Song of the day:
Video of the day: Couldn’t embed this one so you’ll have to click the link. But trust me, it’s worth it.
Pride Month Facts
I missed a few days since I didn’t post so here’s a summary of important facts about Pride Month. All facts below are from the Arlington Public Library.
June 9 - On this day in 1891, composer and lyricist Cole Porter was born. Known for his musical scores and lavish lifestyle, Porter was one of the most famous American gay figures of the 20th century.
June 10 - On this day in 1997, Jay Fisette became the first openly gay candidate to win a primary election in the state of Virginia. He went on to be elected to Arlington County Board, where he served for two decades, making him one of the longest-serving local politicians in the region.
June 11 - In 2017, DC’s Capital Pride Parade drew an estimated 400,000 attendees.
June 12 - On this day in 2016, a lone gunman opened fire at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. It was the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history.
June 13 - On this day in 1958, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed three lower court rulings that an issue of ONE magazine, the first U.S. pro-gay publication, based in Los Angeles, was obscene. This ruling defended the free expression of the LGBT community and paved the way for wider distribution of LGBT writing.
June 14 - On this day in 1950, the U.S. Senate authorized the investigation and eventual purge of homosexuals from the federal government which would become known as the “Lavender Scare,” a reference to the better known Red Scare which motivated the government’s actions. Members of the LGBT community were viewed as communist sympathizers, and were thus deemed risks to national security during the McCarthy era. Hundreds of people lost their jobs as a result of this campaign.
Thoughts on Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is releasing a new song on Friday and I can’t wait! I’ve been a fan since I first heard today’s Song of the Day on an episode of The Vampire Diaries (pretty sure I’m remembering that correctly). It’s still my favorite song of his and one of these days I hope to hear him play it live.
Nobody knew who Ed was when the four-song EP came out featuring Fall. No one that is except my friend Raquel. She always knows. And not too long after I discovered this song Ed showed up for a radio gig in San Francisco. A gig for which no one was trying to get tickets. I had another concert that same night but told Raquel I’d meet her there. I laugh now because it’s also the same night I met my friend Kirsten, and it’s honestly shocking we because friends at all after I scoffed at her Sharks attire. I have always been of the mindset that once the season is over the teal goes back in the closet until it’s time to start again. I know she thought I was crazy. And yet, we’re friends to this day. This is what was always so great about concerts, no matter the size.
It’s maddening looking back on that night now because I actually left the Ed gig to head to the other concert that quite honestly wasn’t all that good. Had I stayed I would have had the chance to meet Ed and hear more songs. Still, I heard quite a few and was more than impressed.
Here was this young kid with a tiny guitar, completely unassuming, playing some of the most heartfelt music I’d ever heard. He wore a t-shirt and jeans and you could see the start of his tattoo obsession, but you knew he was about to be huge. He was lovable and charming, and so unbelievably talented. It was a joy to see him in such a small place that first time.
I saw him a month or so later at another small gig and did get the chance to meet him and take a photo, once again courtesy of Raquel’s genius. In fact, almost every time I’ve seen Ed, Raquel has been involved. She let me know last week about an online event you could enter to have a chance for a quick chat with Ed online. I didn’t get in but she did, and I can’t wait to see the video.
But there’s still something magical about that first radio gig…that feeling that you were getting in right at the beginning of something absolutely magical. The idea that you could say “I remember when the radio station was begging people to go see him.”
I’ll share some more thoughts on Ed throughout the week, along with some more concert memories, but for now, I’ll leave you with these.