Sunday, February 18, 2007

a rant...

someone once said "waiting for the world to change is like looking in a mirror, and saying you go first"....

we can't wait for things to change - we are our own catalysts for change....if we want a better world in which to live, then each of us has the responsibility to stand up (and out at times) for what we believe...and what i believe is that homophobia is bigotry...and bigotry should never go unchallenged....

i write about this now because i'm so angered by the casual attitude with which people can talk about being either homophobic, or "uncomfortable" with someone who is gay... this is bigotry, and it is as vile as racism....unfortunately, it seems to an acceptable form of bigotry these days....and people who would blanche at being thought a racist still think it quite acceptable to "disapprove" of gay people (which is, in fact, a form of homophobia)...and it is also poison...less aggressive than outright bashing, but as deadly nonetheless....

and i'm angered when someone i care for so deeply gets hurt by people in her life she cares for...she deserves people bigger than their smallness in her life...

on the other end of the spectrum (or is it on another ring of the spiral) i have to write her about my sister-in-law... she's changing the world in how she lives her life, and in how she teaches her children to see the world... her sons are are taught to not hate people..her sons are taught to celebrate diversity - in the world, and in our family...this is how the world changes...children who grow up knowing that a man can love a man, and a woman can love a woman, and that all are full and complete in who they are...

i haven't had to go through the struggle that many have...i haven't had family deny who i am (yet), or friends distance themselves (yet)....i don't know if or when it will happen, or how i will react...i can imagine anger...it's an easy one for me...but i don't know yet....

i guess i found a few words...

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I can't say that I understand or that I know how you feel because i have never experienced bigotry. I can however empathize and tell you what you already know about me, that I too am in disbelief about how casually some people can visciously attack others for something that has nothing to do with them and does not affect them in any way. I believe that if two people love each other it's the love that should affect your life not wether or not the lovers meet your perception of "normal". I'm sorry something so nasty has happened yet again to your friend Q and unfortunatly it will happen to you too because people are f&*^)d up! when it does we will be here for you, and even though it sounds cliche it's true " the people that hurt you like that are not your friends to begin with" and you are better off without their toxicity in your life!
Love Ya E

alan said...

Yes, you found a few and very good ones at that!

Thank you!

alan

Paul Joe said...

I am sorry to hear of your experience. people can be nasty!

I like your poems!


are you searching for something?

puhpaul said...

I still haven't gone through any of that. I guess I'm lucky. The brother who I was most worried about telling just shrugged his shoulders and said okay. Keep strong, you have a lot of people around you that love you and think of you as an exceptional person.

paul

Puffer said...

and then days later you consider the source
and it does not hurt as much as it first did...