The Truth About Today

It's a shame to thing that in today's society, standing up for your own beliefs, standing up against injustice, and in face even just having an opinion is grounds for the rest of the world to judge, and exploit who you are. I know this first hand. Ashton is my pen name, one that I created to serve the purpose that I could express my true feelings, and voice my opinions, without having to suffer the consequences in my daily life. At this point in time, I cannot wait until the day when we are all truly free to say what's on our minds and not be scrutinized by the world around us. Unfortunately, until that day, this is the way it has to be.

We're All the Same on the Inside

I personally love the message in this picture. It doesn't matter if you're gay, straight, white, black, male, or female.... We're all human. We're all red on the inside.

Media Messages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Global Equality



I just found this video online about Global Equality and the freedom to be yourself! Check it out! ;)

Do You Take This Man To Be Your Lawfully Wedded Husband? Oui!

 

As of May 18, 2013 France has become the 14th countryto legalize same-sex marriage. Only a few days ofter French President Francois Hollande signed the same-sex marriage bill into law, the first wedding took place.

Who Run The World? GIRLS!

 

Beyoncé Knowles acted as the leader of the crowd on June 1^st, at “The Sound of Change” concert at twickenham stadium in London. The concert served as a means of raising funds and awareness of continuing gender inequality, and to support and empower women, and women’s rights. The concert was performed in from of an audience totalling over  50,000 attendee’s as well as being broadcast to over 150 countries and raised over 4 million dollars.



deLUSHious!!

 

Lush Cosmetics is taking an active stance against animal testing in the cosmetics industry by enacting animal testing experiments on a human subject! What an eye opener!!

The Foundation Station

Hey everyone, this is just a quick posting with a series of links to various foundations and websites you can connect with to get involved in the struggle for global equality!!!

The Matthew Shepard Foundation
The "It Get's Better" Project
The Trevor Project
The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse
Canadian Women's Foundation
UNICEF
SPCA

And MANY MANY others!!

Sweet Tweet Update

Be sure to follow us on twitter for more information updates, and groups that you can get involved with!! Don't just follow the Crowd, Lead It!!

Christian Buchanan - Miracle Child

 

Christian Buchanan is a two year old baby boy who was born on February 18, 2011. He was born with a tessier cleft lip and palate; his eyes were also clefted. At birth Christian couldn’t even close his mouth, and he was blind. This rare condition is only 1 in 50 in the world, and at only 4 days old Christian underwent surgery, which was followed by 4 weeks in intensive care. When Christian was finally able to be taken home by his parents, things were difficult. People treated Christian differently, when taken out in public people would stare and whisper, some parents would even ask Christians mother and father what was wrong with their child? The Saddest thing of all is that Christians mother was called a horrible person for not aborting her baby.

 

The treatment of this child, and his family is absolutely tragic! He was born a beautiful baby boy with an appearance that could be described only as different. That does not make it wrong, or gruesome, or worthy of rejection by society. Christian was born with a physical impairment that couldn’t have been prevented by anyone, and certainly was not his own fault. The mother was right and should be proud of her decision to bring Christian into the world, and it lifts my spirits to hear that he is a happy healthy growing baby boy, who has made plenty of friends, and has been a huge inspiration to other people around the world.

Dying With Dignity

At some point or another, we’ve all heard or spoken the phrase “it’s my life, it’s my decision”, however, when the end is in sight that philosophy no longer seems to apply. As animals grow older and become ill and in pain until it often reaches the point where euthanizing the animal seems almost kind and more humane, and thus that’s what happens. However, when people reach the same stage in their lives, sometimes even consumed by disease such as cancer or Lou Gehrig’s disease the option to willingly end their own lives by medicinal means is not provided. In fact it’s considered suicide, which is illegal. As humans we are not given the choice to come into this world, but when the times comes for us, should we not have the choice to leave it? Nobody wants to live out their life in pain and suffering, waiting for death to slowly and eventually take them. They want to be remembered with dignity and with strength, if that is there choice, then who is anybody else to deny them that?

