BY R.D.MILLER
The Location LGBTQ(+)
One of the most common questions I am asked when I write an opinion piece about, say, any social issues that affect our community, and in most cases, a nation.
As an example, are you a member of the LBGTQ and now plus community? My response is always, “I have friends who are straight, gay, bisexual, and some who are still trying to figure it out.”
I’m only writing this today because I have faith in humanity.
So, if you read this thoroughly based solely on my being a straight man, you may be divided, and similarly, if you read this because you thought it was a gay man, you may also be divided mentally.
I’ve also taken part in several Breast Cancer walks; I don’t have cancer from my recent doctor’s checkup. I’ve also taken part in a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) walk, and my doctors have found no reason to be concerned.
I believe that many people avoid supporting important issues in our society because it may make them appear to be one of those over there.
Others will make donations, while others will sit and watch from afar, and support for or the lack thereof comes in a variety of forms, especially in today’s hectic world.
Even if one does not, he or she remains a member of our society.
Nevertheless, this peace is simply using a small platform to share a few observations and thoughts with a few followers.
But, most importantly, to give a voice to some of those who are less fortunate to be who they are and cannot afford or have the means to protect themselves from violence and discrimination.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that they should have been shielded from the social ice rain by the same colors, many people are often left to freeze or burn simply because of who occupies that side of the umbrella.
I hope you continue to support all foundations, so let’s get started on what’s next I have to say.
The coming out!
GilSteinlauf, senior rabbi of Adas Israel, one of the largest conservative movement-affiliated synagogues in Washington, DC, recently came out as gay.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, announced his homosexuality shortly after. “You don’t just leave your wife to be gay any more than you would resign her to be straight,” one blogger wrote.
“Apple has lost its pioneering skills and sought more businesses,” wrote another.
As I previously stated, I am not a member of the LBGTQ+ community, and I do not keep track of how many rich and famous people came out as being gay.
Everyone, in my opinion, is a human being with full potential who deserves the opportunity to contribute to their society.
While it may be much easier for those with higher socioeconomic status, we must also recognize that there are others looking for a place to be seen in these colors where social disadvantage can be as invisible as mascara.
Fortunately, Rabbi Gil Steinlauf and Tim Cook both have financial anchors, bridges, a solid foundation, and retractable vessels that can weather storms and bypass rough tides
On the other hand, some may argue that, unlike Michael Sam, an openly gay player who was cut by two National Football League (NFL) teams for being gay, others will disagree.
Is there a prerequisite for coming out as gay? I inquired. Despite the media attention, the gay community’s stories are much larger than these two men
Furthermore, as it appears in Michael Sam’s case, The National Football League (NFL) indirectly sent the message, you can be gay, but keep it in the closet, in his case the locker room to have a number on the filed.
Fortunately, many wealthy and powerful people find that publicly disclosing their sexual orientation can increase their wealth and power. However, this is not a story about the Rabbi or Tim Cook.
Other stories that are rarely told:
It is a profound observation, where is the balance for this pendulum that society appears to be struggling to keep in the middle, especially for those who do not have the means.
Even when the pendulum roars to take everything that is different, it is more difficult to get out of its way, let alone a canvas to paint in their own direction.
As I travel around the world to many poor and developing countries, I see the similar constant socioeconomic divide that I see in rich and powerful nations.
I also like to read about trouble spots and navigate for my own safety and good places to relax after working for months or years.
On some sides of town, economic status, political system, and laws may determine whether or not a person survives, receives justice if reported, or has access to treatment.
Many less fortunate gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender; do not have speedboats to escape tides or community captains and pirates ready to throw them over the board.
Today, many people are trapped by their location under an ancient colonial doctrine, a never-ending battle for acceptance in search of an anchor or a shield from a raging tide. These are lovely places that many people visit for a vacation or to catch up with family members and reconnect with their roots.
Outside many luscious greenery, breathtaking sunsets, and blue water symbolize a liberated vacation for many visitors, but outside their villas and hotel rooms, victims are routinely teased, bullied, and even killed from ignorance – even by straight perpetrators who, as studies have shown, may struggle with homosexual tendencies.
The hidden colors are looking for a canvas.
