The Making Of ‘A Better Life’ – A Coming Out Story
I always wanted to be a professional singer. In fact, when I was four years old my parents would ask me a question and I would sing them an answer.  The arts are just in my blood.  But during my teenage years I found that the conservative Christian upbringing I had told me there was something broken about me.  Maybe it was shame, maybe fear, I’m not sure, but the burden of being gay pushed me into Music Ministry work instead of following my dreams.  I felt like I had to pay some penance for my “sin†and shame.
I went to college, got a music degree, and was immediately working full time in the church.  I poured my shame and my guilt into my work.  Every day I would wake up and beg God to free me from this burden before I got caught and lost everything.  I felt like a fugitive living in the enemy’s camp.
I never knew who told the pastor or what happened exactly.  What I do know is that I walked into a regular staff meeting on a Monday evening and it was just the pastor, the head deacon, and myself.  What followed was an interrogation that eventually led to one question: Am I gay?  It’s amazing how life can sometimes balance on such a small point.  I knew the ramifications of my actions but I couldn’t live with this secret pain any longer.  In a small, timid voice I said, “yes, I’m gayâ€, forever changing the course of my life.
It was then I had to tell my parents.  I thought it was better for them to hear it from me than from someone else.  My father asked the normal questions: “Why choose this lifestyle?â€, “Don’t you realize it’s an abomination to everything God is?â€, and all I could say was, “I’m tired of fighting who I amâ€.  My father said at that point that he could not condone me living this way in his home.  He asked me to leave and not come back until I had a change of heart.  For the first time in my life I had stood my ground as a gay person in the midst of an ultra conservative world of repression and guilt about sexuality.  I had risen above the waters and finally was honest with who I really am.  But life is tradeoffs and in the process I lost everything that I had worked so hard for.  I lost my career as a Music Minister, I lost my family, and, at the time, I lost myself. At this point I felt abandoned without a direction to go, slowly seeing my life fade away without purpose.  Finding I was still alive and the sky had not fallen I began to build a new life from the ashes.  I’ve learned that when you come to the place where everything you know is lost, it’s there you can begin to build a new foundation.
 It was during this time that I struggled with my faith.  How could I accept a God who so clearly hated me?  What kind of God was willing to make my parents turn away from me in disgust and my employers fire me without recourse?  I had believed the lies that I was broken for so long I finally realized how much they had taken ahold in my life.  It took years for me to not only say I’m gay, but also to accept that is how God created me.  I noticed many people in the gay community that are burned by the church so badly that they never pursue the idea of faith, in any form, ever again.  I made it a personal mission to not let my spirituality be defined by the choices of others.  I’m not saying I have it all figured out, I still question everyday, but I don’t let my homosexuality come between myself and a relationship with God.
Eventually, in spite of being gay, I began to work at a church again part time and begin to heal the wounds.  Over and over I would ask my father to come and see me lead worship again at a church and see how I’m affecting lives in spite of being gay.  He always said he couldn’t because he had obligations at his own church.  Until one day he mentioned that he was going to miss church to work on a Sunday morning because of the workload at the time.  I said, “You would miss church to work but you won’t miss to see your son?†and I walked out.  It was in this moment that he realized I was walking out the door and never coming back.  His second and possibly last chance at reconciliation with his son was gone.  He finally understood that it was his bigotry, his societal perception, which made him so antagonistic against gay people.  Not his religious beliefs.  He finally understood what it meant to unconditionally love people.
 My dad ran me down and we talked for over an hour in the doorway of the building he worked in.  It was over the next hour and a half in that doorway that we would begin to mend a relationship broken by years of shame, judgment and misunderstanding.  Since then we have bonded more than we ever thought possible.
In my hour of greatest need I felt I had nowhere to turn; all too often this is the case for LGBT people and their families. It was my realization of this – that I was not alone in my struggle – that inspired me to take action. Â I decided to make a feature film to talk about this unique take on a coming of age story. The process of making this movie has brought my father and I even closer together over the last year. to the point where he is a third owner of my film company.
A Better Life depicts the fallout of these events through a fictional narrative inspired by my real life experiences. The film’s message is that “It’s not the adversities we face in life, it’s how we respond to them that makes us who we areâ€.  It’s a character-driven film that does not shy away from the ugliness of the situation, but also serves to shine a light on the beauty that can be found in even the darkest times.  With constant reminders of the horrible things being done to gay people around the world in places like Russia and Uganda, it is important to me that this film expresses the possibility of grace and redemption.
