The big news is from the Pope, who has announced the blessing of same-sex couples. This is not gay marriage. It is an acknowledgement that LGTQ+ people are humans to be accepted within the Roman Catholic church and should not be condemned. He hedged on whether homosexuality is still considered a sin. This is a major step, and it is one that has upset a lot of bishops.
Unfortunately, most of the news has been about the continuing war against the transgender community. It’s a big battle in the schools, in GOP politics, and access to health care. The religious right continues to promote the idea there are only male and female genders and that it is not possible to transition. Gender identity and gender expression range across a wide gambit of personality characteristics. It’s not just a question of genitalia, which seems to be the obsession of the bigots.
Most of the political action has occurred in the state legislatures that have adopted hundreds of restrictive laws about everything LGBTQ+, but particularly about transgender people. How and where they can live without harassment are largely the luck of the draw, depending upon which state they live in. Some states are supportive, but many are not. Some people even have had to move across state lines to get continuing health care. They are attacked in every aspect of their lives.
The movies, theater, concerts, and the entertainment industry continue to expand the boundaries for LGBTQ+ people. Perhaps it may be that many people have “come out,” including famous people in a lot of different fields. We even have LGBTQ+ politicians. George Santos is openly gay, but he is noted more for the fact that he is a pathological liar than the fact that he is gay.
The Methodists finally decided to divide after arguing about homosexuality for more than 50 years. Most congregations remained in the United Methodist Church, but a small portion left for the Global Methodist Church or simply disaffiliated with any denomination. The change required a formal vote of each congregation, and the deadline was December 31st. Individuals are members of a specific congregation and may choose to remain or to leave. Pastors are members of an administrative unit known as a conference, but they also may choose to stay or leave.
Unfortunately, being labeled as gay is still an epithet in many situations. The accusation that Taylor Swift is gay clearly was intended as a slur. The process of self-identification is a very personal matter, and those who choose to “out” someone impinge on their civil rights of privacy. I would not be offended if someone called me a Democrat, but I would be if they called me a Republican. The truth is that I am unaffiliated. The reason goes back for 60 years in Texas politics.
Being gay is only one part of who I am, but for too long it was hidden from public view simply because of the discrimination that I dealt with. Now obese and physically handicapped people face much of the same discrimination. Perhaps those with mental health issues continue to face the most discrimination.
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