Topic 156: If you could change just one aspect of your society, what would it be?

[porter_inc]

My current relationship has been so intense and wonderful, I find that most everything I talk or think about is related to it in some way. With that said, this is going to be a very obvious response because I'm feeling a bit obvious today.

My feelings for Orlando run much deeper than I think anyone outside of our relationship realizes. I resent the hell out of the fact that "society" won't acknowledge that we can love one another just as passionately and with as much devotion as a man and a woman. Yes, there are certain places where we're accepted, but if you go to Anyplace, Middle America and ask Joe Schmo his opinion on gay couples, that opinion will be negative. The proof is in the fact that so many in this country have gone out of their way to be actively anti-gay when they vote. Why are our futures being legislated by strangers who believe we're evil and belong in Hell? Why are we the last group left where it's okay to hate us and deny us basic rights? It's disheartening and sometimes makes it difficult to focus on the victories and strides that have been made. It's easy for some to brush it off as simply "ignorant opinions" or think that it's just "their problem" if they don't like how we live. But it isn't just their problem. If a man is denied access to his hospitalized lover because he's not "family," it's my problem. If a man is beaten to death because he's gay and society perpetuates the hatred that could lead to something so vicious, it's my problem. For all the self-congratulatory discussions we've had about not believing in sexual labels and finding them pointless and oh-so-gauche, the truth of the matter is they exist, whether we like it or not. The society around us, the world outside of the happy little bubble we live in, slaps the labels on us and we can pretend it doesn't happen until we're blue in the face. It doesn't change the fact that it's the truth.

This is why the one thing I'd change about society would be to make someone's sexuality completely and blessedly moot.

Comments

[lt-wes-janson.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I think a lot of it comes down to two things. The fact that people are afraid of things they don't understand, and the fact that it's viewed as 'wrong' by a lot of the religions. I'd like to say that it's different where I come from, but it's not really. People are the same all over I suppose, we just have more variations on what kinds of people are running around.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

I think that even if every living thing was identical, there would still be ways to ostracize certain members of society. It's just a horrible part of nature, I suppose.

[lt-wes-janson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, probably.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

Have you ever seen "Meerkat Manor"?

[lt-wes-janson.livejournal.com]

*Thinks about it for a moment* Ummm, I don't think so...

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

It's a show that follows a family of meerkats in Africa. Well, they're all identical, and they're animals, and they still ostracize members of their group. It's disheartening. Not even cute little critters are free of the bullshit.

[lt-wes-janson.livejournal.com]

*sighs* Man, that's seriously kriffed up. I mean, why is it that so many have to someone else down to feel good about themselves?

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

I honestly wish I knew. I just don't get it. I can understand if someone does something to you and you react to it. But just being mean for the sake of being mean? What the hell's the point?

[lt-wes-janson.livejournal.com]

There's not one, but then again, people do a lot of things that have little or no point to them.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

*sighs* This is why I don't want to bother with most people unless they're my friends and loved ones. It's just hard to ignore the outside world sometimes.

[lt-wes-janson.livejournal.com]

Eh, ignoring the world tends to lead to the world coming back and shooting you in the ass later. Best to pay attention now, even if you don't like it all that much.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't want anything getting the drop on me.

[guitaraway.livejournal.com]

When I was 16 my father held me over an industrial sink in our basement and shaved off all my hair with a razor. Why? Because I had a growth spurt that year and the older I got the more I looked like him. He didn't want a gay man to look anything like him. I looked like a neo-nazi skinhead and that was apparently better, my dad's gay son could be a skinhead but not look like him! Now he's comming to terms, and Will I believe if my father can have a change of heart anyone can.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

It sucks that happened to you, Sam. But my father never came around and I know there are a lot more people like him around than not.

[guitaraway.livejournal.com]

You're probably right, Will. Do you think we'll ever see the day when people can live without shame? I think that's what I'll write this one about.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I hope we will, but I don't think that'll happen. Not in our lifetime, anyway. That's why I'd change society's view of sexuality if I could.

[guitaraway.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. But maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe if we could all just love who we want it wouldn't matter. If we could just love who we want, sleep with who we want in the way we want without being judged it wouldn't matter.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

It won't matter if things change. But the reality is it does matter because there are people out there who make it matter and can't just let it go.

[guitaraway.livejournal.com]

I hate those people.

*laughs all of a sudden*

I love you Will, you're a great guy.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

*smiles* Even if I'm being a crotchety old crank? That's sweet, Sam, thanks. I think you're pretty great, too.

[guitaraway.livejournal.com]

*grins*
Crotchety old crank? Nope, just sappy gay dude like the rest of us. Maybe loosing a few points for using words like crotchety but still pretty great.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

*laughs* But it's the best word to describe my crankiness!

[guitaraway.livejournal.com]

*laughs*
I have never once seen you cranky enough to be called crotchety. Stick to using that to describe what's under Orlando's blue jeans.

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I can definitely do that.

[guitaraway.livejournal.com]

*grins*
His crotchety is nicety?

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

That's it exactly! *laughs* I lovety his crotchety.

[guitaraway.livejournal.com]

See? A much better use of the word!

[ex-will-port106.livejournal.com]

You're so wise!