I know that statement in itself is a scary thought, but it’s true. What I am about to type may very well be an unpopular opinion, but then again, that is the whole point of this blog. Let me see if I can put this into words that won’t piss most of you off.

I am a big believer that the LGBT community deserves the same rights and privileges that the straight community has. We should be allowed to marry, file joint tax returns, and about 1,000 other rights that we are not afforded. I have no problem voicing my opinion on the matter either online or in a crowded room.

I also believe that we as a community need to think more about tolerance than acceptance. Whether you want to admit it or not, there is a big difference. While I would love to be accepted by mainstream America, at this point I would be fine with being tolerated. That doesn’t mean that I give up fighting for acceptance, it only means that I am happy with any progress that we make.

I want to be able to marry G. Whether it is in a courthouse or a church, I really don’t care. I am not a church goer, but that doesn’t mean I am without faith or belief. Marriage is my ultimate goal, however, I would settle for a civil union first, as long as it afforded me the same 1100 rights that are afforded to straight married couples.

While I always have and always will support our community, I am becoming a little disgruntled with it. Without realizing it, we are becoming the same hypocrites that we are accusing the hetero christian right of being. STOP!

I know exactly where your brain is going, and you are ready to start an argument with me, but let me finish. Take your brain out of overdrive and just listen to me for a hot minute. The minute anyone speaks out against the LGBT movement, our community stands up and calls them ignorant closed minded bigots. While some of them are, most of them are not. This is why we are failing as a community.

The Constitution tells us that we have freedom of speech, well so do they. They have the right to their beliefs and opinions just as we do. Yes, we want to be heard, but so do they. You have to remember change does not happen over night, and there are two things that people fear more than anything else. Change and things they do not understand.

We must remember that the people who are against gay marriage and believe that homosexuality is wrong feel that way because that is how they were raised. If most of us stop and think about it, we were in the closet because that is also how we were raised. It is just easier for us to figure out that these beliefs were wrong because we are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered.

Can you honestly say if you were straight that you would have shed these beliefs? That you would stand up and fight for these issues? Most of us would like to think that we would, but how many of you still can’t even come out to your families because of these beliefs?

We as a community can not force acceptance on these people. They feel and have every right to feel that they are being forced into acceptance. Between us and the Government they feel attacked from every angle. They have fears of their own. Justified or not, it is their feeling and we can not fault them for that. We also can not fault them for voicing their opinion – they have every right to do so.

We do not have the right to call them homophobes or bigots for voicing their opinions or concerns. We as a community should take the higher ground. We as a community should listen to what they have to say. We as a community should step up and be the better people. Fighting and name calling is not going to get us anywhere. Listening, discussing, and educating will.

Freeing slaves was not a popular opinion, it led to war and civil unrest. We evolved as a society and realized that segregation was wrong, that blacks and whites were equal. We evolved as a society and realized that women were not property and were intelligent and capable and should be able to vote.

We as a society will continue to evolve, at least I hope we will. As we do, changes will happen. We have come a long way in the last few years, while I agree it is not enough, it is better than it was.

So the next time you read or hear one of these opinions, stop before you fly off the handle in a flaming rage. Rather than yell queer slogans at them, or call them names, try to educate them. Discuss with them and try to understand their point of view.

Honestly, how can we expect them to recognize and accept our point of view if we are unwilling to do the same.

As you may know, biblical ignorance is an epidemic in the United States. A recent study quoted by Dr. Peter Gomes in The Good Book found that 38 percent of Americans polled were certain the Old Testament was written a few years after Jesus’ death. Ten percent believed Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. Many even thought the epistles were the wives of the apostles.

What the Bible Says – And Doesn’t Say – About Homosexuality.

If you are not familiar with Dr. White, I suggest you get familiar with him. The article is long, but well worth the read. This is the information that the LGBT community should be putting out there.

Newly straight? Formerly gay? Congratulations, a judge just decided you’re a sexual orientation that cannot be discriminated against.

I am not even going to comment on this – just go read the article.
Article Here

He’s got a small voice, and he’s just one kid, but 10-year-old Arkansas fifth grader (he skipped a grade) Will Phillips might as well have Barack Obama’s ear as much as Joe Solmonese. That’s because Phillips, who’s already aware of the gay rights struggle at such a young age, is making a small stand against a nation with discriminatory policies on the books: he’s refusing to recite the Pledge Of Allegiance at school.

He wouldn’t do it when the substitute teacher asked him. And he’s not about to start now, even if other kids are, predictably, teasing him over his stance.

Given that his protest is over the rights of gays and lesbians, the taunts have taken a predictable bent. “In the lunchroom and in the hallway, they’ve been making comments and doing pranks, and calling me gay,” he said. “It’s always the same people, walking up and calling me a gaywad.”

Even so, Will said that he can’t foresee anything in the near future that will make him stand for the pledge. To help him deal with the peer pressure, his parents have printed off posts in his support on blogs and websites. “We’ve told him that people here might not support you, but we’ve shown him there are people all over that support you,” [his mother Laura] Phillips said. “It’s really frustrating to him that people are being so immature.”

[Arkansas Times]

What a great kid, I applaud his efforts. To bad some of the adults in our society can’t see the same things a kid does. I also must commend his parents for allowing him to stand up for his beliefs and supporting him.

“I don’t think the discrimination they scream about is really real,” conservative Utah State Senator Chris Buttars, a Republican from West Jordan, told Salt Lake City-based KCPW radio. “I’m watching that to see what they try to do, and if they keep pushing it, then I will bring a bill about it.”

Governor Gary Herbert agreed, saying the measure would put the city on a “slippery road.”

“Where are you going to stop? I mean that’s the problem going down that slippery road. Pretty soon we’re going to have a special law for blue-eyed blondes … or people who are losing their hair a little bit,” Herbert, a Republican, said. “There’s some support for about anything we put out there. I’m just saying we end up getting bogged down sometimes with the minutiae of things that government has really no role to be involved in.”

At this time – I have nothing to say about this. I think ignorance speaks for itself.