Everyone must face discrimination, in one form or another. To anyone out there reading this, gay straight or undecided, you are not alone. But for that matter, you are not special either.
I know that that's a hard thing to wrestle with, because we are all special, we all deserve to feel special, society, or our own ego tells us that we MUST BE special. Or else what are we at all? We are people, we are us... By this I mean the very act of living in this strange and beautiful world makes us achievers... we made it through the day and that's something to be proud of.
Unfortunately not every day is easy. Maybe you didn't past your mat test this week, or you got fired and your broke. Hopefully you were one of the luckier ones and the fight you had with your parents, over whatever it is that kids and parents fight about, only resulted in some mutually hurt feelings and you didn't get kicked out of the house, or storm out in a rage. Maybe you hugged later and they reminded you they loved you. If your lucky your parents do love you and accept you for who you are... even if you're gay, straight, transsexual, bisexual, asexual, or overwhelmingly undecided.If you are lucky today your family hasn't disowned you, or forced you into a gay rehabilitation center. If you are lucky then maybe the conversation only left you feeling embarrassed, or a little humiliated, and not beaten... or dead.
Nothing in this world is easy and if you think it should be, I think you should change your point of view. But nothing that you think makes you set aside from the pain of everyone else in the WORLD, is really all that bad. If you have the ability to complain about it, then you're likely not all that effected.
You are different, and being different makes you hard to understand. When people don't understand things they become confused, and confusion is scary. A conversation with my own mother lead me to this conclusion... It is not my sexual preference that alarms her, it is the fact that she doesn't understand why it's not like hers. Now that sounds like the same thing she's straight, I'm gay, so she doesn't like me being gay, because that means I'm not straight. But the catch is that she doesn't actually think of me in sexual terms, I'll always be 3 in her eyes. What she sees is a dark and cloudy side street that leads off the road of "female normal", the very road she herself has been traveling. She understands "gay male" she's had friends that are there and it was in no way a direct reflection of the choices she has had to make. Lesbian... that's the dark road... That's the one where in her mind you would never go, so the fact that I have no problem taking off in that direction terrifies her. The conversation in her mind: "Why would you go there? This path is so bright and sunny, and there are men here! This is a good path, I like this path! Why are you making me doubt this path? To go there? Where it's dark? And strange? That's not my comfort zone." What she doesn't see is the my version of the "female normal" road where after about the age of 16 the bright and sunny road suddenly takes a sharp drop down a very steep cliff, and to go that way would only bring me harm. Taking the street marked "Lesbian" may be misty and a little dark at first, but getting through that, the road is just as sunny and bright.
Perceptions. That is what this is all about. Do you perceive yourself as struggling against the tyranny of the evil parent!!! Or the evil bully at school? Or even the evil boss you think hates you because you call your girlfriend, your "wife"? Well you might be right, but maybe your perception is askew and you should be seeing that your parents still bought you that iPod you really wanted, or the bully really does abuse everyone, or your boss may be a dick but he's banging his secretary and the divorce settlement for his "wife" is going to be very substantial.
Remember if you are lucky enough to be reading this blog, then your life could definately be worse.
Photo Thanks to http:zombifydodge.devianart.com
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