STOP GAY VIOLENCE, NOW!!!

 

With the recent anti-gay, homophobic, gay bashing, verbal and emotional violence that happened recently in Cebu Philippines - when a video of a gay guy’s operation had been uploaded in youtube and scandalously made into a national joke of epic proportions (read Kiks, Maruja, and Jericho), we gay guys are sadly faced by the fact that there is still a long long way to go before total acceptance and tolerance for LGBT people in the society.  And my recent experience with gay bashing attest to this fact.

It happened a thousand times before, it is happening right now and it will happen again in the future - to our family, friends and acquintances who are gays and lesbians.

• How many gay guys will still hide in the closets because they are afraid of coming out.  Afraid that coming out will affect their careers, their jobs. Afraid that their families and community will reject them if they are found out?
• How many LGBT people will suffer from imprinsonment, and even death sentences because being who they are active crimes against religion?
• How many still will be laughed at, ridiculed, and bashed to death?
• How many gays will just consider these violent acts as mere facts of life and even make further joke out it?
• How many brilliant gay guys will choose to live in safe mediocrity to avoid all these?
• How many will choose and accept to live a life as the joker or clowns (drag queens), as this seems to be the only way society can accept them as gay guys?  
• How many gay guys will become homophobic themselves and join the so called “mainstream” society and try to reject and dehumanize homosexuals?
• How many will deny their sexuality and even try to convert/heal themselves thinking that homosexuality is a disease.
• How many will succumb to live a quite life of desperation and defeat?

Ten, thousands, millions … ?

This is not a time for singing somewhere there’s a place for us, a time and a place for us (while lighting the candles and holding our hands) … it is a time for action and revolution that should happen in politics, in religion and the society. Now!

 

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From Wikipedia …

Gay bashing is an expression used to designate verbal confrontation with, denigration of, or physical violence against people thought to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) because of their apparent sexual orientation or gender identity. Similar terms such as “lesbian bashing” or “queer bashing” may also be formed. A “bashing” may be a specific incident, or one could also use the verb “to bash” e.g. “I was gay bashed.” As there is no foolproof way to detect a person’s sexual orientation, people sometimes fall victim even if they are not LGBT, should they be perceived to conform to the relevant stereotypes.

A verbal gay bashing might take place on any street corner and use sexual slurs, expletives, intimidation, or threats of violence -— or, it might take place in a political forum and include one or more common anti-gay slogans. Passionate invective fits more closely into the general idea of gay bashing than does a calm, intellectual justification for anti-LGBT attitudes or policies. However, some people would include any expression of anti-LGBT sentiment in one or another category of “bashing”.

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From Dignity USA

I will work for civil and human rights for all people, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgender. Civil rights are not special rights.

I will seek to stop jokes and unkind language about anyone, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgender when spoken in my presence. Words that hurt and bigotry are not funny.

I will speak out against any slander, debasement, lies or dehumanization of anyone, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgender, including when spoken by political or religious leaders. Violent speech leads to physical violence.

I will work to stop physical violence against anyone, including violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals or the transgender. Violence against any person is violence against all people.