Silver Lining of the Rainbow
THANK YOU, Supreme Court,
for proving you're not a
total lost cause (even
if you're still full
of Rethuglicans).
Even under the worst Administration this country
has ever seen, at least SOME power structure is
woke enough to understand that LGBTQA+ rights
are HUMAN rights.
FUCK the religious right.
Sure, everyone has the freedumb to believe whatever
they want; but it's high time they realize the days
of persecuting anyone who doesn't spend their Jesus
Card according to a book no one can agree on will
have all transactions declined, and no heaven
points will be earned, even for gold members.
Besides, most pious holy rollers are giant hypocrites
(and/or child abusers/molesters). Even most X'ians
don't live like the example of Christ, which is
why I take the "Christ" out of "Christian".
Even though I'm mostly straight, I understand how important
these rights are. I understand how toxic gender beliefs beget
hatred. Even growing up as an effeminate boy, I would be bel-
ittled, beaten, and otherwise discriminated against and called
gay just because I didn't embody toxic masculinity. While that
isn't the same as preferring the same sex (though I've done my
experimenting, and am not ashamed of it, or afraid to admit I
can love any human of the spectrum in many ways), recognizing
that hatred IS the same.
And if that hatred I had a taste of is 100 times
worse for those who are deeper in the spectrum,
I am woke enough to know that if some people go
unchecked in their hatred of those individuals,
it opens the floodgates to say it's okay to hate
and discriminate against anyone who doesn't fall
within the limited approval spectrum of the haters.
As much of a misanthrope as I can be, even I know
how important it is to not have racial or gender
apathy. I still very much care about humanity
and progressive policies - from a distance.
"People are people so why should it be,
You and I should get along so awfully?"
~Depeche Mode
We still have a long road ahead of us for truly
changing the system for the better - much of
which begins with removing that bigoted ass-
hole and all his horrible Rethuglican cronies
from office.
Once that happens, maybe the healing can finally begin.
Still need to work on toxic masculinity in
Yankee culture, and educating the abused on
not continuing the domino affect (regardless
of gender, race, or sexual orientation).
There's a difference between justice,
and revenge/continuing the abuse cycle.
There are still going to be a LOT of hurt feelings
for a long time; some may never recover from their
persecution, and sadly, either unable to break the
abuse domino affect, or generally unable to trust
and reach out for acceptance (or from certain gr-
oups). This, among so many other reasons, is why
I would rather support from a distance - I beli-
eve in giving people space to lick their wounds.
It's like earning a cat's trust - you play hard to get, give them time to
observe and eventually to approach you... or not. Even a small gesture to
respect someone's space and their choice to engage, rather than invade and
dominate it like a dog, goes a long way. This may be a good general guide-
line, though there are still those Yankees (especially insecure, surface-
centric, emotionally ruled, extroverted, approval-hungry types) who are
such self-absorbed spoiled brats who need you to recognize how "awesome"
they are, they take it personally if you don't give them attention by
initiating contact.
All struggles aside, some humans just love
the game more than the goal. A Sigma/INTJ/
Capricorn like me has no room for that
bullshit in my priorities.
While at first the Yankee culture I grew up in found it odd when people from,
say, the Eastern European region, were so closed off; in time, I came to res-
pect and even embrace aspects of that behavior. To understand that there was
a reason behind it - a reason I personally came to understand from my own
experiences: that most humans just can't be trusted. That growing up in
this Yankee country gave us the ignorance and privilege of trust and
open expression with minimal consequence. That in most the rest of
the world, it's best not to be so open or happy; that smiling at
everyone makes you look foolish or crazy or gullible, and many
would exploit that naïvety, or assume you want to con them.
Again, it'll take a long time for the world to heal,
if even within my lifetime. Then again, changes are
happening more rapidly in today's world. It's just
too bad, for all of Michael Jackson's songs about
healing and making the world a better place, his
actions/what he was accused of tainted the mess-
age. Can only hope a new, more trust-worthy
version shows their face.
While I may very often miss the 90s for all
its freedom of expression, embrace of love
and trust, it was also a much more ignorant
time in which we were complacent and more
willing to tolerate hatred.
Now if only we could have all the feel
good of the 90s, with the wokeness of
today's reality.
