And no, I'm not referring to Big Brother (UK) who recently welcomed out former rugby player Garreth Thomas to the House.....

Check out this awesome story of a big brother (15-17) sticking up to his father for his little brother (~10) at a toy store.

Choice quote:

That’s when big brother stepped in. He said to his Dad “It’s my money, it’s my gift to him, if it’s what he wants I’m getting it for him, and if your gonna hit anyone for it, it’s going to be me.”

A homemade PSA for an 8th grader's school project using his very funny little brother.

Priceless. But kids.....violence is never the answer :)

This made me smile...and wish I could dance.

I've been waved at by a few bears in my time, but this takes the cake!

Be sure and check out the follwoing video, and click thru and read the Advocate article on it. Well done, Australia! And good luck with your campaign!

(h/t Ethan Hayes)

A brief video highlighting a Grade 6 U.K. class talking about what they have learned during LGBT week at their school. This is the solution to LGBT bullying in schools --- talk about LGBT people openly.

This video will make you feel better about the world.

(Updated and bumped)

by B.J. Caldwell, qlinks contributor

After seeing the first video posted below of a recent queer protest of Marcus and (US presidential hopeful)Michelle Bachmann's "pray away the gay" clinic in the US, I began to think of some other queer/queer positive acts of protest videos I had seen over the year. I have posted some of them on earlier blog posts, but I wanted to put some of them down in one place. So, enjoy:

In response to a Marcus Bachmann interview where he said that gays were barbarians in need of education and punishment, a group of protesters paid a visit to the clinic. There are a few reasons for the popularity this clinic has received: it's owned by someone running for president, it was recently discovered to have taken federal dollars which may run contrary to existing law, and many believe that Marcus may not be a Kinsey 0.

Last year, the US Supreme Court, in a widely panned 5-4 decision, changed the law to basically allow Corporations to use unlimited business funds to support candidates for election (which they can donate anonymously! Yep, no one knows . A horrible decision that gives corporations HUGE advantages in controlling elections with the sheer amount of money they possess. Target got caught donating to a homophobic bigot. The first video involves a peaceful, fun, in-store protest. The next video is a bit more guerrilla-style and does involve the s-word, so it may be NSFW.

(Caution: swear word ahead)  

Here are a bunch of signs from different rallies. Some are just hilarious shots of the signs themselves, and others involve making fun of anti-gay protesters. Warning: very funny.

                                                         And here is a very peaceful and flowerful (bad joke, I know) protest of a flower shop in New Brunswick that refused service to a same-sex couple:

If you know of any more, link to them in the comments!

UPDATE: Well, it looks like some LGBT folks made another visit to the Marcus/Michelle Bachmann "pray-away-the-gay" clinic.....and did a little flash mob/dance number in the parking lot. letting Marcus and Michelle know that they were "Born this way".:

Não Gosto dos Meninos (I Don’t Like Boys)  is a short documentary from Brazil. It recently added closed captioning, so I thought I'd share it with you. It was inspired by the It Get's Better project. [NB: If you don't speak Spanish, click on the CC button at the bottom of the player!]

A new 'webisodic documentary' by novo novus productions showcases LGBTQ homeless youth living in NY city called Fade In: inspiration in focus

The filmmakers described the project:

Fade In is a webisodic documentary series featuring inspiring stories from homeless LGBTQ youth. These 3-5 minute clips are not only designed to bring awareness to the fact that 35-40% of runaway or homeless youth in New York identify as being LGBTQ, but also to provide and promote a positive light forward for teens struggling with their identities due to personal, social, and familial factors. Each segment will be based around a different virtue (e.g. beauty, acceptance, compassion, faith) and will feature up to three youths discussing an uplifting story that relates to said virtue. Through smiles and laughter, tears and heartbreak, these touching stories shine a light on the truths of those forced to live in darkness. Hosted by the cast of Drama Queenz. 

Here is a preview, followed by the first installment released June 1st:

Preview:

Episode #1:

A great campaign from the "Belong To" Youth campaign from Ireland. And a great PSA:

We're seeing the LGBT community come together to take care of its youngest members. Not many of us had people to tell us "It gets better." But, it does -- and the next generations need to know that. And, I think the outpouring since Dan Savage launched this project shows an understanding that we have to be the support we need.

So, check out the Project, and consider sending in a video. Or at least be sure and share this channel with everyone in your life for two reasons:

1. Because you never know who may need to hear this message (kids and parents, alike)....... and

2. Because it really does get better!

If you or someone you know is struggling and you need to talk to someone, call Youthline (The Lesbian. Bi, Gay, Trans Youthline) at 1.800.268.9688 or visit them online at youthline.ca

And now, the video. Warning: I cried....especially at the end when everyone joins in. It really is a powerful message and a great use of social media.

Two drag queens from Australia (Joyce Maynge and Decoda Secret) recently organized a flash mob in Sydney Harbour. Priceless! It involves a show-down between each drag queen and her posse. It sort of reminds me of 'voguing'. If anyone isn't aware of it, there is a rich history involving queers and "voguing" (which Madonna made famous). A new form of dance that often involved competitions. If you can, check out the fascinating documentary Paris is Burning to learn more --- easily one of the best documentaries I've seen. A fascinating time in African-American queer history (RIP Willi Ninja and Octavia Saint Laurent)

The following video addresses employment and hate crimes issue for trans people in the U.S. . Many of the issues (regardless of the laws Canada has on the books) are also faced by trans Canadians. The video was produced by GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) a New England advocacy group working to end discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression.

The following video was put together in honour of the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) by gays.com:

As was posted earlier, Singapore's LGBT group (Pink Dot) held the country's first ever public rally in support of gay rights.

Here are some pictures of the event:

Here is a video of the event:

Singapore's LGBT Group (Pink Dot) is holding its first ever rally and has produced a wonderful public service announcement about LGBTQ people in Singapore. It is very moving. The rally will be held in Hong Lim Park on May 16th. The following is an excerpt from PinkDot about the organization, rally, and video: