Celebrate Pride Month with my book: Kindred Spirits: How a Medium Befriended a Spirit

 June is National Pride month, and we celebrate the diversity of the LGBT community. One of my books, "Kindred Spirits," is about how the spirit of a gay man has come through to me for the last 18 years and I've actually befriended him (SEE the Amazing Video Trailer below in this blog). The book examines the amazing signs he's given to prove he's around, sent a look-alike to save us from being lost in England, and helped solve the mystery around his own death... plus more!  There's also a Kindred Spirits 2 in the works. Today's blog will show you the amazing book trailer, and give a summary of the book. 

ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Spirits-Spirit-Befriended-Medium/dp/1081229837/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

   

ABOUT THE BOOK:  It's uncommon for a medium really get know a spirit so well that the living person considers the spirit a best friend. But that's exactly what happened to medium and paranormal investigator Rob Gutro. When Rob met his partner Tom in 2005, Ed's spirit came along for the ride. Rob never knew Ed in life, but Tom did. Now, Ed often communicates to Rob and has revealed his sense of humor, his heart, and helped solved the mystery of his passing. Ed's "Spirit Treasure Hunt" showed his family he's with them, too. Ed even sent a look-alike to rescue Rob during a vacation in England.As you read about this special spirit named Ed and his sometimes funny communications, you'll learn signs your loved ones send. This book will teach you how to be more aware of messages from your loved ones in spirit. "Being a friend with Ed in spirit is like having a friend who lives in another state" - Author Rob Gutro describing his relationship with Ed's spirit.

Proud Boys disrupt Pride event at Wilmington, NC library

 Hate groups have been empowered since 2016, and now they are attacking LGBTQ Pride Events around the country. 

   In Idaho last month, a group of fully armed right-wing Proud Boys showed up in tactical gear with the intent to cause harm or likely deaths at a Pride Event. Fortunately, the local police moved in and arrested them. 

    Now, at a Library in North Carolina, Proud Boys showed up at a Library Event for Pride Month, shouting obscenities and threatening. Of course, the North Carolina Sheriff's office said "There was no disturbance" - WHY? Because they're obviously right-wingers who agree with promoting hatred. All of them need to be held accountable. When is this going to be wrong again? Here's the story of the Library event

Proud Boys disrupt Pride event at Wilmington library 

Updated June 23, 2022 5:55 a.m. EDT WECT -TV

WILMINGTON, N.C. — A Wilmington library that was celebrating Pride month with a reading was disrupted by Proud Boy demonstrators Tuesday.

The Southern Poverty Law Group has designated the Proud Boys as far-right extremists and a hate group.

Some of the families in the library said they were frightened by the protest.

"I definitely felt very unsafe, though," said Emily Jones.

A Pride story-time event at Pine Valley Library on Tuesday started peacefully. But parents said it quickly turned chaotic and filled them with fear when a handful of Proud Boys showed up in the window of their event room.

"They're doing that on purpose, for sure, to intimidate people," said Jones.

Jones was inside with her 1-year-old daughter. She said she takes her daughter to the story-time events often and was especially excited for this one, but her excitement quickly turned to panic.

"When a group of known violent people ... at that point, when those people show up, and they're coming into the library and trying to disrupt the story time, that's when I felt unsafe," said Jones.

The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office had deputies at the event to prevent the Proud Boys from entering the room.

Angie Kahney was in the hallway when the demonstrators walked in. She said the group was loud and disruptive.

But in a statement, the sheriff's office said there was no disturbance.

"They were yelling obscenities about how their tax money was being spent on pornography and drag queens. There was shouting. It was loud — their attempt was to intimidate and create a disruption, and that's exactly what they did," said Kahney. "They definitely disturbed us," said Jones.

The sheriff's office said because it's a public place, there was no need for the Proud Boys to be removed. The sheriff's office declined an on-camera interview with WECT, but did release a statement from Sheriff Ed McMahon saying he "took an oath not to uphold opinions but to uphold the law, which is exactly what my supervisors and deputies did."

The Wilmington library said they were aware the Pride reading might create some controversy. Librarians coordinated with the sheriff's office in advance and brought additional staff and volunteers to help.

From History.com: The Revolutionary War Hero Who Was Openly Gay

 Here's some history that I never learned in school, and I bet you never did either. This man, who was openly gay during the Revolutionary War, helped turned things around for General Washington and America's fight for independence.  Here's the story from HISTORY.COM>>

(Image: Baron Fredrich von Steuben. Credit: Battlefields.org) 

The Revolutionary War Hero Who Was Openly Gay 

Baron Friedrich von Steuben was known for his bravery and the discipline and grit he brought to the American troops. 

