Today's National Coming Out Day. I hadn't heard of this until I noticed many of my friends posting about it in their FB statuses. I was going to just cut'n'paste their standard phrases into my status, but figured I needed more than a couple of sentences.
First off, I really don't give a damn about other people's sexual orientation. Straight, gay, bi, bi-curious, celibate, transgender - it makes no difference to me whatsoever. I care about the people I like because of their personalities, and I'm more interested in talking to them and enjoying their company than what sort of genitalia they like their sexual partners to have.
Second, I don't see why same-sex couples shouldn't be allowed to marry. It's surely better than being trapped in a fake marriage and having affairs to satisfy your sexual inclination. At one point, shortly after it was legalised in England, I think I knew more gay married couples than straight married couples. They seem to be perfectly happy, and as much in love with each other as any straight couple. If anything, more so, because they have to endure much more to publicise their emotional commitment to each other. Okay, so most of them don't have kids, but then again, many of the straight couples I know don't have kids either.
Thirdly, to the religious among you, I have only this to say. Love is as close to a divine gift as any of us can expect to experience. If a person is truly in love with someone of the same sex, then obviously your God wants it that way, so you should give them your support. Whether they marry or not, you should let people be with the person they want to be with. It makes the world a better place.
Fourth, to anyone who believes that homosexuals or bisexuals shouldn't be allowed in the military, tell that to the Spartans. They're just as courageous, patriotic, and reliable as heterosexuals. Just because the guy you're sharing a barracks with is gay, it doesn't mean he fancies you. He's a soldier, doing the same job as you, and that's all that matters. "Don't ask, don't tell," is a pathetic policy. It's what we called in England the "Blackmailer's Charter", which basically meant that gay people were permanently under the power of anyone who knew their secret.
And lastly, to anyone who thinks it's acceptable to bully someone for being gay, or for being confused about their sexuality, particularly in their teenage years, it isn't. That makes you an intolerant bigot, and there's no place for you in my world.
1 comment:
Gay rights is just as much a civil rights concern as integration was in the 60's and 70's and really needs to be looked at honestly. Banning gay marriage or service in the military is a reprehensible discrimination, no different then having forced blacks to ride in the back of the bus and give up seats there to whites if the bus got too full.
Americans really need to take a hard look at the values they are showing versus the values as described in the Declaration of Independance and the US Constitution. Gays are being deprived of rights that our own founding charters say are "inherent" to them by God.
Yet it is those who say they speak for God that drive the opposition and continue the divisiveness and prejudice.
The elephant in the room when it comes to the USA is that, despite supposedly being the "most free", we are the most sexually repressed and puritanical nation in western civilization.
I think we'll get to the point where homosexuality is just as accepted socially and legally as heterosexuality, but I think it will unfortunately be a long road.
I have many reasons to be proud to be an American, but on this issue I feel a bit of shame for my country...as should we all.
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