I'll admit, I have not had much official interaction with the LGBT community, per se. Yes, I have encountered numerous gay males and I'm sure more than my share of lesbians, but as far as an organised event catered towards gays directly, nope.
And i find myself hesitant to do so.
It's not that I'm embarrassed, more like anxious. I've heard good and bad things about organised gay events, but I'm hoping more along the lines of the good. I'm afraid that if I go to an event, that bubble of goodness will burst and I'll be left with the same disappointment I feel with the Black community: so much wasted potential.
The one experience I have had with a gay org was the University of Central Florida's GLBTQ org, EQUAL. Well, it turns out that they are not so equal and highly prejudiced against non-Whites, bisexuals and even persons who had newly accepted their non-heterosexuality. Needless to say I stuck around for only two meetings before writing if off as a bad job.
Also, I've just read an op-ed about the division and bias within the GLBT community for the reasons I've mentioned above. Which leads me back to my apprehension about an organised function.
But I wonder if it's just the central Florida area. We are being liberal in a very conservative environment, and maybe the stereotypes are so hardwired that it's difficult to see past it. I'm really, really hoping that my hop to the West Coast will bring about a much needed breath of fresh air. I'm so tired of the tension and the bigotry.
One day, the world will be a tolerant place.... Maybe. :-/
No comments:
Post a Comment