Do you ever feel bored with it all? I mean, I am just bored with the sameness. I want to shake it up a bit! I want to change things, do things different, get folks to think and gain new perspectives, learn how to make waves in areas I never thought I could…and do it ALL for the better good.
I love my community, I do! I am committed to being of service, but I want to have some fun, too. 
If I keep seeing all of our “disparities” because of my work, and never get to focus on our absolute fabulousness, then I will check out. I know I will. We don;t get funded to work on the parts of our community that are doing great, we get funded to work on our health disparities. That makes sense, right? We get $$ to help make things better. But how do we get to showcase what is already working great?
I had an idea to offer cash for images of healthy living photos. I though, “hmmm…this will be a great idea. We will pay folks for their pics of fun and fabulous frolics, and then we can share with the general population all of our wonderful photos. Queers having fun…loving and living it up. Queers traveling, sightseeing, having babies and family, eating and exercising, playing with pets, planting flowers, whatever! Sounds fun, right?
Apparently not. After several months, lots of $$, and an insane amount of effort, we have very few photos to show for it. Why? Do we not know how to see ourselves in a healthy way? Do we not understand how much of who we are, of what we are, or where we go and what we do is healthy living?
My theory is that we are so used to feeling guilty for everything we are, that we don’t dare submit images of ourselves as healthy! We are so used to being the scapegoat community, the outcasts, the ones that society points their shriveled fingers at, that we forget how fabulous we are. Well, I am here to say, “F&*^ that!” Submit your images now. Show us how fabulous you are! Keep them coming, Minnesota Queers, and share yourselves with us. I know how great we are…and I want to make sure you all know, too.