ERIN BLAKEMORE HISTORY.COM" UPDATED:FEB 6, 2020

Gay men have always been part of the American military. In an era before gay marriage or open pride, military men fell in love, formed passionate friendships and had same-sex encounters. Due to social and official discrimination, though, most of their stories have gone untold. But in the case of one of the military’s founding heroes, homosexuality was always part of the story.

Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian military man hired by George Washington to whip the Continental Army into shape during the darkest days of the Revolutionary War, is known for his bravery and the discipline and grit he brought to the American troops. Historians also think he was homosexual—and served as an openly gay man in the military at a time when sex between men was punished as a crime.

“Though his name is little known among Americans today,” writes Erick Trickey for Smithsonian, “every U.S. soldier is indebted to von Steuben—he created America’s professional army.”

It wasn’t easy: Three years into the Revolutionary War, the army was low on discipline, morale and even food. With his strict drills, showy presence and shrewd eye for military strategy, he helped turn them into a military powerhouse.

Benjamin Franklin, who recommended von Steuben to Washington, played up his qualifications. He also downplayed rumors that the baron had been dismissed from the Prussian military for homosexuality. Von Steuben joined the military when he was 17 and had become Frederick the Great’s personal aide, but despite a seemingly promising career he was abruptly dismissed in 1763. Later in life, he wrote about an “implacable enemy” who had apparently led to his firing, but historians are unsure of the exact circumstances of the dismissal.

After being fired, von Steuben bounced from job to job. He was unimpressed by Franklin’s suggestion that he volunteer to help the American army, and tried instead to get another military job in the court at Baden. But his application was tanked when an anonymous letter accused him of having “taken familiarities” with young boys.

As historian William E. Benemann notes, there’s no historical evidence that von Steuben was a pedophile. But he was gay, and homosexuality was viewed as a criminal aberration by many of his peers. “Rather than stay and provide a defense, rather than call upon his friends…to vouch for his reputation, von Steuben chose to flee his homeland,” writes Benemann.

Franklin likely knew of the rumors and the reason that von Steuben suddenly accepted an offer he’d turned down so recently. But he didn’t see von Steuben’s private life as relevant to his military qualifications. Neither did George Washington, who knew of the accusations but welcomed von Steuben to his camp and assigned Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens—both of whom were involved in what some historians have dubbed a “romantic friendship”—as his aides.

Washington approved of von Steuben. “He appears to be much of a gentleman,” he wrote when the baron arrived at camp, “and as far as I have had an opportunity of judging, a man of military knowledge, and acquainted with the world.”

When von Steuben arrived in camp, he was appalled by the conditions the soldiers had been fighting under, and immediately set to work drilling soldiers with strict Prussian techniques. He was a strict drillmaster, but he also socialized with the troops. One of his aides, Pierre-Étienne Du Ponceau, recalls a particularly wild party given at Valley Forge. “His aides invited a number of young officers to dine at our quarters,” he wrote, “on condition that none should be admitted, that had on a whole pair of breeches.” The men dined in torn clothing and, he implied, no clothing at all.

Von Steuben didn’t just throw sexually charged parties: He also formed intense relationships with other men. He became close to William North and Benjamin Walker, aides-de-camp who seem to have been involved in their own romantic relationship, and lived with them for two years in camp. It’s likely that von Steuben became romantically and sexually involved with North, though it’s not clear how close he was to Walker.

Meanwhile, von Steuben proved himself a heroic addition to the army. As Inspector General, he taught the army more efficient fighting techniques and helped instill the discipline they so sorely needed. It worked, and the drill manual he wrote for the army is still partially in use today. The drillmaster quickly became one of Washington’s most trusted advisors, eventually serving as his chief of staff. He is now considered instrumental in helping the Americans win the Revolutionary War.

When the war ended, Baron von Steuben was granted U.S. citizenship and moved to New York with North and Walker. “We love him,” North wrote, “and he deserves it for he loves us tenderly.”

After the war, von Steuben legally adopted both men—a common practice among gay men in an age before same-sex marriage was legal. They lived together, managed his precarious finances and inherited his estate when he died in 1794. John Mulligan, who was also gay, served as von Steuben’s secretary and is thought to have had a relationship with the baron. When von Steuben died, he inherited his library and some money.

During von Steuben’s lifetime, the concept of gay marriage, gay pride or coming out was unthinkable and there was no language or open culture of homosexuality. But historical homosexual relationships were actually common.

That doesn’t mean being gay was condoned: Sodomy was a crime in colonial America. But romantic relationships between men were widely tolerated until the 19th century, and only in the early 20th century did the U.S. military begin officially discriminating against people suspected to be gay.

Von Steuben may have been one of early America’s most open LGBT figures, but he was hardly the only man whose love of other men was well known. And though he was to have helped save the American army, his contribution is largely forgotten today.