The Time has Come for Homosexuality to Become Socially Acceptable
December 1, 2004
First off, I have to commend Renee for the amazing amount of courage she displayed by choosing to speak out on a very controversial issue. The topic of her in-class presentation today was gay/lesbian teachers.
As someone who comes from a religious background, I find it deeply discouraging that many faiths condemn the sexual preferences and practices of gays and lesbians. After all, what does their sexual orientation have to do with who they are as a person and what they believe? The answer is nothing!
I also resent that fact that individuals believe they can pinpoint who is gay/lesbian based on observation. There are no distinct behaviours or appearances that perpetuate through the entire gay and lesbian population. Nor should we expect there to be because we are all unique individuals, and this fact has been scientifically proven.
Even though this is how I feel, I have to admit, I am guilty of allowing the perpetuation of discrimination towards gays and lesbians continue. This is mostly because I grow tired of correcting my parents and siblings of their inappropriate comments or assumptions.
For example, my brother has always appeared somewhat effeminate to his masculine friends. I think this can mostly be attributed to the fact he grew up with sisters. However, he still gets teased for liking certain types of music and movies because the stereotypical audience is female. Over time, I believe my brother got fed up with being picked on, and began making comments like “That’s so gay” and “He’s a fag” to gain acceptance from his peers. Although I’ve tried to correct his behaviour, I’ve come to realize my brother justifies his actions because my parents engage in the same type of practice.
My father is so homophobic, if my brother admitted to being gay, I swear he would ship him off to a mental institution, and completely disown him. Although my mother would not react as drastically, she doesn’t fair much better. She once openly accused my best friend of being gay because he was a guy who had more in common with a girl (than other guys). Her suspicion was fueled even more by the fact that he showed no interest in dating me. As far as my mother is concerned, any guy who appears effeminate has to be gay, no exceptions.
I have a few gay/lesbian friends, and admire all of the gay/lesbian people I’ve come into contact with. They are all smart, funny, talented, and compassionate individuals. However, I often forget how difficult it is for them to be truthful to the whole world about their identity, simply because of discrimination. Although I may not directly witness it, I now realize all these people are trapped by intolerance in one way or another. Through her presentation, Renee has inspired me deconstruct popular myths, and do what I can to eliminate homophobia. After all, there was a time when women were seen as inferior to men, blacks were seen as inferior to whites etc, but change was possible. All it took was people in the majority to stand up for people in the minority, forcing everyone in a position of authority to admit their faults. The time has come for homosexuality to become socially acceptable.
First off, I have to commend Renee for the amazing amount of courage she displayed by choosing to speak out on a very controversial issue. The topic of her in-class presentation today was gay/lesbian teachers.
As someone who comes from a religious background, I find it deeply discouraging that many faiths condemn the sexual preferences and practices of gays and lesbians. After all, what does their sexual orientation have to do with who they are as a person and what they believe? The answer is nothing!
I also resent that fact that individuals believe they can pinpoint who is gay/lesbian based on observation. There are no distinct behaviours or appearances that perpetuate through the entire gay and lesbian population. Nor should we expect there to be because we are all unique individuals, and this fact has been scientifically proven.
Even though this is how I feel, I have to admit, I am guilty of allowing the perpetuation of discrimination towards gays and lesbians continue. This is mostly because I grow tired of correcting my parents and siblings of their inappropriate comments or assumptions.
For example, my brother has always appeared somewhat effeminate to his masculine friends. I think this can mostly be attributed to the fact he grew up with sisters. However, he still gets teased for liking certain types of music and movies because the stereotypical audience is female. Over time, I believe my brother got fed up with being picked on, and began making comments like “That’s so gay” and “He’s a fag” to gain acceptance from his peers. Although I’ve tried to correct his behaviour, I’ve come to realize my brother justifies his actions because my parents engage in the same type of practice.
My father is so homophobic, if my brother admitted to being gay, I swear he would ship him off to a mental institution, and completely disown him. Although my mother would not react as drastically, she doesn’t fair much better. She once openly accused my best friend of being gay because he was a guy who had more in common with a girl (than other guys). Her suspicion was fueled even more by the fact that he showed no interest in dating me. As far as my mother is concerned, any guy who appears effeminate has to be gay, no exceptions.
I have a few gay/lesbian friends, and admire all of the gay/lesbian people I’ve come into contact with. They are all smart, funny, talented, and compassionate individuals. However, I often forget how difficult it is for them to be truthful to the whole world about their identity, simply because of discrimination. Although I may not directly witness it, I now realize all these people are trapped by intolerance in one way or another. Through her presentation, Renee has inspired me deconstruct popular myths, and do what I can to eliminate homophobia. After all, there was a time when women were seen as inferior to men, blacks were seen as inferior to whites etc, but change was possible. All it took was people in the majority to stand up for people in the minority, forcing everyone in a position of authority to admit their faults. The time has come for homosexuality to become socially acceptable.
posted by Chantelle @ 7:29 PM
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