They're scared. I'm scared.

[beetiger]

I guess there's something positive about the fact that the President and the Pope, two major world leaders, feel like they have to talk about gay marriage. It means things are happening, and the conservative world is nervous. But it kind of kicks me out of the lazy mindset I have now and again, the mindset that says that we're nearly there on queer acceptance, and that church and state really are separated just like it says in the books.

I asked sythyry whether we could move to Canada soon. He reminded me that we're already married.

I actually have my ministerial credentials in NY now, through the Pagan Temple to which I belong. One of the dreams I have for my lifetime is to be able to officiate at a legal gay marriage here.

Comments

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

A while back, I got into a discussion with a coworker about GLBT issues in the workplace. He and I did not work on the same team, but we had to interact on a fairly regular basis. I was shocked to find out that he was uncomfortable working with a coworker who had come out fairly recently, and was being open about his life (not obnoxiously - I know the guy - he just had a picture of his partner and him together, and referred to his partner in the same context that a het coworker would refer to a spouse or S.O.). I had thought that my coworker knew I was bi, considering I have the biangles and rainbow splotch on my car, and his wife could not have missed those when she acted as my realtor a few years back, sewed to my hip for weeks of house-hunting.

Fast-forward: The coworker was laid off last fall. He called me a few weeks ago, and surprisingly, it turns out that he did know, but since I'm more reticent about specific details of my life (I'm not sure what would throw people more, the polyamory or the BDSM), he could deal with the knowledge of my non-het life.

I've noticed this sort of thing before, though not as personally as this situation. I have a theory.

I think a lot of mainstream het people can deal with GLBT issues as abstractions, as ideas that hover below the radar level, but when the issues pop up on the radar level, and stay there for a while, those people become uncomfortable.

As far as why - I don't have a theory for that.

[ahiruko.livejournal.com]

"I don't mind gay people, as long as they act straight in public."

I don't understand the attitude either. I suppose ... I suppose it's kind of like how people with racist parents are often very nervous around anyone of other races.

They feel creeped out. Then they feel guilty about feeling creeped out. Then they feel confused because they don't know how to assuage the guilt. They just want the problem -- i.e., the person -- to go away.

...

I've got a button sitting on my desk with a picture of Drezzer Wolf (http://www.suburbanjungle.com/) and the caption 'I call myself gay 'cause that's what I am!' I love the button ... but I've never worn it out in public.

I never know what'll happen.