Meet Mario Nguyen, your next great orator, and a finalist for the National Equality March’s “Idol” competition. He’s facing off against four others who submitted video entries for one of two speaking slots at NEM, and deliver a warm fuzzy speech about civil rights and hope and making a difference and that guy in the White House. For whatever reason, the “sub-committee of 5 volunteers” chose an all-male (and almost entirely white) roster of competitors, but here they are.
From now until, uh, either Sept. 26 (according to NEM’s Facebook page) or Sept. 27 (according to NEM’s website), organizers will collect your votes — submitted on NEM’s YouTube and Facebook pages — and pick the two speeches that rack up the highest ratings and thumbs up. Because this is a democracy, and that’s how things are done.
But on this website, we choose favorites. And ours is Mr. Nguyen. Give him your vote, and let the kid school America.
Adrian
Mario Nguyen reminds me of a high school thespian delivering a monologue to a room full of judges. he would have gotten superiors and possibly critics choice.
The kid’s got a future.
terrwill
How fitting it is that Mario and Sam’s boxes are right next to Kirk Cameron’s (for now)on Queerty’s home page. You have what the right wing teen idol’s become. A bitter old now ugly scumbag trying to cash in on his last gasps of his fame. And two articulate, engaging kids who don’t give two shits about the lies and myraid of falsehoods the rightwing spews about gay kids. Look at the contrasts. These shining examples of gay teens or the bitter, disgusting, hate filled, shit spewing out of the subhumans who attended the NoValues Summit last weekend………………..
Cole
ugh! i fear for our future.
terrwill
@Cole: Gee I was wondering how long it would take for a member of the BOQB (bitter old queen brigade) to open their tired old mouths and spew the poo from their mouths……….Congrats Cole! didn’t take long! I hate to ask but would you kindly explain your comments????
Qjersey
When the hell did the LGBT movement become American Idol.
The fact that they even use the term “idol” is just a mockery.
Do any of theses candidates have any experience in the movement? or are we just looking for a poster boy?
Andrew
Sillier and sillier. Thanks Cleve.
AlwaysGay
I liked Mario’s the best. I am a little discouraged that all of them are from cities which means they left behind the more intense anti-gay bigotry of rural America. Where are the gay people from rural America speaking up?
Jimmy
This is the kind of stupid shit that is produced by committees.
dgz
good speech…
but i wish he would say “victims FROM the LGBTQ community,” and not “victims OF…”
Jason
Mondo gayface.
Mark
The lack of a good radical young queer activist shows exactly who this march is attracting – folks who need some background, and social justice training stat.
JohnVisser
Nguyen is a win.
Charles Merrill
None of the address the elephant in the room as the reason we don’t have civil rights. That elephant, Religion. I am going to the march but will skip the religious events planned.
Charles Merrill
@Charles Merrill: Nguyen is the winner, although a bit staged and not 100 per cent from the heart.
Needs more pain in his voice.
Just My Opinion
@terrwill:
not bitter, old or a queen.
boring
between the body language, the facial expressions, and that gray blazer, mario nguyen reminds me of rachel maddow.
Just My Opinion
but i agree with cole. why is that if someones takes an opposing view they are so quickly labeled “bitter” “old” and “queen”?
amie
How is it highlighted that there are no women and very few people of color, but not that there are zero transpeople in the pool of finalists? When is this march gonna put the “T” in LGBT??
Andrew
@Charles Merrill: The organizers are having an American Idol contest and “religious” events. What idiots. Cleve doesn’t have a clue.
I still think it’s embarrassing (in so many ways) and having only 10,000 people will be reported on – negatively.
We can only achieve equality by engaging our neighbors and friends – changing beliefs, especially the religious belief that we are wrong. We are Not Wrong.
terrwill
@Just My Opinion: WHAT THE FUCK IS THERE TO OPPOSE? Here is a kid probably between 15 and 18 yrs old. Out and proud. I would virtually guarantee his Parents are from another country and have much stronger views against Gays than his Sister. Yet he isn’t afraid to come out. And guess what his message is right on. He wants what every single person in this country is entitled to. He is getting ready to address tens of thousands of people, have his face in a good percentage of the media. His message is positive, he has no problem taking a stand against the rightwing subhuman scum who would love nothing better than to have all of us thrown in gulags. Instead of giving this kid props and encouragment. The bitter old queens have to start ripping on this kid. You don’t think this kid is going to get tons of abuse when he goes back to school?? Why do other gays have to make make rude comments which would fit right in on Michael (Weiner) Savage message boards. WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT ACCOMPLISH??? ARE YOU PROUD OF YOURSELVES??? BIG BOLD MEN WHO POST NASTY COMMENTS ABOUT A LITTLE KID!!
Dammit I am so pissed at some of the scumbags who find their way on to this site. Its one thing to make bitch queeny comments at some of the morning goods and other posts. Leave the kid alone
Have a tiny shred of common decency………….
schlukitz
You go, Mario. We’re proud of you.
Jon B
@terrwill: Thank you. You saved me from having to type all of that.
Cam
It’s great to see kids that young out and proud.