Jodi Arias - Life, Death, Justice??

 

 

With all the recent hype over the 2013 Jodi Arias trial, I feel the need to ask if there is justification in sentencing criminals to death. In my personal opinion there is no victory in providing convicted criminals with the death penalty. To them it is more of an easy way out, they don’t have to atone for their crimes. Do we truly get any satisfaction in knowing that they will soon be dead? It doesn’t create progress, and it doesn’t better the future in any way. We feel like these people should be punished for taking a human life, and that it’s fair in return for them to have theirs taken away. To me that doesn’t make sense. How do you feel about criminals and the death penalty? Do they deserve it or does life in prison serve as justice?



The Customer is NOT Always Right!

 

From a business management point of view, it’s understandable that the philosophy that “the customer is always right” is valid. You’re in business to make a profit. It’s your livelihood, and if stretching the limits here and there keeps a roof over your head and food in the fridge then of course you’re more than happy to do so. But what happens when the customer who is always right, becomes the customer who also happens to be abusive? In 2010 Steven slater, a JetBlue flight attendant, quite his job in quite a spectacular fashion after getting into a heated quarrel with a passenger on board his flight shortly after it had landed. The flight was taxiing to a stop on the runway, and a passenger had left her seat and began retrieving her baggage from the overhead storage compartment. After being repeatedly instructed to leave her baggage in the overhead compartment and remain seated, she continued to retrieve her baggage and in doing so accidently hit slater over the head with her bags, resulting in a cut on his forehead. When asked for an apology, the passenger replied with profanity which sent the situation spiralling out of control. Slater grabbed the aircraft public-address microphone and announced he had had enough, grabbed a couple beers from the refreshment cart in the galley and then proceeded to deploy the emergency exit chute, he slid down and made his way to his vehicle where he then got inside, and headed home. Many people consider this debacle a spectacular display of intolerance of disrespect, yet others feel its entire purpose was specifically to garner attention. As an employee, if you had been treated in such a disrespectful, and blatantly rude manner would you embrace it, or defend yourself?

John Galliano - How The Mighty Have Fallen

                                          

It’s not unheard of to hear news stories and broadcasts everyday about stars and celebrities who have clawed their way to the top of the fame chain, glowed in the lime light for a few years and then fallen spontaneously off of the band wagon. Sometimes they make a comeback and return to center stage, sometimes they don’t.  However if you consider it carefully, we (the public) are the determining factor in whether or not their return to fame is successful or not. It truly depends on if these people of the public eye have performed such terrible deeds, and made such dire mistakes that we should opt to deny them our forgiveness and send them, and their careers packing their bags. They had their shot and they blew it. In the Case of John Galliano, he started off as a promising young fashion star and swiftly rose to prominence as the creative directors of Givenchy and soon afterwards the House of Dior. He was creative, talented, artistic, and had a vision that was truly unique and a reflection of himself. In 2011 after succumbing to the temptations of substance abuse, he was arrested at a bar in France for making public racial and anti-Semitic remarks, he went to trial, faced charges, and was dismissed from his position at Christian Dior. Now, over 2 years later, he has been given a second chance. Taken under the wing of Oscar de la Renta, and backed with the word of Anna Wintour, Galliano is struggling to reclaim the name he so swiftly tarnished. But what I’m wondering is, does he deserve forgiveness? Does his creative talent make him an exception to the morals and ethics of standard society? I want to you know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

We're Making Progress!

2013 – For the first time, A New York high school has named a same-sex couple (Dylan Meehan & Bradley Taylor) as “Cutest Couple” in the school yearbook! This is a huge step forward for both the teenage LGBT community, and public high schools in general. It is a sign that progress is being made and acceptance is finally spreading out, and the doors of opportunity are opening wider for future LGBT students and couples in public schools!

