| Me |
 |
 |
| Random thoughts and daily life some entries have been taken from various diaries of mine |
| Diary |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| Recently I have found within myself a strength and fiestiness I didn't know I had before. It's very unlike me to speak my mind to anyone other than Lisa, though even with her sometimes I have to push myself, but not too often anymore. Friends and family rarely get a glimpse into my mind to see what I think or feel about certain things. I've always wished that was different, that I could just speak up like everyone else and say what was on my mind, whether good or bad, and just be heard. The only time I have done that even in small amounts was before I came out and I would stand up for homosexuality, challenging my friends to explain why they use 'gay' inplace of 'stupid,' and trying to see from their eyes what was so wrong with two men or two women together. Obviously, I can whole-heartedly say NOTHING! But I won't get too far into that...yet. Other than those brief times of speaking my mind and standing up for something, I don't think there is any other time I can think of doing that, until now. A month or so ago, I wrote in here of having a day where absolutely everything and everyone was getting to me. That day resulted in what I now see as, hopefully, the beginning of my new found strength. Instead of taking my lack of talkativeness in stride and working towards standing up for my beliefs, opening myself to friends and family, I started bigger. I wrote a letter to the editor of one of the local papers in responce to that of a narrow-minded woman on the topic of one of the school boards trying to ban three same-sex books from the schools. I didn't say anything about my own sexuality as there are still people that don't know and my name accompanies each letter, but I did state my beliefs and argue my points. It felt great doing so and amazing as well as a little scary to see my letter printed a few issues later. That may not seem big to some people, but for me that is a great step in not only opening myself to people knowing my beliefs but also showing that I am a proud lesbian, whether they knew it or not. Since then, I have written a second letter on the same topic as my first letter was commented on by the same women that I had written because of. It to was printed. I am now waiting to see if she writes again, or if my gurl's letter will also be printed as she to wrote a letter which I submitted for her. (The printed letters will follow at the end of this entry.) The town in which I live isn't overly big, a mere 72,000 residents so in all respects I live in a small town. And with small towns come a small town mentality. Everyone, so it seems, knows everyone and word travels fast. Decisions are made by people in order to keep in good standing with those with more power and decisions that should be made are not in fear of loosing the following of a select few. This week our city council has been addressed with the question of whether they will designate August 30 to September 1 as gay pride days, for the third year in a row this request has been refused and gays are denied the right to show their pride at being who they...we are. It is more than half way through 2002 and still homosexuals are viewed as dangers to straight society, feared that we will convert people to our 'side' and make of the world a demonized population of men-loving-men and women-loving-women. Personally, I will say there are definate plus' to doing just that, minus the demonized part of it all. For one, teen pregnacy would be nullified, no more unwanted, uncared for abondoned children born of children. There would be no more homophobia or gay bashing. But in reality we don't need a world made completely of gay people, in a hope for that we would become like those that want a world of just straight people. What we do need though is acceptance and tolerance for everyone, not just depending on sexuality, but also on race, age, gender, and everything else that people are discriminated against for. If I was a bit more brave in this small town and openly out to everyone I would take more of a stand then just to write letters. If council didn't proclaim gay pride days, I say we just take them as our days anyway and take with it our rights, as citizens, to freely and proudly show our colours - rainbow, of course. I'm sure, with time, anyone who is left that takes a stand against homosexuality will be faced with the reality and eventually give in to the fact that we are just like them. We follow our human nature which just happens to include same-sex relations. It's not a choice, it's birth. It's not a choice, it's life. They can ban books talking about homosexuality, they can refuse gay pride days, but let's see them ban knowledge or refuse us the pride in our hearts. They haven't a chance in hell, or at the council table. And no matter what people say or do, don't let anyone take from you your pride at being who you are, whether you are gay, straight, black, white, and so on. You are you for a reason, don't ever let that change because others don't, won't or can't see that reason. The letters: (July 5, 2002) Editor: I am responding to Cam [M.'s] column about the [S.] School Board's banning of three books about same-sex families, which is presently before the Supreme Courts of Canada. He says the [S.] School Board teaches "fear and ignorance" in its argument that five to seven year olds are too young to read about same-sex families, and that doing so will spark enquiries about homosexual sex. He mentions two books he introduced to his own children, aged four and seven. Asha's Mums and One Dad Two Dads, are two of the books before the Supreme Court that are at issue. When the [S.] School Board banned them it was because they thought children of five to seven are too young to understand the concept of same-sex families. Children generally come from traditional families where they usually have a mother and father. To present to them a family that has either two mothers or two fathers is at least confusing to them, and could be troubling to their yound minds. These books are also untrue, as no child can have two actual fathers, or two actual mothers. That is physically impossible. I think it is fradulent to introduce children to this physically impossible idea. Futhermore, [M.] says, Two dads (are) as good as one, but two dads can not replace a father, and mother, which is the environment children need if they are to grow up to lead happy, productive, useful lives. The [S.] School Board is not teaching fear and ignorance when it banned these books. It was thinking of keeping harmful material away from young children. It is better to err onthe side of caution, in this instance, that to traumatize children with ideas that could trouble their young minds and interfere with their ability to learn and master reading, writing, spelling, math, etc., at a critical time of their life. Why waste their time with unnecessary information? All children are different, including [M.'s] children. Some are more affected by things than others, and I applaud the [S.] School Board for their concern about the suitability of these books for your children. Yours truly, Julia [S.] (July 18, 2002) Dear Editor: I am responding to Julia [S.