It must be something in the water.
Not that I'm condemning it. My two very best friends are bi and I myself have had a wayward female experiment or two, after all. I'm just pointing out that it's something I've noticed.
Nor do I buy all this "depravity in society" crap. Um, hello, Roman senators were complaining about "kids these days!"
Anyway, the whole reason I'm bringing this up is because a friend of mine recently came out that he was bi, and none of his guy friends were too happy about it. So I spent 7th period doing damage control. It kills me to see people look at someone differently after finding out they're gay. That they can't seem to get around their prejudice to see that their "former" friend is still the same person they always were.
Let me tell you a story.
I grew up in a little nowhere town in central Pennsylvania. It's one of those places where shotguns are common place, roadkill is dinner, and you fit in, love Jesus, and be conservative, or else. My best friend, who I've literally known all my life, has always been what They'd call "different." She's an artist, a little bohemian, and an anime freak. She always had a rough time with other kids, but she has a few dear friends, and I'm proud to call myself one of them.
Last summer she started dating this girl, sweet, "different," everything she needs and more. Well now the whole fuckin' town's in an uproar, because, holy Jesus, there's a damn homosexual liberal on the loose! Call the priest, call the police, we got a sit-u-ation on our hands! After they had time to cool off, her family's been pretty chill with it. (I always told her her mom was cool. She never believed me.) Her girlfriend's parents, however, were so freaked out they forbid them from seeing each other outside of school. High school, especially high school in hillbilly hell, is not so forgiving. Almost none of her friends associate with her anymore.
She called me about a month ago to tell me that a mutual friend of ours, and very, very dear friend that we'd both been close to since childhood, was no longer speaking to her because of her girlfriend. I cried in the shower for almost an hour.
Anyway, that was a rambling and roundabout way of saying this, but it really upsets me to see friendships ruined by bigoted hatred. It upsets me to see bigoted hatred in general. I feel like I can't even talk to my other friend anymore, because I don't want her to force me to take sides. And yet, I feel like she already has. I'm not going to side with her against my best friend. I'm not. I can't. But I don't want to lose her either. She's been very dear to me for a very long time. I wish there was some way to get some sense through that thick, close minded, Catholic skull of hers. Make her see that there's nothing wrong with love. That she's still the same person that she's been having sleepovers with and giggling over Disney movies with since age 10. I didn't know what to do when my friend told me about this mess, and I don't know what to do now.
I'm sorry I turned this into such a rant. It's not worth your time anyway.
And on that note, Fuck you, provincial hometown of mine. I hope you look at me, and her, and know that you failed in your narrow minded indoctrination. I hope you realize that we are strong, and you are afraid. I hope that when you open your eyes enough to look up out of your Bible and into the rest of the world, you shit yourself in fear. I hope you learn your lesson. I hope you learn it hard.
Go to hell.
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