Please take a moment to read this deeply personal message. I don’t listen to the radio much (except for KEXP) but last night, as I was driving in the dark of night, I scanned the radio until I found a station that came in clearly. This song came on. Id never heard it before. And it floored me. So when I got home I immediately went to my computer to find it on youtube. I had to hear it again. When I saw this video I was beyond floored. I hesitated to post anything about it because the song and the video are so loaded and I just didn’t want to start a big debate because that’s not what this page is about for me. But when I woke up this morning the song was still in my head and I had to watch the video again. And now I feel like I can’t be silent about it. Although I identify as straight, many of the people I’ve loved the most and have been the best friends to me over the years are gay, so I consider myself a part of the gay community- even if just peripherally. And this subject is really important to me. When I see the scene in this video with the two men kissing, I think how could anyway have a problem with something so beautiful as this? Its LOVE. I think about the rights being denied to so many people, and even though we are making progress here in America, there is still so far we need to go, here and all over the world. I think about the people who are fighting to deny these people rights, which is ultimately contributing to the heinous acts portrayed in this video- the violence, the hate crimes… talk about terrorism! When you deny people their rights to freely be who they already are (and are going to continue to be anyway), on a deeper level you are allowing this shit to continue. You can argue that it’s “God’s will” but simply put, if God didnt want gay people (s)he wouldnt have created them. Let God take care of God, and you take care of you. I think he knows how to do his job. He doesn’t need anyone coming in and micromanaging his decisions… and desecrating his creations. If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t get one. I have no desire to be a polygamist, but if that’s the lifestyle that you CHOOSE, then go grab yourself a sisterwife. But don’t chastise people for something that isn’t a choice to them- that is who and how they were born. If someone sees two men (or woman) kissing and finds it disgusting, I can almost guarantee that it’s because on a deeper level they think they have to, otherwise, if they don’t think it’s disgusting, they’re afraid they might like it, and thus be subject to the very hatred they bestow. But those aren’t the only two options. You cant choose how you were born, but you CAN choose your thoughts, and your thoughts about how others were born. I am so grateful to this artist (Hozier) for putting out a song and video like this. It’s songs and videos like this that is what ART is all about. It tells a powerful story, it makes you think, it makes you feel, it sticks with you, it has an impact, it touches your soul- even if you dont want it to. Never be afraid to share your art, or share who you are, because even though there will always be people who will be willing to burn you at the stake, there will also be people who need to hear what you have to say, who need to see who you are, who need to know that they are not alone, and that they are ok. Because they are. And if you want to bring God into it, then please pray for the safety of the precious souls who have to endure this sort of condemnation, pray that they may be allowed to bask fully in their THEMness, and pray to heal the hatred in the hearts of the people who could condemn someone for being wholly who they are. xx~JRM #GayRights https://youtube/watch?v=PVjiKRfKpPI
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 21:25:40 +0000