There’s a post making the rounds on social media that I wanted to share with you, because I think we can all relate to the author’s experience of anti-LGBT bigotry in the social media age. Check out this excerpt:
[My brother and his husband] married in May. It was a wonderful ceremony in which I was honored to stand by my brother, supporting him in his vows. My eyes teared up like they always do at weddings. I had the joy of watching two people commit to a lifetime together. It filled my heart.
Folks started posting photos from the wedding on Facebook, and I proudly reposted photos of the ceremony (with me looking awesome in my new suit, of course). Shortly after that, I received this message from a FB friend:
“Hey David, I am removing you from my friends list…sorry man, that latest post is way over the top! Homosexuals joining in “Holy” matrimony…I don’t think so??? The Holy Bible speaks out against homosexuality and speaks highly of Holy matrimony between a man and a woman. It’s nothing more than a slap in the face to those who choose God’s Word, for homosexuals to join in a Holy marriage. I’m only defriending you so I don’t have to look at your anti-God stuff anymore…nothing personal!”
Wow.
Head over to the evoL= blog to read the author’s full response. It’s an inspiring anecdote about a straight ally gaining valuable insight into the sting of marriage discrimination that LGBT people face on a daily basis, and it’s worth reading in its entirety.
The bigot deserves a lot worse that the “slap in the face” she says she got.
Or between a man and several women or many concubines, depending on which part of the Bible you are reading…
I can testify to getting my STRAIGHT eyes opened to the hatred, bigotry and prejudice. It’s horrible!!! Untul 2.5 years ago I had no idea. Now I do and I will FIGHT at your side. Semper Fi Gays!!!!
The ‘friend’ is obviously a total dolt — who needs morons like that as friends?! Good riddance. ‘Nothing personal’–’sorry man’ !
‘…nothing personal’? Bigots who try to hide behind that idiocy can kiss my white gay you-know-what. It’s VERY PERSONAL!
If one reads the original blog post, it seems this time, Love won out. For real.
I always find stories of families standing by and supporting their gay relatives very moving, maybe because in my day gays were more likely to be shunned by their families than embraced by them. Even when families were “accepting,” it was nearly always grudgingly so, sometimes with the stipulation that one not talk about it as though being gay were a shameful secret. There is an essay on the home page of glbtq.com that also moved me. It is by a retired minister who is the father of two gay sons. When they came out, it transformed the minister and his wife, who are not marriage equality activists. Here is a link.
In the above comment, second to last sentence, read “now” for “not.” The minister and his wife are now marriage equality activists.