The Barry Horn trial sees yet another re-scheduling

Barry Horn's case got moved again to January 17. I guess they are hoping that people will forget what this person did to him and where he did it. I don't think that is likely.

It has been a while since I have blogged and for that I apologize. I have been busy getting Armoire Theater and PFLAG off the ground.

Armoire Theater has been expanded to two films a month. So now instead of 12 films we will be able to watch 26. I hope to see you all there.

Concerning PFLAG, there was a bit of drama on August 20. Apparently some people felt asking members to pay dues was wrong. The thing is to get an organization like this off the ground, it requires, time, talent and money. Without one of these integral factors from each individual, the organization will fail ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY STAGES.

People aren't so quick to part with their money if they know it is going to an organization like PFLAG because of their homophobia ESPECIALLY in an area where people are not only conservative but they stake their culture in tradition no matter how unreasonable it is.

Needless to say, it caused a rift and unnecessary drama. To me, it reinforced that sometimes people who are in most need of help want it the least because they don't want to invest in the organization FULLY. They want others to do the dirty work and then they get to take the credit for doing next to nothing.

The thing is if we have dues, we have seed money to promote the organization. This in turn gives us the luxury of getting the message out the the community at large, to make more money so that we can travel to conventions and maintain open communication with PFLAG national, and other events.

It even gives us the freedom to throw our own events so that we can fulfill the objectives of the organization which is to Support, educate and advocate for those who can't fight for themselves.

People don't realize how much I invested in getting PFLAG off the ground. I am not saying this to garner sympathy, I am saying it because it is an investment regardless of what some think!

When I shared with a disgruntled person what I had invested, I was told that no one asked me to do any of it.

The thing is, had I not done all of this, we wouldn't be looking at the first PFLAG chapter in the Valley. So I decided that she was right and that I needed to be more selfish, which I was. I took this whole month for me. I didn't do anything that had to do with PFLAG other than sending off the paperwork.

The thing is I noticed that no one did anything while I took a break.

The other reason we should have dues is that what could happen is that ANYONE could come to the meetings and cause turmoil to the point that nothing gets done, the meetings get hijacked by people who are not interested in forwarding the message of the organization.

We could end up with a Solomon Ortiz in office. You know, the kind of individuals that say they are one thing but they are actually something else. (For the record, Ortiz voted to keep DADT in place; he calls himself a democrat but his actions scream republican!)

Well as I said, the paperwork for PFLAG is pending but it is there. Now we just have to wait and see if they will give us the approval for next year.

The trial is officially over

Today at 10:40 the jury finally presented their verdict to the court after a day and a half of deliberation.

I think this case was hard on everyone. The victim's family presented their impact statements to the defendant and it appears that the defendant's family took it pretty hard. Dominguez was sentenced to 20 years. I sat in the back as I watched the Dominguez family cry. Dominguez's older half sister had to be escorted out of the courtroom because of her distress.

I feel bad for both families because this could have all been prevented. If people had paid more attention, this would have never happened. If people had used better judgement, this would have never happened. If we were all more aware, this would have never happened. As they say would have, could have, should have,...it doesn't change the current situation. John Farr is still dead and Francisco Dominguez is behind bars. The only thing that could be done is that in the future people could learn from this experience.

I understand the Farr family's pain because they lost a loved one. However, so did the Dominguez family. That is too much of a loss for too many people.

The homophobia factor in the RGV allowed Troiani to have a defense. Gay panic. It is the same argument that is going to be used in the Horn Martinez trial.

They say that to best understand the situation, you need to talk to both sides. Maybe I waited to talk to the defendant's family but when I saw how heartbroken the father was, I could not bring my self to saying anything. What do you say to someone whose son is going to spend the next 20 years in jail? What do you say to the family?

About the only thing to say is, I am sorry for your pain and I know you have a lot to process. Maybe one day we can talk when you are able to better gather your thoughts..

I hope this case does get studied because it shows a lot of different facets to what can happen if you don't pay attention.

The Dominguez-Farr Trial

Hello Kiddies!

