(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) REACHING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN!

(August 15, 2012 Orlando, FL) On Saturday, August 18 at 6 PM all are welcome to walk into the Atlantic Ocean with cross-country equality walker Alan Bounville. This is a major milestone for this 6,000-mile walk from Seattle to Washington DC. On this day, 4,000 miles into the journey, the walk will have completed traversing the continent from the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Northwest to the Atlantic Ocean in the Southeast. Bounville has walked every step across the continent as an out, gay man with rainbow-colored “FULL EQUALITY NOW!” signs attached to a walking cart. While walking, Bounville has shared with countless people the demand for full equality based on one’s perceived or actual gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) Chick-fil-A: I’m Alive BECAUSE My Parents Divorced!

by Alan Bounville

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) KK is OK?: Weber State University’s Discriminatory Internet Censorship!

Dear President F. Ann Millner,

On July 27 & 28 I presented a series of workshops at the Northern Utah LGBTQ Youth Summit organized by OUTReach Resource Center and hosted by Weber State University. Upon arriving at the university, I was struck with the beauty of the campus and surrounding mountainous scenery. WSU is a modern-looking, technologically equipped setting that seemed perfect for this conference. Over these two days we were discussing the myriad needs and issues of Ogden and this nation’s transgender, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer and questioning youth and their families and allies. And the hundreds of us who were gathered share a common purpose and mission – to save the lives of these young people and make the world a better, fairer, more equal place for them, their families, and us all.

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) Ryan’s Smile!

by Alan Bounville

Lying in the same bed in which Ryan used to sleep, reading his story in the book Unfinished Lives by Steve Sprinkle. Thanks Lynn for handing me the book this evening. The last time I was handed the book in Salt Lake City by Marian, one of my hosts there, I wasn’t quite ready to read Steve’s account of everything. Pat and Lynn – you’re Ryan was a beautiful man. I kept smiling every time Steve talked about the way Ryan lit up a room. That’s what I remember the most about Ryan from our brief encounter. That smile. What a gift to the world.

If you haven’t yet read this book, I strongly urge everyone to do so.

LINK TO GET BOOK

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) Hey, Homo!

by Alan Bounville

“What you doing homo?” A few minutes prior the final measure of twilight had passed. I was now cloaked by darkness as I walked on Highway 19 about ten miles north of Inglis, FL. There’s nothing out here. I was just about to set up my tent somewhere along the side of the road on this muggy July night in rural Florida when the man in the dark truck yelled these words at me. He couldn’t have seen my rainbow Full Equality NOW! signs, I thought. I was walking against traffic, as I’ve done since the police officer in central Texas stopped me to inform me that pedestrians are to walk so they can see what is coming towards them. Up to that point I was walking with traffic at my back. 2,600 miles not knowing what was coming towards me! Well, I knew now what was approaching and I didn’t like it at all.

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) Masturbation Memories, Debby and Alligator at the Rancho Inn!

by Alan Bounville

I sit at the Commodore 64 and write, “God, please forgive me of my sins. I pray you give me a new virginity. I don’t want to masturbate thinking of boys anymore. I don’t want to go to hell and suffer in the fiery lake where you send people…like me. I mean, people like that. I am not that. Actually, I don’t want to masturbate at all any more! I know masturbation itself is a sin!” I am thirteen, the time when the christian guilt inculcated into my soul from birth destroyed any hope of sexual normalcy for the remaining years of my childhood.

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) People Who Host Me!

by Alan Bounville 

As always, a work in progress…
The unemployed or under employed.
The employed. The nicely employed.
The painter or preacher or pot smoker.
The disabled and abled.

The politically engaged and the apolitical.

The family of six with seven soon on the way or the family of two with one ready to burst onto the scene.

Feeding me with food stamp food or with donated food from the food bank.
Cooking up scrumptious feasts!

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) One Year Walking!

Leaving MK's in Seattle, June 2011

by Alan Bounville

June 1st marked the one year anniversary of this walk! I can’t believe I’ve been walking this long! Thank you to everyone who as helped me get this far! Also, take a look at some excerpts from me performing When People Lead in different places while I’ve been walking across the country. Enjoy!

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) Whirlwind day in Jackson, Mississippi!

by Alan Bounville

Social Movement & Civil Disobedience Workshop - Jackson, MS

MEDIA VIDEO LINK

Click on link above – What a great 24 hours in Jackson, MS! I had no idea the media was filming the walk signs. (I used them as my protest signs at the rally.)

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) Walking into the Gulf of Mexico!

by Alan Bounville

An AMAZING day to finally walk into the Gulf of Mexico! I can’t believe I’ve walked step by step from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf! Each day I realize that what drives me to continue this journey is something much greater than myself – the yearning for FULL EQUALITY NOW is my motivation. The people I meet who share that passion are my motivation. The stories I hear each step of the way – stories of discrimination, loss, hope – are my motivation. And thank you Shanna Yarbrough for sharing this special day with me!

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) Day of Shame!

This photo and this day reminds me of the shame I feel of my mother, step-father, cousins, aunts, uncles and all of those in and out of my life who either support marriage discrimination or stay silent during this time of immense struggle, not only for marriage equality, but full equality for people like me.

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) Writing Haiku at a Circle K!

by Alan Bounville

Benjamin and Jessi (my hosts in Baton Rouge) let me borrow a book titled, For All My Walking, Free-Verse Haiku of Taneda Santoka. While waiting for Jessi to pick me up today after walking about eight miles for equality, I sat and read a bit of the book. While sitting there I was inspired to write a few free-verse haiku of my own.

