No cure for love
Note from Liam: an edited version of this post has been included on The Glasgow Guardian's (University of Glasgow student newspaper) website as part of their LGBT History Month 2018 coverage. You can see that post here.
2017 marks 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in the United Kingdom (which applied only to England and Wales). Scotland would not legalise homosexuality for another 14 years until 1981.
50 years.
It really is not a long time at all. 50 years is within my parents' generation, which means that those older than 50 were alive in a time where homosexuals could be legally reprimanded for being themselves. For Scotland, it is only 36 years which is even less time and may include some people of my generation. Although a lot of change and progress has occurred in the past 50 years, I think it would be ludicrous to try and ignore the fact that homophobia still exists in some form in Scotland and needs to be addressed. Progress does not mean full equality. Campaigning cannot stop until we reach a point where everyone feels comfortable to express who they are.
I write this from a place of personal experience. I write this as a gay man in 2017 Scotland who does not feel comfortable with holding my boyfriend's hand in public or showing any form of public affection for fear of being ridiculed, attacked, or penalised for my actions. Some people may say that because the law has made LGBT people equal, then we are equal as a society. However, the fact that even one person is feeling like this seems to indicate otherwise. Nobody should live in fear of expressing themselves.
50 years ago, my expression of love was not just frowned upon, but it was illegal. Viewed as a disease, as something that was curable. Homosexuality was even regarded as perverted at one point, on the same level as pedophiles who prey on young children.
My love is not a disease.
50 years later and "gay" is still being used an insult in the playground which can construe a young LGBT person's mind into believing that they are wrong or bad, and instills into heterosexual young people that their LGBT peers are different.
50 years later and people are still being attacked or bullied for being who they are.
50 years later and there are still countries in the world where there are no laws to protect LGBT people and where people in those countries would rather see me dead or tortured than living my life.
50 years later and I am having Jehovah's Witnesses coming to my door and giving me leaflets about their religion, which contain a bit condemning homosexuality and comparing it to murder. But I find myself too afraid to tell them to go away.
50 years later and the Catholic church and some of its followers try to convert us and protest at our Pride events. Meanwhile, the leaders of the church and many priests and ministers are molesting, raping, and abusing children - but that goes completely ignored by the followers of the church.
50 years later and people are having to campaign and fight for young LGBT people to receive equal sex education and LGBT education in schools so that they are not forced to discover their sexuality for themselves and so that their heterosexual peers do not ridicule or bully someone for being LGBT. This can lead to many issues like self-exclusion from fear of expressing themselves, a damaged mental health, stunted mental development, or exposing themselves to potentially risky behaviour and dangerous situations. Equal education is necessary if we are to cultivate a new generation of people who live without prejudice, fear, or judgement.
We have come a long way for LGBT equality and are still progressing. However, I do believe that some forget that equality still has not been reached yet. Luckily, I live in a country where positive progress is happening fast. Equal marriage was legalised in 2014, with civil partnerships being allowed about a decade before that. Same sex couples have been able to adopt since 2009, and laws have been put into place to stop discrimination against LGBT people since 2005. But, sadly, there is more to be achieved.
The law surrounding gay men donating blood in Scotland has improved but is still restrictive. Gay men are now allowed to donate blood given that they have abstained from sex for 3 months (opposed to one year as was previously the case). This is a step in the right direction but not far enough. For me, this still screams the stigma of gay men as having AIDS. I understand, of course, that there is a risk for gay men and that their exposure to AIDS or HIV is perhaps heightened but I don't believe that all gay men should be tarnished with the same brush. Donated blood would surely go through screening and checks as anyone can contract HIV/AIDS, not just gay men. Blood donation is needed as much as possible and by excluding a large community of people, you are also preventing someone from receiving live-saving treatment. Ask a heterosexual couple to abstain for 3 months before they can give blood and the amount of blood donors will plummet.
