Since Gay marriage is the Topic of the day.. allow me to share some insight on how I got to where I am now regarding the LGBT community. My time in high school and in the USAF taught me that gays/lesbians were there for me to ridicule and persecute and being young and stupid, I went along with the crowd without giving a thought to the fact that they were human beings. I was taught that it was a behavior and they “Choose” to be gay or lesbian so they could un-choose it if they wanted to.
Now I met a young lady when I was stationed in Okinawa and her name was Robin, and to my sorrow I learned she’s not with us any more. Robin was a great KC-135 Crew Chief and she was a lesbian. I didn’t know it until 1 day I went to her off base apartment to take her to the hobby shop photo lab to teach her how to develop her own film and slides. When I knocked on the door, a young lady answered and told me Robin would be right back. In talking with Robin later I inquired about her 2 bedroom apartment and how much it was costing her. Then she told me it was a 1 bedroom apartment and had a sly smile on her face and then I was able to put 1 and 1 together and realize that she was a lesbian. Funny thing is, It didn’t bother me because I didn’t feel that my manhood was threatened by her.
This is when my previous beliefs began to soften as I questioned why I believed the things I did.
Fast forward to Tucson, AZ. I’m retired from the USAF and I’m a store manager and I have an ex-marine working for me. He comes to me on the first day and confides in me that he’s Gay. OMG.. I’ve been exposed to a Gay marine. WTF? what am I supposed to think now. Aren’t all gays sissy boys? Mike continued my education and enlightenment and thats when i started to consider this “If it’s a choice, a behavior, who in their right mind would choose something that makes them be seen as a pariah on society and someone who is sick!”. I was having trouble justifying what I had been taught because I was dealing with “NORMAL” people. They laugh, they cry, they love, they’re good people but they’re “different from me”.
I moved to Mesa, AZ and met Frank and Fred. I consider them 2 of my best friends and think the world of them both.. but.. OMG.. they’re gay and they love each other. I then met 2 people from Colorado who pushed my previously held beliefs even further. (if I get permission, I’ll put there names in here) . One is a male in a female body and he lives as a male and I view him as a male. Just making that change in my perspective shows that I was well on my way to realizing the big truth. Robin, Mike, Frank and Fred and my good friends in Colorado have been the catalyst for me to change the way I view those that are LGBT.
So what was the big truth? Well, believe it or not it’s because of my faith in God and my religion. I realized that it was mighty presumptuous of me to think that it was my place to judge anyone for how they live their life. The phrase “Judge not, lest you be Judged” comes to mind. This change in my attitude on this social issue has also caused a change in my political beliefs and I have come to realize that I’m a “Conservatarian”. I have conservative beliefs and libertarian beliefs and I decided that God will sort out how everyone else lives their life and I should focus on how I live mine because one thing’s for sure.. I’m damn sure not perfect and my life needs all my attention.
My biggest wish when it comes to LGBT is that everyone who has an issue with it and wants to judge others… I want them to meet a Robin, or a Mike, or a Frank and Fred or a great couple in Colorado and see them as kind loving people who are struggling with the same daily problems in life as everyone else and the last thing they need is for someone else to heap their intolerance and judgement on them. Conversely, The LGBT community needs to realize that they are asking for full acceptance of a life style that many have been taught is against their religion and is immoral. I want the LGBT community to realize that Christians and other religions have a right to their beliefs even if they run against the beliefs of the LGBT. With respect for “Live and let live” the destructive personal tone of this issue will diminish and effective open communication and respect for others can thrive.
I’m no better than anyone else but I hope my story might help someone else make the transition from judging how others live their life while ignoring how they live their own to focusing on what you can control and what you are responsible for… YOURSELF!
Have a great day!