Suzanna Pharr's essay on homophobia opens up with a paragraph that really opened my eyes. I never realized how much hatred comes from the meaning of homophobia. Yes, I knew that it meant to fear those who like the same sex, but after she explained her experiences and the things she has seen, I understood what she meant when she said how "ugly" the word is.
Growing up, I don't recall my parents ever telling me it is wrong to be gay or lesbian. They were all about making sure my brother, sister, and I knew that they would love us regardless of our sexual orientation. I had a friend in middle school and throughout high-school that was gay and seeing what he went through helped me to understand that being gay isn't a choice but just the way he is. Just like me being heterosexual isn't a choice, it is just naturally who I am. It always bothers me when people say that people choose to be gay or lesbian because if homosexuals were able to pick the cards they were dealt, I doubt they would have picked the ones that would constantly get them bullied, threatened, and made fun of for their entire lives. I doubt they would choose to be the outcasts in school, or choose to go against what they're parents wish for them.
It was a very good thing that I grew up with a family that wasn't homophobic. My mother is really in to genealogy and she knew my grandpa( my dads' dad) had a daughter with a woman before he met my grandma. My mom was determined to find my dad's half sister and 8 years ago, she did. When my family and my dads' brother's and sister's all got together to meet her for the first time, we were all shocked to find out she was a lesbian. She was very hesitant to meet all of us because of this but we welcomed her and her partner with open arms and to this day, we are all very close. It really amazes me that homophobia even exists. Who are we to judge other people because of who they like? Who are we to say who is or isn't allowed to get married? And even so, why are we afraid of it?
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