Austin Wallis & Monday with Mozart

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday.  While I did watch the game as a dispassionate observer and was going to talk about SB XLIX in today's post,  I ran across a news story and video on Towleroad.com this morning that compelled me to share it with you instead.  The Story is about Openly Gay high school student and You Tube Vlogger, Austin Wallis. 

Everyone knows being a teenager is hard.  Being an LGBT teenager is even harder.  Yet there are those brave youth who come out anyway.  That is because they believe as Austin does and says 'Be the Change'.  Coming out is hard enough on its own, but when parents or authority figures oppress and suppress budding LGBT youth, it is an infuriating tragedy.  Austin attended a private school until last week when his Principal pulled him into the office for a conference.  You must know that Austin is a good student with good grades, and has no history of disciplinary problems in school.  His Principal then told him that in order to remain in his school, Austin would have to go back in the closet, do no more videos, and delete every bit of his social media presence.  His options were a) comply or leave voluntarily or b) do not comply and be expelled.  Two days after receiving the ultimatum from his Principal, Austin withdrew from his school and found another that was more accepting of him.  He made the emotionally wrenching video below with his boyfriend Nicolay to tell his story.  He asked everyone that sees it to share it so that you can help him 'Be the Change' he wants to be.  So that is what I am doing, sharing and showing support for another LGBT youth put in jeopardy by someone who was supposed to love, educate, support and protect them.  Watch the video, share it with your friends, and help Austin 'Be the Change' by being part of 'the Change' yourselves,  Austin thanks you and I thank you. 

Your Monday with Mozart features my favorite of the Master's Symphonies, Number 40 in G Minor.  Today's performance comes to us in a live recording from the Great Hall of the Musicverein in Vienna by The Chamber Orchestra of Europe under the baton of Nicolaus Harnoncourt.  You may also hear Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A Major with a performance by Sharon Kam as the Soloist accompanied by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Manfred Honeck over on my tumblr.  There is also the Hottie of the Day! there for a little bit of visual stimulation to go with the Music.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon. Until next time as always, Enjoy!

A Challenge For The President

A group of 9 elected LGBT officials from New York City have written a letter to the President.  The letter basically challenges the President to 'put up or shut up' or 'put your money where your mouth is' when it comes to LGBT Civil Rights, Petit Czar Putin and his government sanctioned pogroms against the Gays.  The President is debating whether to travel to Russia to meet with Putin in light of the Snowden asylum issue and these NYC officials are telling him to 'consider the country's horrendous treatment of members of the LGBT community and its clear human rights abuses' while considering what course of action to take.  I agree with these officials 100%, and so should you.  The text of the letter is below:

Hon. Barack H. Obama
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

We write as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elected officials from New York City in anticipation of your deciding whether to continue or cancel plans for an upcoming diplomatic trip to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While you are considering whether to cancel that trip in light of Russia's decision to give asylum to Edward Snowden, we also urge you to consider the country's horrendous treatment of members of the LGBT community and its clear human rights abuses aimed at our community. Russia has become a country that persecutes anyone who might be LGBT or supports gay rights.

As then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on behalf of your administration, “Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights. It should never be a crime to be gay.” Given that President Putin and Russia have enacted laws
to criminalize gay people and supporters and deny human rights to their LGBT citizens, they should not be the beneficiary of any trip by your office until they fully restore all civil rights to LGBT people in their country. Recent actions taken by the Russian government have led LGBT citizens to face not only a society that is intolerant of their basic civil rights, but also a country that would imprison them for declaring support for their own fundamental rights as humans. This has promoted an atmosphere of hate where gay people fear for their own lives and safety. Police are allowed to arrest foreigners who are considered gay or pro-gay and detain them for up to 14 days. Under their new law, as a pro-gay supporter even you could be subject to arrest and imprisonment while in Russia.

Mr. President, you will remember that in December 2011 the White House released a presidential memorandum directing executive officers and agencies that deal in foreign affairs to address human rights abuses against LGBT people abroad and to pressure foreign governments to decriminalize homosexuality. Now it is time for you and your administration to directly act on this memorandum. The LGBT community and its allies in Russia are under attack and the victims of
clear human rights abuses. We urge you to stand in solidarity with us. Refuse any diplomatic mission to Russia until President Putin stops these abuses now and agrees to make Russia a country that proudly supports its LGBT community and its allies worldwide.

We expect nothing less.

Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Brad Hoylman
Deborah J. Glick
Matthew Titone
Daniel J. O’Donnell
Micah Kellner
Jimmy Van Bramer
Rosie Mendez
Daniel Dromm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Musical Moment for today features Harp Concerti from Handel, Boieldieu, Bochsa and Gossec from the Classic 1966 recording by the Jean-Francois Paillard Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jean-Baptiste Mari and featuring Lily Laskine as the Harp Soloist.  Concluding today's post is this erotically charged collection of gentlemen who are glad to serve as your Tuesday's Temptations for this week.  Thanks for sharing part of your day with me, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!