Attitudes expressed in letter are combatted by Coming Out Day
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Billy McGowan
Director of ESL |
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There is an old adage that goes something like this, "Where there is peace (ie, silence), there is no justice; where there is justice, there is no peace." To form a more perfect society where all voices are heard and respected, all the people who suffer from oppression are encouraged to speak up. October 11, Coming Out Day, is meant to inspire people who love people of the same gender to show ourselves and start the long, arduous task toward further self-realization. Gay people all over the USA, and the world, are encouraged to speak up and stop hiding behind the mask of heterosexuality. October 11 can help focus us, and stop the damage that hiding to please others is doing to the psyche and egos of millions of gay people. It is the day that is expressly meant to give gay people the opportunity to speak up in a society that mostly wishes we'd simply go away!
It is very important to help young gay people, grappling with the realization of being different at this most precious time in their lives, to develop a positive mental self image. Having no positive role models to relate to makes it difficult for them to lead emotionally rich and productive lives. So much talent has been lost because of the failure of some gay youth to come to healthy terms with their sexuality, so that later, deep into adulthood, they still do battle with themselves instead of focusing on ways to help humanity find solutions to world problems.
There is nothing immoral about being gay and loving people of the same gender. The immorality comes in denying human and civil rights to gay, lesbian, bisexual people or to any person regardless of who or what s/he is. (This perhaps does not include people guilty of heinous crimes, of course.) Gay people need support in this coming out process. The Boy Scouts, Alan Keyes, and so many others are oppressors of gay humans, and this is immoral. It is so very easy to oppress; we are all guilty of it at some time in our lives. But we can stop! And stop, we must!
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