Yep, it’s a beautiful, big colourful button. With one helluva message. DISCRIMINATION IS BAD. There, I said it. Homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic discrimination is a very serious issue.
Let me very honest. I’m not gay, transgender, gender fluid, lesbian, homosexual or any other label society chooses to put upon people who are classed as ‘different’ from the norm (according to ‘set society’ stands at least). For who the hell we are we to define ‘normal’ ?
I am a ‘straight’ woman-(another bloody label) – who has been married to the same man for thirty years. But that doesn’t stop me getting on my soapbox and telling you I abhor any form of discrimination.
And the people for whom this post is in support of have faced this in buckets. They have battles to fight and a war to win.
One such story was recently showcased in an interview I did for Divine Magazine with Claire and Cas Potterton. Cas is a fourteen year old youth who used to be Megan. You can read the article here – Claire and Cas Potterton interview
You can also read author Diane Nelson’s post on the same subject here. Diane is watching her son transform into a daughter before her eyes.
And yes, there are victories. I know that these victories are hard won, that there has been a lot of heartache and angst in the process and that there is still oh so much work to do. Lives have been destroyed, people have destroyed themselves after being tainted with the stigma of being ‘different’. But there is wonderful and untiring work being done by so many people around the world to get their voice out there and tell people that they are simply human beings regardless of gender or sexuality.
Colour, religion, beliefs, sexuality – these are all simply facets of life that contribute to our growth as human beings. Which colour, which religion, which beliefs and which sexuality –these are all irrelevant. Instead we have a person who chooses to live their life in harmony with other people. Isn’t that what life is all about? A phrase I think that has been so overworked that it seems to have lost its meaning unless used in cliché ridden conversations and writings is Live and Let Live. But it still has value.
From research I’ve done, it appears that this proverb is Dutch in origin and is first recorded in Ancient Law Merchant by G. De Malynes, published in 1622. It was later included in a book of English proverbs collected by John Ray in 1678. This is what it is defined as being –
Run your own life the way you want to, and let others do the same; be tolerant of differences.
Remember the Christmas Truce of 1914? Both sides of the opposing armies laid down their arms and formed a truce to come together as a group of people just trying to beat the cold, the hunger, the death, the grief and the need to be with other human beings in peace and in harmony. Their differences were forgotten. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could nurture this in every second of every day? If children didn’t have be taught that being different in any way isn’t a sin or an aberration or even any business of those damn busybodies and naysayers out there.
So for me being a member of this wonderful LGBTQ community we have supporting these rights means I care. I support the fight, the drive to take away the imperfections so that life can be the same for all, no matter what their sexual or gender persuasion. And I hope that qualifies me to join this amazingly feisty and passionate band of people and rejoice in their victories.
You can read more about this initiative to fight discrimination here:
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (May 17th)
http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/
If you’d like to find out more about this hop, then head down here
http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.
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GIVEAWAY (winner chosen after 24th May)
There is a giveaway – I’m giving away an e-book to two lucky winners- winner’s choice – of any one of my e-books -and this is what you have to do –
Comment on my post, leave me your email address and please follow my blog. That’s it. Then what I’ll do is using this site- www.random.org – I’ll choose a winner from the comments and contact you and we can take it from there.
I hope you enjoyed this post and please visit the other blogs on the tour hop!
SUSAN MAC NICOL 