Of late there has been much talk about equality and what it means. Some of it has been correct but we all have our own spin on it. Frankly we tend to twist its meaning to our lives. It is easy to do but we should resist such temptations.
Equality is simply as the word says, being equal and fairly treated by law, government, and society. As any equal rights movement can tell you such things rarely come quickly or easily. It takes time, lots of time, to undo the tedious threads of discrimination and hate. It is a process that if rushed only leaves resentment and bitterness. However, when it is time one should push the boundary.
In our lives we tend to define equality by how it will affect us. In some ways that is not bad but we should not think of it only from that way. Our movement is simply about just being able to live like anyone else. Its not about special rights or concessions. It is equal justice.
Many view this as a test or a time to prove ones self as things change. It is not true however. The wrongs of yesterday can not be undone by the present. We can only hope the present and the future bears a better and just life for us. We can know we have always been equal. We can know we have been good enough.
The only competition anyone truly has in life is with them self. That is difficult enough. Never try to be what you are not or prove someone they were wrong. That is not equality but instead vanity and folly.
We are Human and as such equal. That is what we fight for. All the words, conflict, shame, and pain will never go away unless we bury it ourselves. When we allow it to linger to shape our lives we continue the legacy of the past. Break those chains and just be you and when we are truly equal know your part was just as important as anyone's. You made a difference and always have. You matter.
So in the days that come please listen to the motto I have for myself. Live, Love, Forgive. They all must start within us and from that seed equality will bloom.
Love is Never Wrong
While I believe that equality begins with how we treat each other, there is a sizable percentage of the population that is vested in keeping others at the bottom of the ladder, and raising the bar above the reach of others.
ReplyDeleteThere lives a portion in every society that desperately needs a scapegoat, and in the decades since the end of WW2, it has increasingly become lgbt folks who have filled that slot as the destroyers of civilization. I've noticed that as the level of acceptance for gays and lesbians grows, the amount of fear mongering and hatred for trans increases, especially for m2f's.
I agree Biki violence against Trans people has increased. I don't like to use the word rush but I think it fits best. When we rush equality without educating people adequately there is ignorance and fear. Most people find it difficult enough to accept gay let alone someone who wishes to be a different gender.
ReplyDeleteThe road of equality is usually paved in pain and covered in blood. It's not easy but it is a road we must walk.
As long as we can rise above the negative and remain willing to forgive, equality will come. Maybe not as fast as we desire but it will come.