Southern Comfort was always just liquor to me. But apparently it's a gathering of transsexuals, I'm assuming in Atlanta. I just watched an HBO special (titled Southern Comfort) on Robert Eads, born Barbara, and his struggle with ovarian cancer. It completely broke my heart. I had never considered that a person would be denied medical care because of their sexuality/gender identity. Of course I'm not completely sheltered, I am aware of the injustice of discrimination, but this man died! He had a mastectomy years ago, and had been living his life as a man for some time. He had taken testosterone to bulk up, grow facial hair, the whole nine. So he starts bleeding and needs medical attention (he was past the age of menopause) and they couldn't find a hospital that would see him. He was flat out told by gynecologist that they wouldn't see him because they were afraid of loosing other clients.

This is not something that I claim to understand, and in all actuality, don't necessarily care to. But I love people, and I can't stand to see them in pain. Our society has placed such a stigma on difference that people don't just lose their lives due to hate crimes and AIDS (remember it's a gay disease, snort); they loose their lives to negligence. Turning the other cheek does not make it go away. Not to mention that part of being a Christian is to not judge; we *are* supposed to love one another. Not love one another IF and ONLY if _________.

Robert said at the end of the documentary, as they showed images of his lush, green farm: "Nature loves diversity; I don't know why people don't." Spoken like a true crusader.

R.I.P. Robert Eads