Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Snap out of it!

Sometimes people have heard and repeated something so long, they don't think about what they are saying.  It's one of those derived beliefs that is so ingrained in their DNA that it escapes reason.
A few weeks ago on one of the morning shows a right wing politician suddenly burst into a defensive
"I am not a bigot" statement when questioned about his anti-gay positions.  Oddly, no one had called him a bigot on the show but it must have been a word following him around.
As they explain it, it's not that they are anti-gay, it's simply that gay relationships are not equal to straight relationships and should not be treated as such.  But that is not anti gay, it's just the way things are supposed to be.  "We love you.  Just don't expect the same things we straight people have."
It boils down to to a desire to regulate sex.  It's ok to be be gay if you remain celibate and do not expect the same rights and privileges in selecting a life partner as straight people have.  In other words, it's ok to be gay as long as you accept a self imposed solitary confinement as a life sentence.  Or, better yet, just marry someone of the opposite sex.  It's just about sex right?
It's not personal.  It's just what gay people need to do - apparently for their own good.  On top of that, it's God dictating this so it is unquestionable.
I DO question that God has dictated such a thing.  Don't try to tell me the Bible has specified this.   The Bible is full of conflicting information.  If the only place you are looking for answers from God is the Bible, your God is awfully tiny to contain all in one little book.  You have to read more than that to be considered an expert in Physics.  If you believe you are an expert on God because you read the Bible, don't bother me with your dictum.  God gave you a brain.  Use it.
Yes, I take this issue quite personally.  Telling me that my relationships are not equal to yours insults me.  Telling me that God does not see me as a wholly functioning person deserving of the same rights and privileges afforded straight couples insults me. 
If you and the organizations you support work to deny me equality in the United States, in Pennsylvania and in Venango County - you are ANTI.  You are against me.  You are working to deny my happiness.  You are working to deny my freedom NOT to practice your religious beliefs.
The crazy part to me is that my having equal rights has NO impact on straight people.  They will continue to have all the rights and privileges they have always had.  This anti-gay position HAS had an impact on me for far too many years.
Don't tell me you love me and then tell me I cannot expect happiness with the person I choose.  That is outrageous.  I am increasingly outraged each time I hear it.  It is cruel and insulting.
I feel so sorry for young people, who like me many years ago, internalize and accept this cruelty for their lives.  Everyone deserves a chance at happiness.  It's time for our churches and government to wake up.  Snap out of it.  It's not healthy to subjugate people and impose odd standards that create hardship.  Snap out of it!

2 comments:

  1. Very well said and your logic is flawless. Unfortunately, this also invokes common sense, which is not so common! Keep speaking the truth!!! Your voice will be heard!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Janet. You have been a good and decent friend for many years. I appreciate your understanding and support.

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