Friday, May 17, 2013

Hop Against Homophobia Giveaway





As I'm sure many of you know, May 17th is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Along with several other authors, as well as reviewers, cover artists, and publishers, I'm taking part in the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and offering up a free ebook from my backlist, winner's choice of title. To be entered in the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post and please include an email addy where I can contact you. If you don't feel comfortable posting your email publicly, or you have trouble leaving a comment, you can email me at s.j.frost3@gmail.com The hop runs until May 27th, and I'll be posting my winner on May 28th.

Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia has been organized by three lovely ladies, Erica Pike, K-lee Klein, and NJ Nielsen, to help raise awareness for International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and I'm very proud to be taking part.

When I participated last year, I talked about discrimination. This year, I want to talk about love and hope. I remember when I first started writing gay romance back in 2005, how distant things like acceptance and marriage equality seemed. So many people I'd talk to had attitudes so vehement against homosexuality. Though, maybe I was talking to the wrong people. Thinking back on it now, I'm certain I was. Still, those narrow opinions I saw in those few were the same opinions of many across the country, and even for me as a heterosexual woman, I thought they were confusing, and even frightening because I'd think of all the people who faced these kinds of attitudes daily and knew how much that bigotry could hurt.

I didn't understand how so much hate could be directed toward any person or group of people. I didn't understand how others could want to control the lives of people, tell them who they should love, how they should act, who they should be. I didn't understand their laughter at hateful jokes and derogatory words. Though, I'm sure they were just as confused by me not understanding their bigotry, which of course led to tension, anger, and ultimately everyone eventually deciding to go separate ways in life.

The essence of hate is to destroy, but for love, it's to nurture. Whether it's your partner, spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend, your child, a friend, a family member, a pet, love makes you want to protect and cherish, to care for and defend, to be kind and offer support, and all of those give strength.

By it's very essence of nurturing, love is overcoming hate and winning more and more in our world. In recent years, we've seen the strength of love, as those attitudes I spoke of have begun to change. More nations in the world and States in the U.S., are taking steps to recognize marriage equality, equality in general, and to offer stronger legal protections for LGBT individuals. Yes, there's still a lot of work to do, a long distance yet to be traveled, but hope is strong and continues to grow, as it's nurtured by the love of those who believe all individuals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, to make their own decisions on their life, their bodies, and who they love.

That's where love is stronger than hate. How it truly can conquer all. To destroy something is to bring it to an end. But love never ends. There will always be a man who loves a man, a woman who loves a woman, a man who loves a woman, and a woman who loves a man. It's a fruitless battle for those on the side of hate to fight, because people will never stop loving.

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My thanks to all of you who've stopped by today to show support against Homophobia and Transphobia. It's greatly appreciated! And do be sure to visit the other folks taking part in the hop and working to raise awareness as we stand together against discrimination.

57 comments:

  1. Thank you for the lovely message, SJ, and for taking part ^.^ I'm optimistic that love will win in the end.

    Erica
    eripike at gmail dot com

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    1. I forgot to mention that Cherie Noel and Sasha L. Miller have joined us as organizers this year :)

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    2. It's my pleasure to take part :-) Thank you, and all the other awesome ladies for all your hard work! And that's wonderful Cherie and Sasha have joined forces with you! I know this is a huge undertaking, but you're all doing a great thing in gather so many people together in this demonstration of support and acceptance.

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  2. Thank you for taking part in the hop!

    kimberlyFDR@yahoo.com

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    1. I'm very happy to be part of it! Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. Living in a nonenlighteded red state, it is hard to find open minds in real life. Finding them on the internet keeps me hopeful for the future. Thanks for the great blog!

    skadlec1@yahoo.com

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    1. I know exactly what you mean. I live in Ohio, and things here tend to run on the conservative side. To see marriage equality spreading across the U.S., little by little, and State by State, it gives me so much hope that the whole country will someday be swept by it. And I agree about the Internet and being able to find like-minded people! Thank you for coming by!

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  4. Thank you for posting! I am a MD resident and I was so glad the finally passed the marriage this year. Now if only PA and other states would do the same.

    wickedwolvesanddreamingdragons(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. My pleasure! Thank you for visiting! That's wonderful you live in MD and have marriage equality! I really hope the day comes soon that Ohio passes it, and all the rest of the U.S, too, along with the world!

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  5. It's been such an informative and inspiring hop already!

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. It really has been! I'm glad you're enjoying it :-) It's great seeing so many folks coming together for this cause!

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  6. Yay for love. Thanks for your lovely post! I just wanted to pop round and say hi. It's been far too long since I have. Hope all is well with you! ;)Have a great hop.

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    1. Hey there, lady! It's great to see you! I'm happy you liked my post :-) Everything here has been going wonderful. I hope things are well with you! And you have an awesome hop, too!

