Do not fear the homosexual, dear Christian

Dear Conservative Christian/Christian Fundamentalist:

Now that SCOTUS has declared it legal for gays and lesbians to marry the one they love, rest assured, we are not coming for you. We do not want you to perform our wedding ceremony and we do not want to recruit you.

We do not want or require your participation.  You have judged, bullied, beat, and even killed our own in the name of your god. You have torn at our souls with your cries of abominations, and have ripped out our hearts by forcing us into a life we did not want. We hid behind the bonds of unholy opposite-sex matrimony to be accepted by our families, our friends, our church, and our society. In doing so, not only did we make ourselves unhappy, but we made our spouses unhappy. It was unfair to both of us.

Remember this?

Once we were able to peek out of our closets and live with a partner, we had to do so secretly and with trepidation for fear of losing our jobs and more. Over the decades, we couldn't talk about our significant other without changing the pronouns, lest your suspicions of our sexuality be confirmed. Some of us were beaten or killed for holding hands or simply existing. 



Those brave couples that came before us are our heroes. 

When society finally began turning and our people became bolder, we lived out and proud. You took every opportunity to shame us.

So why would you think we would want you to participate in our lives now? The gay marriage decision didn't change the way you believed. It changed the law of the land . That's what has to happen when you can't lay down your hate and disdain and allow people to be happy. Your hand has to be forced.  In spite of your brand of Christianity, women got a voice and a vote. Despite your cries of white christian superiority, blacks were freed. And now over your cries of the coming tribulation if gay marriage were made legal, you will still wake up and find the same planet.

 

It never once occurred to us once to seek out one of your clergy to perform our wedding. It didn't occur to us to invite you to share in the joy. So, please, consider yourself safe. Don't flatter yourself thinking we would recruit you.

We fought hard to get to this day. We fought for the courage to demand it. We knew each time we went in public holding hands, we were taking a chance with our own safety. Not once in that fight did we demand your death or your imprisonment. Not once did we hold up signs telling your that our god/dess hates you, because we knew what it felt like.

So rest assured dear Christian. You are far more safe with me, the homosexual, than I ever was with you.

However, I refuse to fear you. I will not try to anticipate your reaction when you realize I am gay or save you from the embarrassment of knowing that you are talking to a lesbian. In doing so, not only will I gradually change the perception Christians have of homosexuals, I will help give the gays and lesbians still to come, a safer place to live. 

No, dear Christian, do not fear me. Fear the prejudice and judgement that still lies in your own heart. 

As for me, I choose joy.