This means a lot to me, after having heard over the past few weeks of the teens who have committed suicide after being bullied about being gay. My daughter is bisexual, currently with a girl. She hasn't had to deal with a lot of the issues other gay people have. Her family has accepted her choices (not that I think people choose to be gay), and we love her girlfriend, who has been openly gay since she hit her teen years. Her girlfriend's family accepts their daughter's choices and loves my daughter too. They hit the jackpot, I think.
It sickens me that gay people don't have the same opportunity to love openly that heteros do, that they have to fear for their well being, and in many cases, their lives.
In an airport recently, I had to listen to this asshole spouting about why gay people shouldn't be allowed in the military. I literally had to crank my music up so I couldn't hear his hate speech. The fallout had I not done so could have been bad.
His basic argument is how it's unfair to straight soldiers to have to bunk with gay soldiers.
So to this man, I say:
Dude, did it ever occur to you that gay people may not be comfortable bunking with straight people?
He also said it was unfair to make straight soldiers have to be respectful of their gay peers.
WHAT?? So a gay person shouldn't be allowed in the military because one of his fellow soldiers has a "god given" right to use the term "fag"? Really? That's your argument?
I'd counter that I have a right, then, to not have to censor my speech about bigotry and small mindedness and therefore could call you a fucking asshole douchebag (as my "god given" right). And while we're at it, couldn't we legislate that fucking asshole douchebags not be allowed in airports because I have to be respectful and so it impinges on my right to call said person the fucking asshole douchebag that he is?
Seriously, the ridiculousness that this whole thing brings to my mind is astonishing. Let me boil it down. I don't care who you have sex with. Not my biz. Whom I have sex with is not your biz. You have no "god given" right to say what you want to whomever you want with the expectation that it won't be returned to you in the same manner. Sure, you can say what you like, but don't you dare suggest that no one else can throw your hate right back at you, because you'd be dead wrong about that.
Is this really where we stuck as a society? Where is a good apocalypse when you need one? I think the gene pool needs a good cleaning.
