Life in 3D

*Please consider this a warning that I am writing out of pure, unadulterated anger in response to a statement by James Dobson. If you know me, you know that this is a pretty dangerous state to find me in. So, be prepared and forewarned about what you are about to read. There is no swearing (I know a few ladies who read this, who would like to remain ladies.) That being said…

I would like to talk about 3 things: dreams, dads, and dignity.

From a young tender age we dream. We wonder about what we’ll grow up to be and what great things we want to accomplish throughout the course of a lifetime. However, there are plenty of things that are never dreamed about, they are more like nightmares. When I was a kid, I didn’t hope to live a lifestyle that was hated by a majority of society. I didn’t grow up eager that someday I would be dragged behind a truckload of rednecks and murdered for who I love. I rarely thought gosh, wouldn’t it be neat that someday I would hate who I was and how I loved so much that I would sooner stick my head in an oven than wake up another day in a world that despises me? I certainly didn’t hope that the telling of one of my most personal secrets could possibly rip my family at the seams and cause me to lose those I loved like family. Now, none of these things has happened, but because of people Dr. Dobson and his ilk, they sure were in the back of my mind growing up, along with all the other ‘dreams.’ The fact that I would CHOOSE a future with any of these as even a remote possibility is as twisted as it is laughable.

I suppose the statement that upset me the most was his finger pointing at dads. If you have ever met my father, you were in the presence of greatness in every sense of the word. Dobson’s statements that homosexuality is rooted in a lack of a proper father figure are both an insult to my father, my admiration for the man he is (and I hope to be), and me. I quote, “it is the responsibility of a father to raise his son to be a "man", and to encourage his son's masculinity.” Somehow masculine is supposed to be equivocal to straight. Unfortunately, not all gay or straight people can be boiled down to a stereotype you stupid waste of a human being. I know plenty of straight guys who hate football, beer, and/or any other stereotypical masculine activity. I also know plenty of ‘homos’ who are more masculine than most straight guys out there. Being straight doesn’t automatically make you a dark beer drinking, lumberjack, and the gay membership doesn’t necessarily come with Madonna tickets and glitter body lotion. He also Plus, there are countless gay men who come from perfectly functional, Brady-esq families. There are also tons of straight guys whose families could appear on multiple episodes of Jerry Springer. Suck it James Dobson!

One of the most important ideals I cling to is dignity. Dobson supports many groups that are aimed at ‘converting’ gay men. I can’t speak for everyone, but that would be like asking me to learn how to start crapping gold. I personally believe that many of these ‘success-stories’ are men just fooling themselves into social complacency. I would rather live 10,000,000 lifetimes a gay man who can hold his head high, than live 1 second as a self-hating liar. Also, in many of his statements, Dobson seems to equate homosexuality with sexual perversion. The last time I checked I have yet to molest a child, screw a goat/family member, or have simultaneous sex with multiple individuals. Furthermore, are you really saying that a straight man would never rape, molest, or conduct in any other kind of ‘perversion?’

Everyone always asks why do bad things happen to good people? But, why do good things happen to bad people? He may not be teaching hate like so many other groups, but his stance on homosexuality and its origins is based in some pseudo-psychology and supposed 'compassionate' standpoint. But, statements like these from social and spiritual leaders who get rich leading others to so-called righteous lifestyles make me want to denounce my God and His followers like Dobson cause I would rather burn in Hell than share an inch of paradise with them. We’re all imperfect people living imperfect lives! Why not focus on teaching love, compassion, acceptance, and looking through nonjudgmental eyes?! Didn’t some guy a long time ago do that?