The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids
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0:21 - 0:23Hello!
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0:23 - 0:25Oh, good. No one's started drinking yet.
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0:25 - 0:28Everyone's feeling kind of perky
and excited. -
0:28 - 0:30Good, for I hope you'll remember
what we talk about, -
0:30 - 0:31at least up to this point.
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0:31 - 0:34After that, you're on your own.
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0:34 - 0:37When I was about sixteen years old,
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0:37 - 0:39I can remember
flipping through channels at home, -
0:39 - 0:40during summer vacation,
-
0:40 - 0:43looking for a movie to watch on HBO.
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0:43 - 0:46And how many of you remember
Ferris Bueller's Day Off? -
0:46 - 0:48Oh, yeah. Great movie, right?
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0:48 - 0:50Well, I saw Matthew Broderick
on the screen, -
0:50 - 0:51and so I thought, "Sweet!
-
0:51 - 0:54Ferris Bueller. I'll watch this!"
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0:54 - 0:56It wasn't Ferris Bueller.
And forgive me, Matthew Broderick. -
0:56 - 0:59I know you've done other movies
besides Ferris Bueller, -
0:59 - 1:01but that's how I remember you.
You're Ferris. -
1:01 - 1:03But you weren't doing
"Ferrisy" things at the time. -
1:03 - 1:06You were doing gay things at the time.
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1:06 - 1:10He was in a movie
called Torch Song Trilogy. -
1:10 - 1:12And Torch Song Trilogy
was based on a play -
1:12 - 1:14about this drag queen,
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1:14 - 1:16who, essentially, was looking for love.
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1:16 - 1:18Love and respect.
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1:18 - 1:20That's what the whole film was about.
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1:20 - 1:22And, as I'm watching it, I'm realizing
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1:22 - 1:24that they're talking about me.
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1:24 - 1:26Not the drag queen part.
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1:26 - 1:28I'm not shaving my hair for anyone.
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1:28 - 1:32But the gay part,
the friendly love and respect, -
1:32 - 1:36the part about trying to find
your place in the world. -
1:36 - 1:38So, as I'm watching this,
-
1:38 - 1:42I see this powerful scene
that brought me to tears, -
1:42 - 1:45and it's stuck with me
for the past 25 years. -
1:45 - 1:49And it's this quote
that the main character, Arnold, -
1:49 - 1:50tells his mother,
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1:50 - 1:53as they're fighting about who he is
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1:53 - 1:56and the life that he lives:
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1:57 - 2:01"There's one more thing
you'd better understand. -
2:01 - 2:04I have taught myself to sew,
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2:04 - 2:07cook, fix plumbing, build furniture.
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2:07 - 2:10I can even pat myself on the back,
when necessary. -
2:10 - 2:14Also, I don't have
to ask anyone for anything. -
2:14 - 2:16There's nothing I need from anyone,
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2:16 - 2:19except for love and respect,
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2:19 - 2:21and anyone who can't give me
those two things -
2:21 - 2:24has no place in my life."
-
2:24 - 2:29I remember that scene
like it was yesterday. -
2:29 - 2:31I was sixteen, I was in tears,
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2:31 - 2:32I was in the closet
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2:32 - 2:34and I'm looking at these two people,
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2:34 - 2:37Ferris Bueller and some guy
I'd never seen before, -
2:37 - 2:38(Laughter)
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2:38 - 2:40fighting for love.
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2:43 - 2:45When I finally got to a place in my life
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2:45 - 2:47where I came out and accepted who I was
-
2:47 - 2:49-- and was really quite happy,
to tell you the truth, -
2:49 - 2:52I was happily gay
and I guess that's supposed to be right, -
2:52 - 2:54because "gay" means "happy" too --,
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2:55 - 2:58I realized that a lot of people
weren't as gay as I was, -
2:58 - 2:59"gay" being "happy", not "gay" being
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2:59 - 3:01attracted to the same sex.
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3:01 - 3:02(Laughter)
-
3:02 - 3:05In fact, I heard
that there was a lot of hate -
3:05 - 3:07and a lot of anger
and a lot of frustration -
3:07 - 3:11and a lot of fear about who I was
-
3:11 - 3:14and the gay lifestyle.
-
3:14 - 3:16Now, I'm sitting here
trying to figure out, -
3:16 - 3:18"the gay lifestyle", "the gay lifestyle".
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3:18 - 3:20And I keep hearing this word
over and over and over again, -
3:20 - 3:22"lifestyle", "lifestyle", lifestyle".
