THANKS; BUT I’LL NOT BE HOME
FOR DINNER
A gay
man living in the Southern Bible Belt must keep a very STRAIGHT profile,
because those who call themselves Christians have a unique way of keeping a gay
man quiet. For decades Southern gay males have been subdued by fear--- fear of
losing jobs. Being gay in the Southern Bible
Belt is grounds for employee dismissal. When
so-call Christians suspect a man of being gay they report to his employer with
the aim of getting the man fired. A Southern
working man has no choice but to present himself as being straight.
Another tactic used in the Southern United
States to keep gay people restrained is to deny gays freedom of speech. Any
time a gay person expresses an opinion contrary to the Christian tradition Christians
immediately accuse the person of participating in some illegal sexual activity.
In many cases the accused has no choice but to retreat and is forced to
surrender his belief. Even today a
Southern gay male can be fired by merely expressing an opinion that is contrary
to the Christian credence.
But
when a Southern gay man places himself in a position where the religious right loses
control, the so-called Christians freak out. I am a Southern gay man who was determined
to travel the world in search of a place where I could live as a respected gay
man. I live in Southeast Asia where I am
surrounded by people as genuine as genuine can be. I am not judged by my sexual orientation, but
I am respected as a free thinker. I have had a taste of freedom and I proudly
say I will never again give up the right to be free. There is nothing to
compare with freedom and nothing substitutes the happiness that comes with
respect. With great determination I will forever kneel and I will raise my fist
in defiance of fake Christianity that for decades has been the primary promoter
of prejudice, bigotry, and hatred.
Thanks;
but I will not be served a Southern dish of bigotry tonight.
