The face of hatred
Wilmington Parents Angered by Children's Book about Gay Princes
The parents of a first-grader are fuming over the book their daughter brought home from the school library: a children's story about a prince whose true love turns out to be another prince.
Michael Hartsell said he and his wife, Tonya, couldn't believe it when Prince Bertie, the leading character in "King & King," waves off a bevy of eligible princes before falling for Prince Lee.
The book ends with the princes marrying and sharing a kiss. "I was flabbergasted," Hartsell said. "My child is not old enough to understand something like that, especially when it is not in our beliefs."
All I can say to the parents in this story is, "GET OVER IT! This is the world we are all in together. WE DO EXIST, so at least be honest with your kids - they know more than you think they know. Where do you think all the gay bashing comes from? What do you think killed Matthew Sheppard? I'll tell you what, homophobia, and it's not learned overnight."
You would think that people would understand it, but they don't. Let me make it even more clear:
Homophobia LESSON 1: It's harder to bash a gay person's brains in and tie them to a fence for 18 hours to die if you actually see them as a.... human being.
Too harsh? Hey, our people are being killed and put in hospitals every day because of this. It's time to wake up to these facts. The real question to be asked is this: Are the parents upset because the prince kissed someone (introducing sex at a very early age), or because the person the prince kissed was male? We all know the answer to that question, and that is the real problem.
I may be concerned if I had a first-grader who was reading this, but not because of a gay issue. It would be because of a sexual overtone - that kissing was involved in the first place. By making it a gay issue, parents are only reinforcing homophobia.
And if you don't think homophobia effects us as a society, take a look at this picture, taken of a teenager outside City Hall in San Francisco, where gay couples are were getting married.
I look at the picture of this hateful teen and I immediately feel outrage. I want to confront him about his hatred, but I realize that he probably doesn't fully understand it himself. Then, as I study it further, and look at his eyes, I see how sad they are. It seems that all he has left is hate, and no happiness. I wonder, what happened to him to make him this way? Somewhere along the line, our society failed this young man. He lacked guidance at home or at school. Now, his hatred is consuming him. It's very sad.
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I think there is a large component (and a lot of research) that suggests that gay bashers have repressed homosexual tendencies. I can understand that. It is engrained in society that homosexuals are less than everyone else to put it mildly and without using all the normal degrading terms to prove my point. And then you have a hint that you might feel "that way" yourself, some will do anything to suppress it to keep others from suspecting, even if it means going out and beating up or killing someone you think is gay.
Pretty sick stuff. I don't know this young man's story, but he was just feet away from another young couple who were holding up a flag with a big swastika on it. Honestly, if he is as messed up as he looks, I do hope that he gets help for it. And, if he turns out to be gay, it's going to be a tough road for him. Whatever happened to him didn't just happen overnight.
You have to spread the word. "Gay bashers are closet cases!" Scream it from the rooftops!
His eyes.. wow... I don't see hate in his eyes I see sadness. Maybe he is gay himself but supresses it? Maybe a relative was gay and died of AIDS and he hates gays for it? Who knows what his story is but.. sigh. In the words of Aerosmith (i know cheesy)... "There's something wrong with the world today, i don't know what it is..."