Friday February 3, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 05 |
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Saturday, Sep 06, 2008
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Tour De Life by Beau Burriola |
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| THE CLASS QUEER | ||
| "I'm a born again Christian," the military bigot in my business class, Adam, announced proudly at the beginning of his student biography assignment, "and everything I do is in love for Jesus Christ and God." He was one of three students who began their biography summaries in similar ways, all of them ironically gun-toting, tank-driving Marines. I knew then that this would be a very long class.
Since going back to school full time, I've been thrown together with types of people I've managed to avoid for years. My online classes are mostly a mixture of military folks, rural married mothers, a few retired folks, and the occasional friendly Canadian. This class was definitely the most hostile one yet. "I don't agree with your lifestyle," Adam responded only six minutes after I posted my own biography summary. Not only didn't he agree, but he made it a point to say he found it repulsive and let me know that I am on the losing side of the culture war. "I don't believe people are really homosexual," he concluded, "I believe we are all born heterosexual in Christ and that you only subconsciously believe you are homosexual when you stray from Him." A couple of classmates quickly agreed with him. I was shocked at how quickly it was thrown down. Usually I don't argue with bigots. In my experience, narrow minds don't stretch too far and my energy is better spent doing just about anything else, but in this class points are scored by how many postings you have, so if I was going to be ganged up on by a bunch of cyber bigots, at least I'd get a high score for it. "Actually, that's quite a coincidence," I responded, solidifying myself in the eyes of the other students as the confessed sinner-Queer, "because I believe that people aren't really Christian, either, but only subconsciously believe they are. Many of us Gay folks have spent years figuring out who we all by ourselves, without anyone telling us which way or how to do it. As for the culture war, I'm not too worried about being on the losing side. This is a war of attrition and I suspect people will grow tired of your aggressive rhetoric before they will my peaceful Gay lifestyle." When our instructor, Dr. Jessup, asked us a discussion question about whether we believe businesses should be able to refuse to hire someone because they are Gay, the classroom exploded in just a few short hours. "I think any business should be able to hire them selfs who they want," Becky from Ohio wrote without spell check or thought. "If they don't want to hire no Gays they shouldn't have to." "This country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles," a second Marine called Steve chimed in, "and on the freedom of religion, which is an absolute right. People have the right to express their religion by not having to hire people they don't agree with." I felt sick. I always get a dizzy stomach when I hear people use this "freedom of religion" garbage as justification for denying marriage rights, domestic partner benefits, or any type of freedom to Gay people. "I also have the absolute freedom to swing my big, muscly fist around as much as I like," I exaggerated slightly, "but that freedom ends where your face begins. The same is true with your so-called freedom of religion: you have the right to fill yourself to the gills with Jesus until you are speaking in tongues and channeling Pat Robertson, but your right to express your religion ends where my front door, my family, and my personal life begins. The freedom of one person is no more important than any other." "But if we allow Gay people to marry," a lady named Denise from Kansas responded, "where would it all end? Then people and animals, brothers and sisters, or polygamists would demand the same right." She got at least two amens and a rowdy "hooah!" from the chorus of people who clearly believed the obvious step after Gay marriage would be a nationwide run on the zoos. For five long weeks it was more of the same. On every topic, I was the only non-Christian, non-heterosexual, "different" person and my responses were always jumped on with all the ferociousness of a group stoning. It was just ugly. At the end of the class yesterday, I was exhausted and disheartened. This is the real America. Sometimes you forget living in the Big Gay City what it's really like out there. Too often, we Gay folks are busy avoiding people like this; then, when we are suddenly faced with them, we can't wait to get away from them. I wonder if that will ever change. Will Gay people ever be able to find a way to get more involved in those places we run from and don't give much thought to? Will we ever try a strategy in the "culture war" that meets the enemy on their ground, instead of always having to fight them out of ours? Or, will we forever stay in the safe walls of our urban centers under siege, locked on Gay hills and cautiously avoiding bigots? Like most of us, I choose staying in my safe and friendly city, but what will that choice mean for the Gay world tomorrow? Beau Burriola is a local writer thankful that his class bigots are only virtual. E-mail: beaubrent@gmail.com |
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