I’m sure you’ve seen some of this before if you’ve read a few earlier or later blogs. Despite the beauty and warmth of the locals and the fact that the sun never sets, it remains a delicate dance for inclusion.
For some, homophobia rages like the ocean, destroying anything in its path that lacks an anchor. Several impoverished and developing regions have been eroded by these unchecked anti-waves.
This is not limited to the Caribbean, Asia, or Latian America; as reports have shown, South Africa is widely regarded in Africa and many other parts of the world as a leader in legislative protection for LGBTI people.
It does not, however, prevent the rise in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes. It endangers not only the victims’ lives but also the country’s tourism industry.
Many people have died despite little progress across the continent and elsewhere.
Many faces of people who died as a result of barbaric ideology, which is frequently the result of ignorance and a cultural trait that is passed down like a receipt, could be shown.
You are free to change the ones I’ve chosen if they provide any reflection.
But today, I wanted to highlight what a called the “locational gay: it is more than this person’s gayness if there is such a word, but the fading colors from one skin tone, woven in economic and social disadvantage that exists even within this community of people of color.
There have been several reports of an increase in murders within the LGBT community since 2010. Youth and young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 were 2.41 times more likely to be victims of physical violence.
I could go to any LBGTQ website, criminal data, or GLDD and pull the constantly changing numbers, but I’d rather go back and see what’s changed so you can write the next chapter.
Many parents face discrimination as a result of having gay children, and they are more concerned about social stigma and hostility today than they are about their children’s future.
The hostility has caused safety concerns, a sense of guilt and hopelessness, and has frequently resulted in abuse, homelessness, and death.
The lack of resources, access to medical care, and support have also resulted in their expulsion from their community.
It appears that the only visual representation of a voice mail or iTunes may be the sound of broken sewer pipes dripping and hovering over their heads as a result of living under decaying bridges.
Being gay is not a sin or learned behavior; however, bigotry, intolerance, and atrocities against gay people are.
According to Human Rights Watch, there has been an increase in violence against gay people simply because they are perceived to be gay, and these communities have little support.
What does true love look like?
Many people are unable to provide the resources they need to live a normal life, despite ongoing efforts by some local groups to pass legislation to protect this group.
Furthermore, many HIV-positive people, according to reports, may avoid treatment or have limited access to HIV testing, despite the fact that HIV testing is an important gateway to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services.
“All people deserve to live with dignity and respect, free from fear and violence regardless of their gender and sexual orientation” – an excerpt from a proclamation by President Obama on May 29, 2015, at an LGBT pride event.
A few people I know who used to be with us but are no longer with us
(One) — Rupert. His church memberships and choir memberships began to dwindle soon after he came out.
He no longer goes to the beach. Few friends’ lives were cut short because a barbaric treatment of them became acceptable.
They were repeatedly denied access to community activities and employment, and they were forced to relocate for their own safety. He was once burned alive, stoned, or scorned.
(Two) — Sonia dressed like a man, with brittle hair, cargo pants, and boots, despite the fact that she finds comfort in tending to the small town floral garden.
While some visitors admired her floral garden designs, others mocked her and threw rocks at her. Her sexual orientation had no bearing on her creativity.
(Three) —Burma is beautiful and does an excellent job.
She fits in well with her peers, comes from a pleasant family, and is well educated.
She is, however, terrified of coming out. Despite rumors, she consistently shrugged off the question of why she does not have a child her age after they discovered her holding hands with her partner on the other side of town.
I’m curious if a few people had taken the time to get to know her if they would have discovered that her father’s friends raped her as a child at a local bar by men he trusted.
Even after she died of breast cancer, her remains were treated as if her homosexuality was an Ebola virus. Her ashes have been interred in the garden she created.
Her faith in men deteriorated as she had nowhere to turn for assistance, and she became isolated. now that you’ve gotten this far in this blog.
I hope you now have a better understanding of why I write about this to keep their stories alive, but I still have more to paint.
An umbrella still looking for the right shades:
Despite many small steps in many regions, the community is that some government institutions have recognized and will continue to recognize same-sex marriages.
It will take time and new laws to catch up with a century of polarization, intolerance, and political ideology that threatens this fundamental change.
So how do you re-write this ship with the economic power?
