Lots of school stuff to say, but I wanted to talk about something else for a bit. I've been very saddened by the wave of bullying/homophobia/LGBT suicides making the news lately and I am happy to see people responding so strongly. It's clear that we realize there is a problem, we realize that people are deeply hurting and a lot of wonderful people are working together to find a way to reach those people in pain.
However. Obama's advisor recently said "And what is clear is that this depends on all of us. It depends on changing laws, and changing hearts. It depends on creating an environment in which our children feel safe to be themselves."
To which Dan Savage replied: (with more colorful language)
"Seriously. You can do a lot more than offer hope. You have the power to make it better. Right now. Suspend enforcement of DADT. Don't appeal the decision by a federal judge that declared DADT unconstitutional. Stop defending DOMA in court. Keep your promises. Make it better."
I would say much the same to the Christian community. If we want the bullying, the hatred, the fear, the self-hate, all of it to stop (and we should) then we need to quit institutionalizing discrimination in the very places that should be taking about love and grace. It's not enough to say we want the hate to stop. We need to stop creating it. And the moment that you tell someone they can't serve in, get married in, be recognized as equal in, the church, you are telling them they aren't as good as everyone else. And you're telling the world that it's acceptable to treat or LGBT brothers and sisters like they are less than everyone else. We cannot act surprised when our youth hate who they are, who God made them to be. They hate themselves because the church is telling them to every time we reaffirm our discriminatory practices. This prejudicial attitude is costing lives, and I'm tired to being patient and waiting for the church to realize this isn't acceptable anymore. People who want a loving church, an accepting and open church, need to speak loudly so that our voices carry over all the hatred being spoken in Jesus' name.
