You Are Who You Are

I was asked by a friend of mine last week what I thought of homosexuals. It seemed odd that he’d spring up the topic all of a sudden, considering that we were right in the middle of a heated argument as to who would win a street fight between Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein – more on this in a separate post.

In any case, I said that I have no problem with homosexuals, even pointing out to him that I spent a lot of my formative years in a school where it seemed like the gender lines were drawn at about an even keel between the straight and the not-so. I told him that I have a lot of gay friends that I speak highly of, not because of their philandering lifestyles, but because of what they’ve done for themselves, regardless of their sexual orientation. Right off the bat, I told him that most of my homosexual friends are doing quite well for themselves and that I’m extremely happy for them.

The conversation – strange as it was – ended up becoming a fleeting topic, but in the short time that it was brought up, I found myself defending homosexuals more than I did questioning their gender choice.

Why am I writing this all of a sudden? I have no idea. I have no clue as to how a conversation between the merits of Hitler and Hussein as street fighters led to this topic. But since it was broached, I felt compelled to think about it and give my two cents on the matter.

I’ve never believed in the concept of ‘fitting in’, which is what I believe a lot of homosexuals have resorted to out of fear that they’d be judged differently.

My problem with the whole notion of fitting in is that it prevents you from being who you are. I think that the moment you lose touch of what you bring to the table, then that’s the time you begin to lose your identity. Humans - whether you’re straight, gay, lesbian, or otherwise – are capable of great things. The only thing that holds people back is fear, fear of being mistreated and misjudged by those who feel that they’re more adequate than them.

But fear of being different is a misplaced fear.

Nobody wins when you think so little of yourself that you go out and hide inside the closet, afraid that the world would judge you for being so different. Playing the part of the oppressed and subjugated doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightening about being afraid of your true colors so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. When you let go of your inhibitions, cast away all your anxieties and be the person you were meant to be, that’s the time – at least as far as I’m concerned – when other people will do the same.

In as much as some people would argue on the shortcomings of being homosexual, there are also those that believe that sexual preference has nothing to do with making your mark in this world. The list of homosexuals that have made positive contributions runs long, and if you ask me, there’s absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t run longer.

Straight or not, you are who you are, and it’s what you do on your time here on Earth that counts.