This is my first blog. I was wondering what I could write because I just didn't want to write any crack headed entry. That's not me. I wanted to blog on something important and so here it is.
The issue of same-sex marriage is EXTREMELY important to me and so, when people come at me as if I'm willing to fall for just any anti-gay/lesbian/bi/transgendered/queer nonsense, let's just say I get just little animated. For instance, I was debating with a friend on Facebook (no surprise there, people) about the importance of gay marriage and why it should not be placed on the back burner for the sake of other issues. This whole conversation started with some FB poll asking whether or not I--or anyone else--would vote for Sarah Palin. Now this friend, a Heterosexual Conservative, votes that he would. I, on the other hand, vote that I would not.
So I went on this friend's page and said something along the lines of: "Palin is a fucking mess. She's dangerous and a homophobe. As President, she'd set the US behind even more so."
My friend's response: "Meeka, sexual preference has about as much room in politics as what brand of scotch does one prefer. Do I deserve special rights because I kiss girls instead of boys? I think not."
The words "special rights" is what did it. In my mind, the words set off some weird chain reaction of thoughts and a fierce activist spirit stirred inside my entire body. The first words coming out of my mouth is "Ah Hell nah!" before I participate in a healthy intellectual debate that goes like this:
Me: "Whoa. Special rights? First of all, there is no such thing as "Special Rights." The GLBT community is not asking to be treated differently. That's already happening in the MOST discriminatory of ways. What it's asking for is the equal opportunity to get married and to be recognized as HUMAN BEINGS and SPOUSES in the EYES OF THE LAW--federal or state. When the Civil Rights of a vulnerable group is threatened, it automatically becomes a political issue...she's [Sarah Palin] propaganda in high heels. The only reason why we even know who she is is because the GOP thought that women were STUPID enough to vote her simply because she has a vagina. Really?!?..."
Friend: "Meeka I agree to disagree with you,That's what make my beloved country so insanely great. I bet she waxes and I would do her! I'm old though, lol...
It boils down to what Government is. Do need them to dictate our lives? Or should they just build our infrastructure ? Roads, defense and what not?We have been evolving forever. As humans we are not perfect. Who's to say what is right or wrong, that's why democracy works. It's fair, perfect, no. better than any other government humans have come up with so far? Yes. Gay marriage? I don't give a fuck! That's for organized Religion. They invented marriage, not the us gov..."
Me: "I give a fuck about gay marriage because it's a civil rights issue. It BOTHERS me that straight people are so quick to place this issue on the FUCKING BACKBURNER for everything else. I understand that there are pressing issues to focus on. But gay marriage is just as important. It doesn't affect you, so you don't care. These are the rights of a group of people we're talking about! If people had this same attitude towards African-Americans or any other ethnicity group, there would've been a nationwide dispute. But because gay marriage touches on deep religious beliefs that have nothing to do with nothing, it's suddenly not a real issue.
I love you, too, but this is a real issue. The government didn't invent marriage, yet they have no problem dictating who can participate in this institution. Straight people take it for granted everyday to the point of not even respecting it, yet you're ready to FIGHT gays and lesbians when they want the same basic right. To me, that's a slap in the damn face!"
And so on and so forth that it goes on like this.
Then, to just get away from the silliness of Facebook, I go to my favorite site, Nerdfighters.com. And even there, I see more homophobic silliness. To make a long story short, I debate with a person who mentioned something I said about gay Native Americans marrying White men in the early 20th Century. My whole point is that the institution of marriage has not always been heterosexual.
I know you're asking: what's the point of this entry? Why the fuck are you telling me this? My point is that sometimes I get tired of fighting. I get tired of trying to teach people that we all deserve the basic human privilege to marry, to buy a house in the City or the Boondocks. That we all have the right to have secure dream careers and raise children so bad that the British Nanny would threaten to whup asses with her belt. And when I say "all," I include same-sex couples. Yet some people don't see it that way. And so those people fight the "Evil Gays." In turn, the "Evil Gays" fight back. Hard. I fight alongside my GLBT brothers and sisters with my words and my fury. And I'm loud god dammit. Shit, I'm not even drinking this time! But is my voice strong enough? Or am I being drowned out and ignored?
I hope the latter is not happening. I hope that, one day, my friend sees what I'm saying. And, even if he doesn't, I hope to mature enough to be at peace with his unchanged opinions and that of others. Maybe, if I just accept people as they are and learn to walk away sometimes, I probably won't get so burned out from fighting the Good Battle.
And so on and so forth that it goes on like this.
Then, to just get away from the silliness of Facebook, I go to my favorite site, Nerdfighters.com. And even there, I see more homophobic silliness. To make a long story short, I debate with a person who mentioned something I said about gay Native Americans marrying White men in the early 20th Century. My whole point is that the institution of marriage has not always been heterosexual.
I know you're asking: what's the point of this entry? Why the fuck are you telling me this? My point is that sometimes I get tired of fighting. I get tired of trying to teach people that we all deserve the basic human privilege to marry, to buy a house in the City or the Boondocks. That we all have the right to have secure dream careers and raise children so bad that the British Nanny would threaten to whup asses with her belt. And when I say "all," I include same-sex couples. Yet some people don't see it that way. And so those people fight the "Evil Gays." In turn, the "Evil Gays" fight back. Hard. I fight alongside my GLBT brothers and sisters with my words and my fury. And I'm loud god dammit. Shit, I'm not even drinking this time! But is my voice strong enough? Or am I being drowned out and ignored?
I hope the latter is not happening. I hope that, one day, my friend sees what I'm saying. And, even if he doesn't, I hope to mature enough to be at peace with his unchanged opinions and that of others. Maybe, if I just accept people as they are and learn to walk away sometimes, I probably won't get so burned out from fighting the Good Battle.
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Well said Meeka :-)
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