Happy New Year and a symphony to 2013

Many of you reading this may have been linked to this from my personal Facebook account.

On New Years Eve, the last day of the dreaded year of 2013 I hinted in a status update that I was considering a song dedication to the year of 2013. And I am known for posting a lot of music and often using music as a commentary. So I decided to play it as if I knew (through a number of "likes" to my post) if any of my friends and family were looking forward to my doing anything like this I would post the song. But I never indicated what song I would post. Oh...but a few people not only know me but also have shared a similar opinion on the year and musically share an opinion on a specific song. However I'm going to surprise the folks on Facebook. The song you were thinking I was going to use to dedicate to the dreaded year of 2013 is NOT the one I am going to dedicate...on Facebook. Because that would have been too easy.

So to start off a new year for my old blogging account I offer that song here as an expression of happiness that 2013 is finally OVER.

Gone with the year are all of the negativity and horrible experiences, the suffering from depression and financial problems, the medical concerns, the horrible and heartbreaking news stories and struggles that I witnessed friends going through. Gone are some of the petty negative people who caused unnecessarily big and embarrassing meltdowns. The song is dedicated especially those negative and petty people, from Western Maryland, to Macon Georgia, to a few people the West coast. It will be my pleasure to play a song for you in celebration of losing you in 2013 and thankfully you and all drama shall not be a part of a new year. I'm looking forward to that.

So here on my blog, to all of that I offer a song. Simple short lyrics as orchestrated by the great Millie Jackson!

From the 1979 album "Live and Uncensored" by Millie Jackson....."The Phuck U Symphony"


Now, if you listen to Millie Jackson (while the video is available on YouTube)be sure to listen to the entire monologue and the ending when she says that you don't have to actually say the foul language and the next time someone pisses you off just play this record and say "And a Symphony to you too".



Hey 2013.......Here's a symphony for you! I curse you out with a melody.


And now on to 2014 a little stronger because of the lessons of 2013. 2013 may have been a rotten year but it didn't defeat me in the least. I hope everyone reading this didn't allow 2013 to defeat them but every struggle will make them strong enough to take on 2014 prepared for battle. Because success against struggle is the best "F you" you can give to the forces of evil.


Happy New Year EVERYONE!

Your UPS Christmas package was late? SO WHAT!!

I wonder if all of the people upset that their Christmas packages were late through UPS and FEDEx will ever realize that they are part of the problem?

They are part of the problems that Christmas had become with the obsessed commercializing and materializing of the holiday. And the increasing demand from society for unreasonable expectations of people with a "my life revolves around me" attitude.

These are people who complain about people being overworked and underpaid yet will jump at the chance for "free shipping" and have the nerve to get upset when the system gets overloaded by RETAIL GREED.

Yeah, look in the mirror people as YOU are part of the problem! And you are as bad as those crazies who destroyed Thanksgiving with that insanity known as "Black Friday", except they did get off of their asses to physically go to a store to pick up their materialistic crap for Christmas.

Meanwhile some of us have to wait on PAYROLL checks to be delivered from UPS and they are also clogged up in this backlog of Christmas packages that need to be delivered.

Again.....the worker is screwed! Think about that while your Christmas toy is "late"

If a photo watermark brought you here.......

If a photo watermark brought you to this page, THANK YOU FOR VISITING!

Yes, I do have a blog and I am lazy about updating it. I wanted to make this a daily habit and as a means of developing some journalistic qualities. That hasn't quite worked out as planned. But if you have a chance to visit the page perhaps I might actually make something of this.

I may talk about some nerdy hobbies, my political opinion or other passions. I might break a news story or something. Or I might just be another one of those blogging raving lunatics. Whatever finally happens and if a habit finally develops I thank you in advance for stopping by. If anything I post interests or entertains you feel free to share. I would appreciate it.

The web address is in the watermark that brought you here. TheEdricFloyd.Blogspot.com :)

Matthew Shepard, My grandmother and an LGBT awakening.

Remembering Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998)

Matthew Shepard was beaten during the overnight hours of October 6-7th 1998 and this is the sad 15th anniversary of that horrific event. On my personal Facebook account I posted the following along with a photo of Matthew Shepard with my own personal experience at the time. On the same day that Matthew was beaten and left for dead I lost my grandfather. So the Facebook post was my account of what happened that week in 1998.

