This past weekend was Gay Pride Week in
Toronto and it was further underlined by the massive American Federal decision
to recognize gay marriage across the entire USA. Unfortunately the monumental
decision was overshadowed by many people protesting against this simple right.
People of all colors, stripes and creeds came out of the woodwork to express
their displeasure. Many protesters feel that their rights have been infringed
on by giving same sex marriage couples recognition.
With the vast amount of education available
to people throughout the world, let alone the western hemisphere, people are
still squabbling and in some sad instances, attacking people for what they
choose to do behind closed doors in their own homes. Even after centuries of
education that teaches people that people are no different from one another
because of their sexual preference or religious beliefs - we still have people who refuse to accept
other’s differences.
There are several justifications that people
use to validate their hatred toward gay marriage and I would like to break down
each of them and provide a non-biased, neutral perspective.
Argument #1: Denouncing the concept on
religious grounds.
I have a very difficult time accepting
anyone’s opinions based on religious grounds today. We are living in a time
where our world is being attacked daily by people taking extreme measures based
on their religious fundamentalism. It is bigotry, hypocrisy and pure stupidity
that anyone who feels they have the right to deny someone’s rights based on
their religion. Every piece of religious
literature teaches forgiveness, tolerance and acceptance. Anyone who justifies
their actions on religious grounds that does not show compassion is a fake and
dangerous human being.
Argument
#2: What if my children become gay!? / I
want my children to learn about the LBGT community at an appropriate age.
So!? There are plenty of people who are gay
in our world that no one would ever know they were gay unless they expressed it.
There are people that each of us deal with day – to – day that are gay and just
do not feel the need to tell anyone about it. Children aren’t ‘taught ‘ to be
gay. They either are or they are not. No different than any man or woman is
heterosexual. Any responsible, loving parent would agree that they would rather
have their children be happy than live a life of fear and falsehood.
I understand some parent’s viewpoints
regarding when they feel it may be appropriate for their children to learn
about the LBGT community; it is something that some children may not be
prepared for at a young age. The reality is that if your child is conscious of
certain behaviours and living in the Western world there are plenty of
opportunities to explain to children that there are others that are different
than Mommy and Daddy. The bottom line is that children are more conscious and
aware of differences in this world than adults normally give them credit for.
Children should be taught that there are differences and that there is nothing
wrong with that.
Argument #3: I don’t believe it is natural
way of being.
For all of you wonderful people who want to
stand on this soap box – please, I beg of you – read a book! Homosexuality is a
natural part of the animal world. It has been with us since primitive times and
is still an occurrence in the animal kingdom to this day. This does not
symbolize the end of procreation or reproduction; in fact many animals that
show homosexual behaviour are often bisexual.
Argument #4: Why do they have to have “Gay
Pride” / It’s always in your face!
This is one topic that that at times I
could sympathize with because in some respects I don’t see the need for people
to be overly flamboyant or overtop in their expression. Unfortunately the fact
of the matter is that after having been oppressed and bullied as long as
gay-culture has been they deserve a pass to find their fit in our society and
not behind closed doors. No different than the oppression of other races or
women, the LBGT community has been abused forever. If you feel it’s in your
face, chances are it’s because you aren’t used to it being so public and
prominent. Truth is, like anything outside your home, in the communities in
which we conduct our lives, there are differences.
When will this all end? When will we look
past differences among good people who do nothing to harm anyone and treat them
as our equals? I am absolutely certain
if there was someone watching our actions in our bedrooms with our significant
others, they would find a thing or two they disagree with. We should not have
to wait another one-hundred years to reach the next level of compassion. If a
person is a moral, peaceful, compassionate and genuine person, we should all
accept that individual. There is one simple change needed in our society /
culture, we need recognize that there is only one race – the human race. There
should have never needed to be a gay pride week, a black history month,
holocaust remembrance day or a woman’s day. Unfortunately it has had to take many lost
lives for society to recognize its faults.
There is a very big difference between someone who is ill-willed and
someone who simply prefers something different than you or I. We should band
together as a human culture for more valuable battles than simply disagree
whether a man can love another man or a woman can love another woman. Love is
colorblind and it transcends all boundaries in respect to consenting adults.

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