Really angry, upset, and worried (rant and helpful message)

[TwistyRainbow]

So I'm sure a lot of you, even those not from the US, know about Michele Bachmann. Well, she's gone and said that homosexuality is a "sexual dysfunction," "part of Satan," and other things, plus her husband runs a 'Christian counseling' pray-away-the-gay clinic; it's able to get gov't funding despite reparative therapy being unsanctioned, no clue how that can happen. Anyway, she's not even the worst. There's been an influx of (this really is the most civil way to put this) nutjobs in the media recently, like an 'ex-gay' minister who apparently thinks only 3% of the population is gay and that the 'gay lifestyle' is toxic. There's also a radio 'host' in Oklahoma who doesn't think LGBT people deserve to have happy lives, that we're paid by schools to be gay, that we're victims of demonic manipulation, etc.

Normally, I'd just dismiss all of the above as extremists getting scared because of the progress LGBT rights have made recently in the US, since I a) I know I'm gay and I always have been, b) if God does exist, all of these people would go to Hell for spreading hate and possibly driving LGBT (pre-)teens to harm/kill themselves and c) there's always gonna be nutjobs in the world. However, and I've posted about this on occasion, I'm pretty sure a friend of mine is in the closet. His family is both conservative and religious, so all of this garbage has a chance of actually affecting him. Every time I read about somebody spouting off about the evils of being gay (which is hilarious since the Bible literally does not mention homosexual sex at all, but sex between two straight guys, which in Biblical times was only rape/pederasty, both of which I agree are reprehensible), I think "I really hope C doesn't read this." At the same time, whenever I chat with him now, I want to reach through my computer screen and give him a really big .

For about a month, I've been wearing a pride bracelet with Swarovski rainbow crystals and sterling silver spacers. At first I wore it to celebrate my sexuality, but now I wear it in memory of the large number (even one is too many in this case) kids that have killed themselves due to receiving some kind of anti-LGBT hatred. I don't want my bracelet to represent the memory of another single guy/girl, especially one I know and deeply care about.

Anyway, for those people who are still closeted and are afraid to come out due to religious reasons, don't listen to what other people say you should do. Look deep inside yourself and do what YOU say you should do. I only know what the Bible says (raised Catholic even though I'm closest to agnostic now) but it doesn't say anywhere "if you do have sex with a girl/guy, and this sex creates/augments an emotional connection between the two of you, you go to hell." It says, and I quote "the commandments...are summed up in this one command: love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:9-10). Live with love, and you will prove that being gay and even a devout Christian is possible, and if you're lucky, you might even help someone who's going through a similar struggle.

I have 2 requests of everyone who reads this: first, join me in sending a really, really big to C. Second, spread this message to anyone you might think would benefit from it. Even if they don't thank you for it at first, they will later on.

[Bowie]

A really big , C. Good luck.