Love Is Love

I love gay men.  And I don’t mean that in a cliché sort of way because gay men can dress me and decorate my house like none other (although – they – can).  I love gay men with the depth of my soul.

Allow me to give an example of just how much I love gay men.  At three months pregnant, I was a single mom.  I went through the remainder of my pregnancy with one wish.  I asked the Universe to bless me with a baby girl or gay boy.  And I meant it.  I would have been the best mom EVER to a gay son.

I met openly gay men for the first time when I was twenty-five years old.  I IMMEDIATELY connected with them.  Within three months, I had a crew of about twenty gay men.  We spent a lot of time with one another, three to five times a week.  Thirteen years later, we live all throughout the world, and many of those men are still my very best friends.

I felt that those gay men – my friends – were the first group of people who accepted me exactly as I am.  I didn’t have to pretend to be anything I wasn’t.  In fact, they encouraged me to be more of myself.  I was allowed to talk more, play dress up more, dance like a wild child even more.  They loved me for EXACTLY who I was.  They believed in me.  They encouraged me.  They adored me.  They protected me.  They told me I was beautiful all the time.  They educated me.  They listened to me.  They respected me.

We became family.

And then I watched many of them come out.  So many of their stories are heart-breaking.  Some of their parents would lecture them with Bible verses.  Some of their families would never speak of it again, hoping it would all just go away.  Some came out and then went back into the closet to make it easier for everyone else – but they died a little on the inside.

I held their hands as they cried with me because they loved their families so much.  They went to their families hoping to feel love and acceptance and so many of them were turned away.  I didn’t understand.  These men were all so kind, loving and giving.  They were polite, funny, honest and trustworthy.  Certainly their families must have already known this.  So, why would those parents forget that and turn their backs on their own babies?

As I watched these beautiful gay men come out, even when they believed their families would dis-own them, I learned how STRONG these men really were.  They showed me, through their actions, just how important it is to be true to one’s self.  They were brave.  They were dedicated.  They were honest.  They were loving.  They were teachers.  They were standing up for what they knew was right – the freedom to be themselves and love as they choose.

*stands up and screams at the top of my lungs*  LOVE IS LOVE AND ALL LOVE IS GOOD LOVE!  Leave these beautiful gay men and women alone.  Love them exactly as they are.  Give them the rights they already deserve and respect them as fellow human beings.

*raises my voice and sounds stern*  It is unrealistic to believe that millions of men and women across the world are choosing to be gay.  It is simply a biological thing – like having red hair or brown eyes.  It is wrong to believe that anyone is damned to hell because they love the same gender.  Jesus would be lecturing those who say, think or do vile things against their gay brothers and sisters.

*still preaching*  Shame on anyone who uses religion as their excuse to persecute these beautiful souls.  Shame on anyone who says gay men and women are “less than” or undeserving of equal rights and the freedom to LOVE.  *wags finger with an upset look upon my face*

We must stop the insanity.

It is time to support the gay men and women on this planet.  Everyone must demand that they have equal rights and the freedom to love.  We must unite and insist that as a society, WE CHOOSE TO EVOLVE.  We choose to do better.  We choose to be loving and accepting and tolerant.  We support LOVE.  We encourage LOVE.  We protect LOVE.

Sally Field gets it.

What can you do?  Here are just a few starter ideas:

• Never ever say negative things about gay men or women.  That includes negative jokes about being gay, like teasing someone by saying, “That’s so gay. You’re so gay.”

• Step in and stop children if they are saying negative things about lesbians, gay men, transgenders or bisexuals.

• Spend extra time talking with the children in your life about how men can love women, women can love men, men can love men, and women can love women and all of that is natural and good.

• Donate money to an organization that supports equal rights.

• Vote for politicians who openly support the LGBT community.

• Attend a local LGBT community event and support them by purchasing products/services while there.

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