Robert
@terrwill: thank you for making such a strong statement, especially since everything you said is correct. I’m so sick of all the people on this site (including the editor) who want to tear everything down, but never make any positive suggestions about how they would do it the right way. And by the way, to all of those people complaining that no women were in the top 5 and no trans made it to the top 5, i just have to ask, did any of you see the audition tapes that were submitted? these 5 people all have something strong to say. Were there any women or trans that made statements this strong? Maybe it isn’t discrimination, but simply that they picked the strongest 5 speakers, and these are who the best just happen to be. that’s like saying “why can’t we have a trans president of the US?” and ignore the fact that no strong candidate who fits that description has ever run for that office. Instead of tearing down the people who are actually trying to DO something, maybe some of you bitchy complainers can actually DO SOMETHING YOURSELVES. It’s always easy to sit back on your couch and complain that nothing any of the activists do is good enough for you, instead of getting off your ass and actually doing something.
schlukitz
@Robert:
Co-sign.
Just like all of the negative types on Queerty who continue to poo-poo the March on Washington.
They are not happy unless they are taking a dump on something!
It sucks. Big time.
Andrew
@Robert: Calling the MOW silly and this latest stunt silly, are just honest observations. Cleve Jones made a mess and it just keeps looking sillier and sillier. I would add that these young people are sincere, proud and a good thing – unfortunately they are under the cloud of Cleve’s poorly planned, poorly executed and (soon) poorly attended March.
When the March was announced almost the entire LGBT community encouraged Cleve “to allow enough time to plan a successful event.” He ignored that and now we have this. yeah, to me (and many others) it just keeps getting sillier.
The Muslims are on the West Lawn of the Capitol this Weekend for a “prayer service.” They expect 50,000 Muslims (out of 2 million Muslims in the US) and Cleve’s March is expected to draw only 20,000 (out of 20 million LGBTQ in the US). Do your own math. It IS embarrassing.
Joel
Amen to Andrew. Questioning a strategy or tactic of “the movement” (if only we actually had one) does not equate with evaluating the oratory of a talented individual.
And for good measure, criticizing strategies and tactics wasn’t deemed “bitter” when many of us did it in the sad aftermath of Calif.’s Prop 8.
So, get back to us after this march. ‘Cause if you want some more, we’ll be around, and there will be many more of us saying the exact same things.
Philip
Of course Cleve Jones had young gay men “audition” for him. Of course he did.
If this March wasn’t so sad, it would be very funny.
Charles Merrill
@Andrew: Faux News is the only media covering the Muslim D.C. event today. Focus on the Family and other Christians are complaining.
Andrew
@Charles Merrill: It’s the “turnout,” not the coverage. 50,000 or 2.5% of Muslims are in DC today. That’s a pretty good response. IF (big if) 10,000 LGBTQ show up for Cleve, that’s only .05% of the 20 million LGBTQ in America. Although I expect both groups to spend a good portion of their time “kneeling.” (No hate mail, please).
Looks like Muslims will achieve participation that is 50 times greater than LGBTQ. That says something. I believe it says poorly conceived, poorly planned, and poorly marketed.
It also means (thankfully) this will be Cleve’s last
gimmickevent.Freddie
Oh, god, not that whiney SOB Jerry Pricky-tin!
This guy would have you think he started the entire gay rights movement. “I was there! I knew Harvey! I took a picture 40 years ago!”
Jesus, what a pill. He calls up any and every gay event, demanding a free ticket and stage time to blather on and on and on about everything HE did.
Jason
Does the winner get a sash and a tiara?
PopSnap
I’m assuming that I am around that kid’s age, so I am going to support him. I respect our movement elders, however, the thing about them is that when listening to them talk you always hear them talk about the “bad(good?) old days of when being gay was tabboo everywhere, like seriously”. Well, okay, but it’s not anywhere near as tabboo as it once was. We get our troubles from the 60+ crowd, who are all dying out. Because they, too, grew up in an era of when homosexuality was tabboo, and gays were treated only slightly better than pedophiles are treated today, and they cling to that idea because very rarely do people know gays.
Again, as a young gay person, almost everyone at my school knows that I’m gay and if they don’t like me, they simply leave me alone. That’s what he means by “equality, not acceptance”- because there IS a difference between accepting someone and treating them as your equal. Although yes, I have friends and date guys and have plenty of support, I am STILL “the gay kid” or “hey let’s go shopping omg like my blouse?” and of course “Omg can you do my hair?” My lesbian friends get the same but from guys: “Make out with another chick for me!” “Lesbians are hot, except for rosie o’donnel” ect.
The same people who do this would never dream of asking a black person to rap with them, or ask if their baggy pants look okay.
We’re accepted, not equal. This kid got it RIGHT.
Andrew
@PopSnap: Well said, Kid.
Now, tell your neighbors, co-workers, friends and everyone else. Your voice will dampen the religious voices that continue to proclaim we are “wrong.” We’ll never be equal, as long as we’re wrong. Maybe we can’t change the minds of those “over 50 years of age, but we can change the younger, open minds.
We’re not wrong. Thanks for your great comment. You’re the future of a “movement” that isn’t moving.