Here’s what I look forward to: A day when (some) straight people no longer feel the need to say they’re ‘straight, but they support LGBT rights.’ Too bad there’s still the compunction to make that distinction. Gay rights = human rights. We’re all the same. Someday orientation will be about as relevant as freckles. At least that’s what I hope for.
This urge to say “straight, but” is a little like saying, “I’m white, but I support black people,” or “I’m not Jewish, but I love the Jews.” In too many cases, it bespeaks a need to be known not to be whatever it is, in this case, gay. The currently popular drawing of a rainbow bra (and in some cases, also a rainbow jock strap) with the caption, “Not gay, but supportive” begs the question, why not just say “Supportive”? This characterization may not apply to you, and if it doesn’t, then you probably have no problem with not having to announce your sexual orientation before you speak out in favor of LGBTQ rights.
I get that the new civil rights movement needs support and allies of all stripes; good human beings want all humans to have equal rights, and wow, we sure do have a long way to go before every human being is treated equally. Allies in the fight for equality are crucial, and anyone who joins in is welcome and appreciated. But you don’t have to be straight (or say you are) to be an LGBTQ ally, any more than you have to have freckles (or say you do) to support the need for rain.
Simply put, I look forward to a day when no one will care whether you’re straight, gay, bi, trans, black, white, yellow, red, old, young, male, female, fat, skinny, healthy, ill, firm, infirm, rich, or poor. Your humanity will define you. Period. I realize it’s a long shot; we humans do love our differences, but someday true equality, and not equal but [fill in the blank], will be ours.
"Straight, But . . .",
luke101308
26 Jan 2012i’m gonna start by saying i’m straight, and i support gay rights. this isn’t a but issue for me, never has been, but i, like many others, say it that way because, like it or not, detractors will pay more attention to my opinions on the issue because i have no obvious reasons to get involved with it. the gay community (for lack of a better term) obviously has strong motivation for getting gay rights acknowleged by the world, because it is likely at some point that as part of that sexual orientation, you will become affected by the lack of equal rights. this is unlikely to happen to me, as up to this point i’ve never had romantic/sexual feelings for another man. yes, in an ideal world it wouldn’t matter, but in the political one that we live in, allies have more clout than the ones directly involved, simply because they have less to lose if it doesn’t work out. stupid, yes, going to stop, no. finally, though i like your dream, i think it’s a tad impractical, after all, everyone has their own definition of humanity, and many people just don’t get on. for example, equal but willing to wallow in ignorance is my main one i would say. the idea that anyone could stop learning puts me of a great many people. maybe that’s naive, but my freinds are wonderful caring people who live in the sort of equality that you talk about. we won’t look down on you ‘cos your different, but we may annoy you with questions about your culture if you come from somewhere with a different way of life. personally, i don’t ever think this battle will be over, the other side will just look more and more ridiculus as time passes. sad to say that ignorance, and intolerance are here to stay. anyway, sorry for such a downer of a message, but felt like you didn’t understand the point of us putting straight, but/and e.c.t. it’s not for our benifit, it’s to try to make the people who already dismiss you realise what a mistake they’re making. (plus, the majority of people, myself included, are really bad at grammer) thanks for reading,
Luke