Community of the Living Sacrifice

Commentary from the Brother in Charge

This month has found me entering the wonderful world of You Tube.

For those of you that don’t know what You Tube is, let me explain: You Tube is an internet website that allows anyone with an internet connection to have a “Channel” , from which they can broadcast anything their heart desires. This can be important information, life advice, or pure nonsense. It all depends on the creator of the video.

The main reason I got involved in You Tube, was the promotion of the Community website. This, however became a secondary reason almost immediately.

Once I was signed up, and started looking over You Tube, it did not take long to see that there is a large Gay contingency on You Tube. One of the things I noticed right away, was the number of “coming out” stories found all over. Boys as young as 13 or 14 identifying as Gay or Bi, and speaking to their peers about it. This is truly amazing, wonderful, and displays the kind of “community” that can build up among people, if left to their own devices. Of course, there are those who use You Tube for self “enhancement”, or to spread hatred.

I found that there are “rules” among the Gay You Tubers.

Older folks, like myself, are suspect, or shunned altogether. The rejection of older Gay men is rampant. Clearly this is simply a reflection of Gay society at large, but feels even more hurtful on You Tube, because everyone is being so open, and sharing. Yet older Gay men are made to feel that no one cares about them, or cares about their past, or expects them to have much of a future.

Another taboo for Gays on You Tube is being a Christian.

Being Christian and Gay, takes on the aura of being Gay and conservative. If you are a Gay Christian on You Tube; you need to explain. And every kind of explanation is given: Paul did not know what he was talking about. We have gotten the languages wrong. Being Gay does no harm, so it’s ok, and all the rest of them. It is a shame that young Gay people don’t realize that being Gay is a gift. Not a gift that needs to be explained, but accepted and appreciated. It is funny however, how Christians are singled out. I don’t recall any welcoming and friendly Jews or followers of Islam opening their hearts to the Gay Community in any large numbers. Religion has generally held Homosexuality in contempt; there is no need to single out Christians, even though many of the “good, God “fearing” Christians are a bunch of sons of the devil.

So, you can see, I have been at a disadvantage on You Tube. Old, Gay Christian; all strikes against me. You put that together with the fact that young Gay people on You Tube are very self protective, and protective of each other. Predators have no place in a place like You Tube, and I have noticed that most of the young You Tubers are cautious of them, with the older ones looking out for and informing the others. This is a community. There is no other word for it.

There are two points I would like to make, that have come from my observations: First, the You Tube Gay community is a great community. Many of the community members give much to each other in terms of advice and support. Many of those are “Gay Christians”. Before you take Gay Christians to task, look and see if they are not in there trying to help things be better for everyone. You Tube is full of “self indulgent queens”. This is a fact. I suppose that “self indulgent queens” have their place and their purpose, but they help very little in a forum like You Tube. They provide little if any, positive example for Gay Youth. They cause others to see Gays as “self indulgent queens”. The worst thing that happens though,

Is they get all the attention. Other Gay You Tubers give them 5 stars and great praise for at best silly, and at worse, offensive videos. The Gay You Tube community supports these videos and the people who make them, as if they were protecting art, or free speech, or the Gay Community itself. In point of fact, Gay You Tubers should be uplifting, praising, and rating the videos produced by those who try to uplift the Community and bring truth to the “haters” who the “self indulgent queens” only seek to incite.

My final observation is directed to many of the young Gay men and boys who have made “coming out” videos. I have watched many of these videos. I have seen you struggle with these videos; the difficulty in making them. Some of you have made follow up videos, but most have not. Most have gone on to making much lighter, almost silly videos, which is good up to a point. But the “coming out” must continue. I know it is difficult to come out. But coming out is a process. Saying it once is a great effort. But we need to keep saying it. Don’t come out, and then run back into a performance. We got to see you come out. You shared an important moment with us.

Keep sharing. We love your funny videos. We know you can be a clown, and we love you for that. But we want to love you when you hurt too.

We Pray for all You Tubers, especially the Gay community on You Tube. May you see that you are surrounded by a community of Love. A Community of Friends. Support one another. You are Community, you are Love. You are That.

August, 2008