Cleolinda Jones (cleolinda) wrote,
Cleolinda Jones
cleolinda

Straight and narrow

God, I got angry with my mother today. I was having lunch with her, and we started talking about a relative who's questioning his/her sexuality (I'm being vague only so as not to give the relative's identity away). My mother's always said she would love members of her family regardless of their sexual orientation. She's a youthful, sharp, energetic businesswoman, a conservative who's disillusioned with Dubya. But the conversation got more and more heated until she finally said, "Look, if that's the way that [s/he] wants to live their life, fine. When we all have to go before God and account for every action in our lives and all the gays are struck down--and they will be struck down--that's up to their conscience." And that's when I realized that she had meant, "I will love people in my family in spite of their sexual orientations."

All I could say was, "I'm not going to argue this with you right now."

All I could think was, You know, that's a pretty hypocritical stance for someone who doesn't go to church but watches the daily "Will & Grace" reruns religiously.

I love my mother; we're really close. But I think I'm come to understand the difference between an argument and a discussion--to take a line from the_ferrett, you can't have a rational discussion if one or both parties has already decided that she's right. I like discussion. I hate arguments. And I've really come to think that gay rights is the civil rights issue of our generation. I'll discuss it with you, but I'm not arguing anymore.

"And they will be struck down." Jesus.
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