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3:22 - 3:24I've even heard a politicians say
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3:24 - 3:27that the gay lifestyle is a greater threat
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3:27 - 3:30to civilization than terrorism.
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3:30 - 3:32That's when I got scared!
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3:32 - 3:33(Laughter)
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3:33 - 3:35Because I'm thinking,
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3:35 - 3:37"If I'm gay,
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3:37 - 3:40and I'm doing something
that's going to destroy civilization, -
3:40 - 3:42I need to figure out what this stuff is
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3:42 - 3:44and I need to stop doing it right now!"
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3:44 - 3:47(Laughter)
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3:47 - 3:50So, I took a look at my life,
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3:50 - 3:52a hard look at my life,
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3:52 - 3:55and I saw some things very disturbing.
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3:56 - 4:00[The Super-Duper Evil Gay Lifestyle]
(Laughter) -
4:00 - 4:02And I want to begin sharing
these evil things -
4:02 - 4:03that I've been doing with you,
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4:03 - 4:06starting with my mornings.
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4:06 - 4:07(Laughter)
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4:07 - 4:09I drink coffee.
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4:09 - 4:11Not only do I drink coffee,
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4:11 - 4:13I know other gay people who drink coffee.
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4:13 - 4:15(Laughter)
-
4:16 - 4:18I get stuck in traffic.
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4:19 - 4:21Evil, evil traffic!
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4:22 - 4:25Sometimes I get stuck
in lines at airports! -
4:26 - 4:27I look around and I go, "My God!
-
4:27 - 4:28Look at all these gay people!
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4:28 - 4:30We're all trapped in these lines,
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4:30 - 4:33these long lines,
trying to get into the airplane! -
4:33 - 4:35My God! This lifestyle that I'm living
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4:35 - 4:37is so freaking evil!"
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4:37 - 4:39(Laughter)
-
4:39 - 4:41I clean up.
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4:41 - 4:44This is not an actual photograph
of my son's room. -
4:44 - 4:45His is messier.
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4:45 - 4:47(Laughter)
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4:47 - 4:49And, because I have a fifteen-year-old,
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4:49 - 4:52all I do is cook, and cook, and cook.
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4:52 - 4:54Any parents out there of teenagers?
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4:54 - 4:56All we do is cook for these people!
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4:56 - 5:00They eat two, three, four dinners a night!
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5:00 - 5:02It's ridiculous! (Laughter)
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5:02 - 5:05This is the gay lifestyle.
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5:05 - 5:06And after I'm done cooking,
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5:06 - 5:09and cleaning, and standing in line,
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5:09 - 5:12and getting stuck in traffic,
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5:12 - 5:15my partner and I, we get together
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5:15 - 5:17and we decide that we're going to go
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5:17 - 5:21and have some wild and crazy fun.
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5:21 - 5:23(Laughter)
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5:24 - 5:28We're used to be in bed before we find out
who's eliminated on American Idol. -
5:28 - 5:29(Laughter)
-
5:29 - 5:31We have to wake up
and find out the next day -
5:31 - 5:35who's still on,
because we're too freaking tired -
5:35 - 5:37to hear who stays on.
-
5:37 - 5:42This is the super-duper,
evil gay lifestyle. (Laughter) -
5:42 - 5:45Run for your heterosexual lives, people!
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5:45 - 5:47(Laughter)
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5:47 - 5:52(Applause)
-
5:54 - 5:59When my partner Steve and I
first started dating, -
5:59 - 6:02he told me the story about penguins.
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6:02 - 6:06And I didn't know
where he was going with it at first. -
6:06 - 6:08He was kind of a little bit nervous
when he was sharing it with me. -
6:08 - 6:11But he told me that,
when a penguin finds a mate -
6:11 - 6:14that they want to spend
the rest of their life with, -
6:14 - 6:16they present them with a pebble.
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6:16 - 6:18The perfect pebble.
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6:18 - 6:20And then he reaches into his pocket
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6:20 - 6:22and he brings this out to me.
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6:24 - 6:26And I looked at it and I was like,
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6:26 - 6:28"This is really cool."
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6:28 - 6:32And he says, "I want to spend
the rest of my life with you." -
6:33 - 6:36So, I wear this
whenever I have to do something -
6:36 - 6:38that makes me a little nervous,
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6:38 - 6:42like, I don't know, a TEDx talk. (Laughter)
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6:42 - 6:44I wear this when I am apart from him
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6:44 - 6:46for a long period of time,
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6:46 - 6:49and sometimes
I just wear it just because. -
6:50 - 6:52How many people out there are in love?
