No Hate

This morning a man was brutally murdered in Halifax. The sad part...a man is dead.  The even sadder part...it was because he was gay.  It is 2012, and we still live in a world of hate and prejudice.

I went to a vigil tonight, for a man I've never even met.  I watched as people cried, and hugged each other, and light candles.  People read poems, and told stories about this man.  His name is Raymond Taavel. A gay-rights activist who had his head repeatedly smashed against the concrete ground because he tried to stop a homophobic, raging man from beating up his friend. 

The very saddest part...there will continue to be more "Raymonds" in this world until society realises that being gay isn't a choice...but homophobia definitely is.

Regardless of your beliefs, how is it your business what other peoples beliefs are? Does it ruin your day if a gay couple gets married?  Hell, they deserve to miserable like the rest of us don't they?  Don't gay people deserve crappy tax deductions too?

Does it bother you to see a gay couple kissing in the park?  Guess what!  It bothers me to see you and your straight partner doing the same.  It's not because you are gay or straight...its because I don't want to see anyone's PDA.

Nobody is going to "catch" gay.  Nobody is going to convince your children they are gay.  Nobody is going to hate you for being straight, so why you hate someone for being gay?  I once heard someone say "The GAYS like to be flashy"....yeah, and so do the straight ladies at the clubs with their mini skirts.  Does that mean all straight ladies at the clubs are flashy?  No. Sure some are, some aren't, some like attention, some don't.  I bet you'd be surprised to find out how many gay people you know. Not every gay woman or man marches in Gay Pride parades, or dress in drag on the weekends.  Just like how not every Catholic Priest is a pedophile, not every black man has a huge penis, not every blond is dumb. Not every fat kid is fat cause they eat too much, not every Chinese person likes math.

We are not all the same, we live in a world with different values, different religions, and different beliefs.  As a straight, white woman, I have never experience prejudice in my own personal life.  I've never been called names because I am married to a man, I've never been yelled at for walking down the street while I hold his hand. I've never had to hold rallies, and parades, and marches to get treated equally.  I found this online today and it really made sense....

How can we judge?  How can we be mad or angry?  How can we not feel anything but remorse and embarrassment for living in a world that tolerates this sort of hate?

When will we live in a world where Tom & Peter are just Tom & Peter...not Tom & Peter, the gay guys.

Tonight I cried for a man I never met. I cried for his family and friends.  I cried for my children who will grow up in a world where people are judged for not being "straight".  I cried at the thought of my children ever having to hear someone be called a faggot or queer.  I cried for the ones who get called that everyday.  I cried for the ones who use those words. I cried for their family and friends who tolerate it. 

I cried...

"It’s tempting in this day and age of legislated liberties to think that a personal or collective vigilance is no longer required. It’s easy to lull ourselves into complacency, thinking there’s nothing more left to fight for, or nothing more to achieve. Fighting back comes in many forms: reaching out, building bridges, educating and, if need be, defending ourselves from physical harm."

-- Raymond Taavel, Wayves Magazine, May 2010