For the past two weeks, I have sat through testimony in the case of the high school drama/speech teacher who was murdered by his student.

In 2008, John Farr was murdered in his home about a week before starting his summer school classes. His glasses were on the night stand, his shoes were off and he was in bed ready for sleep. He was stabbed 21 times in the throat! One of those went in the left side of his neck through the front and the other came out the side of his neck in the back.

According to police, there was NO FORCED ENTRY AND NO SIGNS OF A STRUGGLE. Farr was found by his apartment manager who received a call that Farr did not show up for school and they wanted to make sure he was okay. When the manager entered the apartment he walked back into the bedroom where he found Farr after more than 24 hours of being out of pocket. He thought he had had a heart attack. So he called police. When they got there and got a closer look, they determined that he had been stabbed in the neck 21 times. There was blood on the headboard that John Farr had coughed up and blood around the head and down the side of the bed where Farr had bled out.

The defense stated that the Dominguez was defending himself. The defense stated Farr as a pedophile and a sexual predator. The defense stated that Farr had drugged him with alcohol and cocaine. The defense stated that Dominguez was groomed for this night. The defense claims that he "lured" Dominguez to his apartment. The defense also had another person testify to corroborate Dominguez's claim because he had a similar experience with Farr. However, in both cases, neither was reported to police or the high school.

So if it isn't reported, it is merely a story.

There was no cocaine in the victim's system nor was there cocaine anywhere in the victim's home. He then claims that Farr cornered him into the bedroom where he proceeded to brandish what appeared to be an ice pick, which was never recovered. The defendant claimed that he was cornered and that he allowed Farr to "rub up" against him and kiss him to get the weapon away from him. When he got the weapon, he stabbed him-21 times in the throat. Self defense, the defense claims. Sudden passion, the defense claims. So which was it self defense or sudden passion?

The autopsy report did not show any bodily fluids in Farr's mouth, penis or anus other than his own. Farr's body released urine and sperm and some fecal matter but it is what the body does when it dies-everything relaxes.

The truth is that after listening to the evidence, the only thing that could be said about Farr was that he was a lonely old man whose health was failing due to his heavy drinking, smoking and eating. He had never had a boyfriend. He would hire dancers to come to his home. The defense claims that he hired escorts but he never called any in to testify. The autopsy reports indicated that Farr had an enlarged heart with 40% function, his liver was cirrhotic and his lungs were in bad shape. The man would not visit a doctor and his feet were in need of a pedicure because his weight was so much that he could not reach them to keep them groomed. By midday his feet would be so swollen he could hardly walk. According to autopsy reports, there was severe edema in his legs from poor circulation. Former students, family and friends came forward to describe John Farr. All of them had only good things to say about him. He was loved but he was lonely.

According to police reports, there was no evidence of a struggle as the defendant claimed.

I have always said that I have a love-hate relationship with law enforcement but after the work they did on this case, I have to return to the love. The thing is that after talking to some of the officers, most have found themselves with their hands tied because sometimes when these things happen within the gay community, many LGBT people shut down and say nothing because they are afraid of the repercussions. The thing is that by not saying anything and not "bearing witness", the other side can say whatever they want and we sit back like the accused. However, we will talk about that on another blog. The point is that they did what they did in order to find the murderer. On a few occasions, they almost let him slip from his hands but they got him in the end because the family convinced him to turn himself in.

Back to the defense. How many of you have been victims of an assault? It is not only scary, it is messy. When you are a victim, you run and scream so that people can come out to help you. The defendant claims that after he saw that Farr was non-responsive, he took the weapon and the victim's car, wallet, cellphone, school laptop, and some booze. That is a lot of stuff to carry for one person.

He did not drive to the police station. He drove to Brownsville to a friend's house, a place located at least a half an hour away. While he was there, he confessed to murdering the teacher. The friend's girlfriend overheard and the defendant left to his aunt's house where he said nothing for a whole day.

That friend was called in to testify and neither he nor his girlfriend were present for testimony. A bench warrant was issued.

Count the ways he could have said something to authorities. He did not.

