Gay? Fine by me campaign

Time is not on my side right now and I'm not sure how things will go over the next several days. So, if my posts seem overly bitter or angry right now there is a reason for it and it will pass. It's a little too late to resolve the issue but I can hope I find a boarding house or cheap apartment because I don't want to move in with any of my relatives. I've found I like living alone. (Or rather, I like not living with my family.)

I found the article I linked to in today's post in yesterday's issue of The Daily Item, a local newspaper. Strangely I find I have rather ambivalent feelings towards the whole thing. Not that I'm terribly surprised, Bucknell and Lewisburg tend to be more liberal than the surrounding area. Yet, I still have reluctance in attaching myself to the gay, lesbian, and bisexual part of glbt. Yes, I have this site listed as gay & lesbian when there is no other choice, but it's merely because there's not an option for transgender.

I don't know why it would bother me. Perhaps because of the social stigmas involved, or perhaps because everyone already thinks I'm gay. (Not dating can do that to you. Guess people have a hard time accepting that some people have no interest in sex. Whether this is due to years of depression and to a certain degree upbringing, I don't know. I suspect it may be a little bit of both.)

On the other hand, this is probably the best way that's not in your face way to go to promote tolerance and understanding. Certainly someone's made up story on the Jerry Springer show certainly doesn't help our case. Too often, I think it only serves to reinforce negative stereotypes and set back relations between minority and majority groups. This is the case for all such groups who go on the show, not just us. Even well-intentioned talk show hosts frequently don't help our cause. Gentle reminders will push tolerance if not acceptance. Outright confrontation generally only causes people to become defensive and sets up walls between people. (Note: Although I find Jerry Springer occasionally entertaining, and love how he brings on KKK members merely to insult them, I don't pretend his show is intended to do anything other than get ratings by shocking people.)

The whole idea of siding myself with that group as a whole still makes me uneasy. I'm not sure I'd wear such a shirt. Then again, as I've already admitted, I'm a coward when it comes to such things and it may not be that bad after all.