Why be Normal?

 Catholic Priest Vincent Capretta, or Father Anthony as he is called, is a catholic priest by day and Drag Queen Big Mama Capretta at night.

Big Mama Capretta decided to unveil his true identity in celebration of Gay Pride month.

His hit single is #25 on the US Billboard Club Play Dance Chart and his statement about coming out of the closet, ” I am enjoying my life being who I am and who God intended me to be! Now let’s dance y’all!” says it all.

Is it time for the Catholic Church to finally come to terms with the fact that they have gay priests (never mind all the lesbian nuns)?  Or is the Catholic Church going to renounce Father Anthony as an anomoly and confirm their homophobic stance on gays and lesbians?

If the Catholic Church would accept gays and lesbians, maybe they wouldn’t have to be shutting down so many churches and their pews would be fuller.  In the words of an Episcopal Priest in a progressive town, “If it weren’t for the Catholic Church, my pews would be empty.”

What would be so wrong for the Catholic Church to admit that gays and lesbians are children of God too? 

In 2009, when gays and lesbians can get married in four states and counting, it’s time for the Catholic Church to admit that their leaders, nuns, priests and parishoners are as gay as the rest of the population and instead of continually trying to convert the homosexual, accept us and move on.

*As an update, I have receieved numerous comments that Father Capretta is not a Roman Catholic Priest but a Catholic Priest in the Indendent Old Catholic Church.  Although I did not specifically state Roman Catholic in my article, it was assumed that I have a vendetta against all Roman Catholics.  When gays and lesbians can get married in the Roman Catholic Church, I will believe that they too feel that we are children of God and believe that we too should be treated with love and respect.

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 Currently in Provincetown, Massachusetts, Amiee, also known as “the bearded lady” is a professional body piercing artist.

 She makes no apologies for herself, in fact, she uses the fact that she is bearded to her advantage and runs her business under the name:  “Piercings by the Bearded Lady”.

What is interesting to me about the bearded lady is that she isn’t afraid to be herself and refuses to try and succumb to social norms about gender and beauty.

Yes, I think she is a bit over the top, but sometimes self expression can go to extremes.

To me, women who spend hours looking “perfect” are just as extreme.  I think you can argue that a woman who wears only the right clothes, the perfect make up, has their nails just so and would never be seen without their hair done could be considered just excessive.

I’m all for low maintainance myself, regardless.

No makeup, comfortable clothes, but also no piercings - they take too much time to clean, change, etc., and they hurt. 

I’ve seen Amiee quite a few times because she used to have her business in town.  I can say that she is gregarious, loud, and doesn’t apologize for who she is.  I respect this trait in anyone and although I think (yes, I have an opinion) that it’s all too much, I’m impressed that she takes what she has and goes with it. 

If more of us could accept ourselves for who we are, I think we’d be a little happier overall.

Afterall, why be normal?

 Sperm just trying to do their job.

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Before (Photo from the NY Post)

 After (Photo from the NY Post.)

Last fall, Yeshiva University Professor Joy Ladin returned to campus after a two year hiatus.  She took a two year break, not to work on a novel or a book of poetry, but to become a woman after spending her first 45 years as a man.

Professor Ladin began working at Yeshiva University in the fall of 2003 and was granted tenure in the fall of 2006.  A few weeks after being granted tenure, Professor Ladin told the University that she was in the process of becoming a woman.

Although the school did not want Ladin to return, she returned to campus in the fall of 2008 after Yeshiva University decided that it wasn’t worth the negative press an extensive legal battle would bring.

I’ve met Professor Ladin a number of times.  She is quiet, sweet, and honestly, if I didn’t know better, I would believe she was a female from the start.  (the picture above doesn’t do her any justice.) I’ve had my share of experiences with transgenders in the uberliberal town I live in, and Professor Joy Ladin can easily pass as a woman if you didn’t know better.

If the higher ups at YeshivaUniversity just kept their mouths shut and didn’t make such a controversy over it, it is likely that Professor Ladin’s transition would have happened and gone relatively unnoticed.

Professor Ladin has taken many hits, many criticisms for her transition.  The New York Post reported that she “has to face a far messier battle on the home front.”  This is simply not true.  Her wife has filed for divorce, yes, but it is amicable and there is no battle to contend with.

I can understand why a University such as Yeshiva might be outraged, but join the new century people.  If you want people to follow religion, to follow a faith, you are going to have to become much more tolerable or your flock will die out.

Ladin has written a personal memoir book:  “Inside Out:  Confessions of a Woman Caught in the Act of Becoming.”

 As I looked through the pictures on my computer, I came upon this picture I took outside the Provincetown, Massachusetts kite store.  I kept myself busy that day taking pictures of the scenery while the friends I was traveling with went on a whalewatch.  With a penchant for motion sickness, I stayed on shore where the ground didn’t rock and I didn’t risk losing the lunch we all just had.

I love Provincetown.  With its eclectic mix of art, music and good food, Provincetown is an entertaining place to visit.  As I’ve said before on this blog, vacationers to Provincetown are primarly gays and lesbians, but we welcome straight people too.  Just don’t let us catch you holding hands in public. 

Looking back at this picture makes me miss my kites and stare out at the cold (but melting!) snow that covers my yard.  The summer will be here before I know it, I just wish it would hurry up already.

 Take a good look at the sailor statue posted here.  (Come on, I just spent my break trying to get a closeup with a really bad camera phone).  A friend pointed this sailor statue out to me a few weeks ago.  She claimed that it is Northampton’s Gay Sailor Statue.  He stands outside the old Town Hall of the town of Northampton.  Of course, there is no sign, but Northampton IS known for accepting gays and lesbians and a quirky statue chooser might have snuck this one in.  We do have a lesbian mayor, lesbian Superintendent of Schools and a former high school principal that was gay.  Do you think this statue was “snuck in”?  Or does he look as straight as straight can be to you? 

Look closely, or maybe not too closely.  Just to be clear, these are two men, circa 1920’s.  Early drag queens in the making.

What makes men want to wear heels when they are so damn uncomfortable?