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6:52 - 6:54Anyone in love out there?
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6:55 - 6:57You might be gay.
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6:57 - 6:59(Laughter)
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6:59 - 7:01Because I too am in love
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7:01 - 7:03and, apparently,
that's part of the gay lifestyle -
7:03 - 7:06I warned you about. (Laughter)
-
7:06 - 7:11(Applause)
-
7:12 - 7:14You may want to tell your spouse,
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7:14 - 7:17who, if they're in love,
might be gay as well. -
7:17 - 7:20How many of you are single?
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7:20 - 7:21Any single people out there?
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7:21 - 7:23You too might be gay,
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7:23 - 7:26because I know some gay people
who are also single. -
7:26 - 7:29It's really scary, this gay lifestyle thing.
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7:29 - 7:30It's super-duper evil
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7:30 - 7:33and there's no end to it.
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7:33 - 7:37It goes and goes and engulfs [us].
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7:37 - 7:39It's really quite silly, isn't it?
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7:39 - 7:41That's why I'm so happy
-
7:41 - 7:45to finally hear President Obama
come out and say... -
7:45 - 7:50(Applause) (Cheering)
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7:52 - 7:56that he supports marriage equality.
-
7:56 - 7:58It's a wonderful day
in our country's history, -
7:58 - 8:00it's a wonderful day
in the globe's history -
8:00 - 8:03to be able to have
an actual sitting president -
8:03 - 8:05say "Enough of this",
-
8:05 - 8:09first to himself and then
to the rest of the world. -
8:09 - 8:11It's wonderful.
-
8:11 - 8:13But there's something
that's been disturbing me -
8:13 - 8:18since he made that remark
just a short time ago. -
8:18 - 8:22And that is, apparently,
this is just another move -
8:22 - 8:27by the gay activists that's
on the "Gay Agenda". -
8:28 - 8:29And I'm disturbed by this
-
8:29 - 8:34because I have been openly gay now
for quite some time. -
8:34 - 8:36I've been to all of the functions.
-
8:36 - 8:37I've been to fundraisers,
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8:37 - 8:39I've written about the topic
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8:39 - 8:42and I have yet to receive
my copy of this "Gay Agenda". -
8:42 - 8:44(Laughter)
-
8:44 - 8:46I've paid my dues on time...
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8:46 - 8:49(Laughter)
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8:49 - 8:51I've marched in gay pride flags,
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8:51 - 8:53parades and the whole nine,
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8:53 - 8:56and I have yet to see
a copy of the "Gay Agenda". -
8:56 - 8:58I was very, very frustrated.
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8:58 - 9:01I was feeling left out
like I wasn't quite gay enough. -
9:01 - 9:04But then, something wonderful happened.
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9:04 - 9:07I was out shopping, as I tend to do,
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9:07 - 9:11and I came across a booklet copy
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9:11 - 9:15of the official Gay Agenda.
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9:15 - 9:18And I said to myself, "LZ, for so long,
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9:18 - 9:21you have been denied this.
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9:21 - 9:23When you get in front of this crowd,
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9:23 - 9:26you're going to share the news,
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9:26 - 9:28you're going to spread the Gay Agenda,
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9:28 - 9:29so no one else has to wonder,
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9:29 - 9:33'What exactly is in the Gay Agenda?'
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9:33 - 9:36'What are these gays up to?' (Laughter)
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9:36 - 9:38'What do they want?'"
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9:39 - 9:43So, without further ado,
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9:43 - 9:44I will present to you, ladies and gentlemen,
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9:44 - 9:47-- and be careful, because it's evil --
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9:47 - 9:53a copy, the official copy
of the Gay Agenda. -
9:57 - 10:03[Gay Agenda]
(Music) -
10:42 - 10:44The Gay Agenda, people!
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10:44 - 10:49(Applause) (Cheering)
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10:49 - 10:53There it is. Did you soak it all in?
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10:53 - 10:55The Gay Agenda!
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10:55 - 10:57Some of you may be calling it
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10:58 - 11:00"The Constitution of the United States"?
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11:00 - 11:01Is that what you call it too?
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11:01 - 11:06The US Constitution is the Gay Agenda.
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11:06 - 11:09These gays, people like me,
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11:09 - 11:11want to be treated like full citizens.
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11:11 - 11:15And it's all written down! In plain sight!
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11:15 - 11:17I was blown away when I saw it!
