Spirit Day 2010
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Spirit Day 10/20/10
by Kryss Shane on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 5:26pm
Today is Spirit Day, a day to wear purple in support of those in the LGBTQ community who are and who have been bullied for being who they are. Purple was chosen because, in the Pride flag, purple represents spirit.
As a female who was born heterosexual and in a body that matches her gender orientation, people often ask me why I care so much. "It doesn't make sense to spend so much time and energy fighting for something that doesn't effect you," they tell me. But it DOES effect me.
I am a person with gay family members. I am a person with gay and trans friends. I am a person who has worked with questioning youth. I am a person who may sing her karaoke song following a bisexual person's number. I am a person who lives a community with neighbors who are lesbians. I am a person who resides in a state where same sex marriage is illegal. I am a person who grew up in a state where a person can be fired at any time for being LGBT. I am a person who is a citizen of a country where people are killed by first and secondhand bigotry. I am a person who is a human being, truly equal to anyone and everyone else, truly deserving of all of the same rights, no more, no fewer.
Does being a female who is gender and orientation normative alter my abilities to believe in equality? No. But it -does- make me able to be a voice to help others understand that this isn't "their" problem or "their" fight. It is mine. It is yours. It is ours.
So on 10/20/10 -and every single day- I support those in need of a shoulder and I stand with those who recognize that we are always stronger when we work together, that hate is never the answer, and that love will always win.
Spirit Day 10/20/10
by Kryss Shane on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 5:26pm
Today is Spirit Day, a day to wear purple in support of those in the LGBTQ community who are and who have been bullied for being who they are. Purple was chosen because, in the Pride flag, purple represents spirit.
As a female who was born heterosexual and in a body that matches her gender orientation, people often ask me why I care so much. "It doesn't make sense to spend so much time and energy fighting for something that doesn't effect you," they tell me. But it DOES effect me.
I am a person with gay family members. I am a person with gay and trans friends. I am a person who has worked with questioning youth. I am a person who may sing her karaoke song following a bisexual person's number. I am a person who lives a community with neighbors who are lesbians. I am a person who resides in a state where same sex marriage is illegal. I am a person who grew up in a state where a person can be fired at any time for being LGBT. I am a person who is a citizen of a country where people are killed by first and secondhand bigotry. I am a person who is a human being, truly equal to anyone and everyone else, truly deserving of all of the same rights, no more, no fewer.
Does being a female who is gender and orientation normative alter my abilities to believe in equality? No. But it -does- make me able to be a voice to help others understand that this isn't "their" problem or "their" fight. It is mine. It is yours. It is ours.
So on 10/20/10 -and every single day- I support those in need of a shoulder and I stand with those who recognize that we are always stronger when we work together, that hate is never the answer, and that love will always win.