Blog 58: CP part 1

I finally feel less stressed about the end of this quarter. I got my paper finished and I got my theatre project out of the way. Since I’m doing a revision, I will post sections of my paper as blogs so I’d appreciate it if you guys could give me some feedback! Please give it a chance though!

All Men Are Created Equal—Unless You’re Gay

We all have them: those childhood memories we aren’t supposed to bring up ever again. Well, right here, right now, I’m going to share mine with you. When I was a little girl, around seven years old, I recall visiting my Aunt Candy's house for dinner. She lived with a woman named “Shauna,” but I never questioned her relationship with Shauna beyond housemates. As I looked around at pictures and trinkets that consumed their shelf space, I remember being perplexed over a particular photograph. In it, there was a crowd comprised of family and friends surrounding my Aunt Candy and Shauna. They were clad in white and embracing, so I knew something about the picture was special. Confused, I shouted: "Mommy! They're kissing! Girls don't kiss each other!" And you can bet that awkwardness ensued for the rest of the day. This photo was their wedding union. My mother tried her best to hush my curiosity, but that in no way stifled the obvious questions that, as an inquisitive child, I wanted and needed answered. My parents tried to answer all of my questions: Are girls allowed to kiss? How come we didn't go to the wedding? Is Shauna my aunt? Is Aunt Candy my uncle? This last question was sadly a question I needed answered due to misinformation and a lack of understanding of the world that surrounded me. I thought this because my aunt carries the more masculine features, and I was used to heterosexual couple characteristics.

Reflecting on this personal memory allows me to reconsider its implications. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with people who obtain different sexual orientations, as well as learning of family members who are gay. Because I was raised by my parents to be accepting of all people, I have been able to obtain an open mind when it comes to the subject. For example, when I hear someone say phrases that use homosexuality to convey a negative meaning like “That’s so gay” or “You’re so gay,” I think about my family members who are gay, and I am immediately reminded of the tears they shed as they professed their sexual orientation. I remember hearing them say that they felt the need to keep this secret because they were afraid that the family and I would be ashamed. I recall learning that one of my family members went through a huge internal struggle with this realization, and I could physically see it as it was visible in the form of self-inflicted wounds. Overall, living and learning through these types of experiences have both allowed me to gain awareness and understanding of their situations and lives.