|
Through the incredible journey of life, I have grown a great deal. The experience of living, grants us with a paramount of wisdom and it is this wisdom that I am thankful to have experienced at such a young age. I know, I am far from reaching what Maslow considered as being in the self-actualization stage in his hierarchy of needs, but I am confident that I am well on the path of this understanding. Through the years, we tend to lose our way as reality sets within our minds and hearts, but the truly spectacular people never let life beat them into the ground. I am grateful my life is surrounded by such people to uplift me when I am sad, to raise me up when I lack self-confidence, and to dream together of all the great things of tomorrow. Our minds and our vision will become a reality if we let them. Sometimes, it takes just a moment in the day, to dream away and envision our lives as we once did when we were children. As we begin to dream, others will stand in our way. I am sure you know these kinds of people. The negative ones telling us every reason why we can't do something or how something isn't going to work or what is going to go very wrong. I have had some of these people in my life and still currently do. I have found these people are here to challenge us, make us stronger, so we can see our vision more clearly. The object here is not to let them bring you down or tear you away from your dreams. I must admit, I have let people sway my opinions by "pushing my buttons". I have not let anyone steal my dreams for I am living my dream. Sure, it will become much bigger as the years pass and I continue to fight for the equality and justice here in America. I am saddened by the lack of enthusiasm within our own minority, but I should not be and will not be weighed down. Some people are leaders and others are not. Some people choose to make a difference and others do not. I choose to be a happy person, making a difference in the world for those who don't have a voice. It is our choices in which separates us as a group of people. The equality will win in the end. All civil rights actions have succeeded in the past. This should bring great comfort to all those reading this post. Our rights will one day be a reality too. We only need to be patient and work together to make change happen. I have learned we can’t sit in the shadows and expect the change to happen, but bring about the change ourselves. This is how all equal rights have been awarded in the American past. When our creed, the Declaration of Independence was written nearly 250 years ago, we were awarded the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Now, nearly 250 years later, the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered) community are still fighting for our equal rights. The rights to live our lives freely and without government interference, the right to marry those whom we love without scorn and ridicule, the right to be seen as a first-class citizen whose taxes pay for all the affairs in America, the right to uphold our best interests and be seen as a rational human being free to make our own decisions and not be weighed down on the unruly opinions of those who do not understand the Bible and quote to be living proof of love and not hatred when some kick us out of their homes, take our money to pay for schools that are not safe for GLBT youth, a military that doesn't accept gays, and discrimination laws that don't include the GLBT community. Many of us come out when we are teenagers. Almost every parent responds with, "It is just a phase" or "You have not met the right girl/boy yet? or possibly even: "You are too young to know what you want, how can you possibly know you are gay?". These are phrases with a lack of understanding. I teach the GLBT community that this is normal, but I ask this: Why should it be normal, to defend yourself? Why can't our society just love and accept us for who we are as people? I answered all of these questions a little over ten years ago when I came out to my immediate family. I was threatened to be kicked out of the house, my mom cried as she told me that she always knew and my friends left me one by one. For the first time in my life, I felt alone and isolated. The one thing that worried me the most was losing the love of the people who mattered in my life. Now, ten years later, I am dealing with my family again. They are reminding me of a past I had almost forgotten and set aside as I journeyed into the world of helping other GLBT youth. This is my passion and what I am meant to do for my future. How can anyone say in a right frame of mind that this is evil? Either, they are brainwashed by the generations of bigotry and hate, or they have no idea what being gay is all about, what I do, or what we even go through. I firmly believe people who act like this are acting from pure emotion on their part by imagining themselves sexually with the same-sex. Then, they give their opinion. One day, in the near future, everyone will learn that being gay is a part of our minds, heart, and soul. This is a way of being, not a choice. Yes, some will still protest, but in the end the right will outdo the negatives and unjust. I can't wait for the day to come when I will finally be equal amongst my brothers and sisters. The equality in my future is driven by action. The action to act on what is right not only for me, but for our youth, our future. Together we are more than one and we can and will make a difference. The choice begins with us. Peace and Love -Douglas M. Harper
Trackback(0)
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comments
Show/hide comment form