Kinkaid School Recognized Nationally for Intolerance

On one hand, I'm sorry to see my alma mater's dirty laundry being aired in clear view of the nation via mainstream media outlets like the Houston Chronicle, Gawker and Texas Monthly; but on the other hand, I'm hoping this spotlight will prompt the school to make some changes that are long overdue. Since this topic hits so close to home for me, I'll go ahead and go old school by making the personal political in this post. As a Kinkaid School alum who attended from 1991-1998, I'll say that I was not at all surprised to read that a wealthy Kinkaid parent wrote a letter expressing concern that the school was beginning to welcome LGBT teachers and students into the community. Likewise, I wasn't shocked to learn that this parent was powerful enough to draw national attention to this matter.

In 2008 against the advice of many close friends, I attended my 10 year reunion only to experience the same ostracism that characterized the seven academic years I spent at Kinkaid. Although I tried to be social with the crowd of my classmates, only three of them were bold enough to engage in conversation with me and one was the kid-now-man who called me a n*gger in the 7^th grade. (Perhaps he felt remorse for his comments as a child and wanted to make amends.) Although the discrimination I felt in this instance was mostly related to my race, I remember experiencing similar acts of discrimination based on my sexual orientation throughout high school. Ten of my friends and I were listed on a "lesbian list" that a bully placed in all of our lockers in order to humiliate us in the 11^th grade. Formal dances had an unwritten hetero-only policy and gay slurs were not even viewed as inappropriate.

My experience was back in the 90's, but there have been some efforts made in recent years to make the school's environment more accepting for all people in the Kinkaid community. A diversity initiative and club to fight hate were begun under Principal Mickey Saltman's leadership. And more importantly, gay friendly teachers were permitted to place rainbow stickers outside their classrooms to indicate safe spaces for LGBT students as long as the sponsor's name, "Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network", was removed.

Sadly, it appears that a lot of this progress has been lost as a result of one parent's crusade to stop the school from following a so-called "liberal agenda" that accepts all people. Principal Saltman has been forced out and so have a dozen great faculty and staff who not only excelled in their professions, but who also gave a beacon of hope to severely marginalized students like me.

UniverSoul Circus

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending my first ever UniverSoul Circus. To say that this event exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. Highly trained performers from all over the world showcased their tremendous talents before an enthusiastic audience of African-American families. South African acrobats, Guinean contortionists, American mimes, and a Brazilian tiger tamer were just a few of the myriad of performers at the UniverSoul Circus.

The circus presented a special opportunity for African-Americans to gather together in a family oriented atmosphere and admire the talents that exist in the black community. Children and adults alike were astonished by much of what they saw. In the last act, the audience was carried away by a trio of dancing elephants who's choreography corresponded to the lyrics of popular songs. When the song "Bed" by J. Holiday played, the elephants all lay down as if they themselves were going to bed.

I would strongly recommend checking out the UniverSoul circus when it comes through your town.

Houston, The Worst Recycler in the Nation

Why is it that Houston has the worst recycling record in the country? What will it take for Houstonians to come together and realize that our planet should not be treated as a dumping ground? As a Houston resident, I am embarrassed that my city is last on the list when it comes to something as important as recycling.

Our country's consumption oriented culture produces inordinate amounts of waste and certain municipalities don't bother to mitigate the impact of this waste on the environment. At least in San Francisco, residents can feel comfortable that a majority of their trash does not end up piled up in landfills polluting the earth for eons.

The City of Houston has one of the nation's strongest economies in this time of hardship, yet public officials refuse to spend a few dollars on protecting our planet. In other cities, recycling has been integrated into the fabric of society through programs that have made it accessible to ordinary citizens. In Houston, not only can I not leave my recycling outside to be collected alongside my trash, the nearest recycling facility is several miles away so I have to gas up my car and drive to another part of town just to drop of my recyclables. Environmentally conscious business owners have expressed that they too have to jump through hoops if they choose to recycle.

I guess it's only fitting that a fossil fuel hotbed like Houston wouldn't care about the footprint that we as humans are leaving on our only planet.