I have been asked by several people why I have become so vocal concerning homosexuality. I would like to take the time to answer that very question. There are several reasons.
First, I have seen so much damage caused by misunderstanding and blatantly false things taught by various people and organizations. I have heard of too many suicide stories of gay people teased and ridiculed by their peers and community to the point where they felt that taking their own life was the best option. No one should ever be made to feel that way. I have witnessed many gay people fall in love with a person of the same sex, experience the wonderment and joy that comes from such love, and then turn away from it with a cold and bitter heart because they are taught that such love is evil. Seeing the consternation and inner turmoil in such a person is almost more than I can bear. I sincerely wish true happiness for all of my Heavenly Father's children and I truly believe that marrying a person that you can truly love and who truly loves you--whether it be a member of the same sex or of the opposite sex--is one major way (obviously not the only way) a person can become truly happy. So, because of all of the damage done to gay people on account of falsehoods being taught about them, I wish to help spread the truth about homosexuality and do my part to protect gays in the future from being bullied by ignorant and bigoted people.
I look forward to a day when gay people will be truly accepted by society rather than hated and feared. Since I came out here on my blog back in March, I have had many people say very hateful things to me. If it were mere acquaintances or people I did not know, it would easily roll off my back and I would pay it no mind. But when it comes from people that I have known and loved for many years, and in some cases nearly all my life, it is rather painful. I have had people tell me that I am being deceived by evil spirits, that I am a tool of the devil to deceive and lead astray as many people as possible. I have been told that I am puffed up with pride. I must say that I do have pride, but only pride in the knowledge that I am the way God made me and that He made me this way because He wanted me to be this way--for what reason perhaps God alone knows. But I am certain that God made me gay on purpose and I intend to discover what that purpose is. I am certain that part of that purpose is to protect future gay people from hurtful statements like the ones made to me. I have had people tell me that they used to look up to me but no longer do. I find that highly ironic because the only difference between who I am now and who I was last year is that I am now honest about my feelings, whereas previously I was always dishonest. So, if anything, I would expect people to have more respect for me since I have only grown more honest. At any rate, no one deserves to be called a tool of the devil merely for admitting that he feels love for people of the same sex.
Similarly to Martin Luther King Jr, I have a dream. I dream of a future where gay people are allowed to express the love that they feel for each other without fear of someone saying hateful things, ridiculing them, and even in many cases physically assaulting them. I dream of a day when gay people will be allowed to hold hands in public and will be not only tolerated by adored by society, just as a straight couple holding hands is adored. I dream of a day when all people can acknowledges differences among themselves and in spite of those differences resolve to live in peace and harmony. I dream of a day when no one feels the need to judge and condemn another person merely for believing or feeling a different way about something. Of course this is an impossible dream, but is it evil if that is the desire of m heart and my motivating force in my life? Am I condemned to hell if I merely wish to make the world a better place for those who follow after me? I assert a negative answer to both those questions and hope that all people would agree with me. Whether you believe that homosexuality is sinful or whether you agree with me on that matter, I would hope that you would agree with me that the desire to make the world a better place is a good motivation--that any act performed out of true love for a fellow human being cannot be evil. You may not agree with me that teaching homosexual behavior is ok is one way to make the world a better place, but hopefully you will agree with me that wanting to make the world a better place is a good motive. Whether or not you believe homosexual behavior is sinful, I hope at least to convince people that saying cruel things to/about homosexual people is wrong. No one deserves to be made to feel like a second-class citizen.
So, these are some of the many reasons why I feel so strongly about the issue, why I have become so vocal, and why I continually blog about it.
First, I have seen so much damage caused by misunderstanding and blatantly false things taught by various people and organizations. I have heard of too many suicide stories of gay people teased and ridiculed by their peers and community to the point where they felt that taking their own life was the best option. No one should ever be made to feel that way. I have witnessed many gay people fall in love with a person of the same sex, experience the wonderment and joy that comes from such love, and then turn away from it with a cold and bitter heart because they are taught that such love is evil. Seeing the consternation and inner turmoil in such a person is almost more than I can bear. I sincerely wish true happiness for all of my Heavenly Father's children and I truly believe that marrying a person that you can truly love and who truly loves you--whether it be a member of the same sex or of the opposite sex--is one major way (obviously not the only way) a person can become truly happy. So, because of all of the damage done to gay people on account of falsehoods being taught about them, I wish to help spread the truth about homosexuality and do my part to protect gays in the future from being bullied by ignorant and bigoted people.
I look forward to a day when gay people will be truly accepted by society rather than hated and feared. Since I came out here on my blog back in March, I have had many people say very hateful things to me. If it were mere acquaintances or people I did not know, it would easily roll off my back and I would pay it no mind. But when it comes from people that I have known and loved for many years, and in some cases nearly all my life, it is rather painful. I have had people tell me that I am being deceived by evil spirits, that I am a tool of the devil to deceive and lead astray as many people as possible. I have been told that I am puffed up with pride. I must say that I do have pride, but only pride in the knowledge that I am the way God made me and that He made me this way because He wanted me to be this way--for what reason perhaps God alone knows. But I am certain that God made me gay on purpose and I intend to discover what that purpose is. I am certain that part of that purpose is to protect future gay people from hurtful statements like the ones made to me. I have had people tell me that they used to look up to me but no longer do. I find that highly ironic because the only difference between who I am now and who I was last year is that I am now honest about my feelings, whereas previously I was always dishonest. So, if anything, I would expect people to have more respect for me since I have only grown more honest. At any rate, no one deserves to be called a tool of the devil merely for admitting that he feels love for people of the same sex.
Similarly to Martin Luther King Jr, I have a dream. I dream of a future where gay people are allowed to express the love that they feel for each other without fear of someone saying hateful things, ridiculing them, and even in many cases physically assaulting them. I dream of a day when gay people will be allowed to hold hands in public and will be not only tolerated by adored by society, just as a straight couple holding hands is adored. I dream of a day when all people can acknowledges differences among themselves and in spite of those differences resolve to live in peace and harmony. I dream of a day when no one feels the need to judge and condemn another person merely for believing or feeling a different way about something. Of course this is an impossible dream, but is it evil if that is the desire of m heart and my motivating force in my life? Am I condemned to hell if I merely wish to make the world a better place for those who follow after me? I assert a negative answer to both those questions and hope that all people would agree with me. Whether you believe that homosexuality is sinful or whether you agree with me on that matter, I would hope that you would agree with me that the desire to make the world a better place is a good motivation--that any act performed out of true love for a fellow human being cannot be evil. You may not agree with me that teaching homosexual behavior is ok is one way to make the world a better place, but hopefully you will agree with me that wanting to make the world a better place is a good motive. Whether or not you believe homosexual behavior is sinful, I hope at least to convince people that saying cruel things to/about homosexual people is wrong. No one deserves to be made to feel like a second-class citizen.
So, these are some of the many reasons why I feel so strongly about the issue, why I have become so vocal, and why I continually blog about it.
Isn't it interesting how people will insist that YOU are a different person, and no longer worth their time, though the only difference is that you are now living your truth and no longer pretending to be something they feel more comfortable with? They obviously don't subscribe to the idea that your homosexuality is only a TILE in the mosaic of your life, not your WHOLE mosaic. I too pray for a day when everyone can feel free to express their love in the way that feels right to them.
ReplyDeleteHugs!
Alanna