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Skipping to the Piccolo
  • Home
  • About
    • Merchandise
    • My Coming Out Story
  • Books by David W. Shelton
    • The Rainbow Kingdom
      • Steps to Reconciliation
      • Stories of Reconciliation
    • Unification: Rise of the Thunderblade
  • Sections
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Posts / View All
  • New York City Skyline as seen from Jersey City. Photo by David W. Shelton

    Remembering the September 11, 2001 attacks

    September 12, 2019
  • Unification: Rise of the Thunderblade

    Unification: Rise of the Thunderblade

    May 8, 2019
  • Battlestar Galactica and the quest for a great story

    May 6, 2019
  • Image copyright by CBS/Paramount Pictures.

    Lessons from Star Trek are timeless

    March 9, 2019
  • Star Blazers: The power of a great story

    March 5, 2019
  • Finger pointing at viewer while holding a Bible

    “I am a Christian, therefore…”

    February 26, 2019
  • Same-sex marriage rights under attack again in Tennessee

    February 17, 2019
  • The Irony of “Keep Christ in Christmas”

    December 22, 2018
  • GLAAD poll finds LGBTQ support slipping

    January 28, 2018
  • Adam West (1928-2017)

    June 10, 2017

Activists Are Needed in Smaller Towns

By David W. Shelton On October 24, 2012 · Add Comment · In Gay Rights
Not too long ago, someone asked me why I didn't move away from Clarksville, TN and go to some place more "accepting" for gays — like California, New York, or someplace like that. After all, there's still quite a bit of resistance in this area for someone who's openly gay. I've had this question posed to me by both friends and members of my family. In fact, I was told a few months ago that certain people in the community still tell others to not do business with me because I'm gay. Why would I continue to subject myself to such petty, blatant, rank discrimination (especially from people who were the object of similar discriminatory practices fifty years ago)? Simple: Because running from injustice and bigotry only encourages it.
Read More »
Finger pointing at viewer while holding a Bible

Hold “Christian” Liars Accountable with the Truth

By David W. Shelton On August 12, 2012 · 13 Comments · In Christianity, Hate Groups
Karl Marx was famous for saying that “politics is war without blood. War is politics with blood.” Over the years, we’ve come to expect a great many things from our politicians. We know they’ll lie, twist, connive, deceive, and kiss as many babies as necessary in order to win that next election. We’re no longer surprised when we hear of particular candidate’s indiscretion or some outright lie they’ve told. It’s all part of the political game. Lies — they are the language of hate. They are the greatest weapon in the war of politics. But why, then, should we expect this kind of behavior from religious groups?
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What They Really Mean when They Demand “Neutrality” in the Culture War

By David W. Shelton On May 21, 2012 · 5 Comments · In Hate Groups, podcast
As history continues its very deliberate march toward equality, those who stand in opposition are becoming more vocal — and more outlandish. These groups, most of them certified as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, are actively engaged in some of the most vitriolic bile that’s ever seen print (or pixel). They’ve realized at this point that finding allies in their “culture war” is a fruitless endeavor. So now, they just want the rest of society to be neutral. However, what they call “neutrality” reveals just how black, how vile, and how truly evil their agenda really is.
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Day of Silence Gets Anything but the Silent Treatment

By David W. Shelton On April 18, 2012 · 1 Comment · In Gay Rights, Hate Groups, Politics
Day of Silence, a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), remains one of the most powerful messages against the kind of bullying that is directed at LGBT kids across the country. Its message is simple: Be silent to end the silence that bullied kids get from school administration and community leaders regarding their plight. The event has garnered significant opposition over the past 16 years, including psudo-religious groups who are particularly miffed over “politicizing” our schools.
Read More »

Tennessee Congresswoman Appears on Hate Group Radio Show

By David W. Shelton On February 25, 2012 · 5 Comments · In Hate Groups, Politics
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn not only appeared on a radio show run by a SPLC-certified hate group, but was "thankful" for that appearance.

Blackburn, who voted to oppose the payroll tax holiday, and has made an asinine issue of incandescent light bulbs, showed that her bulb was clearly dimmed when she appeared on "FRC Radio" with AFA leader "Time Wildmon" (sic) and FRC president Tony Perkins. Both organizations are listed as hate groups because of their frequent dispensation of known falsehoods.
Read More »

Who is oppressing whom?

By David W. Shelton On December 31, 2011 · Add Comment · In Gay Rights, Hate Groups, Politics
Who are the real villains in the battle between gays and the religious right?
Read More »

Gay health improved by pro-gay marriage laws; wingnut heads explode

By David W. Shelton On December 17, 2011 · Add Comment · In Gay Rights, Hate Groups
A new study has shown what “religious right” people have feared all along: That gays live longer, healthier lives when they’re married. A study released by the American Journal of Public Health has revealed that gay men who are legally married show a significant reduction in the amount of health services they use. The research [...]
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Enough with the lies already!

By David W. Shelton On October 2, 2008 · 2 Comments · In Gay Rights, Hate Groups
Some of the meanest, most belligerent, rude, hateful, and lying people I’ve ever met are in Church. Got your attention? Good. Now, the question is whether I’m talking about you or some distant, uptight church lady who blathers on about whether or not the devil is behind the latest fashion trend. Sure, a lot of [...]
Read More »
 
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  • About Skipping to the Piccolo

    David W. Shelton is a writer, graphic designer, activist, and business owner. He currently lives in Clarksville, TN, and has had works appear in The Leaf-Chronicle, The Advocate, The Tennessean, and Impact Magazine.
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