A blog about LGBTQ+ History, Art, Literature, Politics, Culture, and Whatever Else Comes to Mind. The Closet Professor is a fun (sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes very serious) approach to LGBTQ+ Culture.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Heaven’s Surprise
Heaven's Surprise
By Rod Hemphill
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The Garden Club Gossips, the thieves
The liars and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Bob, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.
'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said,
'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'
JUDGE NOT!!
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Rough Trade
Sunday, July 28, 2019
From the Beginning
Why does the apostle John repeat that we must love one another even though we have heard it from the beginning? It's because of the importance of the message. Other things get in the way, our minds get distracted, our selfish desires begin to overwhelm us. Perhaps this is a message that fades over time and we need to remind ourselves over and over to love others more. Is there someone you are angry at today? If so, how can you show them your love, even though you are frustrated?
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Friday, July 26, 2019
Burly Bears
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Looking Back
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Looking Forward
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
On Clothes
On Clothes
by Kahlil Gibran
And the weaver said, Speak to us of Clothes.
And he answered:
Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.
And though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy you may find in them a harness and a chain.
Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment,
For the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.
Some of you say, “It is the north wind who has woven the clothes we wear.”
And it say, Ay, it was the north wind,
But shame was his loom, and the softening of the sinews was his thread.
And when his work was done he laughed in the forest.
Forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean.
And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind?
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
Monday, July 22, 2019
Whatever Floats Your Boat
Saturday night, a coworker and I went on a nighttime cruise on Lake Champlain. It was called Whatever Floats Your Boat 3. The night was a LGBTQ+ dance party on the Spirit of Ethan Allen, the ship that sails on Lake Champlain. Nothing says summer more than dancing under the stars. All three decks of the boat were filled with hundreds of LGBTQ+ folks mixing, mingling, and dancing the night away. Captains Nikki Champagne and Emoji Nightmare were our fabulous hosts for the evening. A dance party with DJ Crystal Jonez and variety show featuring drag, music, burlesque, comedy, and poetry was our entertainment. We mainly watched the variety show. As with all variety shows I’ve ever been to, there was some hits and misses, but overall it was a fun night.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Control Yourself
Festering anger only leads to resentment and irritability, which break down relationships. While some distance may help temporarily, don't allow the issue to go unresolved. God provides peace, grace and forgiveness to all of us, and desires us to extend the same acts to others. If you're experiencing these moments with your spouse or kids, apply this tool given to us by God.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Friday, July 19, 2019
Psychics, Mediums, and Boats...Oh My
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Barry
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Bored
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Bright Walls
Bright Walls
by Richie Hofmann
It was not penitence I sought, standing outside
the bedroom in the old apartment
where you had spent the night alone.
To bend, to kneel before some greater force—
that was no longer what I wished.
Clouds blew in from the coast, and I felt
the sun abandoning the window behind me,
making the bright walls suddenly colorless,
obscuring everything, for a moment,
that I wanted. When I finally entered,
I saw you still asleep—a wet strand
of hair tucked behind your ear, the husk
of your body—and lingered there for a minute,
before walking upstairs to shut the windows.
Monday, July 15, 2019
As I Lay...
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Always Be
Can you find happiness wherever you are in life? If so, this is a powerful lesson that will bless you throughout life. Otherwise, we will runaway from relationships, environments, jobs, or even cities to escape unhappiness. Ultimately we never deal with our unhappiness and carry it around to the next friendship, job, or marriage. It's helpful to recognize joy, embracing contentedness, or stop comparisons that cause you to be dissatisfied with your life. Practice identifying your joy in life.