The target date for the release of A Better Life is December 2015, but I need all the support I can get. My story isn’t just something I’ve experienced. You may very well know someone who has been through the same things or maybe you have been through these trials yourself. This is our opportunity to make a difference. I invite you to visit our website and consider joining the project.
 I know what it is like to live without hope, and I would never wish that on anyone.  My story isn’t just something I’ve experienced and I feel like It’s my opportunity to make a difference. To show the world what unconditional love truly is. If nothing else, by seeing this movie I hope that a teenage LGBT person can come to know that they are not alone and that there are people who can help them along this journey. As my dad said recently, “If I can change, the world can change.â€
Matt is originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee and moved to Winter Park, Florida to pursue a secondary bachelor’s degree in Film at Full Sail University. In spring 2014 Matt was accepted into the American Film Institute Conservatory’s Masters of Cinematography program; he will begin school there fall 2014.  Matt has been involved with multiple aspects of the media industry including radio production, video and print mass media creation for churches, cinematic and commercial film work, and producing both weekly live production as well as larger dramatic productions in area churches. He also works as a professional singer at local area events and churches.
While attending Full Sail University, Matt worked on many short and feature length films and is an aspiring Cinematographer. From his learning experience at Full Sail University he is now a working Director of Photography in the Orlando area.
You can contact Matt at bridgethedivide@gmail.com
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U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, Republican of Georgia, is under fire after praising University of Mississippi students, some wearing American flag outfits, mocking a Black woman protester by making monkey sounds and shouting, “lock her up.”
“Counter-protestors at the University of Mississippi made racist remarks — including monkey noises and comparisons to Lizzo — towards a Black woman who was part of a planned protest against the war in Gaza,” Los Angeles Magazine reported Friday.
Collins, who tried to defund Vice President Kamala Harris’ Office in November, declared his support for the counter-protesters at “Ole Miss,” as the University is called.
“Ole Miss taking care of business,” he wrote on social media, atop the video (below).
The counter-protesters, as evidenced in the video, appear to be mostly white.
A large number of users on the social media platform X responded, accusing the Congressman and the counter-protesters of racism.
“When is the inevitable ‘I don’t have a racist bone in my body’ tweet coming,” wondered Rewire News Group editor-at-large Imani Gandy.
“Which part is your favorite, Mike?” asked Fred Wellman, the former executive director of The Lincoln Project. “Is it the white kid acting like a monkey at the black woman or the white security guy acting like she’s a threat? I’m trying to figure out which flavor of racism has you all excited the most?”
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Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic clinical instructor Alejandra Caraballo responded to the Georgia GOP congressman, “Thanks for confirming you’re a massive racist piece of sh*t.”
Mississippi Free Press news editor Ashton Pittman wrote: “Rep. Mike Collins, R-Georgia, praises a video showing a University of Mississippi frat boy dancing like a monkey and making monkey noises near a Black woman student who was protesting for Palestine while other frat boys chant ‘lock her up.'”
In a separate post describing a separate video taken of the same group Pittman wrote: “Frat bros at @OleMiss chant, ‘Lizzo! Lizzo!’ and shout, ‘F**k you fatass, f**k you b*tch’ at a Black woman who was protesting for Palestine. Do people really think these counterprotestors are doing it to support Jews?”
Journalist John Harwood did not mince words, writing, “Congressman proud of the racism.”
“Okay, Mike. We get it,” wrote podcast host, documentary director, and author W. Kamau Bell. “You want to be famous for being a racist. Fine. I’ll help you become a famous racist. You’re welcome.”
The original video is here.
See Rep. Collins’ post and the video below or at this link.
Caution: the video is disturbing.
Ole Miss taking care of business. pic.twitter.com/JiL9hs2pHz
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 3, 2024
READ MORE: Noem Heads to Mar-a-Lago After Branding Kids She Ministered in Church ‘Little Tyrants’
Amid more damning revelations from her soon-to-be released book, embattled South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem will head to Mar-a-Lago this weekend as ex-president Donald Trump auditions potential vice presidential picks in front of high-dollar donors. Noem was also slated to attend a Republican fundraiser in Colorado this weekend but it was canceled over alleged safety concerns after news broke she had bragged about shooting her 14-month old dog.
While Noem’s shooting to death of her wirehaired pointer, Cricket, which she detailed in the book, is still making headlines overnight a new revelation made news: Noem falsely claims in her book she met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
A spokesperson for Noem “seemed to concede that the Kim story was false Thursday night,” and notified her publisher, Politico’s Ryan Lizza reported in his exclusive.
But less noticed appears to be the actual text of Noem’s false story, in which she brands children she ministered in church “little tyrants,” and compared them to the murderous North Korean dictator.
