Back in November, I asked:
“What, in history, was made better by discrimination? When did segregation work? When was bigotry applauded by the masses?”
The question is rhetorical. The answer is, of course, never.
But here we are, with another State not only denying equal rights, but going out of their way to do so.
North Carolina passed an amendment that will alter the state’s constitution to say that “marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.” The reality is, there was already a ban on same-sex marriage. This now bans civil unions, too. In short, it’s a slap in the face. And it’s pretty damn terrible, when you stop and think about it.
Once again, we’re mixing church and state. And once again, we’re going out of our way to hate. We’re denying equality. We’re ruining the lives of our people simply because we don’t agree with the lifestyle. Or don’t understand it. Or are afraid.
Afraid of change. Afraid of progress. Afraid of making things right.
Look. I don’t have a dog in the fight. I’m straight. I’m married. I’ve got all the tax benefits and health benefits I need. But it boggles my mind that my mom, my gay friends, or anyone who loves someone who happens to be the same sex, can’t get those same rights.
It’s things like this that have made me severely question the faith I was brought up with. It’s this backtracking that makes me question progress. It’s disgusting and disheartening to see this kind of hatred still rampant amongst our population.
But for every setback, I do see something inspiring. I see my Twitter stream and my Facebook wall flooded with messages of positivity. People – white, black, gay, and straight, coming together and uniting in one simple idea: equality.
It’s a sign of a generation that thinks differently. That acts differently. That will change the way we look at and treat each other. It will take time, but change, real change, will continue to inspire our generation and the generations that follow us. One nation, indivisible.
I’ll close with something I said last year. Something I’ve been saying for years. Something that every single person reading this should take to heart, and share with someone, anyone, everyone else:
“It’s not about changing your religious beliefs. It’s not about taking a different political stance. It’s about believing, whole-heartedly, that all men (and women) are created equal.”
And if that doesn’t settle, then I’ve got one more message for you:
“Wake the fuck up, America.”
Just because you don’t understand or are afraid of something or someone that’s different, doesn’t mean you need to go out of your way to hold us back from making progress.
Think about it…