I watched All Aboard! Rosie’s Family Cruise as a fan who has missed Rosie O’Donnell being on television. I’m not really sure what I expected. When I heard about the show, I didn’t get why there had to be something for just gays. It felt like they were separating themselves into a “them” and “us,” but when the show was over, I totally understood.
I should start by explaining I really didn’t know about homosexuals until I was in high school. I watched a 60 Minutes special and walked away with the impression all gay people lived in San Francisco. They referred to that city as the gay capital. What can I say? I wasn’t the brightest back then. Plus I thought only men were homosexuals. I was in my early twenties by the time I met a lesbian.
So it’s pretty obvious I lived in a bubble. But I got older and met more and more people, I now have friends who are gay. I didn’t get the big deal or understand why people who call themselves Christian ,would terrorize homosexuals. I read the bible cover to cover and the biggest lesson to be learned in those pages, is God is the sole judge over us. We are not allowed to judge each other. So bible thumping in the name of God is actually going against God.
So back to the show, I have to admit it was odd watching same sexed couples kissing. Again, I live in a bubble so I’ve never seen that happen in person. But you know what? The love these couples have for each other isn’t any different from the love of heterosexual couples. The couples with kids, the bond almost seems stronger because of the prejudice they face on a daily basis.
The cruise stopped off in the Bahamas. That was terrifying to watch: little kids with their families walking, and adult so-called Christians screaming at them – the protestors screaming and shaking the bible in the air. They looked insane. I applaud the families who walked past this mob of hate. I was safely in my home and it scared me. Those so-called Christians should be deeply ashamed of themselves. They looked and acted evil.
There were two commitment ceremonies, one male and one female couple; and another two couples wanting to have children. The males offering to help the females achieve their dream of having a family. I found myself wishing that both the male and the female couples end up having kids. They seem to be filled with so much love, and any baby would be lucky to be their child.
So in the end, I got to watch Rosie again; but instead of just entertaining me, she taught me something. First, I have to adjust to real life and get over seeing same sex couples kiss; people who love each other should be able to show it. And most importantly, I understand why events aimed at gays are needed. Until the teens told their stories on the show, I didn’t realize that gays dealt with hate on an almost daily basis.
So I think it’s great that Ro and Kelly put this cruise together. Everyone has a right to feel safe. It’s so sad that for some folks this feeling is only experienced for a couple of weeks on a boat. I’m sure Kelly and Rosie make God smile. I believe God is all about love and that is obviously what their cruises are about – simply love.
By: Ruthie, http://blogcritics.org
Ruthie is a celebrity webmaster and a freelance writer. She spends her free time contemplating the meaning of life while watching the grass grow from her sofa on the front lawn.