Keep the dream alive.
for proving you're not a
total lost cause (even
if you're still full
of Rethuglicans).
Even under the worst Administration this country
has ever seen, at least SOME power structure is
woke enough to understand that LGBTQA+ rights
are HUMAN rights.
FUCK the religious right.
Sure, everyone has the freedumb to believe whatever
they want; but it's high time they realize the days
of persecuting anyone who doesn't spend their Jesus
Card according to a book no one can agree on will
have all transactions declined, and no heaven
points will be earned, even for gold members.
Besides, most pious holy rollers are giant hypocrites
(and/or child abusers/molesters). Even most X'ians
don't live like the example of Christ, which is
why I take the "Christ" out of "Christian".
Even though I'm mostly straight, I understand how important
these rights are. I understand how toxic gender beliefs beget
hatred. Even growing up as an effeminate boy, I would be bel-
ittled, beaten, and otherwise discriminated against and called
gay just because I didn't embody toxic masculinity. While that
isn't the same as preferring the same sex (though I've done my
experimenting, and am not ashamed of it, or afraid to admit I
can love any human of the spectrum in many ways), recognizing
that hatred IS the same.
And if that hatred I had a taste of is 100 times
worse for those who are deeper in the spectrum,
I am woke enough to know that if some people go
unchecked in their hatred of those individuals,
it opens the floodgates to say it's okay to hate
and discriminate against anyone who doesn't fall
within the limited approval spectrum of the haters.
As much of a misanthrope as I can be, even I know
how important it is to not have racial or gender
apathy. I still very much care about humanity
and progressive policies - from a distance.
"People are people so why should it be,
You and I should get along so awfully?"
~Depeche Mode
We still have a long road ahead of us for truly
changing the system for the better - much of
which begins with removing that bigoted ass-
hole and all his horrible Rethuglican cronies
from office.
Once that happens, maybe the healing can finally begin.
Still need to work on toxic masculinity in
Yankee culture, and educating the abused on
not continuing the domino affect (regardless
of gender, race, or sexual orientation).
There's a difference between justice,
and revenge/continuing the abuse cycle.
There are still going to be a LOT of hurt feelings
for a long time; some may never recover from their
persecution, and sadly, either unable to break the
abuse domino affect, or generally unable to trust
and reach out for acceptance (or from certain gr-
oups). This, among so many other reasons, is why
I would rather support from a distance - I beli-
eve in giving people space to lick their wounds.
It's like earning a cat's trust - you play hard to get, give them time to
observe and eventually to approach you... or not. Even a small gesture to
respect someone's space and their choice to engage, rather than invade and
dominate it like a dog, goes a long way. This may be a good general guide-
line, though there are still those Yankees (especially insecure, surface-
centric, emotionally ruled, extroverted, approval-hungry types) who are
such self-absorbed spoiled brats who need you to recognize how "awesome"
they are, they take it personally if you don't give them attention by
initiating contact.
All struggles aside, some humans just love
the game more than the goal. A Sigma/INTJ/
Capricorn like me has no room for that
bullshit in my priorities.
While at first the Yankee culture I grew up in found it odd when people from,
say, the Eastern European region, were so closed off; in time, I came to res-
pect and even embrace aspects of that behavior. To understand that there was
a reason behind it - a reason I personally came to understand from my own
experiences: that most humans just can't be trusted. That growing up in
this Yankee country gave us the ignorance and privilege of trust and
open expression with minimal consequence. That in most the rest of
the world, it's best not to be so open or happy; that smiling at
everyone makes you look foolish or crazy or gullible, and many
would exploit that naïvety, or assume you want to con them.
Again, it'll take a long time for the world to heal,
if even within my lifetime. Then again, changes are
happening more rapidly in today's world. It's just
too bad, for all of Michael Jackson's songs about
healing and making the world a better place, his
actions/what he was accused of tainted the mess-
age. Can only hope a new, more trust-worthy
version shows their face.
While I may very often miss the 90s for all
its freedom of expression, embrace of love
and trust, it was also a much more ignorant
time in which we were complacent and more
willing to tolerate hatred.
Now if only we could have all the feel
good of the 90s, with the wokeness of
today's reality.
Keep the dream alive.