A Heart With Wings For The Victims Of The Pulse Attacks...

I just got back from working a heck of a job today (one that I've been working for a week). In hopes of being able to afford the kind of things that I envision for The Butterfly Dragon and for my own future. Between fighting piracy and rampant identity theft and identity swapping (groups of people in the city swap your identity with that of someone else to power their life and burden you with theirs) I've had my hands full. When I started the day I had still not heard tell of the horrible atrocities that befell Pulse dance club in Orlando Florida.

Once again we find ourselves in the midst of hateful violence directed at a community of people who've long struggled for their freedom from such acts and to be as they are. As I've always said, when two adults love each other really nobody else should have a say in that matter. Whether they choose to make that commitment in writing or not. It's a basic right that every other adult enjoys, with some racism still existent in certain mixed culture relationships. Some such relationships are tolerated more than others but rarely does it escalate to murder. So how is it that someone can kill over their disapproval of the LGBT community?

Having been a writer for Amnesty International and other causes, I'm used to being scorned and shunned by abusive members of the community (that's does not excuse them for their behavior towards me). Often the worst of it is the members of these groups swapping my identity for that of someone with a much different lifestyle (usually related to drugs and abuse). So the person with whom they swap my identity gets the credit for what I do and I get the burden for their activities. That seems to be the new way of dealing with people with a fairly good moral compass. It's a wonder that members of the LGBT community have not fallen victim to this sort of thing.

As the author of The Butterfly Dragon I: Heroes Of Our Own, I can vouch for the characters of the book when I say that they all support the rights of the LGBT community. I as the author also support the rights of the LGBT (that's short for Lebian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender just in you're unsure).

I have always supported the rights of members of the LGBT community for as long as I can remember and always will despite the fact that I am heterosexual. I don't understand why or how it becomes someone else's business that two adults love each other and how supporting that stance could be a problem for anyone.

So from here on in, let it be known that The Butterfly Dragon does support LGBT rights though the stories or books have not so far breached that topic. Perhaps in the future they might, but I have no plans for it but it would not be out of place in the world of the story for it is a reflection of our world and in our world, the rights of individuals are supported as such.

I`d like to give my condolences to the families and friends of the victims. Just as the cocoon symbolizes the process of becoming, perhaps one day when the world emerges from its cocoon it will arise to a day without hate or scorn for members of the LGBT community.

Brian Joseph Johns
200 Sherbourne Street Apt 701
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5A 3Z5
fav.inbox@gmail.com
416 203-0928