My Journal

Why I stand up for the LGBTQ+ community (even though I'm straight)

I have defended LGBTQ+ rights on many occasions before and a commonly asked question I receive is, "are you a lesbian?". In the following segment, I shall talk about everything wrong with this question and why it is so.

A few years from today I watched a video on YouTube that stood up against homophobia and myths against the LGBTQ+ community. That video moved me so much that I left a comment saying, "You can hate someone for theft and murder, but why would you hate someone for spreading love?". The likes on that comment went through the roof, but so did the replies of all the Karens.

Believe it or not, I had people quoting the Bible wrongly and telling me about how "Christianity is against homosexuality". Some told me I was double-faced because I was supporting people who were "disgraceful" and "rebellious".  And some even went up to the extent of saying, "you are some bisexual slut aren't you?"

These comments shocked me. This was the educated, elite class of society who has access to smart devices and can read and write proper English. I'll address each type one by one.

First off are the ones who quoted the scriptures to me all erroneously. These are the people who consider themselves the "messengers" or in other words, the personal secretaries of God. They think that homosexuality is against God's will. It is a sin, and they refrain from doing it so that they won't "pollute" their auras. Little do they know that they are making complete fools of themselves. God always wants us to love each other. He wants us to harmonize and bring each other up. God always tells his disciples to help someone in need. Why would the same God tell us to spread hatred and call someone else names? Why would the same God ask us to bully others? Has this ever occurred to these messenger Karens?

Second, the ones who called them names. Do you really think that being queer is a phase, that they'll get over it very soon? I agree there are people who are still trying to figure out their sexuality, but that is not the same as being queer. Homosexual people are interested in their own sex and trans people identify with the opposite sex. Why is that so difficult to understand? And the most important thing is, regardless of whether someone is hetero, homo, trans, or in the process of identifying themselves, it's none of your business to shove your minimally-researched, idealized philosophies about sexuality down other people's throats. You do what makes you happy and let them do theirs.

Third and the worst of them all, the people who called me a "bisexual slut". You thought that would insult me? Well, the joke's on you. I don't find it degrading to be identified with the queer community. It does not make me any less of a woman. So what if you called me a lesbian or bi? Unlike you, I don't see it as anything dirty. Why don't you go get an education yourselves?

But in this particular type, what angered me the most is associating the word "slut" with "bisexual". Why do you imagine that bi people are "greedy" just because they are compatible with both genders? They might be interested in two genders, but they can keep only one partner at a time. What about heterosexual people who cheat on their husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, or who sleep with multiple people at the same time? All of that dishonesty is acceptable in society and bisexuality is not?

The queer community is not a bunch of promiscuous mayflowers who like to flirt with everyone. Promiscuity exists in both the queer and the hetero community, it's not a trademark of the former. Get over this idea that the LGBTQ+ community is nothing but a bunch of perverts who are only trying to make their "perverse tendencies" acceptable in society. They are literally fighting for being themselves, a privilege you've always had, and taken for granted.

Since I included homo and bi people, let me talk about transgender people as well. Transphobia exists as much as homophobia does. And at times it gets even worse. Young trans males get bullied for "acting like girls" and vice-versa. Trans people are not allowed to use the normal toilets of any public place and are forced to stand near the sinks or outside until everyone else has left, which is so degrading and demeaning that I can't even verbally substantiate it. They are treated as aliens in society. When Elektra stood up against a transphobic woman in a promo for RuPaul's Drag Race, she said "God may have given you a backyard full of ponies, a boyfriend named Jake and an unwanted pregnancy your father paid to terminate so that you could go to college and major in being a basic bitch. None of those things make you a woman".  And if I were physically present in such a situation I would have given her a standing ovation.

We always tend to think that homophobia or transphobia exists only in our parents' or grandparents' generations since they had no exposure to the internet or extensive mass media like us today. I'll break it to you then, it exists amongst young people too. And on some occasions, I've felt it's even worse than what our elders would do. I've seen people around me laugh and make fun of queer people, just for being different than the majority. I've seen youngsters use homophobic slurs. One of my closest friends is queer and he's one of the nicest people I could ever ask for. Distance happened to separate us but we talk on the phone a lot. And he told me he was bullied very badly something which he doesn't deserve at all.

I've had people say entitled garbage like "You know what, I hate those girly, effeminate men. They're not real men". Or, "look at that man pretending to be a woman. Why can't he just chill and drop the act? She's not a real woman". Yeah you moron, you're an uneducated piece of shit, who's gonna take care of that? Do you really think growing a beard, having bulging biceps and sixpack abs is what makes a man? Or that wearing makeup, short skirts, and having a long list of ex-boyfriends is what makes a woman? Who are you and why should anyone go by your rules? Are you delusional enough to think your opinion matters so much?

Concluding, I would like to say, don't think that people need to mirror you to be "perfect". In fact, the label comes from a set of rules that society has made. Everyone is worthy of love, regardless of who they are. I always want you to end up with someone who loves you and sees the whole world in you, doesn't matter what the gender of that person is. My message here is specially directed towards the youth like me. Please learn to accept people for who they are. Please come to terms with the fact that not everyone has the same background as you. The more open-minded you become, the more happiness you will achieve. Start early on, it's the best. Once you set the example, your elders will follow you too. All is not fair in love and war because it's love who should win, not war.

Remember in the beginning I said I would address why asking me if I'm a lesbian is wrong? It's wrong because the queer community does not need acceptance amongst their own people. They are fighting for acceptance from us. They want us to see them as human beings with individual lives, instead of trying to persuade them to copy us. That's exactly why even though I'm straight, I stand up for the LGBTQ+ community. Acceptance is the key to the happiness of ourselves as well as others, so why not start from now on?

Thank you for reading this. Like, share, and comment to spread the word to make the difference. Let us know in the comments section about your struggles as a queer person or the experiences of someone you might know. <3