rights
I posted this to someone who no doubt deserves her rights, but as with most people, is only focused on HER rights right now, and got a bit defensive the moment someone began innocently questioning said rights:
As much as I know this probably isn't the best time or place to state my thoughts, I invariably will anyhow, because like a gambler, or a drug addict... I have a compulsion!
There is a point to be made. That strength comes from within and no amount of coddling will ever make you a better/stronger person. This natural tendancy we have to nurture others is a wonderful thing, but we have to recognize, just as a parent with children when it's time to push them out of the nest. You are talking about adults. Capable of making decisions.
Sure, fire into me with "You think ____ is a 'decision'? It's not!" and the other 500 comments you are instinctually bound to justify your lifestyles with, queer or otherwise, but the fact of the matter is, everyone is outcast.
I guess before I jump to making any statements, I'd like to ask, are you willing to coddle everyone equally and give every person their fair and private space? Because untill you are not only willing, but capable of doing that, you will always be creating an air of unequal treatment. If it's not religious persecution, it's skin color. If it's not skin color, it's gender. If it's not gender, it's sexual orientation. If it's not sexual orientation it's weight. Unfortunately for most of us, it's a combination, and I feel damn sorry for the fat black queer female muslim, because damn. How much more discriminated against could you get?
I don't want to make light of people's 'suffering' but I don't think the solution is fighting for OTHER PEOPLE'S rights, but teaching them how to fight for their own. This world has become a viscious circle. Historically it's been the strong eating the weak, now it's the the mighty championing the weak against the strong. But it's still a cycle of discrimination because just as you are claiming a victory for your party, someone else's cause MUST take a back seat to yours. How do you think those people feel? Just like you feel maybe?
It's not going to help anyone to tell people it's okay to cry, and people should accept you the way you are. Because that will NEVER HAPPEN. Someone will ALWAYS have an opinion about you. Strength and endurance comes from within. HAPPINESS and ACCEPTANCE begin somewhere inside yourself.
Oh.. wait. I can see/hear it now "We ARE happy with ourselves, but it doesn't change the way we are treated." You're right. It doesn't. But if you are truly happy with yourself, you shouldn't care how people look at you or think about you. What? "_____ minority get's less pay/fewer benefits/something less than someone else?" Noone told you when you were born that the world was a fair place. If you are happy with yourself, then you don't NEED to keep up with the Jones' by having to have to have an 'equal salary' or anything else. Money to pay basic bills, good family, and better friends. What more do you need?
Do you have any idea how many times I've pointed out how poorly I'm treated, or discriminated against because of my weight? How many times I've heard "You have NO IDEA" or "That's bullshit, people don't treat you differently because you're fat" from people who should understand the very nature of discrimination? It's gotten to be a joke! I fight with black people all the time about it. Where's my United Fat Fucker College Fund?
As for queer space? Do like us fatties do.. get together at someone's home, or find a good public place to take over. Make it yours. Or how about setting up, refunding, rebuilding or super-supporting a GLOBAL support organization that will help ALL people EQUALLY regardless of their particulat shortcomings. Even if those shortcomings are simply ignorance.
Because untill we can teach people to be proud of themselves, SUPPORT themselves.... To find the tools to survive within themselves..People will ALWAYS have a reason to complain.
Please understand... I'm not attacking you, your lifestyle or your rights. I'm attacking the basic human pack-instinct to find those who are similar and defend. This is an old and bad method of survival. We have to learn and adapt. We have to learn to exist as individuals, make our own space, and only THEN 'live' as a community. We have to learn how to fight for EQUAL rights, not OUR rights. Use wisdom to evaluate and balance what rights it is that we are asking for, and how our rights might infringe upon someone else's. Either that, or we have to accept loudly and proudly that it's not equal at all, and proclaim with dignity that we are the only group worth having rights, no matter what that group is.
Are you capable of telling others that your rights supercede theirs? Because untill you can, you will also have to support fat people, short people, tall people, jewish people, muslim people, people with speech impediments, people with spelling and grammar issues, people with IBS, chronic farters, people with cross-eyes, people with pimples, people with freckles, ..........
