Now I am going to talk about something that really bothers me - time to get really serious here - the homophobes who bash and condemn gays. I look at this from a particular angle, that of one who is really concerned about the effect this has on people dealing with their sexuality, kids in particular. People like that do not realize the damage they do, or they do realize it but they just don't care. If you have ever studied teen suicide, you know that a very disproportionately large number of teen suicides are gay.
Rainbow Youth Alliance - I founded this, before I moved to Seattle
I once worked in a boarding school, and I dealt first hand with 16 and 17 year old kids coming to terms with their sexuality. I have sat with them as they cried, begging God to make them straight, not wanting to live if they had to be gay. How can we let this happen? It is not easy for anyone to come to grips with being different, particularly when you're talking about teenagers - and when the difference is that you are gay. Society needs to do a lot more to help these kids. AN AWFUL LOT MORE.
THE FACT IS THAT HOMOPHOBIC BIGOTS, BE THEY DISGUISING THEIR FEELINGS AS PROTECTING FAMILIES, FOLLOWING RELIGION, OR WHATEVER ELSE, ARE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUICIDES OF MANY TEENAGERS.
The blood of these kids is on their hands. I challenge them to tell me what part of Christ's love indicates that they should be doing things which help make kids kill themselves. That is not the Christ I learned about when I know. In his inaugural address in January 1997, President Clinton said, "Prejudice and hatred cloaked in religious or political convictions are no different." I would concur!!
Wow. What a group!
It also bothers me that as a Christian, it would be assumed that I would have anti-gay views because of my faith. It is tragic that Christian and anti-gay have become synonymous in the minds of so many gay people, but how could it not? Have you ever read interviews with gay bashers? They very frequently talk about what they learned in church as the justification for doing what they did. Visceral feelings which drive someone to hurt or kill another simply because of who they are don't just appear out of nowhere.
I hope that if any GLBT kid is reading this and is thinking of turning his/her back on his/her faith because of all the anti-gay rhetoric or condemnation in their house of worship, that you will please reconsider. Queer people are children of God just like everyone else. There are churches and synagogues that will welcome you as you are. Many deeply religious people will stand there with you as you move forward in your life. There are countless ministers and rabbis who have been tireless in their work to help gay people reach equality and to be safe from hatred.
I highly recommend St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Seattle.
Queer As Folk. Enough said.
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