To talk a little bit about politics (which I hate), I want to talk about the Conservatives' deal with the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party). For those outside the UK, the Conservative party was voted into power this year pending they formed a coalition with another party, which they did with the DUP. The DUP are a Northern Irish party whose beliefs are often based on religion and, thus, condemn things like abortion and homosexuality. For me, this deal was very disheartening. I am not a fan of the Conservative party as it is, but joining with the DUP felt like rubbing salt in a wound. Theresa May making a deal with the DUP inherently shows that she does not condemn their homophobic and misogynist views. In a way, it exposes her homophobic beliefs because, if she disagreed with their views strongly then she would not go into a coalition with them. From my point of view, she is basically saying that it is okay to believe that homosexuality should be illegal or that women shouldn't have a say in abortion. Even though so much progress has been made in the way of LGBT rights, this partnership sets us back by 50 years and ensures that hateful people remain in power. These people have power and influence, which is scary as this could send a message to the general public that homophobia is acceptable.
Again, I wish to stress that I am lucky to live in a very accepting country and perhaps the issue of homophobia is more prevalent down south, but there is no denying that homophobia still exists. Just because progress is happening, it doesn't mean that the problem is fixed. This is evident by the homophobic attacks which are still happening around us recently. Even one attack against someone due to their sexual orientation is too much. People should be free to act as they please without persecution.
The point of view I hate the most is the "I don't mind gay people but I don't get why they have to act so gay or push it in our faces". Don't tell me that gay people "acting gay" or "putting it in everyone's faces" annoys you. Society is filled with heteronormative images and, from a young age, LGBT people are force-fed the notion that heterosexual life is the only life and, often, we have to explore our sexuality ourselves. We will not censor or modify our behaviour to make you feel more comfortable. Straight people do not get beat up, shouted at, or threatened for holding hands or kissing in public, gay people do. These views from people who "don't mind gay people" only work to encourage repressive behaviours. These views make me feel uncomfortable being myself and unable to express myself. By repressing someone's actions like that, you are committing a form of homophobic abuse as you are trying to control and contain someone in a box that you can deal with, rather than opening up your mind to lives other than your own. If gay people holding hands or kissing or showing any form of affection makes you feel uncomfortable, then you are (at least subconsciously) displaying homophobic behaviour. If LGBT people cannot express themselves in the same way that heterosexual people can then there is still a big problem.
To heterosexual people, think about and appreciate how fortunate you are that your love was never stigmatised, criminalised, or seen as a curable illness. There is no cure for love, though there is a cure for ignorance and hate - it is called education and compassion. To paraphrase Nelson Mandela, nobody is born with hatred but we are all born with the need to survive. In order to survive we must support each other in that need for survival. Hateful behaviour is learned and people need to unlearn that hatred and let compassion into their hearts. The only way to fight bigotry is to show compassion because love always wins. We need to eradicate hate with love.
2017 marks 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in the United Kingdom (which applied only to England and Wales). Scotland would not legalise homosexuality for another 14 years until 1981.
 |
| Photo Credit - DrRandomFactor (Wikimedia Commons) |
It really is not a long time at all. 50 years is within my parents' generation, which means that those older than 50 were alive in a time where homosexuals could be legally reprimanded for being themselves. For Scotland, it is only 36 years which is even less time and may include some people of my generation. Although a lot of change and progress has occurred in the past 50 years, I think it would be ludicrous to try and ignore the fact that homophobia still exists in some form in Scotland and needs to be addressed. Progress does not mean full equality. Campaigning cannot stop until we reach a point where everyone feels comfortable to express who they are.
I write this from a place of personal experience. I write this as a gay man in 2017 Scotland who does not feel comfortable with holding my boyfriend's hand in public or showing any form of public affection for fear of being ridiculed, attacked, or penalised for my actions. Some people may say that because the law has made LGBT people equal, then we are equal as a society. However, the fact that even one person is feeling like this seems to indicate otherwise. Nobody should live in fear of expressing themselves.
50 years ago, my expression of love was not just frowned upon, but it was illegal. Viewed as a disease, as something that was curable. Homosexuality was even regarded as perverted at one point, on the same level as pedophiles who prey on young children.
My love is not a disease.
50 years later and "gay" is still being used an insult in the playground which can construe a young LGBT person's mind into believing that they are wrong or bad, and instills into heterosexual young people that their LGBT peers are different.
50 years later and people are still being attacked or bullied for being who they are.
50 years later and there are still countries in the world where there are no laws to protect LGBT people and where people in those countries would rather see me dead or tortured than living my life.