Though the ships and planes of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community have eventually reached many shores, others are still looking for that elusive lighthouse for guidance off these shores.
Today’s violence along the coast is the result of decades of unresolved social issues, where even if some offenders have been victims, there are limited resources for treatment and accountability. Victims should not be put in jeopardy by reporting crime.
So, with economic power, how do you rewrite this ship?
The economics
According to Curve Magazine, the gay, lesbian, and transgender community spends over 550 billion dollars each year.
Given its clout, particularly along blue water and white sand, it is critical to promote more education and other grassroots support.
Despite their status in the LGBT community, some of these elite holiday places around the world can’t afford to turn down potential cash.
The Advocate also stated that “the LGBT community earns its place at the table of economic opportunity with an input to the economy of over $1.7 trillion and an estimated 33,000 jobs.”
Today, many people could have lived to their full potential thereby becoming famous stars, teachers, and police officers. They too were son’s daughters, uncle, aunt, mother, father, and friends still would not be welcome in many places today for being gay.
Unfortunately, several LGBTQ people did not have the resources and are still struggling to book a private party where they can dance like no one is watching.
Others are still not welcome, not because of their bright colors, but because of their origins.
Many left their communities to find comfort elsewhere still living in the shadow.
Today families are left wondering who could have lived up to their full potential, becoming famous stars, teachers, and police officers.
They, too, were son’s daughters, uncles, aunts, mothers, fathers, and friends who would not be welcome in many places today because they were gay.
Some of these groups should not be forced to plan homosexual holiday routes solely based on gay-friendly places in the Caribbean, Africa, or any other region as if it were an election tactic aimed solely at their registered voters.
As the fight continues, there is an illusive tide of change:
History has also shown that the pursuit of equality does not sit well with many people on ideological grounds.
This I believe represents a culture of homophobia woven in decades of social-political and stigma to vanish sexuality and gender inequality.
A recent YouTube report by an Arizona pastor claimed that “if gays were executed, we could have an AIDS-free world by Christmas.” If the god they all worship is love for all, who decides which one he does not love?
It is difficult to reverse a generation’s worth of intolerance. Subconsciously, the Anglicization of families under British colonial rule centuries ago continues to this day.
Today, countries in Africa, Asia, the South, and North, as well as Latin America and a few Caribbean islands have taken steps.
But do not be fooled there are many unanchored vessels that will require stronger anchors to hold any movements toward the bean of colors.
The Cayman Islands rejected an Atlantis gay cruise in 2010. According to the Trinidad Express, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the “decriminalization of homosexuality” in Trinidad and Tobago is not something her administration will pursue because “it would not be prudent for the government to go ahead in that direction.”
The Jamaica Gleaner recently reported on an anti-gay march in St Thomas in response to a proposed bill that would recognize marriage as an official union of two people rather than the traditional man and woman.
Several Jamaicans opposed amending the Buggery Act, which was enacted during colonial rule around 1861. However, many advocates are hoping for a break in the colonial chain there, as well as in other places.
Today, many regional leaders remain deafeningly silent on human rights amendments or new legislation.
Homosexuals and their agenda, according to anti-gay protesters, are bad for strong and healthy families, righteousness, and justice.
Collaboration regardless of location, race culture, and economic status.
Despite statistical evidence of increased tolerance, this issue remains a deep stratification.
These regions will not be able to achieve acceptance on their own, while others who are less fortunate will be forced to look in with their flag folded.
The gay community, like other racial and inequality issues, must continue to fight for equality because, while they dance to fun rhythms on the beach in these regions, many lyrics are strategically placed to demonize the community, such as racial epithets and codes used to polarize, create intolerance, and hate.
Only when societies become more educated and tolerant will we be able to dance together and turn back the clock on a monster that was created.
Pushing for the legalization of marijuana, despite its potential for long-term addiction, gay rights should do the same.
As I previously stated, No, it does not! You don’t have to be gay to support their cause, but should it matter?
Change takes time and is frequently resisted. Candidates who share the values of these communities must be chosen.
Just remember the new design you waited 24 hours in 10-degree weather to purchase the next time you turn on your iPhone to spread hate. The designs were vetted by a gay man.
Rest in Peace • • Leslie Feinberg – for fighting for equality for all.
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