Who Are We to Judge?


Some say homosexuality is a choice, some say its a sin, others say people were just born that way. I guess we’ll never really know, but with time society will have even more acceptance and opportunities for the gay community. Until 1974 homosexuality was considered a mental illness, and for years gays have been discriminated against in society and the Church. Everyday people, especially teens struggle with the sexual curiosity presented around teenage years. Exploring, or determining sexuality can be scary. Whether you're gay, lesbian, straight, bi, or bi-curious, all possibilities can become very stressful.

So what are we waiting for? Why should we make teens, or any other person feel shameful for being who they are? I guess we wont ever really know that either. Hopefully we wont have to wait much longer, thanks to LGBTO (lesbian, gay, bi,_______, queer) activist David Levithan. Other activist such as Robert A. Martin, Margo Rila, and Frank Esposito made a huge contribution to the LGBTQ. In 1966 activist Robert A. Martin (aka Donny the Punk) founded the Student Homophile League at Columbia University and New York University, making them the first university to recognize a gay student group. In San Francisco, one of the earliest organizations for bisexuals called the Sexual Freedom League, was established by Margo Rila and Frank Esposito in 1967. Two years later, during a staff meeting at a San Francisco mental health facility serving LGBTQ people, nurse Maggi Rubenstein came out as bisexual. Due to this, bisexuals began to be included in the facility's programs for the first time.This was a huge movement because bisexuals were being recognized and easing their way into the acceptance of society.
David Levithan’s first publication of his books however, Boy Meets World, started off as a Valentines gift to his friends and spiraled off into a teen novel. He says, “its a book about gay teens that doesn't conform to the old norms about gay teens in literature”. In this novel we see another persons perspective referring to gay rights, which potentially opens up our minds to new thoughts. “In its blithe acceptance and celebration of human differences, this is arguably the most important gay novel since Annie on My Mind and seems to represent a revolution in the publishing of gay-themed books for adolescents” – which pretty much blew me away when I read it. Viva la revolution!” “My sixth novel, “Wide Awake”, starts with the election of the first gay Jewish president, and is about two boyfriends who must go to Kansas when the election results are threatened. In many ways, it’s a “sequel in spirit” to Boy Meets Boy, since it’s about many of the same things – love, friendship tolerance, and taking a stand for what you believe in. “ Instead of becoming the founder of an organization, or doing something such as protesting, David translates his thoughts and ideas referring gay rights through the artform of writing. Maybe this is why his contribution to the LGBTQ is so strong, because he puts his words out in a subtle discreet way, yet it is one of the most powerful voices we’ve heard. Its not an easy thing arguing the rights of others, and what should and should be right or wrong in society. So taking the topics to literature makes the topics less heavy, and many times it is easier to translate thoughts on paper versus words.
Many times in David's work, he stresses how scared teens feel to let anyone ever know their sexuality. Which is very true, its a hard thing to admit, which is sad because it shows how judgmental society is. For example, a quote from Leviathans “The Alumni Interview”; “We had been making out in the boys’ room, with his standing on the toilet so no one would know we were in the stall together.” Even today still, but especially before the LGBTQ, gays, lesbians and bis were discriminated and ridiculed against for public displays of affection. So this was a great example of how these boys must feel because they felt the need to sneak around because they didn't want anyone to know they were in a stall together. There are many stereotypes related to homosexuals and the lack of acceptance they would receive from their parents if they were to “come out” to them. “...and neither of us in a million years would say, “hey, mom, do you want to drive me across indiana to see a boy?”, this quote taken from Levithan’s work is an example of just this. The fear teens have that they won't be loved or accepted by their parents just because of their sexuality. “Look, mom, i’m totally gay, and i’d appreciate it if you could get the whole freakout over with now, because, yeah, we have the rest of our lives to deal with it, but the sooner we get through the agony part, the better.” How sad is this, that its so hard for teens to come out to their friends and family? How sad is it that we as a society discriminate others for being who they are? This is exactly the point David Levithan is trying to get through our mush we call brains. Because if we were really using our brains, this wouldn't be an issue in the first place. He, as do I, and supporters of the LGBTQ community, hope that one day this wont have to be a separate community at all. That we can all melt together as one with all of our differences never seen as negatives, but as blessings. “We are in completely uncharted mother-son territory here. Not just in this house- maybe in all of America.”
So one day, maybe not today, and definitely not overnight, we can be accepted. Accepted as the children, teens, and adults that we are. Don’t you dare look that their skin color, or hair color, or eye color, or what they weigh, or who they kissed. You look at the person they are inside. Thats what matters, and maybe, with a little self reflection and hope, we will ALL understand that.