syn - IMPERCEPTIBLE, impalpable, imponderable, inappreciable, indiscernible, insensible, unapparent, unappreciable, unobservable, unperceivable
Is it even POSSIBLE for a heterosexual to have empathy OR sympathy to the Q community's legal and social struggles? We've largely been neither seen nor heard in American life. Sure, we see Anderson Cooper on AC360 and 60 Minutes, but do we also see a Highly-Respected International Journalist who DOES NOT HAVE the same rights as his colleagues? Does his colleagues see that? What a stark contrast to the visual discrimination we saw with our own eyes when we used to keep 'the women' out of the work force or pretended that 'black folk' didn't exist in movies or on T.V. (not without degrading stereotypes).
- 1/2005 - Ronnie Paris age 3, killed by his father for acting gay.
- 9/2008 - Teen in Tribune Kansas beaten in home invasion by another teen, who heard he was gay
- 1998 - Matthew Shepard age 21, pistol whipped and tied to a fence post; died of his injuries
- 1999 - Billy Jack Gaither age 39, beaten with an axe handle, put on a pile of tires and set ablaze
- 2/2008 - Florida man beaten for being gay
- 2/2008 - Lawrence King age 15, shot to death in class for being gay
- 7/2003 - Nireah Johnson age 17, shot and set on fire for being transgender
- 6/2008 - Duanna Johnson, transgender, beaten by Memphis PD
- 7/2008 - Brian Carter, beaten by Greeley CO police officer for suspicion of being gay
- 2/2008 - Simmie Davis age 17, shot to death for being gay.
- 6/2004 - Three men slashed Micah Painter, a 24-year-old Seattle resident.
I vividly remember the community's response after Micah's attack on June 27th; I began renting a room a few blocks down from where the attack occured a few days later on July 1st. The attack was brutal, as hate crimes tend to be. The attackers had slashed Painter with a broken vodka bottle while kicking and punching him repeatedly, causing him to suffer internal bleeding, many harsh bruises, and several deep cuts to his upper body that left his clothing soaked in blood. All simply because he was gay.
Once I performed piano music for the memorial service of a gay man who was found burned to death in his car. Somber stuff...to say the least.
Naw, you really can't imagine these invisible shoes, unless you LIVE WITH the fear of being killed for the crime of existing and loving another soul.
In America, THAT is the price of living one's life as openly, honestly, and naturally as everyone else lives their life inside AND outside the home.
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Bob and I went to a bar that was celebrating their 25th anniversary over the weekend. As I left a man said to me, "Go Home, Queer", and then I heard giggles from his friend who said to him, "You're not SUPPOSED to say that".
Queers understand the "supposed to" part.
Maybe one day people will say to him,
"That was Hate Speech, and we think YOU are a
Bigoted Piece of Sh*t".
So tell me, why wouldn't a gay person feel the NEED to carry a weapon while walking home at night? I have JUSTIFIABLE REASONS to feel the need to defend myself, and will do whatever I can do when/if I ever experience physical harm from this kind of EVIL HATRED. Keep in mind, I live 100% OUT and OPEN these days; Bob and I refuse to hide our love in public, just as HETS refuse to hide their love. Society may still be ALLOWED to vote away our due civil rights, but I'll be damned if they can vote away my right to live freely.
I did walk back over next to this bigot and stood for a while, seemingly looking at the posters on the wall to his left...but really standing there as a way to communicate, "You Will NOT F*CKING INTIMIDATE Me In My Own Neighborhood".
Because THAT is terrorism.
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