Moving on, I decided to check on the GLSEN blog where I read up a few foundations and alliances that support the LBGT community. I learned that there’s an organization called the” It Gets Better Project” that sets out to make a difference in LBGT student’s lives by providing countless videos of previous LBGT students who have survived the horrors of high school and prove that life really does get better. The organization was started by Dan Savage and his partner in September of 2010 with their own video I have linked below. I watched in and can honestly say its truly inspiring.
I also leafed through the media center and looked through some articles. Deciding to go back in time to a period when I was too concerned with cat dog and rug rats to care about the grown up world around me, I explored some articles from 2001. Conveniently I happened upon concerning the brutal death of Matthew Sheppard who was beaten, lashed to a fence, and left for death in Laramie prairie, Wyoming. I have a small personal connection with this event because a couple of years ago my old high school’s masqueraders club performed The Laramie Project, a play that depicts the events of Matthew Sheppard’s life. The Westboro Baptist church, which is known for its radical views and protests on homosexuality frequently protests this play and one of the reverends was actually going to show up at the high school with signs that said “God hates fags.” But he got the wrong date to the performance. He posted on the church website something along the lines of Bristol and Warren are full of fag lovers and will burn in hell. Here I know from first hand experience, the danger that lies out there and why the statistics are so high. When communities can have such homophobic/ hate filled people in them that helps fuel the injustice it really is hard for LBGT students and the community as a whole. Overall I found the site really eye opening and interesting. I had no idea it existed.
Last semester I challenged a Roman Catholic priest that was a guest speaker in my Gods class. He came in and told the class how we should have faith in God and how God has a plan for all of us and that we should trust that he knows all. Then he completely contradicted himself by saying that homosexuals and child molesters were all sinners. He said that only a man and a women should be together because the bible says that and only a man and woman can create a baby. I then asked him that if we are all Gods children and we should trust that he knows all then shouldn't we trust that he put LGBT people on this earth for a reason. Maybe because our planet is already overpopulated and not everyone should make babies. I told him that my cousin is a lesbian and that her and her wife are the kindest and most incredible people that are loving parents to their two children. I believe that all people no matter what race or sexual orientation could be good or bad, saints or sinners. The Priest was kind of dumbfounded, stuttered and said well i see your point but you are wrong, the bible is right.
ReplyDeleteWhen I speak of the child "molesters" I do not speak of people who actually harm children, I am speaking of having the same compassion if not more for people who are only attracted to children. This is obviously not accepted at all in society but I understand that maybe these people cannot help that they are only attracted to children just as heterosexuals or homosexuals can not change their sexual orientation. I do feel that any sexual orientation could do bad actions such as a heterosexual man raping a woman or a gay man raping a man or a person attracted to children actually molesting a child. All of those things are horrible. I came to this understanding by watching an HBO story of a man who was a child molester and in jail. He said he tried EVERYTHING to not be attracted to children but nothing else aroused him no matter how much therapy or effort he put into changing,even being hypnotized. He then acted upon his sexuality and was put in jail. He found God, was such a good man that when he was being released from jail for good behavior he intentionally did something bad to stay in jail. He cried saying he knows he cannot help himself so he knows he needs to stay in jail in order to not harm another child. He did not want this for himself, I had so much compassion for him because I could not imagine how hard his life must be. LGBT are becoming more accepted in society but being attracted to children never will... although it was way back in Roman or Greek times (not quite sure)
SORRY THIS WAS LONG! : )
I love the It Gets Better videos. Amazing project, huh? :)
ReplyDelete