Yesterday the DC City Council officially voted to for the gay marriage bill in DC. They now join Massachusetts as the only other place in the US where gay marriage is legal.
While this is a step closer in ensuring that we are all treated fairly and equally, there were quite the voices of disappointment and disgust amongst the social networking sites that this vote passed.
My friend, we'll call him, "Brother Pastor" is one of those who is disappointed in the vote and stated quite emphatically "Marriage belongs to GOD".
He along with another friend, we'll call him, "Daddy Soldier" got into a very interesting and at times heated debate on Twitter a couple of weeks ago.
My honest belief is that for the most part some of the fraternity brothers I regularly associate with or come into contact on a regular basis (monthly or weekly) are some of the most homophobic men I will ever encounter in life. I made a statement to that effect on Twitter and that sparked a conversation which I found at times enlightening and disappointing at the same time.
Brother Pastor and Daddy Soldier emphatically disagreed. Daddy Soldier said he didn't see the need for brothers to be homophobic since "almost every chapter had one". When I mentioned that I had witnessed this behavior for myself; brothers making homophobic jokes and making situations so uncomfortable that gay brothers had to live a double life so they could be accepted as part of the chapter and fraternity and also remain happy with their true self, they both agreed that behavior was wrong. Brother Pastor said that even though they were his fraternity brother that would not stop him from telling his "brother" that they were living wrong and going against God's plan especially if these brothers considered themselves Christians.
Please do not misunderstand.
Brother Pastor is someone who I respect and have sought council from on numerous occassions for personal related issues. We do not agree on this one subject. He has been called to minister and spread the word of GOD. I can not fault him nor criticize him for his beliefs they are his and he is responsible for how he communicates those beliefs and how he governs himself accordingly. With that said, we do not agree on this subject.
Like the hymn says, "WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED."
He and I are clear about where we stand on this subject.
Please do not misunderstand.
Brother Pastor is someone who I respect and have sought council from on numerous occassions for personal related issues. We do not agree on this one subject. He has been called to minister and spread the word of GOD. I can not fault him nor criticize him for his beliefs they are his and he is responsible for how he communicates those beliefs and how he governs himself accordingly. With that said, we do not agree on this subject.
Like the hymn says, "WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED."
He and I are clear about where we stand on this subject.
My argument that day and everyday is that jokes and intolerance have no place in society. I have never said you have to accept anyone's sexual orientation but in that same vein no one has the right to make anyone feel uncomfortable or less than because of whom they love.
I have a sorority sister that said being a lesbian is way much harder than being a gay man. I have other fraternity brothers and sisters that claim that they, gays, lesbian, bisexual and trandsgender people, have it hard because it's a choice they made. When I listen to all of these people speak and I see how friends and family members that are gay and lesbian are treated, I ask myself, Who in their right mind thinks that to live your life this way, with all the rejection and pain and mental thought process that comes with coming out, is a choice?
Knowing that there are still people who think and believe that gay and lesbian people are an abomination to God and that there are some that would cause physical and verbal harm to them; why would they purposely choose to live their life this way?
This is not a choice.
From everything I have seen family and friends struggle for acceptance and life happiness, it's not a choice.
I am not here to bring converts to the way I think nor is the purpose of this piece to scream from the roof tops about the injustices I have seen, continue to see and what my friends have experienced nor those who are my friends that disapprove.
There is power in words.
More than we can imagine.
Sometimes these words and actions put into reactions laws that we as a country think will never affect us.
Think not?
Lawmakers in the African country of Burundi have secretly created a bill, which was signed by the President of that country making it illegal to be gay. Nigeria has passed a law that punishes anyone found living in a gay union by placing them in jail for 3 - 5 years. Anyone caught helping any gay or lesbian couple will be punished in jail for 5 years.
Uganda is the worst offender. The have proposed a bill which makes being gay punishable by death if you have been previously convicted of being gay, are HIV positive, are persons having gay sex under the age of 18 and by penalising companies, groups, media organizations and individuals who support LGBT groups, individuals or forums.
The saddest part in all these bills is that they are being supported by prominent US religious figures.
Its about time people as a whole wake up and realize that we are all so much more than what occurs behind the door of our bedrooms.
"Love Thy Neighbor"; but kill thy neighbor when it does not fall into the doctrine we believe?
Somehow all those thousands of centuries ago, I seriously doubt this is what Moses, Jesus and his disciples wanted to profess to the world at large.
There are no different sects of races; there is just one the human race.
6 comments:
Whoo...Blood Boiling over here...
Raises hand high and mighty for being homophobic until I met up with a Gay man that changed my mind about the way I interact with other gay men (most my frat brothers) in which I came into contact with.