Addiction

An addiction is defined as the continued use of a substance or mood altering behaviour despite adverse consequences. Addictions to substances such as drugs or alcohol, and addictions to pornography are quite common amongst people today. Someone you know may be suffering from an addiction, and you could have no idea. Addictions can be mild to severe, but how do you know when enough is enough? Families have been torn apart, relationships destroyed, and even employment or well-being has been sacrificed for addictions. When something like this happens, you know it has gone too far. If you or someone you know is currently suffering from an addiction, please feel free to use the following resources.  

http://www.helpguide.org/topics/addiction.htm

http://www.nationalantidrugstrategy.gc.ca/prevention/youth-jeunes/help-aide/index.html

http://www.sexualrecovery.com/pornography-addiction.php

Red Light On Human Trafficking

Hey Guys! I was doing some reading online about ending human trafficking in Canada and came across this blog - check it out and let me know your thoughts!

 http://maytree.com/blog/category/human-trafficking/

-AS

Freeligious

For thousands of years, religious beliefs and practices have been a constant part of everyday culture. Whether it is Buddhism, Christianity or any other religion, there has always been a method and tradition behind these people’s lives. However – how far is too far when it comes to educating people about your beliefs? It’s one thing to be open minded, but it’s another thing to be aggressive. Sharing your faiths, beliefs, and traditions is fine, but you cannot force people to adapt and accept to a certain way of life. For example, some people may be welcoming of you coming to their door and giving them a magazine or flyer about your respective place of worship and others may not. Some people may interpret it as an aggressive way of you trying to press your beliefs on them. Techniques such as coming onto someone’s property without permission, or stopping them dead in their tracks in the middle of the street are not only intrusive, but can also be insensitive to someone’s personal space and beliefs. Personally, if I want to find out about a religion or spiritual faith, I will make the effort and find out myself.

Caught Up In The World Of Thinspiration

 

“Running on the treadmill, skip my dinner, work my body ‘til I get Thinner”

 In modern society, vanity is a common occurrence that has just become a part of our culture. In fact, many people see right past it. We are constantly looking in the mirror checking our makeup, fixing our hair, and evaluating our bodies and outfits. But is there such a thing as going too far? It is true that the modern perception of beautiful is often classified as young, thin, clean, and tall…. But what about those of us who don’t entirely fit into these molds? Are we not beautiful too? It has become such a concern for so many young individuals to be perceived as attractive that it creates a mental instability within them and drives them to such lengths that they are oblivious to the harm they are doing to their own bodies. These conditions, generally known as eating disorders, house individual sicknesses such as bulimia and anorexia. Originally starting out as a fad among young teenagers to replicate the images of thin beauty they see in the media, this has evolved into an epidemic of mental instability and distorted body-self-perception.  Fueled by the encouragement of “Thinspiration” represented in pictures, blogs, and the media; pro Ana (anorexia) and Pro Mia (Bulimia) websites have surfaced in the eye of the public, providing encouragement, tips, and discussion with the intention of supporting these two particular conditions. Luckily, there is true support out there, and people, and organizations who want to see a healthy and mindful society rise again. If you, or anyone you know is suffering from an eating disorder please visit any of the following websites for information or help:

Eating Disorder Treatment Centre
Eating Disorders Help Guide



 

 

 

 

Breaking The Mold

 

Don’t judge a book by its cover. This very principle applies to people too. So many companies state that they do not discriminate based on age, race, gender, sexual orientation etc. However, they seem to have no problem discriminating against people with tattoos, piercings, or other forms of body art. Understandably, the validity of a clean, well-kept image is what some companies look for in their representatives. However, not hiring someone simply because they have tattoos is not only discrimination; it is assuming that they are incapable of performing the job tasks. Simply because a person has tattoos doesn’t mean they can’t do they job just as well as - if not better than - employees without tattoos. It is a person’s birth-right to express themselves in any way they find pleasing. In a point of view look at things, some people consider tattoos, piercings, etc. to be beautiful, eye pleasing, and a form of self-expression. Others may consider them degrading, unattractive, and self-mutilation. Looking at both sides, it seems unfair to only enforce one point of view while completely disregarding the other. The fact is, today tattoos are a large part of a modern, cultural society.

