Rishire Writes

Recently the news has been a buzz with stories about both the multitude of racist attacks and the newly passed federal law legalizing gay marriage. These stories were put side-by-side in a sermon I heard one weekend. The preacher or whatever they’re calling themselves these days (no hate toward church officials or anything; I just don’t want to use the wrong term), began his lesson with a discussion about the most recently publicized racist attack in Charleston. A 21 year old kid named Dylann Roof shot up a historical African American AME church last month. Coincidentally I had attended a service at that church the year before I left Charleston. Actually not sure how that’s a coincidence, but I digress. Anyway, the pastor man offered his condolences to the families of those lost in the shooting, naming names and so on. Honestly, I don’t remember much about that section of the service. He juxtaposed this touching acknowledgement with a denouncement of the recently passed marriage equality law. He got louder; he started clapping off to the side; he incited the crowd with what I can only call hate-speech. He threw a bunch of scripture at us denouncing incest and inter-family relations, finally getting to the part about homosexual relationships after a solid five minutes. I couldn’t roll my eyes hard enough. That whole experience of sitting in church and witnessing the complete 180 the preacher-guy-man took in his stance toward two publicly debated topics got me thinking about how similar these subjects are. Let me break it down:

Racism is about the unjust treatment of specific groups of people. It is the mistreatment of these people for no reason other than the fact that they look different from the majority and sometimes they even act different due to their own cultural norms and upbringing. This being said, doesn’t that sound a lot like homophobia? Hear me out! Homosexuals are a group just as African Americans are a group and even Caucasians are a group. They represent a people who have different beliefs and act differently than the majority, specifically in the realm of romantic love. Their difference, much like those of different races, is something that they cannot change, something they didn’t choose for themselves. Last time I checked, I couldn’t wash my black skin off – side note: when i was younger, I actually thought I could! Stupid kid. Anyway, how much more similar can they be?!

Somehow, much like homosexuals and non-white races, I’m in the minority with this thinking, at least as far as I’ve seen. The church-speech-man made a very bold statement by putting these two stories next to each other in his opening remarks. Considering the hard facts and barebones definitions of the two – racism and homophobia – make it clear that they’re incredibly similar, similar enough to illicit the same reaction. I’m not saying those who are racist should also be homophobic, although I feel like a good amount of racists are; I’m saying homophobia, just like racism, is insanely antiquated and has no place in this day and age. It’s 2015. We have a black president. Gay marriage is now legal in all 50 states. If the law can get with the program after proving to be incredibly stubborn in the way of equal rights – hello, Jim Crow laws anyone? – why can’t we as Americans and human beings catch up with the times? It’s been a while since I read the Bible, but I’m pretty sure there’s something about loving thy neighbor as oneself. I actually just looked it up and John 13:34 reads:

“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

In case you’re not hip to the good word, that’s Jesus talking and He loved EVERYBODY, let me say it again, EVERYBODY! Love is love and furthermore it’s none of your business. If you don’t like the idea of gay marriage, don’t get gay married. I don’t like the idea of wearing a jean jacket with jeans, and you don’t see me doing that or trying to pass a law so that no one else does it. Racism, homophobia, however you say it, it’s all discrimination.