The Blogtastic Blogfest That Is Getmeoutofthis.net!

I got to pick a book to review for the press, as sometimes happens, and so I ended up reading this book called The Right To Be Out, because it has a pretty nice cover and it caught my eye. The book itself is a pretty nice thing. It’s discussing how educators should deal with students and other educators who are gay or transsexual in order to make a positive learning and working environment for everyone. It does this by using legal precedent and case studies to prove that everyone has a “right to be out” and then showing how schools can adapt things in order to make sure that everyone in the school feels that way. At times, it’s a little overly optimistic and very strong in it’s beliefs with its “let’s make sure every single discussion in the classroom includes discussion of LGBT issues!” mentality, but overall I found it a pretty interesting read.

Then I got to the chapter about transsexuals, and I just had to put the book down for awhile. I was getting so angry.

It’s not Mr. Biegel’s message or writing that made me mad. (Although I do feel weird about his use of the term “gender-nonconforming youths” which I feel really sends a message of “these people aren’t normal” instead of what the book is really trying to say.) It was the case studies he was talking about. He just had direct quotes from people who were just being so hurtful that I just started raging. I couldn’t stand the thought of people like that in the world. I wanted to punch someone.

All the rest of the horrible stuff talked about in the book was indeed at least fairly horrible, or at the very least upsetting. However, there was a distance there. Sure, I’m bisexual, but never have I ever felt like that was an issue, or people would look down on me for it. That was never what I worried about, and though I feel bad for these poor kids they were talking about, it’s not something I’ve directly experienced. I think that shit shouldn’t happen. If I saw it happening, I’d do everything in my power to stop it. But it doesn’t punch me in the gut.

But I got to this story of his public official who was trying to transition, and literally the entire town was getting onto him for “lying” about who he was and putting his family through this. There was a long block quote from this completely hateful woman, who would not shut up, and I could tell, even just on text in the page, she felt like she was doing absolutely nothing wrong. She felt like she was totally in the right to go on record and help ruin this woman’s life and make her lose her job.

I had to sit the book down and I pulled out my phone and chatted with Brer a bit to let out steam, even though I should have been working.

I am pro-religion. I’ve been lucky, and I’ve been exposed to the good side of religion. I know people who believe, very truly, and who are awesome people, and let their religion help them do awesome things. Religion can be such a force for good in people’s personal lives, and in the world. I would never dream of telling anyone not to follow their religious code and worshiping as they see fit. It’s too important, and it’s so wonderful. It really is.
But fuck, when someone uses it as an excuse to force people to be miserable and make them not able to follow their own heart? Well, fuck that guy. Because you better fucking believe that if you were to criticize that guy’s life on similar grounds, he would be so pissed. “You have no right!” would be his cry. And yet he’d do it every fucking day, and try to manipulate the government to ruin the lives of people who are just trying to live their life because they’re different.

I am asking this question completely honestly: what does anyone get by trying to shut down ways of life other than their own? If two men or two ladies are having sex, what in the world does them stopping or continuing do to a party not involved in said fucking? It does absolutely nothing. My rule has always been, “if you aren’t ruining the fun of others, have fun.” If you are letting others having private lives that you don’t want to have ruin your fun, you are doing it wrong.

Bleh. It just blows my mind sometimes how awful people can be. In my general experience, people are not awful. People are wonderful, and good, and a joy to be around. There is so much good in the world, and let me be honest, the book itself has a lot of good too, as it talks about all the wins for LGBT rights over the years and all the multitudes of organizations and such to help people who are distressed about this stuff. There is plenty of good. But so much wouldn’t be needed if people weren’t assholes.

People of the World: Stop Being Stupid Assholes. Go Enjoy Life, And Let Others Do The Same.

I don’t know why I’m saying that here, because let’s face it, if you’re reading this, you know me, and I don’t know any people like this. I only know awesome individuals. But goodness. The world, huh? This is why I don’t follow current events closely. So much rage. Nothing useful to do with it. Except blog, I suppose.