I can’t believe we’re still living in such an ignorant culture. If you have paid any attention to the news, you will know the hot topic right now, even bigger than gay marriage, is the issue of the building of a mosque in NYC. Too many of us are willing to defend the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or countless other Constitutional rights, until someone comes along we strongly disagree with. I have personally been the victim of extensive homophobia almost exclusively by those claiming to be Christian, yet I can easily draw the distinction between a bigoted fundie and a good Christian. Even further, I believe in the rights of religious individuals to believe and speak their beliefs, even if those statements include the belief that homosexuality is sin and that I’m going to burn in Hell for being gay.
Muslims creating a place of worship, even if it is at ground zero, is within their rights, and if we deny their rights, you’d better not complain if we start denying the rights of Christians or anyone else to practice their religion. The 9/11 attacks represent Muslims just as much as Fred Phelps represents Christians. Or to be more precise, neither one represents the larger community, and I would argue that Al Qaeda isn’t even truly Muslim anymore than Phelps is a good Christian, what with his constant “God Hates Fags” protests. That is me expressing my freedom to believe what I wish, and to speak my beliefs.
There are extremes that pop up among any group, even liberal ones. Us gays have the “Bash Back” organization that actively promotes violence against homophobic individuals and groups. PETA members have been known to bomb scientific labs, resulting in the deaths of people working toward medicine. And how many self-proclaimed Christians have killed abortion doctors in the name of their Lord? No community is immune – every one has its fringe extremists, and it’s extremely unfair to judge an entire community and deny that community’s rights based on the actions of its fringe “members.” It’s not just unfair, it’s unconstitutional.
If you value your own rights and freedoms, protect those of others, even if you don’t agree with them. At the very least, don’t actively project discrimination and interfere with the rights of others! And please get educated about these issues – stop following the crowd and show you actually have critical thinking skills! Maybe consider reading some of the Qur’an and see that it’s just as peaceful and just as violent as the Bible. Or take the opportunity to speak to someone who is Muslim to gain insight about their beliefs. I think it’s absolutely preposterous to believe that the Muslims constructing the mosque in NYC have anything to do with terrorism or the 9/11 attacks. I have educated myself about Christianity, I know the Bible well, and many of my friends are Christians – to some degree I even consider myself Christian. Despite the homophobia I’ve faced, I don’t look at every Christian and assume they’re homophobic. And even if they are, they have a right to be homophobic and speak their beliefs as long as it doesn’t turn into active harassment, which is not protected speech (i.e.; stalking, attacking an individual, etc.).
If we take away another person’s rights, we will all lose them. Even more profound, we each become less free. I know if I lived in NYC, I’d love to visit the mosque – it sounds like it’s going to turn out to be a really beautiful community center that will benefit everyone. We should be grateful for the opportunity to support the foundation of our country, and more than anyone else, New Yorkers should understand the value of liberty – after all, they’ve got a giant statue in their backyard, reminding them of it every day, though I bet few Americans have taken the time to understand her deep symbolism – the 7 spires on her crown, the book in her hand, and the burning torch. We will never forget September 11th, but I fear we have already forgotten September 17th. If this mosque has no right to stand in New York, then neither does Lady Liberty.
It is almost uncanny that the tremendous Federal cases concerning marriage equality would come at about now. I feel both sad and humbled, perhaps even grateful, to be alive to see this day, to be a proud gay man in America at a time when my full equality is finally being realized. I wish more individuals in my generation took more time to be well-informed and realize we are a part of history in the making. My heart goes out to individuals like Phyllis Lyon and her departed wife, Del Martin, founders of the Daughters of Bilitis, arguably the beginning of our movement for equal rights in America. I cried when I watched these ancient warriors say their “I do’s” before the State of California. Imagine that – an entire life, witness to an era when you could be arrested and beaten by police just for being gay, to seeing the manifestation of full marriage equality! The first same-sex couple to be wed in the Golden State, in fact. And rightly so – were it not for them, I could be jailed for being gay.