Dr. Christine, A few months ago and back, I used to be “one of those guys” who disdained Homosexuals. :
I used to be so uptight to the extent that I would mentally rehearse how I would punch a gay guy if he ever came onto me.
I was such a jerk, right?
Well, I went to the barber shop yesterday and got my hair dyed from black to Medium Brown. When I got home, I got some pretty unpleasant criticism from my father. For a moment there, he thought I was gay because only Gay people would “do such a thing”..
And at THAT moment, I started to have that soft spot in my heart for you guys because of all the sh*t that you go through. It’s pretty unfair how your own parents would look down on you if they thought you where a homosexual. You know, at the end of the day, I would definitely prefer being friends with a kind-hearted homosexual than an inconsiderate heterosexual.
Not that you give a damn or anything, but I’d just like to apologize for all the crap that we (the Heteros) have given you. Sorry.
Dear Sorry,
I do give a damn, and I appreciate that you wrote about your change of heart. I’m proud of you. We all are products of our upbringing, society and times, and while there isn’t really an excuse for being rude to people who aren’t like you, I know how hard it can be to become aware of and let go of prejudices. I’m glad that you recognize discrimination and hatred and are choosing to go down a different path of acceptance and tolerance. Gay, straight, lesbian, bi, trans and queer, we are all human beings, and we struggle with the same troubles, concerns, prejudices and insecurities and inadequacies. Some of us struggle with self-hatred and confusion, due to the moral or religious teachings we got from our families. Some of us have similar problems with our own families and neighbors. We’re all in this together, and if more of us could open our eyes to what those “others” in our world are going through, we could build a better world. It’s so easy to see the world in black and white, I’m right and you’re wrong. But there’s a lot of shades of gray between black and white, and there’s all the colors of the spectrum as well! If we start looking at people as individuals, not as stereotypes, it’s harder to judge people different from yourself as being wrong or bad just because they are different. In fact, diversity is a good thing, as it can help us to think beyond ourselves, and see the world from someone else’s perspective. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr, judge us by our character, not the color of our skin, or by our sexuality.
Again, thank you for your consideration and for taking the time to write this up. It’s incredibly nice to know that somebody feels this way.
Christine C. Cantrell, PhD
1026 W. 11 Mile Rd,
Suite C
Royal Oak, MI 48067
248-591-2888 Click here to email Christine.