Joining PFLAG

We've known for a long time that our adult daughter is a lesbian. We've never had any problem with that at all. The only difficulty is in just how often and how much people choose to make her life more difficult. I won't go into great detail here but things have happened to her that happen to children and women in Darfur and other lawless places. Things have happened to her that happen to other minorities and these things continue to happen on a regular basis.

As her dad, a man, and a person with a sense of fairness I have to tell you that this is the only force in my life that brings out my urges for revenge, for punishment, and worse. Instead I've repeatedly reminded myself to channel my energy in a positive direction. It's not easy. It's counterintuitive at times. But I do it.

Recently she had an experience with a major airline that was discrimination, pure and simple. Proving it would be difficult but I know the pattern well by now. Some petty functionary in a low position of power decides to punish the sinner and uses that petty power while ignoring the advice of others around her/him. We've seen it in restaurants, college business offices, so-called-Christian professors and instructors classrooms, churches (the love just shines through), and in stops by policemen with nothing better to do. It's a regular thing. These same petty lowlifes are likely the same ones that ask why special laws are needed to protect gays and lesbians. Of course they know why the laws are needed but they object because the laws would make illegal their hateful actions. You don't step in the way of the power of God ordained hatred without ruffling more than a few feathers.

One of the saddest and most unreal occurrences I'm aware of is parents who toss onto the streets their children because those children are gay. A disproportionate number of homeless youths are gay or lesbian. I see them downtown all the time...kids...13, 14, 15....dirty, cold, hungry and afraid. God told their parents to do this. Incredible.

So, we've decided to join PFLAG. We're hoping that we can find a network of supportive friends for our daughter and that we can help loving parents to understand and to not lose that child they've loved all of the child's life. The child was always gay. They love him or her then and can love them now and forever.

There are so many truly ugly things in the world. If a person wishes to be driven by hatred then just look around. See the genocides in Africa and SE Asia? Hate those. See the families here in the USA working 2 jobs, doing their best, yet losing their homes while their kids live on peanut butter? Hate that. See the criminals in charge in Washington DC and all the willfully deaf and blind who support them? Hate them. There's so many more examples. There's no reason to hate your own children because of who they are...because of the genes they were given.