It Frightens Me

subculture
[v. suhb-kuhl-cher; n. suhb-kuhl-cher] 

The cultural values and behavioral patterns distinctive of a particular group in a society.
A group having social, economic, ethnic, or other traits distinctive enough to distinguish it from others within the same culture or society.

It frightens me the similarities between what some in our society are doing to alienate LGBT persons and what occurred prior to World War 2 in Germany.

No, I don't mean Nazis. I mean the general population of Germany. The German people did not just decide one day to hate Jews. They were encouraged by their leaders over and over again with phrases like "Jews are unclean", "Jews want to dominate you", "Look at Jewish history and see how horrible these people are. Why can't they stay in their synagogues where we don't have to see them?"

I see more and more articles of how awful LGBT folk are. Unclean, disease spreading. They want to steal our children. They want to subvert our population. We are often compared to Pink Nazi's. The Gay Gestapo, Big Gay. They are out to destroy our way of life.

Do these things sound familiar? It doesn't take a degree in history to see the comparisons and realize that history can and does repeat itself.

There are many kinds of people in this world. If we begin labeling them there is no stopping the hell we can create others. Labels breed more labels and hate breeds more hate. When does it end? When each of us exactly a carbon copy of the other? But isn't that what some descry? Even the loudest conservative voices cry out that they will not lose their individuality, yet they would cast this upon the rest who do not match their own labels.

As an artist, I try to let my creative voice take the lead in crying out against injustice. I try to always keep a balance of respect of others individuality and viewpoints even when it may harm my own. With even the most brutal I try to see the other side and what I see isn't that others are bad, but that they are lead, lead by the same voices that so long ago in Germany tried to destroy a whole subculture because it did not meet with their norms.

Is that really what our world is about? Or is it about acceptance and escaping that base instinct to kill anything that is not like ourselves?

I can say without a doubt that I am not part of any "Gay Plot". In fact I know of no one who is (despite what some would claim). If I was a Jewish shoe maker in 1935, I doubt I would say I knew of any "Jewish Plot". I would just be a shoe maker as I am an artist now. But the need to point fingers at any group of people who does not meet what you consider "the social norm" automatically places blame on the accused party.

So please, take a moment to see that we are all just the same, just trying to make it through this world on the gifts we've been given and the sweat of our brow and try to love everyone instead of just those that look and act just like you. It may save my life and yours someday. Because the finger that you point can easily be turned towards you the first time you do something that your neighbor disagrees with.

~Grey~