I don’t know. There are many foundations, hotlines, etc. for teenagers to call, plus if they’re not gay they can talk to their parents, clergy, teachers or school counselors without being afraid of what those people will say or do. I don’t mean to dismiss the suffering of straight kids — of course not — but there are doors they can knock on that gay kids often feel they can’t.
This is getting really long. To be continued…
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 06 at 11:40 p.m.
I looked back & realized I had sort of missed the sentence in his 4:29pm post where he says that “Homosexuals want to publish and promote their homosexuality hoping to entice others to join in with them in their sexuality.”
Actually I have never had any interest in “bringing anyone over to the team,” and I’m not aware of knowing anyone who did. We seem to be doing OK without having to recruit. I’m not aware that I’ve ever known anyone who wasn’t interested in gay sex, but decided to try it anyway to see if it was fun. I know there are people who want to play for both teams, but I have no idea how to get that ball rolling, and no interest in finding out.
I realize my refusal (or rather, acknowledgement of my inability) to speak for gay people as a group still leaves hawken with the ability to continue speaking for gay people as a group, as he has been. Nothing I can do about that. Peace out, as the young people say.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 06 at 11:55 p.m.
arrrgh, I thought I was done… but reading over my 10:45 post I found I had made an editing error.
About 4 paragraphs down, I say “As I said above: even if it is a choice - so what?” but I hadn’t said anything above. Or rather, I had but I cut it, intending to paste it in somewhere else, & then forgot.
The part I accidentally cut out went something like this:
Say homosexuality is a choice. OK, so what? As long as all the consenting-adult laws & such are followed, I don’t see that it harms anybody. Someone else being gay does not harm you. (Believing someone is going to go to hell does not count as being harmed. Neither does being grossed out.)
SpokaneLiberal on October 07 at 6:34 a.m.
hawken I grant there is no gay gene, but that doesn’t mean that the attraction to one sex is a choice… I know of no one who one day decided they were attracted to one sex and not the other. I do know of people, both gay and straight who one day decided they would engage in sex with one gender or the other, but who that person is deeply attracted to was never a choice.
Which leads logically to question what makes attraction. There is nothing genetic in the animal kingdom that makes a humming bird be most attracted to red, but oh are they. This tells us that despite no identifiable gene - attraction (which is integrally linked to orientation) is a part of the animal (or human) not a choice.
You claim that you want to go with the first definition, but in your post you actually go with the second definition using sentence context. Either way you cannot convert anyone to something that is an intrinsic part of them (or not). And even if you grant all that you say (most of which has now been shown to be half truths at best) you definitely can’t convert those who do not want to be.
hawken on October 07 at 6:49 a.m.
My hat is off to thatoneguy and spokaneliberal… thank you very much for your articulate, genuine, heart-felt responses.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on October 08 at 6:55 a.m.
Well… i’ll jump in here for a final comment/observation..
A point that is being missed, or not understood that “Gay” or “Straight” is NOT an either or choice, and that Sexual Preference …ie who you are physically attracted to male or female, and sexual involvement/ interactions are not necessarily the same. The example here is a gay male, or gay female (sexual preference) Choosing to live in a straight relationship.. ie living a life that is not authentic in that area… which leads to being not authentic in the other areas of life. (Ellen De Generes comes to mind).
The single most common call I used to get on the PFLAG phone hot line/crisis line here locally was from a “Straight” 45-50 year old male, who had never acted on their sexual preference… but rather lived a conventional life, with a wife and children etc etc… who made a choice at this later point in life to shed their prior “skin” and leave their current life to examine/explore their long suppressed/subverted sexual preference. They were / are uniformly very confused, nervous, afraid, and sad people that do not even have a clue where to start… and do not want to do the “bar” scene.
Officer Jay Olsen ( no relative) recently in the news here in the Shonto Pete shooting is a very interesting example. Many, many Marines, Sports figures, Police officers etc are closeted gay men.
The other point i’d make here is that sexuality and sexual preference IS a continuum and there are two ends to the bell curve of “normal” one end being absolutely gay by preference, the other end being absolutely straight by preference with “neither one” being “Normal/ Under the Bell, but at the second standard deviation at either end. The rest of us find ourselves somewhere under the bell, with emotional, and physical attractions to a variety of people…. it is NOT about sex, so much as it is about the “person/human being” inside the outward skin.
The third point is there is of course always a “Choice with regards to action/involvement” so anyone can choose to be celibate, or to live a sexual life with a person they are not strongly attracted to… ( think of men here who no longer have any sexual interest in their long time partner or wives).. but still are “interested” sexually in younger women…. and choosing or not choosing to act on those very very strong feelings..
I could go on here for a long time… but point being that it is not as simple as black/white straight/gay yes/no… John
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 08 at 4:17 p.m.
P.S. There were so many videos submitted to the YouTube channel that they ran out of space. There is now a website for this project: www.itgetsbetterproject.com