Thursday, May 17, 2012

Hop Against Homophobia

May 17th is

I received an email the other day asking me if I'd like to participate in this years Day Against Homophobia. At first, I cringed. Really! Are there still people so intolerant, so sure gays aren't like the rest of the population? Are there still people who think it's all right to pick on gay kids, to humiliate them, tease them, call them abominations? My God, and we call ourselves civilized.

After thinking all that, which took about 3 seconds, I leaped at the chance to say my piece, and here I am. A proud believer in 'it's all right to be gay, straight, bisexual, transexual, trisexual, pansexual and any other variant you can dream up, as long as everyone's in agreement who's taking part in the pairing. Okay, there may be more than a pair. LOL

In all honesty, what difference does it make to you, or anyone else, who the fellow or woman down the street falls in love with and wants to marry? Or not marry, for that matter. We seem to have grown into a civilization who find it perfectly acceptable to raise our children watching television where all manner of killing is thought of as just fine and dandy. We can teach them how to make bombs, how to mutilate each other, destroy the environment, humiliate a fellow student for not looking the same as they do. Yet, if something sexual is involved all Hell breaks loose. When a school wants to teach children about birth control or how to enjoy safe sex, the neighborhood militia emerge. How dare we, whoever 'we' is, teach our children to be sexually active?

Say what?

We all become sexually active, or the vast majority of us do. Don't these idiots remember?

And what about those feelings most of us had for a girlfriend, if you're a woman. Or, what about the guys, remember getting those funny feelings when you were watching the hunk getting into his gym gear? We all have those feelings. Some of us still do. Most of us learned to be ashamed of those perfectly natural feelings. Some of us hid how much we yearned for those same sex partners to notice us and feel the same as we did/do.

What makes it right to throw a son or daughter onto the streets for loving someone?

How can a parent believe they have the right to dictate the sexuality of their child?

How can a loving parent suddenly turn on their child, denying them love, food, shelter even a future?

How heartbreaking! How utterly tragic for all concerned. How horrendous for the child. I weep for those children and the struggles they have to make just to reach adulthood.

Love is love. We all have a right to be loved and to love who we wish, in my opinion. There is nothing more beautiful than to see the eyes of two lovers, male or female, as they gaze into the eyes of the one they love. I don't care what gender! And, neither should you.

12 comments:

Cornelia said...

It is still a shame of the discrimination being done.It will not last as long as everyone continues the fight

Rowan McBride said...

It's definitely time for a paradigm shift when acts of violence are valued while acts of love are shunned.

Foretta said...

Thank you so much for participating in the hop. I hope that this helps to spread the word and that one day a hop like this will no longer be needed. I have shown many of the post to my nieces and nephews. We recently have been discussing how damaging bullying is and how innocent remarks can make you be seen as being a bully. One of the things that makes me mad is when I hear...you're so gay... pisses me off. These post have helped them already. I heard my nephew stand up to someone that called someone else a hurtful name... I was so proud. Thank you all for helping by sharing hurtful and/sad memories and your personal views/message.
I pray one day for equality for EVERYONE not just some.
forettarose@yahoo.com

Yvette said...

Thanks for participating for this wonderful cause of awareness…I teach high schoolers and this is a topic that we discuss at length. I just want them to be aware and know that they have the power to change the world!
Yvette
yratpatrol@aol.com

Shadow Sterling said...

Hello Jude Great post

I just wanted to say “Thank You” to you and to everyone for letting me be included in your Hop Against Homophobia. I am afraid I am not a talented m/m fiction writer like yourself but I am an avid reader of it.

Actually when you are a straight girl who writes gay porn for an adult studio it is hard to fit in anywhere so I really appreciated how warmly I was welcomed into your group.
http://shadowsterling.blogspot.com/2012/04/studio-i-write-for.html

But this is a cause I feel strongly about and I wanted to let you know I appreciate the opportunity to be included.

Shadow Sterling

H.B. Pattskyn said...

Great post, thank you!

~Helen

N.J. Nielsen/ Saddington said...

Thanks for taking part Jude and for great post.

normanilesen@bigpond.com

L.M. Brown said...

Another excellent post in this educational and very important blog hop.

Thank you for sharing.

wulf said...

Thanks for participating in this hop. I'm enjoying all the great blog posts.

penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com

DarienMoya said...

As a mom myself, I try to wrap my mind around how a parent can throw their child out and disown them. I have no underrstanding for those parents, and they didn't deserve their beautiful children in the first place.

I tell people that my boys when they grow up, they can be as gay as they want, if they feel trapped in a body they don't identify with then I will be there to help them become the person they want to be. I want them to love who they want, be as diffrent as they want. I was blessed with two beautiful boys, and all I want from them is to respect others, to love everyone. For parents that should be enough.

Erica Pike said...

Great message Jude! People shouldn't have that kind of power over other people. Let's hope we can take that power away with enough love.

Erica
eripike at gmail dot com

gigi said...

Thanks for participating in the HOP.

gisu29(at)gmail(dot)com