I was feeling very compassionate when I wrote this article. I was filled with the spirit of the holidays, the spirit of giving, of caring, of love for my fellow man. I still have that spirit, it's just been bruised and beaten this year by acts of cruelty and insanity. This year, above all, the homosexual community, and all communities, need a wish for acceptance and love.
A Wish for A Gay Holiday Season
A Gay Opinion 12/06/00
by R. A. Melos
It's that time of year, once again. I know I'm not much for the whole mistletoe
and holly trip. In fact, at times, I feel downright Grinch-like. I especially
feel this way when I see the injustices of our world, the atrocities which are
committed daily in the name of defense of marriage, or preservation of family
values, or the Republican party, or any of the other causes and organizations
which deny anyone, anywhere, the right to express their true inner selves.
At this time of year I am bombarded with requests from every charity, and special
interest group in existence, for donations. All of these are, I'm sure, worthy
causes in their own right. However, I, like so many other people in the world,
have been disillusioned by the harsh realities of the cruelties human beings
are capable of inflicting upon one another.
I'm tired of all the empty promises from all the special interest groups, the
politicians, the preachers, and all the people who have tried to sell me on
their causes, and all those who lied to me for their own hidden agendas.
Bearing my personal exhaustion in mind, instead of giving money to several charities
this year, I'm going to give all the closeted homosexuals, those living lies
out of fear of persecution, and those living lies out of a desire to fit in,
and those hiding their true nature out of ignorance, a holiday wish.
I wish all people, throughout the world, could know inner peace, if only for
a moment.
I wish all those who are in denial of their sexuality, for a moment, to look
in the mirror and accept themselves as the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered
person they are, and love themselves.
I wish all those people the feeling of complete freedom when outside oppressions,
and self-denials are removed.
I wish all those closeted people could, for a brief moment, love themselves
for who they truly are, without fear of recrimination, or need for the approval
of strangers.
I wish, even if they can only do it in the privacy of their own homes, or the
privacy of one room, each closeted victim of society and sexual identity oppression
could feel happy with themselves, and accepting of their sexuality long enough
to know the joy and potential they have within themselves to change the world
for the better by extending that moment of self-love and self-acceptance of
their long denied sexuality into a lifetime of pride and confidence.
I wish, for one brief moment, all people on Earth could know the value and importance
of personal honesty.
I wish the closeted gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community could
feel the freedom they need to know exists, for them to feel the safety they
need to feel in order to raise the courage to come out to themselves and the
world.
I wish they could all believe in themselves as open and out people, as much
as I believe in their abilities to free themselves from the self-inflicted bondage
keeping them from reaching their true potential as open and honest people.
If I could give to all who live in fear of societal judgment this feeling of
happiness I have within myself since accepting myself for the wonderful gay
man I am, I would.
If I could remove their self-oppression and denial, I would.
Alas, all I can do is wish these people, the ones hiding from straight society
by denial of their inner urges and natural desires, the ones lying to themselves
and so many others out of fear of societal repercussions or out of fear of facing
their own inner selves, the strength and love and knowledge of my belief in
them to over come their self-denial and oppression.
For the holiday season, and for their lifetimes, I send them all my love and
support to help them break free of the bonds, personal or outside influenced,
which hold them back from being the people they know they are deep inside.
I wish you all freedom, peace and love.