Here they are:

taneda’s haiku
under a circle k sign
i’m hungry need shoes
my ego I hear
when I walk it gets so loud
loud too when I’m still
the arc of his’try
it sure as hell can be long
justice is one end
i’m a bricoleur
maybe because I’m mobile
or because of fear

(Into the Light Walk) Leaving Texas!

by Alan Bounville

The time has come to say goodbye to Texas and hello to Louisiana! Here are photos and captions from Austin, TX to the Louisiana border. It’s sad and exciting to be leaving Texas.

Sad because I keep meeting such wonderful, supportive people to whom I must say ‘goodbye’.

Sad because there were so many people in Texas who we’ve lost due to TBLG related hate. (More vigil videos from San Antonio and Austin will be uploaded soon.)
Sad because I’m now just about at the halfway mark in this 6,000 mile trek.

Exciting because after about five months of being in Texas I’m finally in a new state.
Exciting because things are getting greener and wetter – both things I’ve missed.
Exciting because I’m now just about at the halfway mark in this 6,000 mile trek.
Enjoy! And as always – thank you everyone who helps keep me walking!

(Into the Light Walk) Into the Light Walk Reaches the Gulf of Mexico!

 

by Alan Bounville

Almost 3,000 miles since stepping off in Seattle, I’ve made it to the gulf waters! The journey has been a roller coaster of emotions and physical states of being. And each day brings with it the magic of the unexpected.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who has helped me get further down the road so I can continue sharing the demand for full equality for TBLG folks. Each person we talk to about why we need full equality is another potential ally. Each closeted TBLG person we encourage to step out of the shadows is a potential life ripe for transformation. Together, we are changing the world, one step at a time.

Into the light we go!

(Into the Light Walk) Reflection: A Short Story on a Long Journey!

by Alan Bounville

Each day that I walk thousands of steps for gender and sexual orientation equality – I think. That’s millions upon millions of steps so far – thinking. Sometimes I think about what’s around me – the scenery, the weather above me, the cars whizzing by. ‘Am I as far off of the road as possible?’ ‘What’s that new plant I see over there?’ ‘What smells like death? Oh, that would be a dead animal in the brush.’ And a lot of the time I think about my past, my childhood mostly. Growing up I presented myself as open, gregarious, and affable. I tried to make people laugh because it made me feel accepted. And acceptance meant the world to me.

(INTO THE LIGHT WALK) March on for Equality!

by Alan Bounville
 
7 Vigils, 2 Workshops, 2 Performances, 1 Print News Article, Active Virtual Presence, Countless conversations about equality over hundreds of miles

Just a bit of the intentional activity in which I’ve engaged while walking across Texas…so far. Unless you are new to learning about the Into the Light Walk, you probably know that while I’ve been walking 6,000 miles from Seattle to Washington DC I perform solo plays encouraging people to become active in the shaping of our society, I facilitate social change and Theatre of the Oppressed workshops, and I hold vigils at some of the countless places where people have been murdered or have taken their own lives due to hate based on victim’s perceived or actual gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. I look at this work as what I can do at this point in my to make the world a better, more equal place.

(Into the Light Walk) Lost in Texas!

My Lubbock, TX host, David Liles

by Alan Bounville

It’s hard to believe I’ve been in Texas so long! Since early December I’ve made my way step-by-step through this vast state! I’ve been freezing, drenched, made to scream at the nagging 25+ mile an hour persistent wind, exhausted by the never ending distances between towns – and enriched every step of the way by the wonderful people I’ve met here. This is a long photo/caption post. But hopefully you will enjoy it. The post starts outside of Lubbock, TX and goes through my final days in Austin, TX. For the next post I will pick up with me leaving Austin heading east towards Houston. As always, thank you to everyone who is supporting this 6,000 mile walk across the USA! It’s hard to believe I’ve walked over 2,700 miles so far! I’m almost half way there!!!

(Into the Light Walk) My response to Huffington Post article about full TBLGQ equality bill!

by Alan Bounville

Below is my extended response to the article titled “The LGBT Grassroots vs. HRC: Fighting for a One-Bill Equality Strategy (And Our Lives)” posted on February 12, 2012 by Todd Fernandez on The Huffington Post. (Huffington limits responses to a certain character count, which was well under the characters I used in my response.)

Every action each of us takes is another step towards the day when we will be equal under all the laws and seen as such by everyone. Though full equality is never actually achieved by any act of legislatio n, dreaming big, which a single bill allows us to do, both simplifies and humanizes TBLGQ and allied people in this struggle. Pragmatism will not galvanize. Simplicity will. So I say, lets simplify the message around one bill, one call for full equality and see those who want to compartmen talize our struggle to acronyms like DADT, DOMA, ENDA have to defend the belief that we are only worth one piece of equality at a time.

(Into the Light Walk) A Vigil in San Antonio Part 2

Vigil for 37 year-old David Edward Wigley, murdered on November 8, 1993. David was wearing feminine attire when found stabbed repeatedly in the chest and stomach. In the arms of a good Samaritan, David said, "Help me, help me," and recited the Lord's Prayer.

(Into the Light Walk) A Vigil in San Antonio!

 by Alan Bounville

Here is the latest vigil I did with the family of Troy Martinez Clattenburg, a gay man who was shot execution style in the back of the head inside his home in San Antonio just under two years ago. Here, Troy's family, friends, and local San Antonio residents join me outside Troy's home where the murder took place.