I'm not gay. Get over it.

[kaberett]

I've been fortunate enough to hear from gay kids all across the country. A lot of them don't have supportive families, but some do. I cherish the good stories, but there's often a moment in those good stories that makes my heart hurt: when they tell me how happy they are that their parents "still" love them -- because all those kids knew that not loving them was an option.

Amelia at HuffPo (yes, I know).

This says something that hurts my heart, too: both because it is so achingly true - of myself, of so many other kids - but also because it erases me down to "gay".

"Gay" isn't good shorthand for either GSM or LGBT+, and I do so wish people wouldn't do it.

Comments

[kaberett]

Mmm, so my big take-home from that conversation is that arguing is - not necessarily disrespectful, and a term that covers a multitude of sins. Like, I don't think we've just had an argument; I don't think I was arguing with footpad; we may have been disagreeing, or at least not actually agreeing - but we were doing so in good faith, with willingness to listen and to try to understand. I suspect that "arguing" has here been interpreted to mean the combative & aggressive style that footpad describes using - the "there is one truth and WE SHALL SET IT FREE" mode, rather than "okay, awesome, how can we make this better", or "okay, I think I am not understanding: here is my awareness of the situation; how does it differ from yours?" sort of thing.

And - in that conversation? It looks to me as though you were the one engaging in good faith throughout. :-/ So. Yes.

Apologies

[brainwane]

I just came across this discussion and realized I'd badly misworded my last comment in that thread. I'm sorry. I meant to try to convey that I would have a hard time listening & communicating productively when interacting with the strategies described. And I see why it seemed like I wasn't asking these questions in good faith. I was, but I was not conveying that well. I'm sorry. I've also posted a followup apology in the thread referenced.