The culture war comes home.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  This is the first line of the Declaration of Independence a fundamental cornerstone of our culture and society.

When I consider the words above, especially in the context of the culture war being waged when it comes to equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people I can’t help but come to the realization that many of my countrymen have never fully digested the words above.  If the majority truly believed that all people are created equal, by their creator, then the majority would gladly bestow equal rights on all the people of this great nation.

I must draw the conclusion that many people in our society, by their actions, by their attitudes and by their behaviors view me as less than equal and less than a full man because of what I am.  There is still a long festering belief that I somehow chose to be what I am, that I made some sort of conscious decision to be what I am.  It’s true I did make a decision; that decision was not to be what I am, but rather not to live in secret and in shame.  My decision was to be true to myself.

I have to wonder about friends and family members who support politicians, pundits and businesses that openly and freely advocate discrimination against me.  I would hope that if the shoe were on the other foot that I would not behave in such a way.  I would hope that at all costs, that I would support, defend, nurture and advocate for any friend or family member who I perceived to be under the heel of repression.  Sadly, this isn’t the case.