Where Does This Hate Come From?

Yesterday while driving to the gym, I saw some protesters, which isn’t that unusual as I pass by a Planned Parenthood Clinic where this happens regularly. I don’t sweat those people too much, as that clinic doesn’t do abortions, and they have a right to be there. They don’t cause much trouble either, they hang out and talk to each other mostly and wave their graphic signs. But there were some other guys, 2 blocks away from them, with anti-abortion signs, but also they had a heavy anti-gay agenda. I don’t think they are associated with the PP protesters, and the one guy with a megaphone was spewing some pretty vile rhetoric and hate. I gave him the finger, and moved on, but it bothered me, a lot.

I just don’t get that kind of hatred. The kind that boils up and makes you go out with a megaphone and openly bash a segment of the population who isn’t really bothering you. He’s bothering me far more than any single gay person I have ever met. So where does it come from? I have to say it is fear based, and based in ignorance. But why, if you are a heterosexual person, do you fear gay people? They aren’t that interested in you. If you are a good looking person, they may admire your physical appearance, but they are not going to attack you. You are unlikely to get sexually assaulted, and believing they are perverts who cannot control their urges is the ignorance I speak of.

When it was National Coming Out day a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about that. And all over Appleton, businesses have been displaying the rainbow flags, showing support for the LGBTQ population in town. This had to make these guys crazy. They already feel like the “Gay Agenda” is getting shoved down their throats. Gay Agenda? Really? The only agenda I see them pursuing is equality. They aren’t recruiting people to become gay. They just want to be like us, living the life we live. Live in a neighborhood with the person they love, married or not, and have rights when it comes to decisions with healthcare, job opportunities, and whatever else it is that heterosexuals don’t have to think about on a daily basis. Hell, I am pushing my agenda harder by writing this blog and trying to promote it to all of you.

Don’t get me started with the religious stuff either. Jesus never walked around telling you who to hate and who to accept. He was a Peace and Love kind of guy. He said things like however you treat the least of my brothers is how you treat me. That says equality baby. If you hate them, you hate me too. He traveled around with 12 guys and he loved them. I don’t know about their behaviors, I don’t care. They had love, and they went around spreading love. The word of God is not hate and fear, other than to fear what would happen if you weren’t a good and loving person. I think people screw that message up all the time. People follow religion for a sense of belonging, peace and understanding of the universe. If you are using it as a reason to hate anyone, stop. You are doing it wrong. Plain and simple.

While this ranting is fun, I want to learn things from it too. And I am learning, from the people that posted when I wrote about it last night on Facebook. I am learning there is more love, truly, than hatred. It’s just the ones who hate are so noisy about it. They try to recruit you to their hatred, to validate their opinions. You cannot successfully argue with someone like that. They will not change me, nor will I change them. But I can do this and rally the like-minded to be stronger than the hatred. I challenge you to be supportive of those who need you. Be a voice of reason whenever possible, don’t let the rhetoric drown you out. You can affect more people with a steady presence of support. And I hope you do.

*As a side note of the Megaphone Jackass, I heard he was over by the Appleton West High School this morning, with his Sodomy Sign Holding Lackey. I wish them luck. We all know how brutal kids can be.

Peace and Love, my friends. Give it a shot, things will get better for you. It has for me.