On his way back to Harlingen, he was stopped by a DPS officer because the registration on the vehicle had expired. You would think this would be the perfect opportunity for his outcry. He did not. He remained silent on the issue but vocal enough to tell another story.

He told the officer that he had just bought the vehicle and that he had not had a chance to renew the registration. Then he also told the officer that he was on his way to HIS FATHER'S FUNERAL. For the record, his father was in the courtroom. When the officer did the field sobriety test because he could tell that the defendant was drunk.

The defendant had no ID on him. So when asked for his name, the defendant gave a false name, his brother's name who has no record. When nothing came up because he got the dates wrong he finally came clean and told him his real name. Because he was a minor, the officer took him home to his grandmother's house.

How many lies and how many wasted opportunities to clarify things?

He tells his grandmother about killing a man(never mentioned self-defense) on Monday night so she calls her daughter who proceeds to call the police at 10:00 at night. So in essence nearly 48 hours have gone by before the body was discovered and he says anything to authorities about being responsible.

The officer gets him in the squad car and talks to the grandmother. He is not handcuffed but there is an officer next to the squad car door. The supervising officer comes to the car and tells the defendant that "anyone can say anything about a murder". At this point, the defendant says, "you are going to find out anyway. DPS caught me in Farr's car." He didn't say anything about an assault or an attempted rape.

So they took him down to the police station. He still has not said anything about an assault. If there was a struggle, police could have looked under his nails or taken pictures of the "damage". For two months he said nothing while he was incarcerated. All this time, the evidence is slipping away. When he was certified as an adult in August, he finally tells Texas Rangers that there wa an attempted assault and that he was defending himself. He was "moved to passion" and he acted the "only way he knew how-fight or flight.

After listening to the defense, they have not proved any assault. If there is no record it didn't happen! All that have been told have been stories.

The other thing is that his family knew that there was a teacher that was giving him money. They did not attempt to get the name of that teacher. The aunt says she told her mother to go down to the school to report it. Without a name and details to build a story, there was no case filed because at this level it is merely hearsay. The other interesting thing is that the aunt testified that the family thought it was a woman that was giving him money and flattering him.

Dominguez was found guilty. However now starts the punishment phase which is very disconcerting because the defense attorney, city commissioner Anthony Troiani, was allowed to introduce "sudden passion" as a special issue.

According to the Juvenile system, he has been there since the age of 11 when he assaulted another person.

• He broke the nose and cheekbone of a fellow classmate.
• There was an unauthorized use of a vehicle.
• There was an assault with a deadly weapon up in WEBB county while living in Laredo.
• Then the murder of John Farr.

All of this took place in a span of 5 years. While in prison, he attacked a fellow prisoner for masturbating in the cell. There were 22 other people in the cell but only he attacked the prisoner. That prison inmate had to spend time in the hospital.

Now, it has been made evident that he is a member of the Latin Kings, one of the most violent criminal gangs in the country.

This is why we need to "bear witness". This is why the gay community needs to unite. Our lack of unity allows people like this to continue to say deplorable things about us. It allows defense attorneys use the gay panic defense when there is just a hit of homosexuality in the victim. Simply saying that the person felt threatened or, in this case, disrespected, gives them the right to hurt or kill!

Barry's trial has been moved to August 30. Please don't make me stand alone.

Why am I so interested in starting a PFLAG chapter and having Pride?

There are lots of reasons why we deserve to have PFLAG and PRIDE in our community.

It goes back to Barry, Richard, John and Edward. Four murders in two years with similar MOs and no one bats an eye....

The reason I started thinking about this is that tonight there was the Symphony in the Park at UTB. The funds raised are going to the Brownsville Literacy Center but the presentation was in Barry's honor. Someone asked me if I was going and I said no. He wanted to know why I wouldn't attend something like that since I was so close to Barry. I didn't have an answer right away but I started to think about it and this is what I came up with.

While it is nice that people are honoring him, I sorta wonder why they aren't putting more of those efforts into programs like Safe Space, a PFLAG chapter, a GSA club in public schools and LGBT issues and rights within the local community and getting local politicians to OPENLY support the LGBT community? Many politicians count on LGBT votes but don't go out of their way to find them.

