Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
This is on topic and an awesome reflection. 
You know the markers that identify you as heterosexual and "white" (by many conceptions of race). Having those makes you comfortable to the point where you take them for granted and they are normalized. Imagine what would happen if heterosexual and "white" were the power minorities. How would you feel about those identifying markers and how comfortable would you feel if you felt that having that ring on your finger could lead to discrimination. |
You're right. You don't realize it until you've had race relations/ sexual-orientation discussions with other people of various backgrounds. I take for granted that I am "white" and "heterosexual" and never think about how others may perceive me. In fact, I want to work with the LGBTQ community and, now that I am engaged and have a ring on my finger to prove it, I don't feel as "weird" openly talking about wanting to work with such a population. It's sad, really. Before, I wasn't as comfortable saying, "Hey, I want to work with the LGBTQ community and serve as an ally," because (deep down) I asked, "What would people think about me? Would they question my orientation?" While there is nothing wrong with being a member of that community, I grew up in a very small town with close-minded people. Why should that sway me, though?
I realized how close-minded I had been. Before, I wouldn't have stood up or even cared about DADT (even though I'm former military). After getting engaged, it's as if talking about that population as an ally made it "okay" because-hey, I've got proof of my sexuality on my finger. How horrible is that? I even wrote an article for the local newspaper about how I don't believe in discriminating against the LGBTQ community in the military. Has anyone else ever dealt with this type of stuff?