Nail-polish offender

Here, com Thanks that When a revenues about Colorado on Sunday morning, out of shock, But also, I wasn’t shocked. Because sadly, our culture is filled with messages, but there is something wrong with queer people. That we are at best weird and at worst sick. And those messages, whether it’s something small like telling a little boy, he can’t wear nail polish or something.

Big, like passing a law that says, queer people can’t adopt children. They all contribute to the dehumanization of queer people, And once a group of people is seen, is less than human, it’s easy to hurt them. I’m sure that for many, what happened in Colorado will be seen as the result of our nation’s obsession with guns And that’s part of it, for sure.

But it’s also the result of our cultures deep-seated homophobia and transphobia. Our unhealthy relationship with masculinity. And our nation’s tendency to allow religion to be used as a cover for prejudice. And the way our nation’s history of racism, intersects with and compounds all those things, Now, that’s a lot to untangle.

And I don’t know how to do it. So instead I just wanted to say that despite the millions of voices in our culture saying that there is something wrong with queer people That we’re sick or deviant or predatory or just a little off. We are totally 100% normal. We lived the same way that everyone else does.

We want the same things, We are great in the same ways, and boring. In the same ways, We’re just Regular people. If you’re queer, I wanted to say that. I see you. And I’m grieving with you. And in this week of giving thanks, one thing I’m deeply. Deeply thankful for the LGBTQ community.

And if you’re queer, but you’re not out because you don’t feel ready to be or because it’s not safe for you to be. I see you too and I think you are great and perfect just the way you are. Nothing about us. Needs to be fixed. But there is something in America that desperately needs fixing.

And I hope we figure out soon how to do it. Thank you.