Hate Hate and more Hate
I know this conversation has happened over and over but I feel the need to share my thoughts and experiences with it. I still sit back and am amazed over the amount of hate and intolerance in this world no matter to whom that hate is directed. Even my friends sometimes will say things in all seriousness that just takes me by surprise including comments about guns, gays, blacks, women, muslims…it doesn’t seem to matter to whom it is directed or to how ignorant and delusional they may sound in the process.
See, I DO feel I share a unique perspective having traveled to nearly 100 countries, surrounded myself with every culture, religion, and race there is. Enmeshed myself in those cultures and worked with those governments. Sure, I have had biases and lived by stereotypes as well, but at least have made an attempt to challenge them and grow verse being stifled by my own arrogance and living under the guise of God, religion, politics or money…
Why have I been spurred to write this?…well, many reasons, but one being that I have recently been criticized for all the work I do to bring equality to the LGBT community here in the United States. It is funny to me that I never get criticized for all the work I have done in 3rd world nations and in America for helping women who have been abused, children who are trafficked, poor people from having their land stolen in Cambodia, religious tribes from being exterminated in Africa and rape victims all over the world from being left to suffer, hated or punished for being victims themselves. But when it comes to gays, the same people who praise me for helping these others attain equality, safety, and assistance, are the first to criticize me for helping gay people achieve the SAME…and yet, they are unable to see their hypocrisy. “They deserve to suffer”, “they are evil”, “they are sinners”! Can people hear themselves? Seriously? “God says that it is wrong”…hmmmm, I think I have “heard” the same ignorant response for centuries used against every other possible minority or group…I would hate to be on the wrong side of this argument…again.
So we carry on with the Boy Scouts (and MANY other groups) continuing to question if they should be a role model and not discriminate (like this should even be a thought), for the Congress to continue to pledge to fight against allowing gays equality in marriage or immigration when America itself is based upon the idea of equality and fairness no matter who the person is. Shouts of religious freedom, as if there is only one religion and that one somehow delusionally states that all gays are sinners and SHOULD be hated and excluded. What kind of religion is that? What kind of government is that? What kind of people are we?
Can you imagine the thought of having to move to another nation than America to gain MORE freedom? I face that every day as I think about my future. Do you? Can you imagine thinking the only way out is suicide because you have been outcast by your society, bullied, beaten? I work with these people and help to save their lives and find hope in the world. They ARE people – sons, daughters, brothers and sister, friends and co-workers. Do you? The answer is likely no, you just continue to hate and base your experiences on a very sheltered life and very sheltered way of thinking. You don’t stop to think about what your hate does to people around you, to those that are part of your family, to those that are facing the ideas of suicide as a means of expressing their depression and sense of desperation.
I for one, will continue to fight for all of those in need and at-risk. I will continue to fight for EQUALITY and understanding and acceptance! Live your life and let people live theirs. Simple respect, kindness and a small amount of empathy can get us so much further than you can imagine. And everyone deserves to feel safe…to feel loved.
Equality is for all. Hate is for the weak.
Thoughts from a Shrink 