don't read if you hate gay people

english lit today began with a discussion on the notion of taboo.

the question was: what do we consider taboo, and what makes it so?

the discussion turned to a very, very valid point rama brought up. his example of a taboo was homosexuality.

yes yes, we all know it's becoming increasingly "acceptable" in our society, blablabla. but you still hear of hate crimes against these people. yes, there are those who think homosexuals are the scum of the earth, but western society is slowly tolerating - if not completely embracing - same sex couples.

i am a Christian ,and i do not support homosexuality; and yet do not have a problem with people who are gay. i do not throw rubbish at them, nor do i tell them that they are "****ing faggots who should go **** a tree". and this raises a question of whether tolerating homosexuality, as opposed to opposing it, is in fact endorsement of the idea itself? and this is what rama was trying to argue.

we can say we're opposed to the idea of homosexuality - based on religion, culture, background, whatever - but in our inaction, our passivity, are we indirectly supporting it? it's difficult to address this because by this definition, to be truly against homosexuality would mean condemnation of people involved. and frankly, not many people around me would hate someone just because they were slightly different.

i hope not anyway.

i know that i am not afraid of gay people. it's interesting that today, i sat two meters away from a gay guy. interesting that this should happen right after we had a class discussion on this. and every single person in the classroom knew he was gay. and nobody had a problem with it. it wasn't an issue. it's like someone just said "oh, he likes cheese, dota, and boys." just another thing about him.

i found out he was gay two minutes after meeting him, and i really didn't care. and this is really important.

because although we are not necessarily uncomfortable with someone we know being gay, what do we do when it's close to home? what happens if your best friend [same sex] tells you that he or she is in love with you? how do you deal with that? you say you're not prejudiced, but you can't help feeling that it's just... wrong.

but this doesn't have anything to do with the gay guy. it's got everything to do with yourself. because while all you can do is be accepting of the choices other people make, you actually have a say in your own beliefs. the other party being gay has nothing to do with it, it's the fact that YOU are not gay.

and in the end, your response to it all comes down to proximity to self. it doesn't bother you when it's just "someone you know". it's odd, but not scary when "the gay dudes down the road are getting married". it's when it's too close for comfort, too close to deny how real it is, that it forces you to face up to the perversity the world throws at you. this proximity; this reality...

this taboo.



btw, nobody i know has actually received/made a homo confession. it's just an illustration made in class.