I have never really been a fan the alphabet people. For a long time, I have considered them an immoral, weird and unfit crop of human beings who would much rather live on their own planet than mingle with us – the straight, ‘natural’ and ‘morally upright’ ones. Even now as I write this blog, I am still not very impressed by their orientations and I would certainly prefer not to raise my child with the option of aligning to their inclinations.
However, I have come to the realisation that I cannot continue to live with the LGBTQI community as if I am superior to them, just because I am not like them. Simply because I am what a majority of people are doesn’t mean I am better than the alternate minority. And just the same, by their nature of being different it doesn’t mean that they are better than me (or the alternate majority). We are all different and that’s what I believe gives life its colour.
This is a good read.
I am beginning to ask myself some questions. Why do I feel such a passionate hatred for the LGBTQI people? Why does it bother me that they go about their lives the way they do? Who made me judge over them? Why can’t I seem to tolerate them? What is so gross about them? Why do I consider them less human than the rest of us, straight people? Why do I feel that I am better than them? By discriminating against them, am I not being like racists, misogynists and the rest of those sick sods who do actual harm?
In pursuit of answers, two words that are closely intertwined kept popping up in my head – religion and society. I was born into a deeply christian society. My world view was greatly influenced by my christian parents and christian teachers (at school and church). They were all not very good at conversations relating to sex and sexuality, let alone homosexuality. As far as they were concerned, homosexuality is a great sin in the eyes of God, period! In the very rare instances when they would be in the same room with that conversation, they would quickly dismiss it by quoting lines from the Bible.
But then wondered, why? Why are people quick to dismiss these types of conversations by siting the Bible? What does the Bible exactly say about homosexuality and what does it exactly mean? I currently don’t know. But if you ask me, the Bible is very dynamic in the way It shares Its perspectives. It does not have one point of view. And Its words do not apply to linear scenarios. Heck, it does not even have one definition and description of God! So why would religious people want to be selective about how they interpret this issue?
Is Anyone To Blame For The Inequality Of The World?
As society progressed, it continued to create and define morals. Morals are standards of human behaviour. They define right or wrong. But what are morals based on? Aren’t they based on the observations, ideas and biases/inclinations of human beings? It is a known fact that human beings make decisions at the back of their emotions and motivations (self interest), so why would we put so much trust on what some people said was right or wrong? What if there was another way to look at the issue? Who is to say what the moral and the right thing actually is? I am not saying that we should not have morals, morals are good. They help us organise they way we live and interact. But merely because something has been repeated many times does not mean we should not try poke holes in it.
I have come to the conclusion that we are all human beings and thus we ought to interact as human beings first and foremost. Before you are defined by what you do, you are bottomline human. It has not added me any value to discriminate against minority groups. In fact what is has done is that it has burdened me with the trouble of having to carry around a heavy bag of negative feelings to summon whenever I interact with people from the LGBTQI community. I choose to let go of the bag. I may not like what they do, but I choose to treat everyone with dignity and respect – even Jesus did.
My advice now is that if you gravitate towards conservatism (like I tend to), allow yourself to pause and consider things that seem liberal and progressive. If you take a stand, ask ‘why’ so many times that it gets into your (and other people’s) nerves. I am not saying change your stance, no. I am encouraging you to be empathetic, reasonable and understanding because at the end of the day we all desire that the world is a better place for all.
