Countering Hate with Power in Tennessee

It sucks to know that once AGAIN people in Tennessee are voting on whether it’s okay to be ME or not.

By sucks, I mean heart-breaking. It hurts me to have people rallying, strategizing, and investing themselves in legislation that perpetuates hate against me and people like me.

By sucks, I mean scary. I’m afraid for myself and my wife… and our children. When one group of human beings go to such great lengths to show that another group of human beings is so bad we mustn’t speak of the REALITY of WHO THEY ARE (not what they do or how they act… WHO THEY ARE), it makes us a target. This legislation is simply gasoline on the fire that burns in people that believe I am less than them because I’m a lesbian. This, and all legislation like it, is permission to hate.

By sucks, I mean enraging. My creator put me here to empower people and when any level of government in America moves to take power away, it pisses me off.

By sucks, I mean sad. I’ve spent several years of my life writing a book to teach young people (even straight ones) that their lives are sacred, that their lives have purpose, that even if your peers bully you, your life is important. All the while, those who’ve been elected to lead us… are telling those young people, whose sexual- and relational-orientation are unlike the others, something exactly the opposite. Make no mistake, these CHILDREN WILL CONTINUE TO KILL THEMSELVES as long as we tell them who they are is broken.

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Read more: News & Issues, Spirit, equality, gay rights, LGBT, Tennessee

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KS G.

2:02AM PDT on Oct 15, 2011

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

Sharon B.

11:39AM PDT on Jun 9, 2011

Jesus loves his gay children .. Jesus loves all his children. If you do not believe me look at the fruits of saying Jesus does not love his gay children.. Gay children kill themselves six times more than other children.. that is an ugly evil result of preaching hatred.

Emily D.

2:34PM PDT on Jun 7, 2011

Imagine how much better the world could be without so much hate in it. Now that is a world i want to live in.

Lyllyan B.

6:25PM PDT on May 25, 2011

It is sad (and does "suck") that our society has not reached acceptance of all the differences in the world. As a Christian, I believe it is not for me to judge another person; I leave the judging up to God. Even when I don't agree with another person's opinions, beliefs, actions, etc. doesn't mean I'm incapable of accepting the differences between us. Nor do my differing opinions give me the right to judge. Keep up the good work! There are many LGBT's out there who can't speak up; I'm glad you are providing a voice, not only for yourself but for others, too. God bless!

Carole P.

1:42PM PDT on May 25, 2011

It sucks but it IS changing. It feels like it's taking such a long time and that it's one step forward and two steps back. But it is changing. Keep doing what you're doing. So many people want what you want. It's better now than it was ten years ago and it will be better ten years from now than it is today. Because people like you keep pushing for equality and we won't stop until there is equality for all.

Grace A.

9:09AM PDT on May 24, 2011

I have sympathy for the homosexuals. I was accused by a psychiatrist who should have known better of being a lesbian because I did not have a boy friend. I didn't have a girl friend either. I believe having neither a boy friend nor a girl friend makes you ASEXUAL rather than homosexual.

Deborah L.

6:20AM PDT on May 24, 2011

Come to Canada where the mosaic (and not the "melting pot") is embraced. Also where Elton and his husband were married.

Joe P.

12:23PM PDT on May 23, 2011

I am not gay but agree with the article of "hate" --Hate against gays is the same as hate against abortion or any other action that is a judgment not consistent with logic.

I say to the religious right that if you REALLY want smaller governemnt - keep government OUT OF A WOMAN'S uterus and out of anyone's sexual orientation and OUT of any decision made about a PERSON so long as it does NOT affect YOU.

For example, if I hated people who went to church -- I'd be in the same class of haters as the religious evangelical right (i.e. TParty-GOP) even though their going to chuch has no affect on me.

Maybe you can understand that being GAY or a JEW etc does NOT affect YOU. As for abortion pro-lifers: Here's my message: If you are against abortions then also make sure those who impregnate a woman (who decides an abortion is correct) is snipped to prevent further pregnancies.

As for a rape victim who wants an abortion -- not only should abortion be valid but the rapist should be castrated or forced to have a vascectomy.

Finally, if more women were in government -- we would not have to fight for woman's rights STILL in 2011.

And this is my opinion

Toni T.

3:33AM PDT on May 23, 2011

Empress Ginger, I don't understand your logic. Hate takes many forms, not just the hurling of names or epithets. "Hate" can also be the tacit support of discrimination or discriminatory policies. You say that many people don't hate but simply disagree with gay rights. There is a huge difference between disagreeing with someone and working toward or supporting the denial of basic rights that the majority are privy to - ie. marriage, partnership support, etc. I disagree with the tenets of the Catholic church but that doesn't mean I want to stop people practicing Catholicism.

Franco D.

5:21PM PDT on May 22, 2011

Re: Empress Ginger. What world are you living in? If isn't hate and fear driven then it is strictly from ignorance. My world has no room for stupidity in face of fact. Gays and Lesbians are, just who they are not to spite God but because of him. To stand up for yourself and speak out for yourself doesn't make you the same as the "hater" who is putting you down and causing our children to kill themselves rather then face down your insults and character assassinations. It is your very ignorance of the fact that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is probably..........yes, a duck. Boy, people like you really tick me off. I think it is time for all those "old" haters to die and leave the world a better place. and yes, I am old too but not a hater, just a guy who is sick of seeing good kids put down constantly for being who they were born to be.