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11:17 - 11:21I was like, "Wait! Is this the Gay Agenda?
-
11:21 - 11:22Why didn't you just call it
"The Constitution", -
11:22 - 11:25so I knew what you were talking about?
-
11:25 - 11:29I wouldn't have been so confused!
I wouldn't have been so upset!" -
11:29 - 11:34But... there it is! The Gay Agenda.
-
11:34 - 11:36Run for your heterosexual lives.
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11:36 - 11:37(Laughter)
-
11:39 - 11:42Did you know that in all the states
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11:42 - 11:45where there is no shading,
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11:45 - 11:49people who are gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgendered -
11:49 - 11:52can be kicked out
of their apartments for being -
11:52 - 11:55gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered?
-
11:56 - 11:59That's the only reason
that a landlord needs -
11:59 - 12:00to have them removed,
-
12:00 - 12:02because there's no protection
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12:02 - 12:06from discrimination of GLBT people.
-
12:08 - 12:11Did you know, in the states
where there is no shading, -
12:11 - 12:13that you can be fired
-
12:13 - 12:17for being gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgendered, -
12:17 - 12:22not based upon the quality of your work,
-
12:22 - 12:24how long you've been there,
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12:24 - 12:26if you stink?
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12:26 - 12:32Just if you're gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgendered. -
12:33 - 12:38All of which flies in the face
of the Gay Agenda, -
12:38 - 12:41also known as the US Constitution,
-
12:41 - 12:45specifically this
little Amendment right here: -
12:45 - 12:48"No state shall make or enforce any law
-
12:48 - 12:50which shall abridge
the privileges or immunities -
12:50 - 12:54of citizens of the United States."
-
12:55 - 12:58I'm looking at you, North Carolina,
-
12:58 - 13:01but you are not looking
at the US Constitution. -
13:03 - 13:06This is the Gay Agenda, equality.
-
13:06 - 13:08Not special rights,
-
13:08 - 13:10but the rights that have been
already written -
13:10 - 13:12by these people,
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13:12 - 13:15these elitists, if you will.
-
13:15 - 13:18Educated, well dressed...
-
13:18 - 13:20(Laughter)
-
13:20 - 13:24Some would dare say
"Questionably dressed"... -
13:24 - 13:26(Laughter)
-
13:26 - 13:30Nonetheless, our forefathers, right?
-
13:30 - 13:33The people that, we say,
knew what they were doing -
13:33 - 13:35when they wrote the Constitution,
-
13:35 - 13:37the Gay Agenda, if you will.
-
13:37 - 13:42All of that flies on the face
of what they did. -
13:44 - 13:46That is the reason why
-
13:46 - 13:48I felt it was imperative
-
13:48 - 13:50that I presented you
-
13:50 - 13:54with this copy of the Gay Agenda,
-
13:54 - 13:57because I figured if I made it funny,
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13:57 - 13:59you wouldn't be as threatened.
-
13:59 - 14:01I figured if I was a bit irreverent,
-
14:01 - 14:03you wouldn't find it serious.
-
14:03 - 14:06But when you see the map
-
14:06 - 14:09and you see our state of Michigan,
-
14:10 - 14:14it's legal to fire someone
-
14:14 - 14:18for being gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgendered. -
14:18 - 14:23It's legal to remove someone
from their home -
14:23 - 14:27because they're gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgendered. -
14:27 - 14:29But you'll realize
that this whole conversation -
14:29 - 14:31about marriage equality
-
14:31 - 14:35is not about stripping
someone's rights away. -
14:35 - 14:36It's about granting them the rights
-
14:36 - 14:39that have already been stated.
-
14:39 - 14:42And we're just trying
to walk in those rights -
14:42 - 14:44that have already been stated,
-
14:44 - 14:48that we have already agreed upon.
-
14:48 - 14:52There are people living in fear
-
14:53 - 14:56of losing their jobs!
-
14:57 - 15:01So, they don't show anyone
who they really are! -
15:02 - 15:04Right here, at home.
-
15:04 - 15:06This isn't just about North Carolina.
-
15:06 - 15:10In all those states that were clear
-
15:10 - 15:12it's legal.
-
15:13 - 15:15If I could brag for a second,
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15:15 - 15:19I have a fifteen-year-old son,
-
15:19 - 15:21from my marriage.
-
15:21 - 15:24He has a 4.0.
-
15:24 - 15:28He is starting a new club at school,
-
15:28 - 15:30"Policy Debate".
-
15:32 - 15:34He is a budding track star.