Barry was big on civil rights. He told me about his participation as a young man in the civil rights movement. He believed in them and got his hands dirty in the process. I don't think a lot of people know this about him.

When Barry and I were creating the movie list for the GSA club at UTB(now defunct), we talked about gay rights. We talked about the need to get the community organized. We talked about a lot of things. In the short time that I knew him, he taught me a lot about myself.

I guess the reason I didn't want to attend is because I am honoring him every time I show a movie and every time a new face shows up at the screenings or every time someone endorses the idea on my Facebook page.

When PFLAG and PRIDE are established, only then will I truly have honored his memory and everyone else's memory who met a similar fate.

I don't have a problem with their way of honoring his memory. If a person wants to set up a scholarship fund or dedicate a performance to him, that is fine. That is their way of honoring his memory. My way of honoring Barry and these other men is to bring attention to the issues many don't want to deal with.

Barry was openly gay.

Barry was murdered allegedly by someone who was living with him months prior to the incident.

People said some ugly things about how he died.

To a certain extent, many blamed Barry for being murdered the way he was murdered.

They blamed him for letting the murderer in his life and allow him to live in his home.

People tried to sympathize with the accused because he was only 20 years old. I got news for ya: 17 is the age of consent in the state of Texas. He had three years to decide what he liked or didn't like.

People are speculating about the "true relationship" between the suspect and the victim. His relationship is irrelevant. What is relevant is that he was living in that home with him and when Barry kicked him out, he came back to kill him. He should have kept walking when the door hit his hind end.

People judged Barry when he never judged anyone regardless of how "colorful" they were.

He celebrated them because that is the kind of man Barry was!

I think that at 20 years of age you know right from wrong when it comes to murder.

If you have regrets about a relationship, it doesn't give you the right to kill someone! Imagine if every person who had regrets about a relationship decided to go back and kill that other person. There would be blood in the streets.

It just seems empty to me to go to this event because it doesn't feel like I am honoring him. If I went, I would feel so hypocritical because even though it was a part of his life, it is not the part of his life that I knew.

Barry was like a prism or a kaleidoscope. There was a certain simplicity to his structure but at the same time, oh so very complex.

While I appreciate their way of honoring him, I have to honor him in mine. A symphony is not for me but a good movie, a PFLAG chapter and PRIDE are.

Armoire Theater has promise

Today is Monday.

The day before yesterday, I hosted my 4th Armoire Theater... We showed "Latter Days". For those of you who are not familiar, this movie takes on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints and their stance on homosexuality. The director is former LDS and actually lived the experience first hand.

I thought it was rather clever what he did in terms of the writing. He took what he was like before he came out and created the character of Aaron and then took what he was like after he came out and created Christian-at least in the early years. He then put them together and created a story around how they would react to one another.

I thought the whole thing was well written and brought up a very good point. The community cannot stand by and watch religious groups convince people that homosexuality is wrong or unnatural...

During Saturday's event, there were a few additions to the group. Some of my friends were there and we had a couple of new faces. What stood out for me were these two women who may be the key to getting a PFLAG chapter off the ground. It was a mother and daughter and that mother was so very proudly supporting her daughter by attending this event.

We need more people like them interested in standing up not just for themselves but for others..

I just wish more people would take time out of their schedules and help one another fight the injustice we have in this community when it comes to the GLBT.

What I have found interesting in recent months is that there really isn't any training in the public schools. How did I find this out? I started taking some ACP classes in order to get my Teacher's Certification. Go figure the school district has an opening I am perfect for but you need a teaching certification to apply. That means I have to teach for at least a year before applying for that position. But I digress...

As a result of not addressing the issue of homophobia, it gives teachers and administrators the right to turn a blind eye to students who are being bullied because of their sexual orientation.

The school has an anti-bullying policy but the thing is that this type of bullying is different from regular bullying because in some instances, the people who are supposed to be protecting these individuals are the ones that are indirectly doing the bullying. Who are those people? The parents, the teachers, the religious leaders and the list goes on. In essence, the adults because of religious dogma or because it is something different they have to get comfortable with!

