If I were to ask you what you knew about concentration camps you would probably go on to explain how barbaric they were, that they were awful places where innocent people were taken to die simply because of their religion, people born into the faith who didn’t choose it, it’s was part of their life from day one, something which was completely normal for them. Yet they were so poorly treated and killed because it wasn’t normal for others. As awful as it was, it was in another time, those days are gone and things like that just wouldn’t happen these days. The world has moved on… hasn’t it?
No, apparently not. Today I was actually horrified to hear Gok Wan share, in his latest video, the news that people were taken to concentration camps only last year. During the video Gok goes on to share other reports of physical abuse and harm inflicted upon people because of who they are, how they live their lives, a way which is completely normal for them. People who are part of the LGBTQ community.
People who are not causing harm to others in any way, they aren’t robbing people, raping people, killing people, they are simply living life being who they are but apparently that’s just as terrible as those crimes I’ve mentioned. Like me right now, you have to be asking yourselves how? How can anyone justify that? How can anyone think it’s ok to abuse another human being for simply living life being who they are without causing harm to others.
I have had many conversations with people who see gay people as wrong, disgusting, weird and it’s something I have never understood. I am classed as hetrosexual/straight and honestly I never remember the day when I had a little word with myself and had to make the decision to be straight. It’s just how I am, I fancied guys and didn’t feel the same way about girls and I’m pretty sure everyone else can say the same, whether they be gay, straight or bi. When did you sit down and plan out your sexuality and decide which gender to be attracted to?
I also don’t understand people who think that it’s anybody elses right to tell others who to be attracted to and who to love. People’s relationships have absolutely no impact on your life whatsoever, their relationships pose no threat to you, no harm. Yet it’s ok to say it’s wrong and it shouldn’t be happening. That people living as their true selves is as bad as them choosing to become a criminal and do wrong upon others.
As a parent I now understand it even less, if my daughter can simply come home and say “Mum I’m happy” then what’s better than that?
I guess you could say that perhaps I’m fortunate enough to grow up in a time where this is normal and I’m one of those who are tolerant *eye roll* but it wasn’t very common for people to be gay where I grew up. I lived my teenage years in a pub ran by my parents. The majority of the customers were straight men. I didn’t have any gay family members and I grew up amongst other teenagers who would use the word gay as an insult. As I got older I did meet a larger amount of gay people and I spent a lot of time with them and you know what, I turned out absolutely fine and believe it or not, I’m still straight! They didn’t try to ‘convert’ or ‘turn’ me. They didn’t inflict their sexuality onto me, they didn’t try to abuse me. They were simply friends, who I had a great time with. Who cared about me as I cared about them and our sexuality never ever came into it.
Today I realised something, I watched Gok get emotional in his video and I felt it too. He didn’t get emotional sharing these awful stories because he’s gay, he got emotional because he’s human. We are all human, and it doesn’t matter what colour our hair is, what colour our skin is, what we wear (sorry Gok) who we have relationships with, who we love. What’s important is that we are good people, we love, we don’t cause harm to others. Shouldn’t that be our focus rather than harming people who have done no wrong to us?
Please watch Goks video below, visit his Twitter account and share the hell out of #globalpridemakeover
Let people be happy, let people be proud, let harmless people just be.
