Hi guyS! I actually put in some updates...HURRAH!

I have recently had a marginally friendly debate with a friend about homosexuality. He is not homophobic (but a good portion of his friends are) and he's actually curious about how the mind of a gay person works (he asked the most embarrassing questions). I even told him about this lesbian friend of mine who has a girlfriend (not sure if they're still together..haven't talked to them in ages).

Anyway, with his input and encouragement, I wrote an article about homosexuality that I specifically address to people with ew-gay-people-are-disgusting-and-unnatural attitudes.

NOTE: To all my gay and gay-loving friends and fellowmen(can you say fellowwomen?), these are only my views. I'm a sort-of-devout Catholic and the part that mentions Christianity is what I grew up with, so if you disagree with anything, please feel free to comment about it but, as I say in all my deviations, flames and rudeness will not be ignored...they will be laughed at.

But seriously, if you have nothing nice or constructive to say, just zip up and leave this page, k?

GAY PRIDE, BABEH!






Recently, I've encountered some claimed-to-be-true-to-life stories about the lives of gay people, particularly in the good ol' U.S. of A.

As long as I can remember, the terms 'faggot' and 'queer' (or rather, the equivalent of such in our country) have been used as insults and, although here in our country, gay people are generally accepted, homosexuals in other cultures have been shunned by a fair number of people.

Stories I've read often include the cliche plot - gay boy comes to terms with his sexuality, fins another gay boy, they have hawt sex for a chapter or two, homophobic parents of one boy finds out and they disown him, kicked-out boy goes to live with other boy who has accepting parent (usually at least one of them has a single parent in these stories).

Now, I have encountered a lot of homophobes (I'm friends with one right now who is completely oblivious to my orientation) and it always pains me to hear them openly bash those whose sexualities they're not comfortable with. I've read stories of beatings, gang rape (which, by the way, is completely hypocritical - 'straight' homophobes gang up on a 'faggot' and force him into gay sex - why indulge in gay sex if you're so against it? You might as well bash yourself), etc. I've even read this story (not sure if it's true or not) where a gay man was found in a dumpster and was apparently beaten to death (they also found him with the word 'queer' etched in bloody cuts across his face).

I just don't understand why people who are uncomfortable with homosexuals have to unleash the primitive (not to mention disgustingly immature) urge to beat them (this specifically goes out to men) or put them out of place of the community. I don't see them gaining anything out of it outside of the perverse pleasure of releasing incomprehensibly unjustified anger and hatred. If they despise them so much, why not just leave them alone? (By the way, scientific and psychological journals would agree that using such a method as an outlet of one's loathing is a sign of a gargantuan lack of maturity, not to mention questionable ethical upbringing).

Another way of criticizing gay people that is wildly popular is the constant quoting of the Bible. Atheists have even been known to quote certain passages 'certifying eternal damnation' from the Book of the Good Lord. This is an unjust way of making a person feel horrible about their orientation and giving them reason to ostracize themselves from the Christian society. A vast majority of the Western world seems to criticize the Christian faith now because they feel that we are all uptight and close-minded. More than once, I have read stories where the Catholic religion was used as an insult.

Now, I am a Catholic and I grew up with the Word of the Lord ingrained in my mind. I'm gay (just to clarify things) and I still hold the belief that homosexuality is a sin (a lot would not agree to this so forgive me, it's just the way I was brought up). Through most of high school, I held the belief that I was destined for hell and due to that, I became depressed and believed that the Lord put the many difficulties I had to face in my path as retribution for my orientation. Finally, I confessed to a priest about my gay-ness (sick of using the same words...heh). He told me it's not being gay that is a sin, but the allowing of your lust as a homosexual to take over your being. Another person also told me that the greatest sin is to believe that the Lord will not forgive you for the faults you have committed (these are just my personal experiences so if you heartily disagree with them, please don't take it out in a rude manner, I'm willing to discuss in a calm and mature manner but, mind you, I will still retain the train of thought that I've grown to believe and cherish).

Homophobic people (particularly those who use quotes from the Bible to reprimand gays) in my opinion, are hypocrites. In the Bible, a woman was put before Jesus by a group of elders (I think it was the Pharisees?). They claimed she had committed adultery and that she should be stoned to death. Jesus then told them that he who is without sin should throw the first stone. None of them did anything. We are all sinners. If you consider homosexuality a sin, then if you go and criticize them, then you should also go and find faults in everyone else and in yourself for no one in this world is without sin. Why should we glare daggers at the loving gay couple who have been faithful to each other for fifteen years, and turn a blind eye to the married man who is sleeping with a mistress every other night? If you feel as though a gay person should go to hell, why are you pushing them away from the Lord? As a Christian (if you are, that is), shouldn't it be your duty to bring back those who have strayed and help them find their way back to God?




By the way, to all those big, macho,toughguy homophobes out there, lesbians are homosexuals too (yes, the ones you watch on all those porn flicks...quite a shock, isn't it? *sarcasm*). If you enjoy watching girl-on-girl action (and some, I've heard wholly support it), why are you only finding fault in your fellow men? If you possess such a homophobic attitude, why does it extend only to people of your fellow gender and not to those of the opposite sex?(if you are one of those people, do a little soul-searching, would you?)



Constructive (and moderately polite) comments are welcome!