You can see where that list can go on forever...
As much as I know this probably isn't the best time or place to state my thoughts, I invariably will anyhow, because like a gambler, or a drug addict... I have a compulsion!
There is a point to be made. That strength comes from within and no amount of coddling will ever make you a better/stronger person. This natural tendancy we have to nurture others is a wonderful thing, but we have to recognize, just as a parent with children when it's time to push them out of the nest. You are talking about adults. Capable of making decisions.
Sure, fire into me with "You think ____ is a 'decision'? It's not!" and the other 500 comments you are instinctually bound to justify your lifestyles with, queer or otherwise, but the fact of the matter is, everyone is outcast.
I guess before I jump to making any statements, I'd like to ask, are you willing to coddle everyone equally and give every person their fair and private space? Because untill you are not only willing, but capable of doing that, you will always be creating an air of unequal treatment. If it's not religious persecution, it's skin color. If it's not skin color, it's gender. If it's not gender, it's sexual orientation. If it's not sexual orientation it's weight. Unfortunately for most of us, it's a combination, and I feel damn sorry for the fat black queer female muslim, because damn. How much more discriminated against could you get?
I don't want to make light of people's 'suffering' but I don't think the solution is fighting for OTHER PEOPLE'S rights, but teaching them how to fight for their own. This world has become a viscious circle. Historically it's been the strong eating the weak, now it's the the mighty championing the weak against the strong. But it's still a cycle of discrimination because just as you are claiming a victory for your party, someone else's cause MUST take a back seat to yours. How do you think those people feel? Just like you feel maybe?
It's not going to help anyone to tell people it's okay to cry, and people should accept you the way you are. Because that will NEVER HAPPEN. Someone will ALWAYS have an opinion about you. Strength and endurance comes from within. HAPPINESS and ACCEPTANCE begin somewhere inside yourself.
Oh.. wait. I can see/hear it now "We ARE happy with ourselves, but it doesn't change the way we are treated." You're right. It doesn't. But if you are truly happy with yourself, you shouldn't care how people look at you or think about you. What? "_____ minority get's less pay/fewer benefits/something less than someone else?" Noone told you when you were born that the world was a fair place. If you are happy with yourself, then you don't NEED to keep up with the Jones' by having to have to have an 'equal salary' or anything else. Money to pay basic bills, good family, and better friends. What more do you need?
Do you have any idea how many times I've pointed out how poorly I'm treated, or discriminated against because of my weight? How many times I've heard "You have NO IDEA" or "That's bullshit, people don't treat you differently because you're fat" from people who should understand the very nature of discrimination? It's gotten to be a joke! I fight with black people all the time about it. Where's my United Fat Fucker College Fund?
As for queer space? Do like us fatties do.. get together at someone's home, or find a good public place to take over. Make it yours. Or how about setting up, refunding, rebuilding or super-supporting a GLOBAL support organization that will help ALL people EQUALLY regardless of their particulat shortcomings. Even if those shortcomings are simply ignorance.
Because untill we can teach people to be proud of themselves, SUPPORT themselves.... To find the tools to survive within themselves..People will ALWAYS have a reason to complain.
Please understand... I'm not attacking you, your lifestyle or your rights. I'm attacking the basic human pack-instinct to find those who are similar and defend. This is an old and bad method of survival. We have to learn and adapt. We have to learn to exist as individuals, make our own space, and only THEN 'live' as a community. We have to learn how to fight for EQUAL rights, not OUR rights. Use wisdom to evaluate and balance what rights it is that we are asking for, and how our rights might infringe upon someone else's. Either that, or we have to accept loudly and proudly that it's not equal at all, and proclaim with dignity that we are the only group worth having rights, no matter what that group is.
Are you capable of telling others that your rights supercede theirs? Because untill you can, you will also have to support fat people, short people, tall people, jewish people, muslim people, people with speech impediments, people with spelling and grammar issues, people with IBS, chronic farters, people with cross-eyes, people with pimples, people with freckles, ..........
You can see where that list can go on forever...