I read on Yahoo's Full Coverage for Gay and Lesbian news that a hoarde of zealous Hindu women. One of the religious leaders justified the attack saying "this is alien to our culture." Whether it's alien or not is not the point. Why attack something because it is different? Because they are afraid. Sane and secure people don't go on rampages.
At dinner, later that evening, with L, I found myself very vociferously propounding a lot of the issues in the book I have been reading. I must have been getting myself into a state, because I could feel her getting almost, well, defensive.
Well, I wasn't getting her upset. But I realized that it's important to have gay-straight alliances, like some of the ones that are popping up in high schools around the country, and put the State of Utah in an uproar. Having straight friends alone is not enough. Having some open dialogue with straight friends and relations is important. It's not imperative that they agree, but it is important that we be able to see each other's points of view. Even if it makes one side, the other, or both, a bit uncomfortable from time to time.
A lot of the time, it's easy to not push the issue when certain topics come up. But under the right circumstances, it's very rewarding. Essentially, people respect you when you stand up for your beliefs, even when they don't believe them. Too often, a lot of people are afraid of being open, or being out--regardless of sexual orientation.
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