Gay Pride

It is not that gays are proud to be gay so much as they are proud to be themselves like everyone else. It is assumed to be normal. When you are not included in the majority you feel it. The separateness. Like women do in American society or Middle Eastern nations. Somehow they feel the vibe that they don’t count as much as a guy does. This is wrong of course. But tell that to the ladies!

Same for African Americans. They know viscerally that they are not treated as equals in America and in many other nations as well. They have a long history of experiencing discrimination. They teach us all about it. We can’t very well teach them.

As Americans we tend to take a lot for granted. One thing is sense of self. We are mostly white, educated, own our own home, drive two cars or more, have plenty to eat, plenty to wear, and travel when we wish on vacation. We are privileged whether we feel so or not.

But be different from others? Oh the wealthy feel different and act different and very much are different. They have an entitlement to feeling that way. They have the money to pay for it. Once they even paid for it in taxes, but not so much anymore. Their guys in elected office saw to that.

No, be different in a way that others define as inferior. It’s not that we feel inferior; we sense others are feeling superior to us and assign the inferiority to us. Of course we don’t have to accept that feeling. When we don’t we label ourselves as having pride in being whatever.

As a gay person I have felt the superiority of others directed toward me. I see in their eyes and hear in their voices that they think I am perverted. For decades my culture informed me of that. It took some time and struggle to understand what I know to be true and thus I don’t feel inferior now. I don’t accept someone’s sense of superiority as either correct or a birthright. I now can see and know the truth.

Evidently so can the Supreme Court. Not all of the justices, but a majority. You know which ones, the ones with vision, perspective and worldview history deeply ingrained in their minds. The other justices, well, maybe one day they will catch up with the others and know the decision on Friday, June 26, 2015 was one for the history books where right won out.

Gay is not a decision. Gay is an inborn trait. The bearer of the trait has no control over its existence, only how to live with it. A priest must make a decision on celibacy; a gay person doesn’t have to and ought not be required to do so. Gay people have the right to live their lives as normally as possible, their normal, not the assigned role by those who do not understand the situation.

So the politicians, conservative churchmen and raving ideologues have it wrong. They are free to believe what they want. They are not free to act in a way that is harmful or denigrating to others based on their beliefs. There are consequences of such. They must be willing to bear such consequences if they act improperly. Your church is not required to recognize gays or serve them. You do not need to marry them in your church. You can continue to be as discriminatory in the future as you have been in the past.

And yes, Mr. Roberts, gay marriage is covered in the US Constitution. The pursuit of happiness and equality for all is not for you to define for the rest of us. The Constitution was not written for and by Christian church people. The founding fathers believed in God and recognized him in creation. They did not make God a part of the Constitution or the government of the United States of America.

The Constitution does not define marriage either, nor does it deign to make marriage between one man and one woman. Subsequent laws made those designations. But nowhere in the Bible does Christ mention homosexuality or anything related to it. Or gay marriage. He was silent on this point. Silent. So must we on our narrow minded proclamations? What think you now Mr. Roberts?

We just finished viewing Imitation Games, the true story of Alan Turing, British subject whose mathematical genius cracked Hitler’s Enigma Code and helped the world defeat Hitler two years or more before schedule. Doing that ended the war. Doing that saved an estimated 14 million lives. Yet the dirty secret all along was Alan Turing was homosexual and the British government convicted him of indecency (gay acts between consenting adults). He was given a choice of two years in prison or chemical castration. He chose the latter so he could continue to work on his ‘machine’ which became known first as Turing Machines and only later as digital computers.

Yes. Alan Turing was gay. In a time when such was not understood, Turing was prosecuted and persecuted. Alone, misunderstood but still a genius, Alan Turing took his own life because he was so alone, and so misunderstood.

A hero yes. But a dead one because he was gay.

Today we celebrate Gay Pride Month in America. We celebrated Gay Pride Weekend this past weekend. Countless Gay Pride Parades were staged throughout the world this past weekend. And on Friday, June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that Gay Marriage was OK. It is legal.

Alan Turing is OK as a dead gay hero. But now it’s OK to marry two men or two women in America. How times have changed.

Still, 38% or more of America is dead set against the court ruling, the religious anathema they feel Gay life is, and they have announced a fight to dissent in this matter to the end.

The only question is ‘to what end’ might that be?

It is too bad that narrow, stubborn minds entrap themselves in such poverty of spirit and intellect. Especially when the opposite yields such riches for mankind. Pity really. Pity.

June 29, 2015