"There's no tellin' what we'll do when we're free"

Lately I've been making a point of not focusing on the negative regarding gay rights. It's pretty much a selfish choice: I don't want to be in a negative mindset, and while I can be aware of the fact that people do cruel things to each other, I don't think it's helpful to dwell on this fact.

Bt then I read about stuff like this, and, even if all the facts aren't there, I realize that I am more than capable of enduring some downers.

So I'm going to tell a sad story with a somewhat inspiring ending.

A few months ago, my friend "Jack" was telling me how he helped edit a tear jerker-typa documentary about Bernie Baran. Essentially, Baran was intentionally falsely accused of child molestation because he was gay. And there is videotaped evidence to support this: the children were basically coerced into lying. But he was sent to prison for 15 years anyways.

And, as one might expect, he was raped in prison. He managed to avoid sexual abuse in subsequent years by becoming an honest drug dealer. He never cheated his customers, and this respect won him some safety.

So my friend Jack met Baran. And at first Baran was (understandably) standoff'ish and shy. But when they finally were able to get a conversation going, Jack noticed that Baran didn't seem as bitter or angry as he expected.

Jack asked him about this, and Baran said something to the effect of, "They already got 15 years of my life. I'm not going to give them anymore. I just want to enjoy my time with my boyfriend."

Damn. If someone can let go of that, then...wow. What can't they do?