I came across a story today that just leaves me shaking my head in wonder at the effort people are willing to put into being homophobic. This post on the blog "My Quest" summarizes a year-long battle some parents in Oklahoma have waged to take age-appropriate books about homosexuality out of the mainstream library shelving among children's books and put them on a "parenting shelf."
These books are now safely tucked away with those regarding child molesters, alcoholics, drug users, and all those other nasty things people do. Nice subtely here, not labeling this information evil but very clearly categorizing it as such.
Ignorance is the primary weapon of bigots. If they can keep the kids ignorant and unaccepting toward GLBT people, they can grow up and hate just like mommy and daddy.
Discrimination is not genetically passed down from parents to their kids--it is taught. Even subtle messages like this can seep through young minds and help form their values.
That's why those of us who have a different set of values need to make our voices heard and teach children and adults alike that GLBT people are just that--PEOPLE. As card-carrying members in full standing of the human race, they are entitled to all the rights, opportunities, and respect that everyone else enjoys and expects.
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very well said. "Ignorance is the primary weapon of bigots." Great statement!
ReplyDeleteWhat frustrates me the most is that people tend to treat homosexuals as some sub-species. Even sympathizers do this. They place them in some box, a label, and act as though they need to be treated like a disabled person... like we need to treat them differently.
People don't get their identity from what they do or how they act... people find their identity in God; the One true God, who has given us our identity and created us in His Image.
The problem with the Church is that we're so afraid of being tainted or stained by the world that we don't do anything to change it. We're so afraid of homosexuality that instead of wrestling with the issue we tuck it away on a shelf for someone else. The Church needs to educate itself responsibly.
I've been wrestling with this issue a lot. I hope you'll find that I'm as open minded as possible but not fully convinced of certain things that I'm sure most of your readers are. I hope that you won't see me as closed minded or "homophobic" in any way but instead patiently help me work through my thoughts on these issues. If you're interested in understanding where I stand it would do you well to read my post: Sin as a Symptom. (keep in mind I wrote it a while ago, in July of last year, and to an audience of people who I assumed presupposed homosexuality as a sin). I’d love to dialogue with you about these things.
http://whateverisgood.blogspot.com/2005/07/sin-as-symptom.html
Homophobia is terrible.
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