10
“None of us are safe, until all of us are safe.”
Posted under Being RSG, GLBTQ issues by Recovering Straight Girl
Students from a Sherwood, Oregon Middle School performed an amazing and authentic performance about bullying in school. The overall theme: we all must stand together against discrimination. Administrators in this school banned the play as it was written citing that the theme was “too mature.” I took my wife and my daughter to see the sold out show. The actors received a standing ovation. I was moved to tears how brilliantly teacher Jennie Brown wove a wonderful message giving anyone watching a real feeling to stand up for ALL PEOPLE. The Sherwood School District should be ashamed of themselves for pulling this material out of their school; the message was exactly the message that children and adults need to hear.
LOGO premiered a Public Service Announcement this morning highlighting the murder of 15 year old Oxnard California student Lawrence King who was murdered because he wore a dress and make up. This is an exact example of what occurs when people are not accepted and when acceptance is not taught or considered the social norm. The play, Higher Ground exemplifies how we all should stand up FOR each other, and not against each other. How we should live in a world where we are not divided but honored and cherished. There is no Us and Them, we are all just People. Human people with families and feelings and lives.
But I ask you, My Friends on the Internet; how are children supposed to learn acceptance when adults don’t model it for them? Adults, like elected state representative Sally Kern for instance, who gave a speech about the danger or homosexuals and how (we) are a bigger threat to our nation than terrorists.
Sally Kern speaks of the “homosexual lifestyle.” What is this “homosexual lifestyle” she speaks of? I don’t remember signing up for a “lifestyle” I certainly haven’t received the manual and I don’t go to meetings or anything. I don’t have a “homosexual lifestyle.”I have A Life.
Everyday I wake up and make coffee, look at the paper, make my children breakfast and pack their lunches. I drive them to school, attend their sport and school functions, drive them to the doctor when they’re sick, help them with their homework, clean the house, go to school, work, make dinner, watch Law and Order. Go to Bed.
I lay next to my partner every night, I feel her next to me and hear her breath. I reach out and softly touch her or move next to her so that I can feel her body next to me. I know that I have deep, meaningful love and relationship with this Person. Our hearts and minds and spirits connect, we compromise, sometimes we argue. We have fun, we have sadness. We create Happy Memories, and like everyone, we have created Painful Memories as well. We do this because we are human. We are two human beings who love each other and share our lives together through all of the ups and downs of A Relationship. We are not special, there is nothing about our life and our relationship that is any different from anyone else’s. We don’t have a “lifestyle.”
We have A Life.
It deeply saddens me that some people in this great nation feel as though they are entitled to be hateful to a segment of the population.
It Is Not Okay.
What makes it more sad is that as she stood there that day and gave that hateful speech, in her heart she truly feels called By God to stand for her position. She thinks that I’m a terrorist and a threat to our nation. She thinks that my Life is dangerous and will be the downfall of our society if it’s accepted. She talks of the”indoctrination” of children, she fears “homosexuals taking over.” She is taking a group of people in our society (roughly 10% of the population,) and demonizing them. De-humanizing them, pointing out that They are A Threat.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Just imagine if Sally Kern had given that speech but inserted “Jews,” or “Negroes” for “Homosexuals.” It’s inconceivable, isn’t it?
And so is this.
The threat to our society is holding ideals that we are a nation of one color, one race, one religion and one identity. We are not and people like Sally Kern need to be educated on this fact and each and every person has a Duty to do their part in making sure that she and others like her are not able to spew their hatred
Any Longer.
None of us are safe, until all of us are safe.
None of us are equal until we all are equal.
Take the Higher Ground and stand up for the safety and security of all people.
Right now.
I HAVE CHILLS!
This is EXACTLY why I wanted you to write it. There is no way I could have without sounding like a complete idiot.
SO RIGHT..
I love you..and your LIFE.
Thanks for writing this. You are right on, and it’s so sad. We need to keep speaking out - there’s this mistaken idea where I live in the Pacific Northwest (and maybe other parts of the country) that the fight for gay rights is won. WHAT?! In the past 45 days 5 gay and trans people have been murdered in our country. This is not alright. This is murder. And it’s happening in part because of people like Sally Kern.
RSG, this is a powerful piece of writing. Thank you.
Thank you for standing up. Thank you for speaking. Thank you for touching my heart again today.
Peace. For all.
Right on, Sister!
Wow! Excellent words here. You’re absolutely right that by dehumanizing one group, we dehumanize everyone. As a straight woman with gay friends and relatives, I hope my son will grow up understanding that someone’s love interest does not define that person. However, Ms. Kern’s speech makes me realize that the world is just not with this program of actually loving people for who they are. It also reminds me that straights must commit to working with gays to end this prejudice.
I’m keeping this post close to my heart.
