The Gay LP
In my constant effort to reach wide numbers of people with this blog, I try to avoid religion and politics and stick to fun/goofy stories about my life. I find that more people can relate to the warm feelings of a funny story than can relate to a strong opinion in direct opposition to their own. This post ain’t that. While attending a Film Festival in Hollywood called, “Outfest“, I had to re-evaluate a lot about my world view and my need for hope. Some background first…
“Outfest” focuses on films created either about homosexual characters or by gay film makers. On the last day of the festival, I was overwhelmed to the point of weeping while watching “Wish Me Away”. This movie was so powerful, the lovely women I was sitting next to had to keep handing me tissues as I openly wept until credits rolled. The photo you below is me with Chely Wright (the musician whom “Wish Me Away” is all about). Notice how stunningly gorgeous she is and how I look like I just wept myself into oblivion. Good for me.
I don’t want to ruin the film. Suffice it to say, Chely is gay and only let the world know this in the last year when she published an autobiography. I should add that Chely used to be a HUGE artist in Country Music that garnered a lot of attention for the song “Single White Female“. Since coming out, she went from a Platinum Country Artist to a numbers failure. Her latest album release has well under 100,000 copies and it’s hard to decide exclusively why that is the case, but there are some theories…
Homosexuality is one of the last remaining reasons we can openly discriminate. This discrimination is not only still socially acceptable, but also encouraged in some cases. Obesity and homelessness are the other two human conditions that are, and make sure you read this correctly, SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE reasons to discriminate. Yes, there are massive other groups of people discriminated against for a lot of different reasons, but they are not allowed to be openly hated/treated differently. The gays, not so much.
At “Outfest”, I saw a woman sitting alone in the audience. She appeared confident enough and was dressed very fashionably. Regardless of the fact that she was alone, (which, I should point out, I also was so people might be currently blogging about my sad, weeping ass) she was interacting with people, made her way over to Chely and made sure that even though most people looked beyond her, she was going to get some face time with Chely.
This lone audience member was a lesbian. This lone audience member was also a little person.
Here goes – I think so many gay people feel alienated and isolated for one reason: gay is not a choice. Before you go off on the Biblical teachings that you seem to have interpreted as God’s condemnation for gays (which I could argue are up there with these things in the Bible that we fail to jump on because we think they are ludicrous for modern times – ahem – MARK 10:1-12, LEVITICUS 18:19, etc.) think first about the life of a gay person. Would you CHOOSE to be openly hated and condemned by, according to some, the wrath of the Almighty God? Did you wake up and choose to be straight?!
I am a champion for human rights. I am also not gay. I don’t pretend to know how much pain this actually causes, but I do know that isolation and judgement are never fun. If we are all created to share this planet and make the world better, why do we hold hate/judgment in our hearts for things we don’t understand? Did I REALLY see a painted sign by a Baptist Church Member saying “God hates fags” when the marriage issue was, once again, up for debate? REALLY?!
This will obnoxiously illustrate a point: We don’t condemn blind people for walking with white sticks and not seeing us. We don’t hate deaf people for not hearing us. We would never yell at a person born with red hair telling them God hates them. There was, however, a time in our world’s history when certain things like being born with or without these features got you gassed. I’m not saying we are like Nazi Germany, but hate crimes are still pretty rampant against the homosexual community. I digress…
Photosource: tumblr.com
I’m not asking you to convert or asking to attack your religious conviction. I love living in a country where we can all maintain different opinions and not be killed, genuinely. What I am asking is for you to think the next time a friend, family member, pastor, etc. says, “God bless the homosexuals who are on their way to hell and making a terrible life choice” (or some version of that) to think about the gay little person I saw at “Outfest”. She’s already got enough of a battle as a little person, I imagine. She would choose to add into that mix yet ANOTHER reason to be a pariah?! Why? We are already programmed to hate ourselves for socially acceptable reasons, who the bump adds sexual preference to that list just for the hell of it?
Oh, that also reminds me, the preview for “Pariah” also made me weep and I CANNOT WAIT to see it in theatres (learn more here).
Moral of the story – Save your judgement – we’re all doing the best we can. Instead, count your blessings and go hug some folks.
