But this LJ statement that floats about here these days pisses me off, not only because is gay right such a matter of course to me that I'm having difficulties understanding it's actually a matter of discussion anymore
Well, yes. It is. :)
While I am so pleased to see the sorts of progress being made in many countries around the world--particularly European countries--not everyone in the world is so fortunate yet.
I live in the US, and only a short while ago, a Congresswoman stood before her peers and nation and claimed banning gay marriage to be the most important issue at stake now in our country. Not the war that we can't seem to end, not the fact that we have made asses and enemies of ourselves all over the world, not the faltering economy, crappy education system, lack of healthcare...but gay marriage.
Legislation is constantly being introduced here to limit the rights of homosexuals in regards to marriage (or even cohabitation), adopting children, or being able to be honest about their identities in the workplace. For every tiny step we make, it sometimes feels that we are pushed back three.
So, like I said, I am so happy to hear that many places in the world are no longer like this.
But for me, this is my reality, and until my sister Sharon can come home and live with her wife the same as any married couple, then I will be raising my voice against such discrimination. Because it is still an issue throughout much of the world.
but the statement indicates that if you chose NOT to put it in your LJ, you do NOT support gay rights.
Which is exactly why I cut that part of the post off when choosing to share the quote in my own LJ. :)
Because I do not believe this. People have a wide variety of reasons for posting or not posting something like this, and their actual support of the cause in question is only a small part of it.
If I am a homophobic but don't want to lose half of my flist when they find out, I will post this quote.
If I am a GLBT activist but not fond of "forwards" or memes such as this, then I will not post this quote.
So is the first a better support of GLBT rights than the second? I don't think so.
Yet, idealist that I am, I agree with juno_magic in the comment above yours when she said that such memes are important steps for a lot of people and can make an difference, albeit in small and subtle ways. Obviously, for folks lucky enough to live in places where this is no longer an issue, it is likely to feel a bit like overkill. But for those of us living in a nation where our own leaders tell us that gay people are less-than-worthy human beings, it does feel good to see popular opinion swaying in the opposite direction, even in as small of a place as an LJ flist.
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rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-05 01:17 am (UTC)Well, yes. It is. :)
While I am so pleased to see the sorts of progress being made in many countries around the world--particularly European countries--not everyone in the world is so fortunate yet.
I live in the US, and only a short while ago, a Congresswoman stood before her peers and nation and claimed banning gay marriage to be the most important issue at stake now in our country. Not the war that we can't seem to end, not the fact that we have made asses and enemies of ourselves all over the world, not the faltering economy, crappy education system, lack of healthcare...but gay marriage.
Legislation is constantly being introduced here to limit the rights of homosexuals in regards to marriage (or even cohabitation), adopting children, or being able to be honest about their identities in the workplace. For every tiny step we make, it sometimes feels that we are pushed back three.
So, like I said, I am so happy to hear that many places in the world are no longer like this.
But for me, this is my reality, and until my sister Sharon can come home and live with her wife the same as any married couple, then I will be raising my voice against such discrimination. Because it is still an issue throughout much of the world.
but the statement indicates that if you chose NOT to put it in your LJ, you do NOT support gay rights.
Which is exactly why I cut that part of the post off when choosing to share the quote in my own LJ. :)
Because I do not believe this. People have a wide variety of reasons for posting or not posting something like this, and their actual support of the cause in question is only a small part of it.
If I am a homophobic but don't want to lose half of my flist when they find out, I will post this quote.
If I am a GLBT activist but not fond of "forwards" or memes such as this, then I will not post this quote.
So is the first a better support of GLBT rights than the second? I don't think so.
Yet, idealist that I am, I agree with