offog
03-12-2010, 08:20 AM
I'm a middle-aged straight white woman who has always been sympathetic to the GLBT community, but in the last couple of years, I've become more serious about supporting the community.
About 4 blocks from my home, there's a small building with a big rainbow-patterned sign. For years I never thought anything of it. Then late in 2003, I found out it was the city's gay club. Shortly after that, a local Member of Parliament (MP), Larry Spencer, made some homophobic statements during an interview. It was the usual stuff about a Big Gay Conspiracy to take over the world and recruit children.
I ended up joining the club partly to show my support for gay rights, and partly because I was looking for a hang-out close to home. Well, it turned into something much more. I've ended up going to Pride Parades and writing letters to the editor to help support the fight against homophobia. Half the reason I do this is because the people at the club have been very good to me, so I feel that I owe the GLBT community something.
I've struggled with depression since childhood, and I've been under treatment for it nearly my whole adult life. One of the things that goes with that is a tendency to isolate myself. I tend not to get out enough. But having a "local pub" close to home makes it easier to get out among people more. (This is especially important during those long Canadian prairie winters.) The club has not only been good to me, it's been good for me.
Another major influence is one of my gay political comrades, who I'll call Joe. I've worked in 4 election campaigns where Joe has been the campaign manager. He's got the best political smarts I've ever come across, and I've been active in politics for 30 years. At the same time, Joe is also a decent guy. I trust him to do what's right, not just what's political.
Joe has a bit of a following in our party, although I'm not entirely sure he knows it. He's smart and personable enough that he could become a major player if he wanted to, but he just doesn't have that hunger for power. It's one of the things I love about him. He makes me aspire to be a better person.
So many people worry about gays being a bad influence. The GLBT people I hang out with are great. They've kept me out of trouble. My life would be a lot less fun without them.
About 4 blocks from my home, there's a small building with a big rainbow-patterned sign. For years I never thought anything of it. Then late in 2003, I found out it was the city's gay club. Shortly after that, a local Member of Parliament (MP), Larry Spencer, made some homophobic statements during an interview. It was the usual stuff about a Big Gay Conspiracy to take over the world and recruit children.
I ended up joining the club partly to show my support for gay rights, and partly because I was looking for a hang-out close to home. Well, it turned into something much more. I've ended up going to Pride Parades and writing letters to the editor to help support the fight against homophobia. Half the reason I do this is because the people at the club have been very good to me, so I feel that I owe the GLBT community something.
I've struggled with depression since childhood, and I've been under treatment for it nearly my whole adult life. One of the things that goes with that is a tendency to isolate myself. I tend not to get out enough. But having a "local pub" close to home makes it easier to get out among people more. (This is especially important during those long Canadian prairie winters.) The club has not only been good to me, it's been good for me.
Another major influence is one of my gay political comrades, who I'll call Joe. I've worked in 4 election campaigns where Joe has been the campaign manager. He's got the best political smarts I've ever come across, and I've been active in politics for 30 years. At the same time, Joe is also a decent guy. I trust him to do what's right, not just what's political.
Joe has a bit of a following in our party, although I'm not entirely sure he knows it. He's smart and personable enough that he could become a major player if he wanted to, but he just doesn't have that hunger for power. It's one of the things I love about him. He makes me aspire to be a better person.
So many people worry about gays being a bad influence. The GLBT people I hang out with are great. They've kept me out of trouble. My life would be a lot less fun without them.