A Homosexual Whose Name was Changed to "Sir"

 We do have a long history of men and women that have excel as heroes or sometimes the opposite but without doubt well known. The point is that like any race or sexuality people like to mention both. Wether they come from Finland or France. Also wether their sex is or was a man or a woman. As a person belonging to what it's commonly known as LGTB in United States, we have been invisible in history unless it was someone who did awful things.  Many times being a straight person and no evidence that the perp was truly gay. This tag of perp offended us gay people because they were ‘Not’ as described by the church and the government which were the forces behind our persecution.

 The generation called 'baby boomers' felt uncomfortable being invisible and visible when someone wanted to downgrade someone else by calling them ‘gay’ or other names describing us.This generation started rebelling. As people that watch history know, rebelling is the only way to stop the train. We have done it nonviolently, as boomers we had the numbers.  As the World population grew so our percentage, what ever that might be. As the smoke of deceit and lies clears people can see these people in history that proof that we have done world changing acts for the better.  If I talk about the ‘boomers’ I most mention the two generations of following the boomers. They took the torch. They elected a gay friendly president and started becoming everything we were before.  Lawyers, Judges, Senators, Representatives in all levels of government with one caveat: They are Out!

This is my introduction to Sir Ian McKellen. A man well known by history and well known as a gay man. He came out when he could make a difference to the people that adore him and his talents  which reinforces that if he could be gay, then there is something crooked to anybody that tries to cage us in a different light than a good human being. If we happen to be bad, it has nothing to do with our sexuality but the type of mind and heart we have.

It is commonly seen Sir McKellen wearing different types of robes in universities on the western world. As a fan and as a gay man I wanted to post this particular current post (this weekend) about this man receiving another honor from the University of Ulster.  
Adamfoxie*   

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Film and theatre legend Sir Ian McKellen has compared his great-great grandfather to Ian Paisley.

The multi award-winning star of blockbusters such as Lord Of The Rings and X-Men revealed his family tree can be traced back to Ballymena, Co Antrim.

Sir Ian, who delivered the Chancellor's Lecture at the University of Ulster where he was conferred an honorary degree, said his Northern Irish roots shaped much of his childhood.

"In puritanical Ballymena, it is said the park keepers used to tie up the children's swings on Sundays to keep the Lord's Day holy," Sir Ian said.

"In the same spirit, at our home when I was a kid, we weren't allowed to play cards, nor board games on Sundays. No snap, Ludo or even jigsaws. Nor was I ever allowed to have a Wall's ice-cream, before or after Sunday school."

Sir Ian paid tribute to the north Antrim town, which he said had nurtured the "greatly passionate" Northern Irish performers Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt and former Stormont first minister Dr Paisley. "My great-great grandfather James McKellen who, like his townsman Dr Paisley, was a strict, evangelical Protestant minister in Ballymena," Sir Ian said.

Movie star Liam was honoured in Ballymena last week when he was granted Freedom of the Borough.

James, who starred alongside Sir Ian in The Hobbit, serves as the Chancellor of the University of Ulster. He was appointed in 2010, almost 30 years after securing a place at the university as a student. James said he was delighted his co-star, who is also a revered thespian, had agreed to deliver the Chancellor's Lecture.

Sir Ian, 73, who is openly gay, took the opportunity to discuss gay rights and growing up as a young homosexual in post-war Lancashire, England. He received a knighthood from the Queen in 1991 for his contributions to theatre. He said he viewed the honour as significant in the light of his sexuality. "A tiny suggestion that the political establishment was giving in to the idea that gay men could, despite the laws that disadvantaged us, be honourable and responsible citizens," he said.

Sir Ian delivered his lecture to an audience at the University of Ulster's Magee campus in Londonderry. It was the first event of its kind the university has held outside of Belfast. A spokesman said the university thought it suitable the event took place in the 2013 City of Culture.