OK City
Oklahoma City… Home of the Habana Inn, my home for the last few nights. Sketchiest motel ever. It’s just off the gay strip, and in fact has 2 clubs, a restaurant, and a gift shop all in this complex. It’s all done in authentic 70’s décor, complete with dark wood paneling, smelly pillows, and a bottle opener mounted in the bathroom. The sign on the pool says “no glassware or baby oil”. We were told not to leave our curtains open after dark because that was taken as a sign that one is looking for companionship for the evening… and we’ve certainly seen people looking for that. It’s totally safe, especially for a young lady like myself, but definitely outside my comfort zone. You can check it out at www.habanainn.com
Oh yeah, there’s also a Christian University here. Oklahoma Baptist U, specifically. We had hoped to be allowed to present on campus, but once again at the last minute there was a crackdown and we were restricted to speaking to people in the student union. Luckily the word about our visit had definitely made the rounds, and we didn’t get a quiet moment. I had a number of good conversations, ranging from a young man who was very insistent that “it isn’t my fault” I’m gay, and that he “loves me”, but that something in my development got screwed up and he was going to figure out what that was and fix it, to a young woman whose grandfather died of AIDS and just seemed to need someone to hear that and validate her feelings, to a girl who came out as bisexual and complained about the close mindedness of her school. It was challenging, but really constructive. Today the administration allowed two people to hand out literature, and we again had a good crowd, and some harder discussions with hardcore biblical literalists and people who just didn’t believe their school kicked people out.
We then had a community meeting at a local park where we heard stories from an actual lesbian who had been forced to leave the school, and a gay alum who had been closeted while he attended. It was very moving, but I admit I enjoyed the drum circle and football more. It was really nice to be outside in the sunshine, especially after yesterday’s freak snowstorm.
This evening I chopped my hair off. Or rather, Katie chopped it for me. It looks kinda like Chloe Sevigny in “If These Walls Could Talk”. Kinda hot, not gonna lie. I cut Robin’s a couple of days ago, but just to about her shoulders. She looks even cuter than she did before. Plus, obviously a lot of trust to let your inexperienced gf near your head with scissors. I recommend it as a bonding exercise.
Tomorrow is our first official day off. We’re sleeping in (thank goodness!), then breakfast and hanging out downtown, and then the hotel is hosting a barbeque for us. Should be sketchtastic. Hoping to hit the local scene tomorrow night; there are supposed to be some interesting ladies’ hangouts down the street.
In other news, I’m on Mtv. For about half a second, and unflatteringly asleep, but nonetheless. We’re on the alternative spring break special. The segment makes it look like the Equality Ride is the Jake Reitan Show, but I’m willing to deal. We’ll be in Newsweek soon too.
Alright, I’m gonna go strut in my new hair. Miss y’all!
Oh yeah, there’s also a Christian University here. Oklahoma Baptist U, specifically. We had hoped to be allowed to present on campus, but once again at the last minute there was a crackdown and we were restricted to speaking to people in the student union. Luckily the word about our visit had definitely made the rounds, and we didn’t get a quiet moment. I had a number of good conversations, ranging from a young man who was very insistent that “it isn’t my fault” I’m gay, and that he “loves me”, but that something in my development got screwed up and he was going to figure out what that was and fix it, to a young woman whose grandfather died of AIDS and just seemed to need someone to hear that and validate her feelings, to a girl who came out as bisexual and complained about the close mindedness of her school. It was challenging, but really constructive. Today the administration allowed two people to hand out literature, and we again had a good crowd, and some harder discussions with hardcore biblical literalists and people who just didn’t believe their school kicked people out.
We then had a community meeting at a local park where we heard stories from an actual lesbian who had been forced to leave the school, and a gay alum who had been closeted while he attended. It was very moving, but I admit I enjoyed the drum circle and football more. It was really nice to be outside in the sunshine, especially after yesterday’s freak snowstorm.
This evening I chopped my hair off. Or rather, Katie chopped it for me. It looks kinda like Chloe Sevigny in “If These Walls Could Talk”. Kinda hot, not gonna lie. I cut Robin’s a couple of days ago, but just to about her shoulders. She looks even cuter than she did before. Plus, obviously a lot of trust to let your inexperienced gf near your head with scissors. I recommend it as a bonding exercise.
Tomorrow is our first official day off. We’re sleeping in (thank goodness!), then breakfast and hanging out downtown, and then the hotel is hosting a barbeque for us. Should be sketchtastic. Hoping to hit the local scene tomorrow night; there are supposed to be some interesting ladies’ hangouts down the street.
In other news, I’m on Mtv. For about half a second, and unflatteringly asleep, but nonetheless. We’re on the alternative spring break special. The segment makes it look like the Equality Ride is the Jake Reitan Show, but I’m willing to deal. We’ll be in Newsweek soon too.
Alright, I’m gonna go strut in my new hair. Miss y’all!
posted by Di at 9:11 PM
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