If I told you that I was home-schooled, you would probably assume that I believe humans co-existed with the dinosaurs, I wear floor length jean skirts and DC Talk is my favorite band. In reality, I grew up listening to Megadeath and watching movies like Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Bird Cage and To Wong Foo with my mom (all films were censored on cable TV, of course). Did I attend church? Yes, and it was my own choice; not that of my folks. In many ways my "sheltered" life style really only sheltered me from hate and bigotry. I never knew that people were still racist or that women couldn't conquer the world and gay was somehow a choice/sin. I thought those ideas only existed on TV or the movies for drama. People didn't really believe those things?! Or, maybe they did like 200 years ago? As I got older and left the house I started to realize that people did believe these things and they went out of their way to terrorize those minority groups.
My mom once told me, "I don't care if any of my children turn out to be gay. It wouldn't change my love for them. But, if given the choice, I would want them to be straight so that they wouldn't have to face hate and ridicule." For some reason, I always remembered that statement. Hopefully, we are entering into a new era in society in which our children won't have to face such hate and ridicule due to the color of their skin, their gender or their sexual identity. Why hate something that no one can control? Hate crime, hate violence but don't hate skin and love. Gender, sex and hormones are just skin and love...
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