Illinoir

Homophobia rears its ugly head again, this time on Xbox Live. Of course, anywhere you go, people are going to be using “faggot” and “homo” as insults and it just blows my mind. The urge to start calling people “straight” and “hetero bastards” is overwhelming.

Let’s just get it out of the way though: I’m not gay. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

It just really angers me when people say “That’s the gayest game ever” or “You’re gay” or whatever and intend it as a an insulting remark. To me, it’s the same as racism, the same kind of bullshit that just doesn’t….make sense.

First of all: what people do on their own time is their own business.

Secondly: Sexual preference is the most ridiculous thing to use as an insult. Call someone a dumbass who couldn’t tell his ass from a hole in the ground. Seriously, that should be more effective. Calling someone who’s not gay a faggot…. Well, it doesn’t bother me (except conceptually and in the bigger picture that I’m describing here) because what difference does it make if I’m gay or not? But if you call a moron a moron then you’re starting to cut closer to home.

It’s hard to reconcile too, the fact that I’m playing with some of these people on my own team that are using this tactic of the lowest level of name calling. I mute them immediately so I don’t have to hear it, but then how does it reflect on me and blah blah blah. I have become the morality police of this little group and I just wish it wasn’t necessary.

Someone saying, “I’m wearing a t-shirt that says ‘I hate gay people’.” What the fuck? Why…? I’m not….. I just don’t follow. Why not say, “I’m wearing a shirt that says, ‘I hate Cubans'”? What’s the difference? How is his gayness hurting you any more than your Cuban-ness is hurting me (which is none at all, unless that’s what turned you into a intolerant so-and-so.)

If you argue that the fact that you’re Cuban is something you were born into and the gay person made a choice, not only are you wrong, you’re also missing the point. A lot.

And so, another day dealing with the cross-section of America that makes me realize I’m lucky for the following reasons:

– I have sensitive, tolerant, thoughtful, and intelligent parents
– I grew up in a relatively tolerant, mixed, integrated area
– I have been able to turn into a relatively sensitive, tolerant, thoughtful and intelligent adult.