 

Conversion Kills

 

If you were to ask any gay individual about their “coming out” experience, it would most likely be a lengthy story riddled with mixed emotions including doubt, fear, reluctance, shame, confusion, and even anxiety. Yet, at some point in their life, they made the conscious decision to present their true colors to the world, trusting in the fact that their friends and family would continue to love them, accept them, and appreciate them for exactly who they are. Sadly, this is not always the case. While some families are accepting, others are not. Often time’s parents may get angry and choose not to speak to their child, and in extreme cases some parents even disown or send their children to gay conversion camps.  The brutality of these camps has long been kept under wraps. The story of Raymond Buys, for example, is just one of many that depict the atrociousness of these camps. The horrifying torture, cruelty, and treatment these people face while forcibly attending these camps projects a global message of un-acceptance, ignorance, intolerance, and hatred.  This message is the wrong message! Being born a certain way is not a sin, it’s not wrong, and definitely not a crime! Nobody can be forced to change who they are by any means. In short, anyone who’s Gay, should be proud to have been born that way!

Bullying, Struggling, Suicide: The Amanda Todd Story

 

On October 10, 2012 Amanda Michelle Todd tragically took her own life, after enduring months of physical, emotional, and psychological bullying and abuse from her peers at school, including the people she used to call her friends. This horrifying story began when Amanda was in 7^th grade. She, along with her friends, would go on Facebook as well as other social media websites, and use their webcams to chat and meet new people. By means of flattery and flirtation, Amanda was eventually persuaded to share a nude photograph of herself with a gentleman she has only met online. This particular gentleman was the beginning of the end of her life. Approximately a year later, Amanda was approached via the internet by a man claiming he knew who she was, where she went to school, who her family was, where she lived, etc... And that if she was unwilling to do a live performance for him, he would upload the nude photograph of her and send it public….. and that’s just what he did. After switching schools multiple times, and even moving to a new city, all to no avail, Amanda tragically took her own life!

This kind of behaviour is absolutely  unacceptable, what’s  worse is lack of intervention from the school administration, as well as the other people who knew this was happening and did nothing to stop it! Permitting this abusive and violent behaviour, especially when you have the obligation and ability to put an end to it, is both morally and ethically irresponsible. The burning question in this situation is “why?” How could we, as a society, have let this happen? This young lady needed the help and support of her friends and family but she was left feeling isolated, alone, and vulnerable. Meanwhile there were no preventative measures, and no consequences for the ruthless people who treated this poor girl with such injustice. The death rate of teenage suicides in our country is a rapidly climbing number! There was never a time when it was acceptable to be bystanders while someone in your community was is being subject to emotional and potentially even physical abuse from their peers and it certainly is not now!

If you, or anyone you know has been (or is being) bullied, please know that you are not alone. If you need someone to talk to, and feel as though there is no one in your personal life whom you can talk to right away about these issues, we encourage you to call the "Kids Help Phone Line" at  1-800-668-6868

or

If you would like to get involved, or for more information about bullying, how to recognize it, and preventative measures to help stop bullying, please visit the "Kids Help" website.

-AS

Ellen Speaks Out Against Bullying

I just saw this video online, and I think it speaks to everyone in the world, and I truly feel that it expresses how serious of an issue bullying, and intolerence is, and it absolutely has got to stop!

Please take a moment to watch it, and leave your comments below.

