I’m usually not one to embrace the gay stereotypes. Sure, I spend almost every Saturday night in a gay bar and I  shamelessly spend time chatting on Grindr. But I also shop for the “latest” fashion at Target or Marshalls and I have no problem asking a straight guy friend, who dresses more metro than I do, to fix my self-given haircuts every once in a while. I really should stop trying to cut my own hair, by the way.

As the only guy in what I call my “all-girl-except-matt” spin class, I finally embraced a gay stereotype that I succeed at with flying colors… wait, I could probably use a better metaphor for that. Oh well. It’s my last semester of college, so I decided that I finally wanted to get off my ass and take an exercise class. The only class that appealed to me, because I’m a cardio whore when I work out, was spinning. Oh, I guess that’s another stereotype I can check off the list.

As if it’s not enough just to be a guy taking a spin class, The girl next to me on the first day says “Oh hey, you’re the only guy in here! That’s okay you can be an honorary lady with us” Little does she know I’ve carried that title proudly since 1989.

I guess I’m becoming more stereotypical as this blog progresses.

If you’re looking for a good exercise class, though, that really embraces cardiovascular health while toning your body, spinning is the class for you! Seriously. It’s just twice a week in the rec center and all you have to do is keep a daily journal of your heart rate. Easy peasy! If you’re a girl, you’ll fit right in. If you’re a gay guy … you’ll fit right in. If you’re a lesbian, well, you’ll enjoy it much more than I am. If you’re a straight dude … need I say more?

Moral of the story: Take a spin class. It’s a good cardio workout that will expose muscles in your legs you never thought existed, and it will keep your ass the life of the party at the bar every weekend. Dammit, another stereotype.

“My name is Mike Moroski and I like people.” – Mike

On Monday, February 4th, The Archdiocese of Cincinnati gave Mike Moroski an ultimatum: To take down his blog post entitled Choose Your Battles affirming marriage equality and sign a number of documents ensuring he’d never speak out again on the subject– or, lose his job at Purcell Marian High School.

Mike decided to keep his post active and replied with this statement:

“After much deliberation with my wife, family, trusted clergy, professionals from all walks of life and my own meditative silence, I decided not to take the post down, nor to recant my position that “I unabashedly believe gay people SHOULD be allowed to marry.”

Mike’s Choose Your Battles blog entry goes on to say, “Love of hurting others is where I draw the line – whether sexually, emotionally, physically, mentally – I do not accept the love of hurt.”

An online petition is now active on change.org to help convince the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to reinstate Mike’s job. On the petition, which has already received more than 4,000 signatures and climbing, one of Mike’s former students, Fabian Applebee, speaks out.

“As a sophomore at Purcell Marian, I can’t stand idly by while the Archdiocese terminates Mr. Moroski, for such a trivial reason,” Fabian says. “So what if he isn’t exactly in line with the Catholic Church? The church has been wrong before. Galieo was placed under house arrest by the church, simply because he thought the earth was revolving around the sun. Don’t make that mistake again, allow Mr. Moroski to come back!”

Mike posted to his blog that on Friday, February 8th, he found himself still on administrative leave with a pending termination by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for his public support of marriage equality.

“As I stated a few weeks ago, you gotta ‘choose your battles,’” Mike says. “I did not pick this one, but it picked me, and, after a week of discernment, I have decided that I will gladly accept it.”

READ MIKE’S FULL STATEMENT HERE AND SIGN THE PETITION TO HELP MIKE GET HIS JOB BACK