Immediately after I posted this a few friends suggested that I share it. One, person especially to suggest that is a PFLAG MOM and someone I have great admiration for. I could not pass on her suggestion and I thank her for making me share this. The text of that Facebook post is below. It's one of my personal stories and in honor of Matthew Shepard and my grandfather John Pettis. And certainly honoring my now late grandmother too, Mrs. Anna Pettis.

The following below was originally a Facebook post on October 7, 2013 at 10:00 am

Earlier I mentioned this was the 15th anniversary of the passing of my grandfather. Well it is also the 15th anniversary of the horrific beating of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming.

In my personal timeline of that week in 1998 this happened on a Tuesday. I would drive to New York for my grandfather's funeral on Thursday, immediately run errands helping my grandmother and finally we had the funeral on Saturday. Then Sunday it was just me, my mother and grandmother in her apartment. All my grandmother wanted was for the three of us to rest, eat a good meal and relax all day. We had some conversations. But my grandmother constantly watched the news on TV. And after my mother went out for a walk it was my grandmother and me as she watched the news on TV and came the story of what happened to Matthew Shepard.

I even remember we were watching channel 7 (ABC). My memories do have details! The newscast was very detailed and told us everything that happened up to that point Sunday afternoon. The beating, then the hospitalization and the vigil that was being held outside of the hospital. Then the report talked about the trend of violence against gays and lesbians. And something happened with me and my grandmother that evening. I said nothing. I hadn't ever come out to her and actually gave my mother permission to tell her a couple years earlier. I just didn't feel comfortable coming out to my grandmother knowing she was a religious woman and I wasn't prepared for her reaction. None of us were ever comfortable talking about it and there was a history of negative conversations regarding sexuality in my family.

But on that Sunday after my grandfather's funeral when we first heard about Matthew Shepard my grandmother shed a tear for the first time that week. Not for the loss of her husband of 60 years. She was strong all through that. She started crying as she said to me..."Edric please be careful out there. People are crazy and it makes no sense to me why anyone can be hurt for being themselves. And I don't want my grandson to get hurt like that."

I never shared that with anyone. It was a defining moment with me and my grandma. Nobody else was there. And I knew at that point that not only had my mother told my grandmother that I was gay because I was afraid to but my grandmother accepted it just fine and was more concerned about my safety.

I left for the 18 hour drive back to Georgia at 5am the next morning. Along the way I found myself listening to HOWARD STERN on the radio. Back then he was a local NYC show that was heard in a few other cities and as I made my way south I managed to listen to Howard Stern's entire show on stations from New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC as one faded out I would find the next station. And the normally light hearted and joking show was VERY serious and talked about Matthew Shepard and the vigil that was happening and about violence against the LGBT community. It was a totally different Howard Stern than how most of us knew him. Then after his show ended at 10am as I crossed into Virginia, the radio news announced that Matthew Shepard had died.

That hit me with great anger for the rest of the day as I continued driving down I-95 and I-85 and would scan the radio for anything I could hear about what happened. But i'm driving through the bible belt of Virginia and North Carolina now and all I could hear was so-called "Christians" that were claiming Matthew Shepard was a sinner and was going to hell. It was a very long drive home while listening to that crap.

But this tragedy did do something for me. It made me stronger and less timid. Actually I think my grandmother's "approval" had something do with it. Me knowing that my mother and now grandmother was ok with me, I WAS "OK" WITH ME.

So that folks is my #FacebookRantOfTheDay remembering what happened this week 15 years ago and how it personally affected me. I lost my grandfather, the world lost Matthew Shepard and we all gained a whole new spirit of awakening. And so many of us are stronger and determined as a result.

#LGBT #EQUALITY

July One: RE-kicking off my blogging

July 1, 2013 is the official retirement date for the great blog PAM'S HOUSE BLEND, created by Pam Spaulding 9 years ago. Pam's blog became the voice representing several parts of the LGBT community. She lives in the South, is a woman of color and a lesbian in a long term relationship. Married but not legally recognized as such in the state of North Carolina where she lives. Most blogs are presented by a more privledged view of the gay white male living in an urban environment usually in the Northeast or the West coast. Often those voices express animosity toward the south and some can be downright nasty about that.

Pam's House Blend never expressed the type of snark and arrogance that often comes from our LGBT fellows in more "progressive" places. Pam's House Blend presented a clear viewpoint that represented the most diverse perspective of any of the blogs online. And early on it was an inspiration for some to start their own blog. But those of us who tried quickly learned what was required. The very things that kept Pam Spaulding very busy for nearly a decade until her health concerns forced her to retire her blog. Dedication, financial and personal sacrifice. Having a true love and passion to gather the best information that was carefully researched and presented with the best quality. Doing a blog is a huge responsibility and a tough one for many of us to hold.

