My friend Sharone sent me a link to this letter to the editor that appeared in the Culpeper (Virginia) Citizen newspaper recently. It was written by someone who is already very involved in equality issues despite, according to Sharone, not even being 18 years old.
Letter to the editor
It struck me that my generation (I'm 47 years old) will fight and claw for advances in equality for GLBT people, but it will probably take the next generation like the letter writer to effect complete, long-lasting change.
I dare say most of the people growing up in my generation were indoctinated with the teaching of the evils of homosexuality. As a result of this prevailing value, it was rare that I encountered a GLBT person that was out of the closet, and I was not able to connect the idea of homosexuality with real people.
Someone growing up in the last 15-20 years, however, is much more likely to have met openly GLBT people. This has afforded them the opportunity to know these people and push homosexuality beyond a concept and into reality. Knowledge and understanding breed acceptance, and there is much more of that among people in their teens and twenties than older folks like me.
Their is great reason to hope that the up and coming generation of leaders will bring a much greater attitude of acceptance and promotion of equality among everyone, but let's not wait for them to get in place. Let's blaze the trail now so people can benefit sooner rather than later.
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Jim,
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder that the fanatic right is so against the formation of Gay Straight Alliances in school and doesn't want GLBT youth included as part of the school's anti-bullying program. They don't want their hateful messages about gays to be contradicted by the facts of the matter.
Points well-made.
ReplyDeleteAlmost all of my family in Texas has lived there all their lives. I realize that this colors their perceptions of all sorts of things. I have been blessed to live or spend significant amounts of time in many places throughout the United States as well as in Mexico City, Spain and Italy. My experience of the world is different because my world of experience is different.
The coming generation will live into a new world. Those of us in our "mature years" can also live into one, if we are willing.