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“Through my tenure on the House Armed Services Committee,” Noem wrote, according to Politico, “I had the chance to travel to many countries to meet with world leaders. I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all).”
CNBC reported this week Trump “will mingle with potential vice presidential running mates and wealthy Republican donors at the Republican National Committee’s spring donor retreat. The meetings are likely to act as informal tryouts for a short list of politicos in the running to join the Trump ticket.”
The list of Republican “special guests” includes U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, and J.D. Vance, Rep. Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
Also expected to attend are House Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and Wesley Hunt of Texas, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and other elected Republicans along with RNC co-chair Lara Trump.
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NBC News, which says Rep. Donalds is also under consideration, on Friday added there will be “a fundraising retreat that could serve as a screening session” for potential vice presidential running mates.
Meanwhile, the Jefferson County, Colorado Republican Party chair announced a fundraising dinner Noem was slated to attend was canceled after threats were made, The Denver Post reports.
“We understood there was a planned organized protest outside of the hotel, led by Progress Now,” Nancy Pallozzi said. “I felt that our event would be negatively impacted, and we could not take the risk that those who made threats would cause physical harm.”
Over the weekend independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke at a fundraiser for a far-right anti-government group in Erie County, New York – a slice of the country that had a large proportion of residents arrested and charged for crimes related to the January 6 insurrection. Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist and vaccine denialist, increasingly is embracing the far-right.
“That group, Constitutional Coalition of New York State, has founders who not only have ties to Donald Trump but are also connected to the stop-the-steal movement through their activist network, which includes groups that had a presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6,” The Daily Beast reported Friday. “It’s yet another instance of Kennedy—who is mounting one of the most well-funded third-party presidential threats in decades—serving as a peculiar bridge between his own anti-establishment movement and Trump’s.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center includes the Constitutional Coalition of New York State (CCNYS) on its page of anti-government groups. Political Research Associates, which detailed the high proportion of January 6 residents arrested and charged, included the Constitutional Coalition of New York State in its February report on “The Rise of the Far Right in Western New York.”
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“If you don’t think the government is lying to you, you’re not paying attention,” Kennedy told attendees at the CCNYS fundraiser, The Buffalo News reports.
“CCNYS founders Nick and Nancie Orticelli are also affiliated with the Watchmen, a nearby militia who Nick has encouraged his social media followers to join. The Watchmen had several members at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and one member, Pete Harding, is still facing charges for violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” The Daily Beast noted. “Nancie Orticelli has also hosted the Watchmen’s founder, Charles Pellien, on her weekly radio show on several occasions.”
One of Kennedy’s goals in traveling to New York was to get on the ballot for the November presidential election. Various polls show him taking votes from both President Joe Biden and ex-president Donald Trump, but Kennedy currently has only qualified to be on the ballot in three states, Utah, Michigan and Hawaii, the newspaper reported.
But The Washington Post on Thursday reported The American Independent Party of California, which has a history of “far-right ties,” and “backed segregationist and former Alabama governor George Wallace in 1968, nominated Kennedy for president.”
Kennedy “said this week that he has qualified to be on the ballot in California and will accept the nomination of the American Independent Party, which has a history of associating itself with far-right figures and individuals who have expressed racist views.”
Some news reports and RFK Jr. himself say the Trump campaign was actively courting Kennedy, attempting to convince him to consider being the ex-president’s 2024 vice presidential running mate.
“That MAGA dalliance with Kennedy could be coming back to bite the Trump campaign, some Republicans close to the former president worry,” The Daily Beast also reported.
“’They can only blame themselves,’ a Trump-aligned strategist told The Daily Beast, requesting anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations about the risk Kennedy poses, ‘because they cozied up to him and thought it was funny.’”
Watch WIVBTV’s report on Kennedy’s trip to New York below or at this link.
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Congressman Pummeled for Praising Students Mocking Black Protester With Monkey Sounds
Noem Heads to Mar-a-Lago After Branding Kids She Ministered in Church ‘Little Tyrants’
RFK Jr., Embracing Far-Right, Spoke at Fundraiser for Anti-Government Group With J6 Ties
Election Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report
Trump Won’t Commit to Accepting Election Results if He Doesn’t Win State He Falsely Claims He Won
News2 days agoCongressman Pummeled for Praising Students Mocking Black Protester With Monkey Sounds
News3 days agoElection Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report
News2 days agoNoem Heads to Mar-a-Lago After Branding Kids She Ministered in Church ‘Little Tyrants’
News2 days agoRFK Jr., Embracing Far-Right, Spoke at Fundraiser for Anti-Government Group With J6 Ties