A child is supposed to feel safe in a classroom, in his/her home, in a church but if an adult that is supposed to protect him/her isn't "paying attention" or "protecting" that child from the comments, isn't that the equivalent of being the bully?

That may have an impact on their social capabilities. In other words, it's a "failure to thrive". This is just as bad as sexual molestation. It is sexual harassment and child neglect. The student may decide not to go to school, go to church or hang out with friends. The end result is that the parents are then burdened with educating the child in some other way. The child can't be sent to a private school because the only private schools here are religion-based.

So what happens to that child.

The new face told me about a young trans girl who is undergoing that very problem. She came out and was quite open about her gender. However, the other students felt it was okay to bother the student and now she does not attend school at all.

How does that happen unless someone isn't doing their job?

I don't think GLBT people realize how important their voices are to the young people coming of age who are just like them.

If more people came to the Armoire Theater, they could share their experiences with the younger generation.

I am a little disappointed on a lot of fronts

I am a little disappointed on a lot of fronts.

I realize that it is Spring Break and most people are out on the island enjoying the sun, fun and festivities. I know and I get it to a certain extent. It wasn't that long ago that I wanted to be out on the Island to meet new people and if I got laid doing so, more power to me.

However, on the mainland, Armoire Theater had a movie and I was expecting more people to show. We had a date people!

The attendance was a disappointment to say the least. I don't know if it is because I didn't advertise it enough or because people care more about the Island than a movie that they can relate to on a Saturday Afternoon.

For those of you reading this, the reason I don't want to advertise it too much is because I don't want any negative publicity to descend upon the project before it even starts. I want the community to feel that they can safely come to the show and watch a movie without being harassed because the content deals with GLBT subject matter.

I am also giving people a chance to say what is on their minds. I am providing a venue for your to organize.

How many people want to hear what you have to say rather than telling you what you should believe? How many people want you to say your peace rather than telling you that the way you live your life is wrong/unnatural or bad for someone's political career? Wouldn't you like to hear people say something positive about you for a change? Wouldn't you like to get something done for your community rather than have your community constantly used as a doormat?

I thought people would attend because of the fact that most GLBT people don't get the opportunity to watch these types of films every day especially in a church that does not proselytize or expect anything in return, much less try to convert you to something you are not. Armoire Theater is groundbreaking for the gay community. It is groundbreaking for the Valley especially in a traditionally conservative Hispanic community.

The fact that people can't see that this is an opportunity to see something that is considered "alternative" in a mainstream fashion is what is most disappointing. This is a chance for you to watch GLBT cinema and actually talk about what you just saw and how it affects you with others.

I will say this much: The handful of persons who did show up made some interesting revelations concerning why GLBT people are so closeted.

GLBT are a a paradoxical bunch and they are scared. To give you an example, there was this gentleman at the event that said a lot.

Concerning Barry Horn, Richard Garza, John Farr and others, he pointed out, "The community is mourning. They just don't know it yet."

While this is true and I completely agree with him, there is something else that is going on. I believe they are scared, too. It is almost as though these murders(six!) during the last two years were intimidation tactics to keep people in the closet.

The closet will kill you if you let it.

This same person had a lot to say on other topics and for that I am grateful. We talked about politics.

He pointed out that there was ONE particular candidate that has a history of courting the GLBT community. He sends out flyers to the community but he doesn't want to openly show his support because it could ruin his political chances. Instead he sends his family and his staff into the clubs and the community to press the flesh.

In other words, the GLBT community is this politician's booty call.

You are good enough to be courted discretely but he is embarrassed to let straight people know he is courting you. Imagine if this situation was on a sexual level. Would you let someone treat you like this if they were sleeping with you? Of course not. If they want to be with you, then they aren't ashamed of showing you off in public either. They want people to know that they are associating with you regardless of what people think!

The ironic part of this gentleman is that he was okay with it! He "accepted" that as part of life.

