Gay bashing or gays bashing?

I am struggling with where to start with this blog.  It’s a sensitive topic, and as an out lesbian, I feel like I am betraying my community.  Having said that, I am upset with the gay community.  I’m very proud of who I am and who I love, but I don’t feel the need to throw it in everyone’s face.  However, in the recent months, with the spotlight on gay bullying, the battle with Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and same-sex marriages, I am beginning to find myself more and more disappointed in the way they gay community handles themselves in regards to these matters.

I recently came across this article, http://www.queerty.com/sarah-palin-has-no-problem-with-daughter-willow-calling-facebook-kids-faggots-20101128/, where the author claims that Sarah Palin has no issue with her daughter calling someone a faggot on Facebook.  When I read the article, I thought it was ridiculous. We have no idea what happened behind closed doors.  For all we know Sarah Palin could have been completely outraged by her daughter’s actions and disciplined her accordingly. Instead, everyone automatically jumps to the conclusion that Sarah Palin doesn’t care that her daughter acts that way. Then as I scrolled down to read the comments, I was horrified.  People were just flat-out mean and disgusting. When did it become okay for us to bash other people and their opinions. Which raises the question, have we gone from people gay bashing to gays bashing?

I’ve come to realize that this is not the community I want to be involved with, especially if this is how they are going to act.  I feel like it is very hypocritical.  We don’t want you to trash us, but its okay if we trash you? Is this really how we are going to fight this battle?  Are we really going to start playing dirty just because the other side is playing dirty?  I know that isn’t how I want to win this fight.

Kids these days….

There are days when I hear about things kids are doing now and I can’t help but wonder what they are thinking most of the time. Then, there are days when I am pleasantly surprised. The boy in the video, who is 14 years old, spoke so beautifully at a school board meeting defending a teacher who was suspended because he removed a child from his class that was using gay slurs. It was by far one of the most moving speeches I have ever heard.

This is just one of many children who have decided to speak up against gay bullying-but not just gay bullying, but bullying in general. Bullying is such a problem these days. It breaks my heart. I know what its like to be bullied. Not only for being gay, but just because kids are mean. To see such a young person stand up the way he did makes me feel like things could change. People are people.

We all need to make the effort to change the world. Isn’t that what we all want. If we all started to look at the glass half full, I think we could accomplish amazing things. Like Ellen always says at the end of her show, “Be kind to one another”.