Makes sense to me

A nice, clear explanation of why same-sex marriage is completely different from marrying pets, inanimate objects, corpses, or children. View here. This is what I'm talking about.

Tomboys, mothers, and finger lengths

Another thing I keep finding is that whenever there's anything related to being lesbian, it doesn't apply. I'm not a tomboy. I don't act boyish or anything. I don't wear makeup, but I think I'm beautiful. I'm a black belt in taekwondo, but I never liked sports when I was little and I still hate to sweat. Bit counter-intuitive, I know. I don't fuss a lot over my clothes, unless there's a girl to impress. I played with dolls when I was little (admittedly unlike anyone else I know, but I think that has more to do with being a writer than a lesbian), and house, and painted my room pink. Although my hair's fairly short, and has been for quite a bit of my life, I quite frankly love long hair, except for the upkeep, on anyone. I love playing with it and having mine played with and I think it's beautiful. But not just the obvious, half-stereotypical things. Apparently there was a study done where women's and men's fingers were measured. Straight women tend to have ring fingers and middle fingers the same length, while men and lesbians tend to have noticeable differences. Not me. Nor do I have a distant mother. I tend to think my mother and I have an excellent relationship, actually. We treat each other like equals, which is more than I can say for some mother-daughter relationships. Does that make me any less lesbian? Was I some kind of social convert? Of course not. As I've said before, I had crushes on boys when I was little, but when I started finding girls I loved, I a) knew the romance when I felt it, instead of burying it under friendship and b) never connected the label to myself. I knew I wanted to marry Audacia, and then Allegra, without thinking about it in terms of sex, either. And now I'm kind of annoyed at society for daring to make me feel anything close to undeserving of my own sexuality. You are the only one who has the right to name yourself--or not!--, regardless of your play preferences, your family dynamic, or the length of your fingers.

Mind-opening

In my English class, each of us has to choose a social issue and write all his or her papers that semester on that topic. (You may notice my language is more correct than usual. That's English class rubbing off on me.) As you may imagine, I chose gay rights. The more I do my research, the more I am appalled and frightened by the opinions some people have, and enlightened about others. The biologist, the computer programmer, and the lesbian desperate for civil rights within me want sexuality to be a fixed, born-this-way, unchangeable kind of deal. But to be fair, the more I read personal statements and about my opponents' opinions, I'm starting to wonder about that. I'm reading more and more about people who seem to have successfully chosen to be straight again, perhaps after confronting some deep dark past. I'm reading about studies that show changes in sexuality over a lifetime. I'm reading that 'many' homosexuals seem to display the psychological circumstances I dismissed, detachment from the same-sex parent, and huge numbers of gay men who were, as children, molested by men. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm taking all of this with a grain of salt. But now I think that sexuality is probably far more fluid than my black-and-white philosophy had room for. It's entirely possible that some people can choose their sexuality, or change it. It's possible that sexuality can change and evolve on its own, even after adulthood, and that environment does play some part in it. Don't take this as somehow an admission of guilt, though. I firmly believe that most people would suffer more harm than good to try to change their sexual orientation, and that forcing it is likely a bad thing. I do not believe there is anything wrong with being gay. But if your sexuality starts to change, I think it's important to be open to it, to be willing to go with it, whichever direction it runs in. Sexuality is most likely this giant interaction between genes, hormones, environment, and maybe a few other things as well. After all, people weren't considered homosexuals forever. It was many years before people who liked the same gender stopped having anything to do with the opposite gender too. My thesis changed from somewhere in the vicinity of 'sexual minorities should have legal minority rights' to 'all hail freedom of sexuality' and maintaining that anyone should be able to be with anyone and not be discriminated against for it. I'll post my paper on here if my teacher lets me.

End marriage discrimination

Watch original here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_TBd-UCwVAY

Russia's turn

The following taken from allout.org:

Dear friend,

I just added my voice to this urgent appeal, standing for human rights in Russia and all over the world. Medvedev and Putin's party is pushing a law to vote this week that would make any mention of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues illegal.

The bill, being introduced as early as this Wednesday, would criminalize any book, article or speech about sexual identity and gender orientation, labeling it "homosexual propaganda". This is outrageous, and now is the time for key world leaders to speak up, we need every voice.

Will you take a minute to add yours?

allout.org/russia_silenced

DADT dust

I don't pretend to understand politics. Why is it, for example, that I get the distinct impression that people I know are Republican because they are against abortion instead of because they care whether the federal government or the states put down the laws?
Or how can it be that the repeal of DADT passed the House and Senate and was signed by the President months ago and is only now going into effect?
*sigh* Oh, well. I'll probably never be a lawyer. At any rate, we can celebrate because DADT is now completely and totally in the dustbin as of today. Hooray!
Here's an article about those people who think the repeal is a bad thing. It's not exactly objective, but it puts voice to those feelings of "What? But that's obviously ridiculous!" that are so bad at making points.
Now I could join the military if I wanted, because I would have no intentions of going into a field where I had to hide. Please. Did enough of that in high school, right? I probably never will. Military isn't my style. But to all those whose calling is overseas--the world is your oyster.

Thinking Straight

Well, I WAS going to go to bed on time last night. I WAS only going to read for half an hour or so. Then my mother comes up the stairs, I look at the clock...quarter to one. Oops.
I was reading Thinking Straight, by Robin Reardon. I have to say, this is one of my favorite books. When Taylor comes out to his family, they ship him off to an institute called Straight to God, which will, they hope, make him realize that he is sinning and turn back to God and being straight. (The things some people come up with.) Taylor is young, intelligent, passionate, and convinced beyond a doubt that there is nothing sinful about his love for his boyfriend. Not that he's given up on religion. He simply reconciles the two. He's also arrogant. He walks into Straight to God determined to survive, but not change. But Taylor has so much to learn, about God, those around him, and himself.
I think anyone could enjoy this book, Christian or not, gay or not. If you happen to be both, you should definitely read it. But why is it my favorite book? I read a review somewhere which said the climax was a tad unbelievable. It was, just a tad. But in no way does that dampen the sheer reality of it. The emotion. Taylor is so real to me, because he is me. Intelligent, passionate, gay and proud, and arrogant.
Sometimes I think that in this day and age it is better to think too highly of yourself than too lowly. Yes, you Christians: it is possible to be too humble. Or is it yet another form of pride? These are the people who believe they are not good enough, for God or for society. These are the people who drastically change themselves to be their idea of prettier, cooler, or more righteous. These are the people who go to bed feeling like dirt because of the way they were treated that day. To escape this state, I am proud. I imagine myself better than those around me. It strikes me as very how Kurt from Glee once put it: "The only way I get through the day is with the certainty that we are superior to all of them." It isn't an exact quote because I can't find it (don't own the discs, internet is being unhelpful). If I have to be high on life first to get back to a normal level, that's what I'll do.
Off my soapbox now. Read this book. For the spiritualism? Yes. For the completely real and believable main character? Yes. For the sweet yet smokin' boyfriends? Yes.