In the band we'd always immitate "The Rock" from WWE making jokes about someone being a little "Ooncy Kooncy" and with the fingers fully extended and turning the wrist right and left.
Some of them I didn't like, but for the most part they had never done anything to disrespect me.
In Christmas of 2000, I had a male from my school hide his identity through an e-mail address just to tell me he was interested in me romantically. I went off on him and called him every hurtful, homosexual slur I could call him.
Here's the bad part, I told one person about that e-mail just to later find out that he was in the closet as well.
Then I met a male from another band that was cool as hell and my "Love interest" at the time found him to be very comically funny and I did too. He and I became the best of friends and still are today. He was actually DENIED membership into one of my Frats for being an openly homosexual male.
One thing that I learned is that not ALL gay men, find heterosexual men attractive...because lets be honest...most of us are assholes. But, I have slept in the same bed as another gay man and have never been approached or fondled sexually by a gay man. Gay men understand boundaries and will respect them if you give them due respect.
To sum it up, all GLBT's want id to be respected as people and citizen that our country so Proudly boasts, "Land of the Free"...horseshit!!!
I'm going to say this right here and right now...I'm really thinking about dropping the Christian beliefs that I've been taught for many reasons.
One being literature, research, and the final one is association. A fair amount of Christians attend church on a regular basis, I don't. Yet it seems that the so-called "holy-rollers" are not truly gaining the love that God and Christ have set forth as law from the Bible.
So here is what I believe, I believe that God exists. I also believe that in some weird twisted way that all Gods stem from one Supreme being. (Humans have been tricked into playing favorites when it comes to religious beliefs.) No matter what book you read from, remember that the prototype of the most recognized version of the bible is less than 600 years old (King James Version). All of the stories within this book are based upon stories that supposedly took place between 500 BC - 200 AD (give or take a few years) That puts a 1200 year gap for a lot of opinions, revisions, translations, and completely new ideas that could have been placed in the KJV of the Bible. Then other bibles have come out trying to translate what others have translated over and over again. So now you have the Living, New International, revised English, etc) bibles that have left room for ad-libbing to some degree to explain the story.
How many have played the game as children or even as adults, where one person will whisper to another person next to them and they will continue all the way around the circle and the last person says what was said to them and it doesn't even come close as to what was originally said? That is my view on the bible.
Now , I said all of that to say this... The ten Commandments were pulled from the Kemet (Ancient Egypt) set of rules that governed there land better known as the laws of Maat(there are 40+ original laws). I believe in treating people fairly as human beings and expressing Love to the ones that are willing to except my love.
There's an old hymn that states "They will know we are Christians by our Love."
Why have Christians gone to the extremes of persecuiting people that MOST churches, and preachers are claiming that people that don't follow what the bible says, they're going to hell? Yall call it going out and spreading the "Good News"...How can a figure like Jesus Christ that stood for Love, Joy, COMPASSION for all, have his followers tell others that if you do this you're condemmed to hell?
So, I choose to Love and respect ALL people and they're decisions with there life.
My God doesn't have human characteristics, therefore he will not act as humans would.
My God doesn't have the problem with forgiving people that have done me wrong.
My God has the ability to JUDGE his own children so that I don't need to concern myself with telling them of whatever wrong they are doing in there life. That decision is God's and God's alone.
Christianity's stock will continue to fall until collectively you offer your help and wisdom rather than condemning those that don't have your views and beliefs.
I'm not a writer and realize that the organization of this blog SUCKED but I hope you were able to understand where I was coming from.
I think you really said this the way you should, and I'm glad you made two posts about the issue. I know you've been thinking of what to say and how to say it for a while now.
This is a great post, and a good reminder. I have two cousins who are gay and I am so thankful that they've been out since day 1. My strongly Catholic family just understands them as who they are. I think it helps to have strong men and women who open themselves up to their reality to teach us a thing or two about diversity.
Bravo!
Well,
Needless to say that we do not agree on this particular issue, in terms of marriage. Should they be allowed certain liberties that are enjoyed by heterosexual couples? I will say that sure they should be allowed those liberties as is allowed my non-married couples who share a residence.
I am not a homophobic person b/c I do not fear nor do not limit my interactions with a person who chooses to live in that lifestyle nor do I do this towards promiscuous people. I love all people with a Christ-like love, though some people do work my nerves (LOL).
Jesus did not have to address this issue b/c it was not prevalent or allowed in Jewish society and God, by way of Moses, is the reason why it was also not prevalent in that society.
Do I feel that people need to be ostracized? Nope, b/c the Bible teaches to correct with love. Have I been a bit harsh towards those who live that way? I may have, but through biblical study I have learned to be more loving. So with that being said, I am glad that you have found your relief and I still love ya.
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