Welcome to day 4 in Sochi...
I would like to express my gratitude to all of those who have welcomed the birth of the story I shared 4 days ago. (If you've not seen the 17-minute documentary, you can see it on the main page of this site, entitled "Russia--How I Came Out and Lived to Tell the Story").
Today, a close friend of mine wrote to me, expressing his appreciation of the short documentary. He also reminded me of the vital importance of finding a balance between patience and activism in a time of injustice. Here are the powerful words he wrote, along with my response to him:
Dear Brad,
I love your video...it is truly wonderful, and heartfelt.
I join your prayers for people to reach out to each other, one to one, to shift attitudes around LGBTQ people, and our loving, and to be patient with the process of deepening understanding. At the same time, I am glad there are so many activists who have the courage to set patience aside, and demand humanitarian action on the part of Olympic sponsors, and the Russian government...peoples' lives and freedom depend on it! It is a delicate balance...patience with people, and impatience with injustice!
Here is my reply to him:
My Dear Friend,
Thank you for that vital reminder. I, too, am grateful someone else is out there--en masse--putting pressures on sponsors and governments and policy makers--and since I was not hearing much from the "other side" (ie. love in the face of adversity), I am grateful to have possibly played some role in bringing a greater balance to the understanding, awakening, and resolution of this complex issue.
Other comments have been posted here, in this blog, and yours are also welcomed.
Affectionately,
Brad
I would like to express my gratitude to all of those who have welcomed the birth of the story I shared 4 days ago. (If you've not seen the 17-minute documentary, you can see it on the main page of this site, entitled "Russia--How I Came Out and Lived to Tell the Story").
Today, a close friend of mine wrote to me, expressing his appreciation of the short documentary. He also reminded me of the vital importance of finding a balance between patience and activism in a time of injustice. Here are the powerful words he wrote, along with my response to him:
Dear Brad,
I love your video...it is truly wonderful, and heartfelt.
I join your prayers for people to reach out to each other, one to one, to shift attitudes around LGBTQ people, and our loving, and to be patient with the process of deepening understanding. At the same time, I am glad there are so many activists who have the courage to set patience aside, and demand humanitarian action on the part of Olympic sponsors, and the Russian government...peoples' lives and freedom depend on it! It is a delicate balance...patience with people, and impatience with injustice!
Here is my reply to him:
My Dear Friend,
Thank you for that vital reminder. I, too, am grateful someone else is out there--en masse--putting pressures on sponsors and governments and policy makers--and since I was not hearing much from the "other side" (ie. love in the face of adversity), I am grateful to have possibly played some role in bringing a greater balance to the understanding, awakening, and resolution of this complex issue.
Other comments have been posted here, in this blog, and yours are also welcomed.
Affectionately,
Brad