What a crazy last couple of days. I landed my first professional gig "behind" the camera. I'm shooting an industrial for my friend Angelo up at the corporate offices of Hot Topic. Yes, Hot Topic...gargoyles, black fingernail polish and books on wicca. But, haha, wait..wait..They are relaunching their look/product and are starting with a new line this fall. I went up on Thursday and Friday to tape the buyers on the new products and we did a photo/viedo shoot with models in the new labels/clothes.

We actually had a lot of fun. It's funny how people get when there is a camera around. I find there are two personalities...those who LOVE the camera and those who want to vomit when there is a camera on them. ;) I guess we did have the spectrum this week. Everyone looked great and the new stuff actually looks really good. Check out the new lines.

The photo shoot was insane. One of the models was 14 years old. The oldest was 19. When did kids stop lookin like kids? These were runway models who had lived a year in Milan, done shows for DKNY in New York at 15, etc...etc... Jesus, when I was 15 I was on some stage in Salinas, CA waiting for my mom to come pick me up after rehearsal. Fun kids...but kids. The shoot was hot, and the tape looks great as well. Will be editing the industrials all this week.

I was on the backdrop and the photographer snapped a few photos. ;) Good times....

****A TIME TO HEAL NOT TO DIVIDE****

Hey,

In a little over 24 hours, ABC plans on airing a five-hour docudrama on the 9/11 attacks. The movie was written and produced by a right-wing activist who fabricated key scenes to blame Democrats and defend Republicans.

It's so partisan that even Rush Limbaugh was surprised ABC decided to air it. And a FBI agent who was brought in to consult on the docudrama quit because, he said, "they were making things up."

Public outrage is mounting across the country, and ABC is now "mulling the idea of yanking the mini altogether." But there is only have a little time to act. I wrote ABC to let them know that at this 5 year anniversary it is not time to stop politicizing this horrific act and finally come together as a nation.

Please CLICK HERE to send your message.

Thanks!

-Wes

Welcome to Orange County.

I've spent the last week trying to decide what to say in this post. I sent an initial email out to my immediate friends and family. It was a bit reactionary but how I was feeling at the time. I wanted to take some time to digest my experience so I would be able to write an appropriate post for everyone here to read as well.

I moved to Orange County last Sunday to start my masters and was really looking forward to it. "Why on earth Orange County?" some of you who know the area might be asking. Yes, I know it's conservative and a very RED county but I did my undergrad here so I was pretty sure I knew what I was getting myself into. I moved up here and caught up with one of my oldest friends, Tom and his partner Rick. We went and saw Talladega Nights, the new Will Ferrell movie. I am a semi Will Ferrell fan but I was amazed at how anti-gay this film was. Every two seconds there was an outrageous gay stereotype or they were ridiculing the lead nemesis for being a homosexual. I think my experience hit rock bottom when the lead gay character kissed his husband and the entire crowd booed and screamed. This wasn't a movie theatre full of adolescents. This was a theater full of young/old, families/couples/singles, men/women and this is how they were reacting. Every time any affection on screen played out the crowd responded with booing, hissing and screams. My friend Tom looked over at me and said, "Welcome to Orange County." Where had I moved? I remember the "OC" being conservative but not a hateful place to live. Jesus...what had changed in the last 6 years since I'd lived in OC?

I spent the next week starting my masters program to find out I was one of two openly gay men in the ENTIRE film masters program. Wasn't this an art school? What the hell? I do use the word "out" as the operative here but still. What had I gotten myself into?

The last day of our orientation week the first, second and third year grad students went out to celebrate and get to know each other. I had befriended an awesome girl, Elizabeth. With our group we headed out to a local club to finish the night. We walked in the door to a busy bar and I headed up to get Elizabeth and I one last drink for the night. Standing at the bar this guy yells at me, "Get the fuck off." I looked up at the guy. I was not "on" him. "What the fuck are you a faggot?" he asked. There are two things I will never back down from: 1) the respect of my sexuality and 2) the respect of myself. As the proud gay man I am I ABSOLUTELY said, "YES! Yes, yes I am a faggot. Is that a problem?" The night went downhill from there. There wasn't any taunting and I never saw the guy again until I was dancing with my new friend Elizabeth and I heard, "Fuck you faggot." I then got two strikes in the temple from behind. I turned around and caught a slight punch to the eye as I clocked the bigot once in the jaw and kicked him as hard as I could as I went down. My friend Elizabeth came down to me and this guy punched her in the face as well. Within seconds the barbacks/security were on us and restraining us.

I have never been struck in my life. I don't think I've ever even been called a faggot in the derogatory sense in my life. I am physically fine and Elizabeth's split lip is slowly healing. What kind of man has so much fear he feels the need to hit someone who's gay? What kind of man hits a woman in the face? I got struck simply for being gay. Elizabeth was struck simply because she was with a gay friend. I do not want to blow the actions of this drunk, sloppy punk out of proportion when so many worse travesties take place against gays but this is a sign in my own life that this country is steadily becoming a place that is unsafe for LGBT community and its supporters. Anti-Gay murders are up 11 percent in this country. Anti-Gay violence is up 4 percent in this country.

There is no debating that this is due to the political climate of the last six years. I came out as a gay man in Orange County. I felt I had a debate on my hands living here before but I didn't have any scrapes on my fists from physically defending myself. When our Commander and Chief dismisses us as a subclass so does the rest of this country. When you vote for politicians with these views you too are dismissing us as a class of people. When your republican leaders drop quotes such as, "God hates fags. You are going to hell." Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church or "Look, homosexuality is unnatural, immoral and wrong," Pat Buchanan, this gives the green light for this type of behavior.

Tonight I am very PROUD to be a part of the LGBT community. The three blows I received are three blows that tell me that there is SO much more work to be done. It is truly our responsibility to change the tide of this government and start being vocal. We deserve every civil right of heterosexual Americans. We do not deserve to question our safety when out with friends. We all need to stand up...gay or straight. A hate crime during San Diego Pride left a young man with a crushed skull and three others with knife wounds. That could have been any of us in San Diego.

I have been pushing hard the last decade for our equality and this event has done nothing but embolden my drive for 100 percent equality. This is all of our responsibilities- Gay or Straight. This is as simple as voting or not allowing people in your life to make anti-gay comments when you're around. This is a person to person battle and we ALL have to make the effort and reach out. I was sent an amazing quote when the president was using the constitution to attack our community. I want to close this blog with it. Thanks for sticking with my rant here until the end.

In struggle,

-Wes



They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.

First They Came... is a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) about the quiescence of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.