�s] letter in which she applauds the [S.] School Board for trying to ban three books about same-sex families. She says that introducing children to the concept of two mothers or two fathers is a waste of children�s time and is unnecessary information as well as saying an environment with both a mother and a father is what children need to �grow up to lead happy, productive, useful lives.� I would just like to say that learning about the differences of the people around us and learning to accept and appreciate those differences is not a waste of time for anyone, young or old. If more people took the time to recognize the importance of differences then such issues as homophobia, racism, and so on would not be issues anymore. We need to teach our children that everyone is different and need to be treated fairly and equally. Trying to keep children from learning about same-sex couples is the real waste of time. Sooner or later they will see a couple or hear about homosexuality and when they have not been introduced to it before that is when true confusion will reach them. Why not help children understand by teaching them that there are differences and that there is nothing wrong with differences so when they see a same-sex couple walking down the street it will just be another couple and nothing more or less. And to say that children need to grow up in an environment with a mother and a father to be happy, productive and useful puts down all people that did not get that opportunity. Whether parents are heterosexual or homosexual, there is divorce, single parents, and death that could leave the child growing up with only a mother or only a father. This does not lead children to live unhappy, unproductive, or useless lives. In attempting to ban same-sex books the [S.] School Board is telling children that homosexuality is wrong and should likewise be banned. Yours Truly, Kim [A.] (July 25, 2002) Editor: I am responding to Kim [A.�s] letter of July 18, 2002, titled �Never reason to ban books.� I take exception to the idea that books should never be banned. Should we tolerate books promoting murder, terrorism, child abuse, pornography, homosexuality, prostitution, torture, etc.? I think not. We are very careful about what drugs and food we ingest, which might be poisonous to our minds, and cause us mental problems. School officials and librarians are selecting books for school libraries and discarding others. Their actions involve banning books yet they are unelected servants of the school boards and therefore should not have the final authority. This should rest with the democratically - elected school board as has happened in Surrey where the school board has banned three books about same-sex families as being unsuitable for young children. These books are promoting homosexual families. Kim [A.] reiterates what I said in my previous letter that children will be confused when introduced to the idea of same-sex families. She says, �Why not help children understand by teaching them that there are differences and that there is nothing wrong with differences so when they see a same-sex couple walking down the street it will just be another couple nothing more or less?� Many adults are unable to tell the difference between a homosexual or a heterosexual when they meet on the street. They are an unidentifiable group so how are children going to tell the difference between these two groups? Are children going to be told that a woman who happens to be walking with a female acquaintance is homosexual because no man is accompanying her? Are they going to be told that two men seen together on the street are also homosexual for the same reason? I don�t think it is the school�s job to introduce children to homosexuality and indoctrinate them about that. It would be putting down the heterosexual lifestyle in children�s eyes, when in fact it is the basic unit of society, set up by God, to raise children successfully. Children should be left alone to enjoy school, and their childhood, and not become guinea pigs for social engineering. Your truly, Julia [S.] (August 8, 2002) Dear Editor, I am responding to Julia [S.'s] letter from July 25, 2002 concerning which books are and are not "poisonous to our minds, and cause us mental problems." I do agree that we should not tolerate such books that promote murder, terrorism, child abuse, pornography, prostitution and torture, however we do accept books on these topics and many more as they teach us as individuals and a community to not be ignorant of these issues. As these books teach us to protect ourselves so do books on homosexuality teach us of what diversity brings to society and how our lives can be enhanced when we come to appreciate this mix of individuals who can, in their own way, set examples for each other of acceptance, tolerance, and change. It is said that God created man in his own image and that there is a purpose for everything. If we accept this then we must also accept that God purposefully created homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals, and heterosexuals all equally and with reason in His eyes. Who are we to judge God's creation? Young children may not yet understand why some people are the way they are, be it that they have brown skin or black, or that they like a member of the same-sex. If we do not begin to teach children of differences while they are learning about other important facts of life then they will grow up unsure of those around them and fearful if they should realize that they to are different. It may be difficult to recognize who is and who is not homosexual. Two women or two men walking down the street together does not mean anything more than they are acquaintances at the least, but to see a gay couple openly holding hands or kissing while in the eye of the public could confuse children if they are not already knowledgeable of same-sex couples. Children are much more accepting of people and differences than adults give them credit for. It is not the children that would be unaccepting of learning about other lifestyles but, rather, some adults who are unaccepting of letting children see for themselves that these differences do not change the colour of ones blood, nor the beat of their heart. I speak much of differences and acceptance of these differences and that is what the issue with banning the three same-sex books boils down to. This is not about homosexuality or homophobia, but more of an unwillingness to allow children the opportunity to learn about the diversity of society. I for one believe children should be given the chance to prove their intelligence and hearts and to set a good example for older generations in their willingness and openness to accept one another by who they are and not what they are. Yours truly, Kim [A.] |
| Gay and Damn Proud |
| 2002-08-14 - 6:51 p.m. |