Hope...

This came out of the Vatican yesterday

I wasn't surprised when Tom told me about it this morning. It's been coming for awhile and as much had been said previously. It's an insult that the Church is furthering the 'pedophile' stereotype of gay men. It doesn't help that members of the Church are calling homosexuality an "intrinsic psychosexual disorder." An organization that is supposed to be bringing Jesus' message of love and acceptance to the world is busy preaching a message of willful misunderstanding and downright rejection.

However, in spite of all this, I can't help agreeing with those who see these things as a light in the darkenss. This is not the time to be angry. This is not the time to get militant. I feel that this can only bring negative attention, giving people a reason to say "See, I knew they were evil" or alienate those who are ambivalent. I think just the fact that the queer community is coming to be more and more visible and integrated into society has got the people who preach fear and hatred running scared.

That's the thing about this particular issue. One side puts forth a message of fear and hatred, rejection and ugliness. The other a message of acceptance, love, and beauty. It takes so much effort to reject someone for who they are and in doing that we have to accept that we too probably will have to live in fear and hide something of ourselves from others. It's so much easier to accept and love and know that you will be accepted and loved in return. The prospect of hanging out and admiring pretty boys with your best friend is so much more attractive than shutting down, recoiling and cutting out.

I can only hope that the effort to reject soon becomes too much. I hope that living my life in the way that I do will bring into reality a society that accepts each member for who he or she is and who he or she loves. I pray to my God, the one who revels in the beauty and pleasure and love that creation embodies, that that can be the world of my children.

And really, is peace, love, and happiness too much to ask? :-P