-AS

 

http://www.ellentv.com/

Every Man For Himself

 

        “Don’t Talk To Strangers!”  A common phrase that every parent wants their child to remember with the hopes of ensuring his or her safety. However, in today’s society the term “stranger” has been modified and directed more so towards adult males. In the longstanding fight for gender equality, women were once considered to be inferior to men, being unable to vote or obtain industrial jobs. Now, the tables are turning, and the modern man is facing a new type of discrimination. Pedophilia! Whether it be sitting next to a minor on board a flight, or taking a few scenic photographs at the beach, society has created such a negative stereotype of men in general, that even the most ordinary of actions are perceived as intimidating, and even posing a potential threat. Let’s look at the facts; statistics show that the vast majority of sexual offences involving a male perpetrator were done by a relative to the victim as opposed to a total stranger. By allowing this kind of discrimination, frame of mind, and injustice, as a society we are at risk of alienating the male gender by categorizing men into such negative stereotypes including pedophilia, terrorism, theft, and many others.

-AS

The Human Race

 

    

The world, as we know it, has made many drastic changes as it has evolved and grown over the last few hundred years.  Women’s rights have progressed tremendously, marital freedoms have advanced, and religious tolerance has expanded. It’s true that the human race has come a long way in terms of its ideas of acceptance, but let’s not be fooled into thinking that the evolution of acceptance is anywhere near its end. 

     The year is 2013, and the concepts of racial diversity, religious diversity, and cultural diversity are not new to the world. However, it seems that intolerance, disrespect, and ignorance are still a big issue. Why? Every day, news is reported and stories are spread about racism in the workplace, or children being bullied at school because of their ethnic or religious backgrounds. Even verbal abuse and threats in public are still a common occurrence. THIS HAS GOT TO END!

     I have attached the following video with the hopes of spreading an understanding about where racism comes from and how it started. However, what I’m more interested in is where does it end, and why hasn’t it already?

                                       

-AS

Participating In An Act Of Silence Is The Same As Promoting An Act Of Violence

It goes without saying that whenever tragedy strikes, a period of grief and sorrow is to follow shortly thereafter. It has become tradition that When disaster and misfortune have transpired in our lives, that we are to participate in a moment of silence as a sign of respect and commemoration for the occurrence. However, what many of us don’t think about, and in fact may not even realize, is that so often, in so many circumstances, silence is the disease that plagues our lives. Every single day, at any given time around the world incidents of violence, abuse, and intolerance are taking place, and slowly claiming the lives of their victims, while spectators and onlookers stand by silently, allowing these incidents to happen. It is not only our moral, but also our civil obligation to each other as a united human race to stand together and fight for each other as we work to extinguish the ideologies of violence, injustice, and inequality amongst each other. In the worlds of politics, religion, and spirituality, a dominant theme throughout much of history is the perception of making war to create peace, yet nobody seems so want to stand up and address how senseless this philosophy is! Peace is not a forceful action, it can only be created through education, acceptance, and understanding of one another. On a final note, I would like to express what a great blessing it is to know that today, under the leadership and positive examples of so many influential people and organizations, we are making progress.

A few helpful Organizations are:

The Trevor Project

The It Gets Better Project

The Womens Freedom Center

Safe Horizon

And so many others! If you need help, it is out there for you, all you have to do is ask!!

-AS

P!nk Fights for the LGBT Community!

On October 9, 2010, Alecia Beth Moore (better known by her stage name P!nk) was presented with the Ally for Equality award by the members of the Human Rights Campaign for her active involvement and participation in the fight for equality for the LGBT community, as well as her continuing long time support. Her speech is perhaps one of the best I’ve ever heard (Starting at 5:16)!!

2010 was a year all about sticking up for the underdog for P!nk, as she released two brand new songs "F**king Perfect" & "Raise Your Glass" both of which were deeply embedded with an inspiring message about being yourself and being happy about who you are!

Please take a few minutes to watch the video and listen to both of her songs and then leave a comment below with your thoughts and opinions :)

-AS