-
15:34 - 15:38He has almost every single record
in middle school -
15:38 - 15:41for every event that he competed in.
-
15:41 - 15:44He volunteers.
-
15:44 - 15:46He prays before he eats.
-
15:48 - 15:51I would like to think, as his father,
-
15:51 - 15:54and he lives with me primarily,
-
15:54 - 15:57that I have a little something
to do with all of that. -
15:57 - 15:59I would like to think
that he's a good boy, -
15:59 - 16:02a respectful young man.
-
16:02 - 16:05I would like to think that I've proven
-
16:05 - 16:08to be a capable father.
-
16:08 - 16:12But if I were to go
to the state of Michigan today -
16:12 - 16:15and try to adopt a young person
-
16:15 - 16:16who is in an orphanage,
-
16:16 - 16:20I would be disqualified
for only one reason: -
16:21 - 16:23because I'm gay.
-
16:23 - 16:25It doesn't matter
what I've already proven, -
16:25 - 16:28what I can do with my heart.
-
16:28 - 16:32It's because of what the state
of Michigan says that I am -
16:32 - 16:37that I am disqualified
for any sort of adoption. -
16:39 - 16:42And that's not just about me.
-
16:42 - 16:47That's about so many
other Michiganders, US citizens, -
16:47 - 16:52who don't understand why what they are
-
16:52 - 16:57is so much more significant
than who they are. -
16:58 - 17:01This story just keeps playing
-
17:01 - 17:05over and over and over again
in our country's history. -
17:06 - 17:10There was a time in which, I don't know,
-
17:10 - 17:13people who were black
couldn't have the same rights. -
17:14 - 17:16People who happened to be women
-
17:16 - 17:19didn't have the same rights:
they couldn't vote! -
17:20 - 17:21There was a point in our history
-
17:21 - 17:24in which, if you were
considered disabled, -
17:24 - 17:25then an employer could just fire you,
-
17:25 - 17:28before the
America's With Disabilities Act. -
17:29 - 17:32We keep doing this over and over again!
-
17:32 - 17:34And so, here we are,
-
17:34 - 17:372012,
-
17:37 - 17:39Gay Agenda,
-
17:39 - 17:41gay lifestyle,
-
17:41 - 17:43and I'm not a good dad,
-
17:43 - 17:46and people don't deserve
to be able to protect their families, -
17:46 - 17:48because of what they are,
-
17:48 - 17:50not who they are.
-
17:52 - 17:54So, when you hear the words
-
17:54 - 17:58"gay lifestyle" and "Gay Agenda"
in the future, -
17:58 - 18:01I encourage you to do two things.
-
18:01 - 18:05One: remember the US Constitution.
-
18:06 - 18:08And then, two: if you wouldn't mind
-
18:08 - 18:12looking to your left, please.
-
18:13 - 18:15Look to your right.
-
18:17 - 18:21That person next to you
is a brother, is a sister, -
18:21 - 18:23and they should be treated
with love and respect. -
18:23 - 18:25Thank you.
-
18:25 - 18:28(Applause)
- Title:
- The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids
- Description:
-
I'm sure you've heard a lot about the gay agenda but few outside of the gay community have actually seen it. Tired of living in secrecy, LZ Granderson is ignoring protocol and will not only talk about the exact content of the agenda but show audiences a copy of it.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 18:30
Leonardo Silva edited English subtitles for The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids | ||
Leonardo Silva edited English subtitles for The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids | ||
Leonardo Silva approved English subtitles for The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids | ||
Leonardo Silva edited English subtitles for The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids | ||
Leonardo Silva edited English subtitles for The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids | ||
Leonardo Silva edited English subtitles for The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids | ||
Shlomo Adam accepted English subtitles for The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids | ||
Shlomo Adam edited English subtitles for The Gay Agenda Now: LZ Granderson at TEDxGrandRapids |
Leonardo Silva
Hi! I kindly ask any possible reviewer of this transcript to please correct these typos:
- 1:14 - 1:16 "...essentially..." (instead of "essencially");
- 3:52 - 3:55 "...disturbing" (instead of "distubring");
- 7:07 - 7:11 "(Applause)" (instead of "Appaluse");
- 12:58 - 13:01 "...Constitution" (instead of "Constitution");
- 14:14 - 14:18 "...bisexual..." (instead of "bissexual");
- 14:29 - 14:31 "...equality" (instead of "eaqulity");
- 16:52 - 16:57 "...they..." (instead of "thay").
Thank you!