(no subject)
I just watched The Gwen Araujo Story. I started crying halfway through and didn't stop for an hour. I cried for her. I cried for Matthew Sheperd. I cried for Teena Brandon. I cried for their families. I cried for everyone who has died because of other people's intolerance. I cried for the people that have hatred for others who have done nothing except try to be themselves. I don't think I'll ever be able to comprehend hatred; I don't think it's possible for me to hate. As childish as it might sound, I can't understand why people would want to hurt each other, never mind that it's for being who they are. What's so wrong with that? Why do people feel the need to tell others that they have to follow certain guidelines and live a certain way because "that's the way it is"? What's so hard about saying, "This is who you are, and I accept you for that"? Maybe I'm just an exceptionally caring person to be able to accept a person for who they are and realize that I have no right to try and change it since it's not my life and, in all probability, isn't affecting the way I live my life. I just can't see the problem with letting people who aren't hurting anyone live their own lives.
Usually after I cry, I feel a sense of relief for having let my emotions out. This time I felt nothing. I felt... empty. Even though I had gotten rid of those emotions, I still knew that there was no way for me to solve the problem because I can't change people, and I know it. Homophobia is still an issue in society, even today. This is evidenced by Gwen Araujo's brutal murder, which happened only 4 years ago. Yes, there has been much progress in the way of GLBTQ rights, but there's still so much to do. There's so much hate surrounding homosexuals, and I don't understand it. I did a search for Matthew Sheperd on Google and I found something that made me burst into tears. This is probably very old, but that doesn't make it have any less of an impact.
"The over-the-top anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps has announced plans to erect a religious monument on Public property. The monument will contain Leviticus 18:22 along with Sheperd's date of death and the words: 'Matthew Sheperd entered Hell' on that date."
All I can think is, why? Why would someone want to do something as hateful as that? How can people preach to love and accept and then turn around and say that “God hates fags”? I will never be able to understand those kinds of people. All I can do is try as hard as I can to fight and help make sure that people in the future won't have to worry about unaccepting assholes like Fred Phelps, and they won’t have to worry about being beaten to death for being the way they were meant to be.
I have that hope, and I’ll hold onto it for as long as I can.