Let's Not Do This Again

This was written by a friend of mine and posted on Facebook a few days ago. I’m reposting (with her permission) because she speaks for me and we all need to speak up about this new round of backlash the Right is trying to create:

So I guess the U.S. is going through another big period of: "acknowledging and accepting without scorn the existence of gay/queer people will ruin our very civilization and our children" and also "gay people are child predators."
 
Just no, no, let's not do this again, let's not do this more.

So, just for the record, gay and queer people have always been here, even when we were ruthlessly shamed as the most horrible immorality on the planet simply because we were attracted to our same gender, or simply because someone behaved differently than the gender showed at birth.

And just a reminder, an entire society where so many people were hiding themselves out of great fear and shame was not a good thing!

If you want a return to a time where we pretended gay people didn't exist or only acknowledged their existence just long enough to shame and shun them, that is not a good thing to want back.

Even today, in much better times, LBGTQ teenagers are 3 to 4 times more likely to attempt suicide and are more likely to be homeless because of bullying, shame, and family rejection. Also most gay hate crimes are committed by deeply in-denial gay people who have have been taught to hate themselves, and so wrongly take out their self shame on others.



This poll doesn't mean young people have been "recruited," it shows something good — that young LGTBQ people are far less fearful and ashamed of who they are and feel far more comfortable and open about it.

This is very good "social engineering" — there is less hate, shame, bias and so much less of all the bad that comes with that.  

Most Americans speak of wanting freedoms. Let me tell you as a gay person, just simply not having to hide and cower, nor fear for my job or personal safety, is very freeing, it is a wonderful freedom that our culture and society created by changing.

The majority in this country — who are not LBGTQ — made this happen, made this change on behalf of a minority, and for this I am so grateful. It's something very good and we should proud of this shift in our culture and do more things like it.

 Emphasis added by me.