How can you accept crumbs when you are deserving of a whole loaf of bread?

I have been in that position and if a person doesn't want to "be" with me, then I need to move on. If we want to be counted, then we have to stand up for ourselves. However, as one person put it to me, what good does it do if you are the only one complaining?

I would like to think my voice isn't a lone voice.

I would like to think there are other people who want to have equal rights.

Even though this is just a movie club, it is also about organizing. It is about standing up for yourself. As they say, you have to stand for something or you will fall for everything.

Well I am tired of seeing the GLBT community constantly getting knocked down. I can't stand alone forever.

I have another date. Please find your way to the next film.

It is Saturday April 10.

Doors open at 3pm.

The movie starts at 4pm.

There are refreshments(chips, dips, sodas-diet and regular, and fruit/desserts and anything anyone wants to bring along)

The movie is called "Latter Days". It is about a lot of different issues including religion and its effects on the GLBT community. It isn't pleasant but it is relevant.

I want to see more of you there.

I promise I won't get on the soap box during the show or afterwards! LOL

What is Armoire Theater?

I AM RAMBLING AGAIN SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I AM LIKE A DRUNK PERSON WALKING DOWN THE STREET! I JUST HAD A LOT ON MY MIND AND I NEEDED TO GET IT OUT SOMEHOW. I KNOW I DON'T HAVE ANY FOLLOWERS BUT I HOPE PEOPLE ARE READING THIS.

A lot of people who are aware of me starting this movie club don't know why I started it. Well, here is why I decided this was something that had to be done.

I am a "fag hag" by nature. For some reason, GLBT people have always been drawn to me. Some more than others but drawn nonetheless. Maybe it is my "I don't give a shit" attitude or simply because I don't care what your sexual orientation is. If you are my friend, that is all I want from you. All I ask is that you not lie to me and don't try to hurt me.

I have to admit that when I first realized that many of my friends were gay, I had to get comfortable with the idea of it because I had to get comfortable with my own sexuality. That's pretty hard to do in a very conservative environment. That means that I may have said things in my past to friends that I TRULY regret because I was ignorant, little and didn't know any better. It was a learning process for me, too.

While this isn't an excuse, I was raised Catholic and Mexican Hispanic which are two very conservative and traditional cultures. I was also a female and held up to a different standard as males were. That makes me a triple threat of intolerance. It isn't the most accepting and supportive culture to be raised in. It is surprising I am the way I am considering the circumstances

Having gay friends was a plus and a minus.

The plus was that I could hang around with gay men and feel safe. It is hard for a girl who can't relate to straight girls. Straight girls have proven in the past that they couldn't be trusted. If you liked a boy, they told. If they liked the boy you liked, they told and then said some very ugly things about you behind your back and those things never fade.

I remember one girl who claimed to be my friend. It was my senior year in high school and I didn't like to wear make-up much because it made my skin itch. Keep in mind that my face was clear of acne so I really didn't need it. One day we were in class and she was noticing that I wasn't wearing make up and she said:

"You have a lot of faith in your looks, don't you?".

It didn't dawn on my what she was saying until I saw the movie "Mean Girls". Remember that scene where Regina addresses Cady and says, "You're very pretty." The statement wasn't meant to be a compliment but a "mean" way of blaming her for being pretty. It was catty and it was jealousy shrouded in a compliment. In my case, this girl was blaming me for not feeling I needed to wear make-up.

The minus, which wasn't much of a minus, was that my gay male friends didn't find me sexually attractive. The plus side of that was that they made me feel safe and never made me feel bad for anything.

I don't think I ever thanked those men who made life a little easier by just accepting me. If they ever read this, I hope they understand just how much I still love them to this day even though it has been so long since I last saw them. Edgar, Eddie, Ruel, and Joe, Thank you guys. If I ever did or said anything stupid, please just understand that it was a foreign concept to me that has taken me all these years to grasp.

Well, now, why Armoire Theater?

A few years ago, I met Barry Horn through the GSA at the University. I also met Heath and Ruben and many other very sweet and confident gay men who were just so amazing. I really loved Barry Horn. He was an outstanding individual and a great role model for what can be done. I am proud to call him my friend.

