Quote:
Originally Posted by Zerbie
No, Alecto, you're correct. The "why" is in fact more important in some ways than the fact of the 'victory.'
We should have a society that does the right thing because it's right, rather than because of self-interest. Progress towards that end is slow and takes lifetimes.
And no, I totally Don't Get why that should be.
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It's all about fear and stereotypes.
When I was younger, somewhere hiding in my subconscious was the belief that African Americans were very messy housekeepers. Where this belief came from, I have no idea.
Then I got a job delivering pizzas. For the first time, I could actually see inside hundreds of African American homes and discovered that my long held belief was completely false.
People hold unfounded beliefs about LGBT people too and unless they are exposed to the truth for themselves, they will continue hold onto these beliefs. Unless they see us as we really are, these beliefs will be extremely slow to change.
Back in the 80s I worked for my father's business. Since it was my dad's business I knew that the chances of me being fired because I was gay was zero. So I told people that I was gay. I figured that my being out in the open would encourage other gay people working there to feel comfortable to be open too.
Did it? No.
There were over 400 people that worked at the company and after ten long years of me working there as an openly gay man, not a single other gay man or lesbian woman felt comfortable to come out of the closet. Not one.
I knew several gays and lesbians who worked there and their fear that they would be exposed was so great that instead of supporting me, they took great pains to distanced themselves from me. Some even verbally bashed me to others.
So the problem of change being slow is not just because the other side is so afraid of us. It's also because most of us are so damn afraid of them.
Rick