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  7. Lovely post. Nothing better than love and hope.

    cojazzchick AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :-) And I do agree, love and hope are the best and strongest forces in the world.

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  8. I have so enjoyed reading your post and others today. I was sad to read about Kris in Houston and the recent NY gay bashing and am so relieved to have wonderful authors like yourself giving the gay movement such a positive spin. Recently here in NZ we have just had same sex marriage legalised:)It's such a positive move now we just have to keep working on the bigotry. Keep up the wonderful writing. I so enjoy your books.

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    1. I heard NZ legalized same-sex marriage, and thought that was wonderful! Equality is steadily making its way around the world! It really has become a positive movement, and that's what I hoped to show in my post. I'm glad you liked it, and I'm also very happy you've enjoyed by books :D Thank you so much!

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  9. Great post. And I love how there are so many involved in this blog hop!

    susanmik AT gmail DOT com

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    1. Thank you! I think it's fantastic there are so many in this blog hop, too. Really shows people wanting to come together to spread the message of equality and acceptance :-)

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  10. Wonderful post! Hatred takes so much energy, yet produces nothing value. What a waste! It has to lose against the power of love, eventually. Thank you!
    Urbanista
    brendurbanist/at/gmail/dot/com

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    1. Thank you! I couldn't agree more. Hate is draining, and a wasteful use of energy that makes you feel knotted up and dark inside. Whereas love is enlightening and makes you feel good :-) I truly believe hate will lose against love.

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  11. Thank you for your great post. Love is so important, and it makes such a difference. Thanks for participating in the blog hop!
    -Marie

    awindandbooks at gmail dot com

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    1. You're very welcome! Thank you for stopping by! I agree, love does make a difference. Little by little, it's changing the world with equality spreading.

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  12. That was awesome post. Thank you so much for helping to promote this in the hop!

    Beth
    JPadawan11@gmail.com

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    1. I'm happy you enjoyed the post :D It's my pleasure to be in the hop! Thank you for visiting and taking part!

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  13. Please count me in.

    Thanks
    Karl
    slats5663(at)shaw(dot)ca

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    1. I've got you counted in! Thank you for stopping by :-)

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  14. Thanks for your comments, giving us more to ponder on - love is important, lets hope hate becomes impotent

    littlesuze at hotmail dot com

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    1. You're welcome! Thank you for coming by. And yes, if there are any two things that can stop hate, it's love and hope.

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  15. Thank you for participating in the hop for this so-important issue!

    - Kim, simplelyric [at] aim [dot] com

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    1. I'm very happy to be part of it! Thank you for visiting and supporting the hop!

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  16. Thanks for your post and for being part of the hop.

    strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com

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    1. My pleasure! I appreciate you stopping by :-)

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  17. Sorry for the need for this HOP but glad you are doing it.

    ocanana@gmail.com

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    1. It is sad that the hop is needed and that people aren't simply treated with respect and dignity without thought. It seems like that should just be the natural thing to do. But it's great seeing so many people band together to give support. Thank you for coming by!

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  18. I think you're right about love conquering hate. :)

    Thanks for promoting the Hop!
    ajpeters@andrewjpeterswrites.com

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    1. I really believe it to be true, that love will win :-)

      And thank you for visiting!

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  19. I enjoyed reading your post. I think in time many things will change, I just hope for the better.

    ShirleyAnn@speakman40.freeserve.co.uk

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    1. Thank you! That hoping for the better is one of the things that helps make it better, I think :-)

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  20. Thank you so much for sharing you amazing post and participating in the hop!

    sophiebonaste@gmail.com

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    1. You're most welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the post, and appreciate you visiting for the hop!

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  21. Thanks for participating, SJ. Keep up the good work!

    lena.grey.iam@gmail.com

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    1. I'm very happy to be a part of the hop :-) And thank you! I'll keep doing my best. And another thanks to you for supporting the hop and coming by!

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  22. Replies
    1. Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying the hop :D

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  23. Thank you for taking part in the hop. I couldn't agree more with your message. Why spend energy spreading hate when instead it's so much easier and fun to expend that energy elsewhere.

    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. Thank you! I'm happy you liked my post, and you're so right. It's so much easier and fun to use you're energy for good things, than negativity.

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  24. Thank you for this post. I agree. It's easier to love and nurture than to hate and destroy.

    morris.crissy@gmail.com

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    1. Thank you! I think it really is easier to love and nurture, too :-)

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  25. Lovely post :)

    Thanks for participating in this great hop.

    penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com

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  26. Thanks for the great post.

    peggy1984(at)live(dot)com

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  27. Great post! Thank you for taking part in the hop!
    sstrode at scrtc dot com

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    1. My pleasure to be in the hop! I appreciate you supporting it and visiting!

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  28. Thanks for the great post SJ, and thanks for participating!

    tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. You're very welcome! I'm happy to be involved :D Thank you for coming by!

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