50 years later and I am having Jehovah's Witnesses coming to my door and giving me leaflets about their religion, which contain a bit condemning homosexuality and comparing it to murder. But I find myself too afraid to tell them to go away.
50 years later and the Catholic church and some of its followers try to convert us and protest at our Pride events. Meanwhile, the leaders of the church and many priests and ministers are molesting, raping, and abusing children - but that goes completely ignored by the followers of the church.
50 years later and people are having to campaign and fight for young LGBT people to receive equal sex education and LGBT education in schools so that they are not forced to discover their sexuality for themselves and so that their heterosexual peers do not ridicule or bully someone for being LGBT. This can lead to many issues like self-exclusion from fear of expressing themselves, a damaged mental health, stunted mental development, or exposing themselves to potentially risky behaviour and dangerous situations. Equal education is necessary if we are to cultivate a new generation of people who live without prejudice, fear, or judgement.
We have come a long way for LGBT equality and are still progressing. However, I do believe that some forget that equality still has not been reached yet. Luckily, I live in a country where positive progress is happening fast. Equal marriage was legalised in 2014, with civil partnerships being allowed about a decade before that. Same sex couples have been able to adopt since 2009, and laws have been put into place to stop discrimination against LGBT people since 2005. But, sadly, there is more to be achieved.
 |
| Photo credit - Matt Buck (flickr) |
To talk a little bit about politics (which I hate), I want to talk about the Conservatives' deal with the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party). For those outside the UK, the Conservative party was voted into power this year pending they formed a coalition with another party, which they did with the DUP. The DUP are a Northern Irish party whose beliefs are often based on religion and, thus, condemn things like abortion and homosexuality. For me, this deal was very disheartening. I am not a fan of the Conservative party as it is, but joining with the DUP felt like rubbing salt in a wound. Theresa May making a deal with the DUP inherently shows that she does not condemn their homophobic and misogynist views. In a way, it exposes her homophobic beliefs because, if she disagreed with their views strongly then she would not go into a coalition with them. From my point of view, she is basically saying that it is okay to believe that homosexuality should be illegal or that women shouldn't have a say in abortion. Even though so much progress has been made in the way of LGBT rights, this partnership sets us back by 50 years and ensures that hateful people remain in power. These people have power and influence, which is scary as this could send a message to the general public that homophobia is acceptable.
Again, I wish to stress that I am lucky to live in a very accepting country and perhaps the issue of homophobia is more prevalent down south, but there is no denying that homophobia still exists. Just because progress is happening, it doesn't mean that the problem is fixed. This is evident by the homophobic attacks which are still happening around us recently. Even one attack against someone due to their sexual orientation is too much. People should be free to act as they please without persecution.
The point of view I hate the most is the "I don't mind gay people but I don't get why they have to act so gay or push it in our faces". Don't tell me that gay people "acting gay" or "putting it in everyone's faces" annoys you. Society is filled with heteronormative images and, from a young age, LGBT people are force-fed the notion that heterosexual life is the only life and, often, we have to explore our sexuality ourselves. We will not censor or modify our behaviour to make you feel more comfortable. Straight people do not get beat up, shouted at, or threatened for holding hands or kissing in public, gay people do. These views from people who "don't mind gay people" only work to encourage repressive behaviours. These views make me feel uncomfortable being myself and unable to express myself. By repressing someone's actions like that, you are committing a form of homophobic abuse as you are trying to control and contain someone in a box that you can deal with, rather than opening up your mind to lives other than your own. If gay people holding hands or kissing or showing any form of affection makes you feel uncomfortable, then you are (at least subconsciously) displaying homophobic behaviour. If LGBT people cannot express themselves in the same way that heterosexual people can then there is still a big problem.
To heterosexual people, think about and appreciate how fortunate you are that your love was never stigmatised, criminalised, or seen as a curable illness. There is no cure for love, though there is a cure for ignorance and hate - it is called education and compassion. To paraphrase Nelson Mandela, nobody is born with hatred but we are all born with the need to survive. In order to survive we must support each other in that need for survival. Hateful behaviour is learned and people need to unlearn that hatred and let compassion into their hearts. The only way to fight bigotry is to show compassion because love always wins. We need to eradicate hate with love.
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