Marsha sends a strong message about sexuality, suicide and bullying in her new video “Far Away.”
The video begins with Marsha beautifully sitting atop a piano, playing a particular note in red stilettos. Then Miss Ambrosius and who appears to be her boyfriend are walking through the park. He then comes to her house, and they share a glass of wine. Then, his boyfriend arrives! Blew my mind too!
Days later, the two gentlemen took a stroll through the park, hand in hand, and pass a group of “thugs.” Days pass, and the guy we assumed was Marsha’s boyfriend went through the park alone, and the thugs jumped him. Apparently, the bullying and rejection got to the guy, because he committed suicide by the end of the video.
Continue reading to view the message Marsha personally writes to the viewers and watch the powerful video!
Dear Friends,
Every year over 1 million people commit SUICIDE. Some were BULLIED because of their SEXUALITY. I lost a friend to SUICIDE, and I’m asking all of you to support alternative lifestyles.
Don’t put up with or join in with BULLYING. It’s time we became more aware in this WORLD. Take responsibility to make a difference. So if my MUSIC can save one life, I’ve done my job.
My Princess Boy is a book that began from one parent's wish to deal with her own struggles to accept her child from taking on gay-like behavior at an early age. Now, it is part of a national conversation that tries to determine if the behavior is healthy or the reinforcement is part of a child's natural health.
Cheryl Kilodavis is fortunate to have a loving husband, a home of her own, and several children to complete the picture of the American Dream. However, for one of her kids, a quiet storm developed months ago when she was forced to contend with a delicate issue. To her chagrin, little Dyson, 5, was showing signs of identifying more with girls instead of his peer group. This becomes the true test on what a person's inner beliefs are despite what the persona shows.
Young Dyson asked her during Halloween if he could wear a bright pink dress. He wanted become a princess boy, not only during Halloween; he actually enjoyed wearing dresses and bright pink and red colors. Kilodavis became outraged and pushed back on this type of taboo behavior as she was raised to denounce it, for fear that it does not fit the rules of society-at-large.
To her astonishment, her husband embraced the idea and just dismissed it as a child who is trying to explore his surroundings. He reasoned that to punish the child for his choices robbed him of his self-worth. Faced with the growing pressure to accept her princess boy, Kilodavis published a journal called, My Princess Boy as a means to cope with her mounting anxiety about how to deal with the revelation.
Over time, she realized that the child she raised is taking cues from her and that she should move to a point of acceptance in order for young Dyson to have a naturally healthy upbringing with parents who did not admonish him for his choices.
Soon, a major publisher discovered how well the topic would impact the mainstream, and awarded the mother turned author a contract. She soon realized the larger message in My Princess Boy is one of acceptance despite the harsh criticisms the public has to offer.
What are your thoughts? Is it naturally healthy to allow a child to cross genders at an early age? What impact does the decision one makes for their child have on the mental health of the child later?
Here's a simple answer to coping with a child who may present gay/lesbian tendencies: According to Charlotte J. Patterson, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, she recommends that you should desperately try to separate your immediate reaction from the love of your child. It makes a difference in how their natural health is impacted.
These are the young men, in our community, who have taken their life over harassment and abuse about their sexual orientation. It hurts my heart that in 2010 a tragedy of this magnitude would even exist in the world. It is also disheartening to think of all the young men and women who have taken their lives, and the news wasn't reported.
It is time we as a collective group take a stand to stop the violence upon the LGBT community, but more importantly to show love to our younger generation trying to "figure it out." We all know that feeling of questioning our place and value in the world. It is our responsibility to say - YOU MATTER. That is why The Future Forward is here, if for no other reason than to say, we are here and we love OURSELVES, if nobody else does.
We will mourn the loss of these young men, but we will also be empowered by their lives to fight for our right to be heard, respected and loved.
