Thursday, May 21, 2009

A little too much hate

It's funny how much attention we are getting in the news nowadays. I mean, it isn't as if the issues of gay rights are new by any means, and obviously I am surrounded by particular media outlets that provide the information I'm interested in. However, it's as if every week there is one thing that excites me and many other things that anger me.

In the marriage arena, many great things have happened. Maine, Vermont, and Iowa all in the last month or so have legalized it (the two former legislatively), which is very exciting. Of course, there's the bittersweet (more bitter now than sweet) issue of New Hampshire. In case you didn't hear, yesterday the legislature voted no on the amended language that requires that anyone affiliated with a given religion has to take part in a gay marriage ceremony. (There were already stipulations that were agreed upon that protected religious organizations, and the new language was added by the governor. While I would rather it get passed than not, there could be issues that say, the entire staff of a city hall would not take part in a civil wedding, forcing the couple to find another place to wed. When that place that rejects you is a church, it's one thing, but it seems odd to allow a municipal employee to not process paperwork because of religious beliefs. Seriously, this is a wedding, it isn't something that is as volatile as abortion.)

But there are other stories that are out there, that are equally upsetting. Right in the wake of Congress adding sexual orientation to the Hate Crimes Bill, we have the state of South Carolina removing any mention of same-sex relationships to their Teen Dating Violence Bill. They don't want to "teach kids about same-sex relationships." I am not even going to comment, I think you know where I stand on that.

The worst of all though, is about this family in Nebraska. After many discussions with their child, who is physically a boy, and with their therapist, they have decided to allow the child to live as a girl, because that is what the child feels. She is eight years old, and quite likely this is a phase, but it could also be real (in fact, the child has asked to be called a girl since she was four, so I doubt it's a phase). Either way, I applaud the parents for being open-minded about something that I am certain they do not understand (let's be honest, I don't understand transgendered people, but that does not mean that they are wrong in any way). The problem of course is the religious "right," who have kicked the child out of Catholic school, because the Chancellor of the school thinks it would not present the right "learning environment" since the child was presented as a boy for the first three years of attendance.

Wait, so learning about tolerance and differences among people is bad? I know, this has always been the case with the "right"-wing nuts, but it angers me so much. The leaders of the pro-hate group Focus on the Family has basically stated that the child is in need of therapy and prayer to fix this "problem." I think the child has exactly what she needs: A loving, wonderful family that is accepting of her needs.

This last fact is what makes me realize that although there are many people out there shouting about the evils of gays, transgenders, and basically anyone who does not conform to their preconceived notion of "normal," there are more important people on our side. The families and friends that support their loved ones, even if it is from a child that let's face it, everyone could just mock and say, "Oh you'll grow out of it, just get over it." Society, however slowly, is moving forward because of people like this.

by Topher at 8:29 AM |