Although I live mainly in Tennessee, as a Brit I always feel like an outsider looking in on this nation. Two things happened this week which underline for me what’s wrong with this place.

First of all, a crazy dressed as ‘The Joker’ starts spraying bullets around a cinema in Denver, with dire consequences. Just because this country is descended from the wild west, WHY, in 2012, are people defending the right to carry guns? Guns are made to kill things. If the ‘civilised’ world (Europe??) can survive without its population toting guns around the place, why can’t America? Wait for the headlines from the pro-gun lobby in the next days.

Also, the Boy Scouts of America, after two YEARS of debate, have upheld their intention to exclude gay members and leaders. Don’t they understand the effect that this has on the average 7% of their membership who are gay but haven’t come out? In the UK, where Dave and I come from, the Chief Scout (Bear Grylls) makes anti-homophobic-bullying videos and everyone lives together enjoying the scouting activities irrespective of sexual orientation.

‘Land of the Free’? Hmmmm.

As a gay boy, and proud of it, it’s hard living in the south of the USA where homophobia enjoys a large following. Link there to one post about it, and there are plenty more in the archive.

I often feel we need to fight for our rights. But not with guns:

 Whatever the rest of America thinks, I’m going to carry on ‘Loving My Boy’ (i.e. Dave) and sharing a trusting gay lifestyle with our many friends: and I’m proud to have written it all down in my three books. ‘Living the Dream’, I’ve called them: but it’s NOT ‘The American Dream’.