A Different Perspective #3: Gay Pride

June is Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, the official month to recognize the positive impact Gay, Lesbian and Transgender individuals have made on society. While acceptance and tolerance of different sexual orientations on a daily basis should be the norm, this month is definitely the right time to (start) show(ing) support for this community.

In this week's clip of A Different Perspective, we have William Sledd's video addressing both the cowards who have posted thousands of messages of filth and pestilence on his wall ("It's my month, bitches"), and the fears and joys of coming out. At the end of the clip William asks for viewers to show their pride and support by leaving video responses--check them out to hear other touching stories and shout-outs from others.

A Different Perspective #2

Here's a video from Alex, a 16-year-old boy with Aspergers Syndrome. Aspergers is a form of autism, as Alex explains, and through the miracles of MS Paint he recounts his experiences with Aspergers and how it impacts his learning style and his interactions with others.

A Different Perspective #1

With hopes of livening up some of my recent material and presenting issues of diversity in another form, I've started a new segment of this blog I'll tentatively call "A Different Perspective". YouTube and video blogging (or vlogs) offer us great sources of entertainment and perpetual procrastination breaks, however there is a wealth of material out there that needs to be discovered just for its insight and educational value.

Many of such videos feature folks simply conversing one-on-one with the camera, detailing aspects of their lives in ways that are personal and unique to them. Sometimes folks describe what values they possess and how their respective communities have impacted them. Sometimes folks define the hardships in their lives and how they have overcome. A single voice from a different perspective, while not representative of an entire group, can offer valuable understanding of an unfamiliar part of society, and expose viewers to issues and topics that hitherto they've not experienced.

Our first video is an interview with deaf gymnast Aimee Walker Pond, who discusses her introduction to gymnastics and the hearing world.