last night, Batman, B-rad, and i went to a local pub to meet the SmallOne and her man Hank. We got there and met Hank's cousin Earl. He seemed like a nice enough fellow. He was in town, considering the move from Cowtown to the Skatch.
We were hanging out, drinking beers, making conversation - when the topic turned to politics and left-wing vs. right-wing. Actually, it started with me asking Earl what he thought about Gay people. And also Gay marriage. To be fair to Earl, he did say a few times: "I don't want to have this conversation" but i pushed him.
At first he said: "y'know, i don't care what they do, i think it's wrong, but they can do whatever they want."
SmallOne and i asked him what his rationale behind his thinking was. He wouldn't give a solid answer, just that it was wrong. I asked if he thought that Gay people should have the right to be married, and he said no because it was wrong. Again, "Why? what's the rationale behind your thinking? Is it that you believe that Marriage is Sacred?" at which point he made a point to leave religion out of the equation.
"Why do we have to bring religion into it?"
"Oh, i was just asking, okay. SO if its not a religious thing, then what is it that makes it wrong?"
"it just is."
sigh. okay. new approach.
"Okay, so what do you think about two chicks fucking? would you be okay with that?"
"Am i there?"
"Whoah, no... i'm not saying you're there. Take yourself out of the equation. How do you feel about the thought of two hot chicks doing each other?"
"Well, i still think it's not right - "
"But it's okay cuz their chicks?"
"No, i mean, it's hot. but it's not right."
"Okay, what about porn? Do you watch girl on girl porn?"
"Yeah"
"And it's hot? like, you masturbate to it, and bust a nut?"
"well, yes."
"Okay, so. Now if it's two guys--"
"NO, that's wrong."
"So, is it that you think that it's wrong or because it makes YOU uncomfortable."
"no. it's just wrong."
this went on for quite some time. Eventually, he DID bring religion into it, how he believed that God didn't make humans bodies for that. That they were designed for penis/vagina intercourse only - to procreate. When i asked him if he procreated every time he had sex, he said no. So then i asked him how it was any different. "it just is."
I asked him if he had any gay friends. He said "No, and i if i did, they wouldn't be my friends anymore."
"Really? So, let's say you have a best friend - you've known him since you were 6, you played in little league together, double dated for prom, he's your kegger buddy, best buds... and he said to you one day: Earl, i'm gay--"
"He wouldn't be my friend anymore."
"Really??"
"I would basically want nothing to do with him."
"Well, it's not like he wants to fuck you, he's not even attracted to you... you wouldn't hang with him anymore?"
"No."
We kept talking, eventually he said he was sugar coating it, then he said: "Yes, i think it's wrong, i think all Gay people should be shot!"
I mean, i know that close minded people are out there. Maybe i've just been blessed by the people i surround myself with, my friends and family. It shocked me.
But i should have expected it - he was a self-proclaimed conservative redneck. And that there was no way, no amount of discussion that could ever change his mind to what his faith told him was right or wrong. There is no grey area.
i thought of some of the people in my life who are gay. I felt awful that Earl wanted to condemn them to death because his god says they're wrong.
It wasn't just sexual orientation that he had strong views about. He also didn't think we should bother doing anything about the environment or the planets natural resources because it's easier to keep doing things the way they're already being done. and that the economy is booming right now and his house is worth a lot of money...so it's okay that by this time next year there won't be any ice in the Arctic because he'll have money to buy stuff.
When Hank said; "You can't buy the Environment Back, Earl. You can't!"
Earl said; "It doesn't matter, the system is working now."
it was a very heated discussion about orientation, the environment, oil, religion...
when we left that night, i just felt heavy with disappointment in mankind. It made me feel ashamed and embarrassed.
i did some meditating last night, and smudged myself to rid the negative energy i was feeling.
we need to change the world. We NEED to have tolerance, you can't go around saying that "All the Gays should be shot!", this has happened once already in Nazi Germany! Have we forgotten this? Have we forgotten the millions of innocent men women and children who were murdered for no FUCKING REASON?? Is this the world that people want to bring to the future? a planet where it's okay to destroy someone because they don't fit into your view? Fuck that!
i know that some of my readers are christian, and i really don't want to offend anyone. That's the last thing i want. But people like Earl are part of the reason i left the church. Close minded individuals who believe in a Merciful God who will love you unconditionally UNLESS you happen to be gay. (that seems like a condition to me).
i have my own personal relationship with God. but if i'm going to believe in his unconditional love, then it has to be unconditional. If i choose to fall in love with a man and get married, i deserve God's love. If i choose to fall in love with a woman, i am still God's child and i Still Deserve his love. Who i love doesn't make me any less of a person worthy of God's Love, of romantic love, of respect.
this post has sort of rambled off on me. i apologize. I couldn't sleep this morning, it's all i could think about... the arguments rolling over and over again in my head. I had to get it out.
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