You speak the truth so powerfully. Thank you.
GG
Very well said. I couldn’t have written it that peacefully without throwin the F bomb at least a dozen times and callin’ that woman names. [I tend to resort to a 14 year old girl when push comes to shove and the first thing out of my mouth is bad words and name calling….sigh]
Keep fighting the fight…You are not alone.
awesome post. you write so well on an issue that is close to all of our hearts. just remember that as with the play you saw it’s our children and those that we interact with that will change the future. I know that when my children are my age this will be a non issue, it just sucks that we have to wait that long…. on a lighter note if you ever get your homo manual will you forward me a copy, i haven’t gotten mine either.
Terrific post. Let’s come out to show who we are and where we are. Let’s affirm our humaness with all other people of the world. Let’s stand together against the lies and the hatred.
RSG, you amaze me. You are so right. I am simply in awe of the way you wrote this.
[…] o m g Posted on March 10, 2008 by Monkey i saw it first here… then went here… then here… […]
This was very beautifully written.
RSG,
When you’re done in-fil-trating in Oregon, be sure to radio in to the Mother Ship. There’s still some straight girls in Iowa we need you to convert. THen the world will be OURS!!!
mwahahahaha!
Queen Lesbiana
Fantastic, amazing and incredibly well put! Thank you!
Very well said. I’m so sad that I missed the play.
Homosexual lifestyle
But..but…aren’t we too busy with our <homosexual agenda to actually have time for a life?
I swear these people kill me..or crack me up…I can’t decide.
Yes, first the ‘homosexual agenda’ and now the ‘homosexual lifestyle.’
What next?
The comment that you made about word substitution is really the crux of any sort of racism/xenophobia, divide the world into ‘us’ and ‘them.’
I check your website often, as you are an amazing writer. You also have an amazing ability to speak from your heart and touch the lives of so many. Kudos to you - this post should be given to your president, so that he may read this to your nation.
I love your life….I envy your life - please continue to educate the many that read your site -
Thank-you
Charlotte Miller
On a positive note: here on the East Coast this weekend is going to be one of the largest LGBT Youth conferences in the national, the conference is the True Colors XV: A Global Perspective http://www.ourtruecolors.org. There are going to be GSA’s from all over the northeast there and last year, there was a group that traveled from the mid-west for the conference and the attendance was over 3,000 students, guidance counselors and professionals.
The first time I went to the conference as a volunteer, I was amazed to see all these kids who for the first time in their lives that they could be their selves and not to have to worry about harassment.
powerful indeed. great piece of writing.
j.
See…this is why you were born to write, RSG.
You touch people in ways that I could never reach.
I agree with everyone here.
For those of you that haven’t met this woman in person…this only the half of the amazingness that she has in her.
When she speaks to you…you feel calmer.
*sigh* I love you.
That is some crazy, horrible, insane shit she said. <—ok, so you word things better than I do, what’s your point?
I do not understand how anyone can actually think like that. It blows my mind and makes me physically ill.
Thank you for this post, I really appreciate it.
Stand up, yes. Voice out, yes. Listen, yes.
At my household’s Thanksgiving dinner, someone’s stepfather was going on and on about gay folks as I sat down across from him. I smiled and listened to what he had to say, waiting for my girlfriend to come up from our downstairs kitchen with the mushroom gravy she made. I introduced her, he balked, and we had a cozy dinner, talking about the weather, probably. I felt sad that he didn’t continue to feel inclined to talk about how he felt about gay people. Because I wanna hear what he has to say. I want him to air it, get it out there, so we can address it intelligently. Granted, I didn’t engage him in it, but the look on his face that a GAY was at the table was priceless.
Silence is death. Communication is life. Talk more. Swallow words less. Always listen. It’s powerful, even/especially when those words are painful.
You are amazing.
Thank you for posting this.
I’m glad you could write this. I like to write. But I am so mad at that woman, I can’t think of anything that will come out in a calm way. I’m disgusted. Your post is excellent.
Thank you.
I came back to read this again today. It is so very powerful.
You have a quite a gift my dear. Amazing indeed.
Hi, I happened across your blog by way of Kristine’s. As everyone else has commented before me, I 100% agree with everything you said. Your post was eloquent, inspiring, truthful, and real.
I am a tutor and today one of my students read a story about the Civil Rights Movement. Everything I told her earlier today about civil rights and equality directly pertains to the current struggles of the GLBT community. I hope that one day when I have children that the prejudice still seen today – towards EVERYONE – is a thing of the past.
Your life is inspiring. Never change it
Misty sent me your way..
What can I say you said it all….
AMEN!
[…] a good blog post from Recovering Straight Girl I caught today. The best I’ve read so far, actually. Hate crimes continue. Matthew Shepherd […]
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