Milk

I finally dragged myself to the movies tonight to see Milk. I'm such a couch potato, I go to the movies maybe once a year. I prefer Blockbuster home delivery.

If you haven't seen Milk, go. It should be required viewing. For me, it opened me up to wanting to do something. To get involved again. It also reminded me of history. I had nearly forgotten about Prop. 6 in California. I was a youngster during that time. I was more concerned with digging holes and playing in mud. I still am.

It's mystifying to me that for all of these decades, we're still fighting the same battles. Acceptance. Equal rights. And so on.

I enjoyed the use of vintage photos and the real news broadcasts from the time period in the movie. It helped to put the real story of the film into context.

But most of all, all I can say after seeing the movie and seeing how the movement got started, is that: I now understand. That's for some of my partnered friends. I now understand.

I'm glad to see February over and done with. I lost a very good friend of 25-plus years to AIDS last month. He was HIV positive for at least 20 of those years. But did he live life to the fullest. He was terribly passionate about the environment, and about the arts. He taught theater to children. He was there for me during my coming out process. He practically held my hand and led me along. In the end, coming out wasn't such a big deal. But it was sure rough getting there. I don't know what I would have done without my good friend.

I will miss him.