Theo's Thoughts: How We Can Make The World A Better Place #1

How We Can Make The World A Better Place
Five Steps and a handful of Links every GLBT advocate needs to do, know, have, and see:

1. If your in, come out. Simple as that.
   Ok so that's not a link. If I could, I'd link your facebook/myspace/blogger page right here, right where you can edit your gender/interest/status/orientation etc. And if you're not comfortable with putting the label right there for the world to see right off the bat, then take a page out of my book and blog about it. If you don't want to express all of who you are, at least be honest about what you care about. There's no harm in caring about the fate of humanity and wanting to make the world a better place.
   
   
2. Join the HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN to stay up-to-date on... everything.
   <http://www.hrc.org/get_involved/volunteer.asp>
   I get most of my info from them, along with several other local sources. But if you're looking for a way you join millions of people around the world for this one cause, this is the place to go. You can know whats going on for equality rights around the country down to your home town. But if you're looking for news a little closer to New York...
   
   
3. EXTRA EXTRA! - Read the NY Blade, or any GLBT news, and be IN the KNOW:
   <http://www.nyblade.com/>
   A mix of local and national GLBT news. It's what I personally read. They've got pretty much everything. If they don't, there's always the more local:
   NY Q news <http://www.newyorkqnews.com/>
   Next <http://www.nextmagazine.net/> (another personal fav)
   Chelsea Connection <http://www.chelseaconnection.com/>
   As The Grove Turns <http://www.asthegroveturns.net/>
   
   And then theres the less local but still awesome sites such as:
   The Advocate <http://www.advocate.com/>
   OUT.com <http://www.out.com/>
   HIVplusMag <http://www.hivplusmag.com/>
   GayWired.com <http://www.gaywired.com/>
   Bilthe House Quarterly <http://www.blithe.com/>
   Whosoever (Gay Christian site) <http://www.whosoever.org/>
   
   Find what works for you, bookmark it, and visit it frequently. You can stay up to date on the progression of the cause AND get your daily bit of journalism with your morning coffee/espresso/chai latte/green tea/matte, etc.
   
   
4. Read HRC's "SPEAK OUT" handbook to Advocacy for ideas
   <http://nmmstream.net/hrc/downloads/meetup_docs/HRCActionGuide.pdf>
   How else can you help out? What can you do? What can you give? This guide has every basic, you'll see me reference it a lot. Visit this blog again in a few days and I'll give a basic rundown of what it says, along with some extra links on how you can follow its Action steps locally in the Big Apple.
   
   
5. LINKS TO MORE LINKS (Its Linkinsanity, I know!)
   
   <http://www.newyorkqnews.com/links.html>
   <http://www.gaycityusa.com/>
   <http://www.hrc.org/actioncenter>

Email me at Theoreticalm220@aol.com if you have any specific linkage requests, questions, or comments in general. And if you find anything interesting, you better message me with your findings! (This isn't Holes, so no you don't get a day off of work, but it will be much appreciated)