Before he died, he and I had talked about starting a GLBT cinema club through the university. However, it was the same year that the leaders of the GSA were graduating and they had other priorities ie graduation. I lost touch with several people and I lost touch with Barry. Every so often we would talk but he was so busy that we would talk briefly and he had to get back to work but we both agreed that this had to be done.

Then he went to go work for the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts and he was really busy. I hadn't had a chance to talk to him that year.

However, if you know anything about me, I can go years without talking to someone and then suddenly run into them and talk to them like I had the day before.

I never got a chance to talk to him again that year and I regret it to this day.

Barry Horn was murdered in his home a week before Halloween in 2009. It was tragic and a part of me died as well. I had never met his family before but I wanted to go to the rosary to pay my respects. I wanted them to know that he was loved. When I met them, it was abundantly clear that Barry was not only loved by his friends but by his family as well. His family was so open-minded and just so warm and welcoming. It was a privilege to meet them despite the horrific circumstances.

After Barry died, the University started a scholarship fund in his name. I wanted to honor him but I didn't know how to do it. Then I started thinking about how Barry made "it" look so easy. "IT" can be anything you like. When he worked for the University, he could throw a party effortlessly. When he talked to people, his execution was flawless. He was comfortable in his own skin. That takes a lot of cojones, gay or straight.

I wanted to honor him in my own way and others who died in similar tragic ways. I started talking to my GLBT friends and I found many of them appeared to be smothered by the culture in so many different ways. I also read several of the posts on the Brownsville Herald and that really infuriated me.

Here was a man who did nothing but help people and all many of those posters reduced him to was a gay man who was murdered in his home and that the person accused of killing him may have been a much younger lover or simply someone he wanted to help. Either way, what happens behind closed doors between two CONSENTING adults is their business.

I find it interesting that people blamed Barry for his death because of his homosexuality rather than recognizing that he was a victim of an abusive situation.

If this had been a straight woman or a straight man, she/he would not have been reduced to a being a "breeder". The idea of blaming the victim would have never entered their minds. Why were Barry and others who have met similar fates reduced to being gay?

Ignorance is something Barry always tried to combat in his own way-one person at a time.

Rather than getting angry about the cultural intolerance that we see on a day to day basis, I decided to follow my own advice and fight ignorance the only way I know how-by opening my big old gob and giving them a piece of my mind whether they want to hear it or not.

I decided to talk to the Unitarian Church to see if they would open their facility to showing these films. There was no negotiation and no hesitation. They welcomed me with open arms.

All they asked was that I supply the film, the refreshments and clean up afterwards. I told them about Armoire theater and they were ecstatic about it.

They say that living in a closet is no way to live. A lot of GLBT people are out of the closet but have stepped into an armoire.

What do I mean by that? Think of the many different words for "closet". Wardrobe, armoire, the list goes on.

A closet is too drab and immobile for GLBT people but an armoire isn't. An armoire is portable, an armoire can also hold many secrets and and shield what you put in it from society. So, in essence, some GLBT people carry their closet with them.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!!!!

I started Armoire theater because I want the people coming to the event to leave their armoires at the door. Armoire theater is where you can enjoy a GLBT film in peace with people who support you.

I want Armoire theater to become the seed that grows a community outside of the club.

I want Armoire Theater to be where the Brownsville Chapter of PFLAG is born. The closest chapter is San Antonio to the North and Monterrey to the South. That means this area has no PFLAG to speak of.

Gay children are 4 times more likely to commit suicide. I don't believe the school district has a concrete hard and fast rule concerning GLBT students. I am trying to find out what the procedure is concerning kids like this but it is like pulling teeth.

It has to do with sexuality so you know the drill. I hope more people find it in themselves to become a part of Armoire theater not just for themselves but for the future GLBT community. Remember what it was like when you came out, IF you came out. That shouldn't continue in this day and age.

I really look forward to seeing you all at the next Armoire Theater. Maybe your actions could change things for the better.