Growing Up Hayden

 

We’ve named our blog, Growing Up Hayden because we feel it’s a testament to what it is to live in the now, in a world where the LGBT community is fighting for acceptance and equality.  Our content is focused on all aspects of what it is to live, love and thrive in what’s still a very judgmental world.  Growing Up Hayden is a live narrative that we hope will continue to illustrate positive changes and a more and more loving, open and welcoming world.

“What Are You Upset About?”

This is a startling video to watch, but we assure you, if you can make it past the punching part, you’ll kind of enjoy the rest of it.  Right til the very end.

Hayden’s List sends a shout out to all those who rallied to help during this sad little scene at the DFW Airport and a special holler to the Kennedy brothers: y’all are awesome!

Carry on with your incredible selves.

Lots of love,

Hayden’s List

 

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We Can Do It!

The functionality of orosieur website greatly depends on you.  Yes YOU!

In case you haven’t noticed, we love to hear your opinion.  And it’s not just limited to your reviews.

For example:  see something we’re missing and should have up on our resources page?  Feel free to email us and let us know.  We certainly don’t pretend to know everything.

Our hope is that our resource page as well as our website as a whole can serve as a reference point, meeting all kinds of needs in the community.

Together we can all make a difference in the lives of others.

 

 

 

We’ve Only Just Begun

We’ve Only Just Begun

Good news.

Wyoming is now free to marry.

Idaho, too.

In the northern-most town of Alaska, in a town where not even roads exist, the first known gay couple marries.

One glance at the news this week and it’s easy to assume that because there’s progress, the battle is over.  Sure, these are much-awaited victories that we’re happy to rejoice and celebrate but the reality is, this is just the start.  While we gain traction with equality on a national scale, there’s still a lot more to do before we gain our footing in places where it counts, such as within schools, churches, communities and sometimes our own families.  Until people change their attitudes and open their hearts to love and in love, the truth is, to quote the Carpenters, We’ve only just begun.

This is why Hayden’s List exists.  We want to give the community a voice.  We want you to speak out and have your say.

Have you been somewhere and been treated less than fairly?  Tell the world wide web about it.

Have you had an excellent experience and want to commend your favorite dentist or doctor or local cafe?  Write a review.

Don’t keep it to yourself, share with your community and be an active part of making the difference you want to see in the world.

 

 

 

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Pride in New Haven

new haven prideIn honor of the “coming out” of our most recent city, New Haven, Connecticut, we want to share our intern, Billy Holt’s, first “pride” experience.  Thanks to all who helped New Haven get on The List.  Keep the reviews coming.  And a special thanks to Billy for writing his thoughts about last month’s event.

New Haven Pride Experience

As I parked my car on Saturday evening in downtown New Haven I could hear the echoing of music blaring, people singing, and saw the pink lights in the sky from a block away. Crown Street, where the pride event was being held, was an array of rainbow. I didn’t know what to look at first: the exotic dancers, the moon bounce clustered with tipsy people, or the drag queens mingling throughout the crowd. A broad spectrum of people made up the crowd from intoxicated straight housewives to leather daddies to families. Everyone at the event was young, old or in-between, which made for an interesting clientele. After ten the party continued inside the club Empire where drinks were flowing, music was pumping and people were dancing. Strippers lined the bar top swinging from the chandeliers while drag queens on stage lip-synced for their lives. Not one person in the club was sitting still. Everyone was either dancing, singing, drinking or taking body shots off the male dancers. No one was uptight or judgmental; the freak flag flew and only the “normal” were the ones who would feel out of place. Never before have I been in such an accepting crowd who welcomed anyone and everyone. It was a place where I felt I belonged, a place where my only worry was to let loose and enjoy.

 

 

 

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An ‘Oscar, Gary and Hugo’ Kind of Love

An ‘Oscar, Gary and Hugo’ Kind of Love

As you begin to get to know us here at Hayden’s List, we’re all about inspiring things. Especially inspiring things that happen because of less than inspiring events. Like Arizona couple Oscar de las Salas and Gary Jackson’s San Diego wedding. Back in August, their intimate ceremony was dampened when, as the celebrant read a poem about true love, a naysaying heckler on a nearby balcony began shouting out hateful slurs.

We don’t like hearing these things one bit. And neither did residents of San Diego.  Upon finding out about this unfortunate hiccup in what should have been a perfect day, Alisa Kerr (to name names) offered to throw Gary and Oscar a second wedding. Huffington Post reported that his time around instead of rude, uninvited guests, the Coronado mayor, Casey Tanaka, was present to officiate the ceremony.

 

Oscarand Gary

 

We love these kinds of stories because this is exactly how and why this website came to be.

A few years ago, Hayden’s List founder, Scott Tayloe, wanted to do a good thing and volunteered in an orphanage in South America. Upon his return to Florida, he gave a speech at his local church in Jacksonville about his experiences abroad, hoping to inspire the congregation to do more. As soon as his speech was over, the priest thanked Scott for reminding everyone how important it is to stand up for what’s right. He then asked the congregation to go out to the polls the following day and vote “no” to same-sex marriage.

This difficult moment marked a turning point in Scott’s life. It was the spark that ignited his decision to make a difference and find a way to help the LGBT community and its straight allies. It’s what led him to eventually create Hayden’s List – resource, review website and movement.

(Watch Scott tell his story here.)

The truth is, had the Florida priest not said what he said, Hayden’s List might not be here today. Had that loudmouth hater not turned up to draw attention to how ugly and nasty hate looks up against true love, we might not have ever been graced with glimpsing Oscar and Gary’s joy.

We reached out to Oscar and Gary and despite the overload of emails they’ve received from all over the planet – over four-thousand to be approximate – we heard back. “Today, we are very proud of our nuptials and incredibly honored for what happened to us in Coronado,” Oscar wrote.

Here’s a little glimpse of Oscar and Gary’s love story which spans twelve years of friendship, six years of togetherness and stands strong against slurs.

The part that most makes us well up with the fuzzy wuzzies, aside from their handsome little pup, Hugo?

This.

(Warning: might make you teary.)

 

 

Photo credits: Kristina Lee Photography

 

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What’s Your Story?

What’s Your Story?

It’s been four days since National Coming Out Day.  Surely there are some stories to tell, y’all!

The Huffington Post has a series of celebrity coming out stories which are fun to sift through, but to be honest, we are more interested in the general population.  We want to know your story.

Whether it’s one of coming out or staying in, if you feel like sharing, we would love to listen.

So, do tell.  Contact us with your story.

P.S.  If you need some inspiration about others who have shared their stories, visit this website we love: imfromdriftwood.com

 

 

 

 

 

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