I started this blog several years ago and life kicked into high gear. Personal responsibilities like work, family and health were the multiple full time jobs and suddenly this idea of blogging seemed to be another possible full time job. When would I sleep? How can I think of what to say and how to present it? All of those questions smacked me in the face and blogging for me became what it is for probably 90% of us, nothing more than an occasional diary.

Years ago I was inspired to start a blog because of Pam Spaulding and later Joe Jervis. Both are the leading bloggers in the LGBT community while totally different in approach they each provided an outlet that many of us in less "progressive" areas could discuss issues that are of concern to our lives.

There still are few voices and regions represented online in a fair and honest perspective. Many of us vent on our social network pages but we aren't documenting our concerns in a format that can more easily be distributed and archived. And I have a renewed personal interest in doing the right thing and bringing a different voice into the field. So my hope is to grow this blog into one of those voices. I want to do it the way Pam and many others did it. Start out sharing opinions, research and KNOW what you are blogging about before you post it and hope to inform and educate people. Eventually find others to help and share from their perspective, build a team.

I am no journalist and have had no training to become one. So this will be a learning as I go phase. Over time you will see improvements and I intend to work hard at making those improvements so those who read my posts will WANT to read whatever I have to say and hopefully can learn something form it. And I look forward to learn from the responses.

So this post is my official "Re-kicking" off of my blog. Only this time I'm not changing the name again or trying to come up with any theme. For now, it's just me "telling it like (I think) it is".

I thank Pam Spaulding for getting things started over the past 9 years and wish her all the best and hope for improved health and happiness. I will continue to follow her on the social networks and I will share my expressions across the social networks. I hope to grow in readership and I hope I have the strength to maintain this time.

So that's it, my rambling about my intent once again to get back into blogging, sharing information and experiences from a perspective that is not heard in the LGBT community. There will be many explanations along the way. You'll just have to stay tuned, or "subscribe" to find out.

So here's to the official RESTART, July 1, 2013, Edric Floyd begins a new phase in his online life.

It's time.

The New Normal is no more!

NBC has cancelled "The New Normal" after one season. The show depicts a gay couple and their wish to start a family so they hired a surrogate. The season and show ended with the birth of their baby boy.


The "New Normal" show told all of the gay couple/family/having a baby stories it could tell in one season. Like a Brady Bunch episode, wrapped up very quickly and in hyper stereotypical fashion. More than enough. OK!!

With the other sitcoms trying to showcase the same thing I think we have crossed that barrier now. The LGBT community has had their "Good Times", "That's My Mama", "Jeffersons" and "Sanford and Son" groundbreaking if you get the drift. DONE! And please don't expect me to watch another show just because it has a gay storyline, actor or characters...ESPECIALLY IF IT IS PRODUCED BY RYAN MURPHY or has that annoying Andrew Rannells.

I deserve a new toaster oven for watching every episode of this show! Just saying. A high end one this time! The old Black & Decker from Walmart has about run its course.

The definition of ASS: South Carolina's Congressional district 1

One of the dictionary definitions of the word ASS include "Stupid or foolish person".

Using the word in an example: "A district 1 voter in South Carolina" is an ass." Or "District 1 voters in South Carolina replaced an ass with a bigger ass."

And if they were to produce a dictionary with only photo descriptions, for the word ASS all they need is to get a photo of a voter from district 1 in South Carolina.

They have plenty of asses to choose from. They elected Mark Sanford to congress.

The former congressman turned governor who left office in disgrace after disappearing for a rendezvous with a mistress. In the few years since Mark Sanford cheated on his wife and family, he was divorced and his mistress became his fiancee. It was a bitter divorce and Mark Sanford's actions only prove that he has no moral character and is the opposite of his political cult's idea of "family values".

Anyway, a bunch of hypocrite asses voted to return him to office.

Wilcox County Georgia: integrating the prom.

On April 27th 2013 students at Wilcox County High School in Rochelle Georgia will have their first integrated prom.

Several students stood up for themselves to organize their prom after years of celebrating their rite of passage separated by race.

To note accurately. The school hasn't officially sanctioned any prom since the schools were integrated more than 30 years ago. So these parties were organized privately. But students have had enough and the publicity of their stance has led many to act in support of these students and the local school board to consider sponsoring future proms that will include everybody.

Let's wish the students of Wilcox County High all the best as they celebrate their prom this weekend. And all the best for graduation and beyond.