M.L. Rhodes

May 17th is officially known as International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and people and organizations around the world participate in events to facilitate awareness of just how damaging homophobia (hatred or fear of homosexuals) and transphobia (hatred or fear of transgendered people) can be to people in the LGBT community.  It’s a problem that has affected most all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people at some point in their lives–some are forced to deal with it on a daily basis.  Whether it’s the cause of job discrimination, family discrimination, abusive language, vandalism, in-person or Internet bullying,  physical violence, depression, suicidal thoughts, or death, all forms of homophobia are destructive and violate basic human rights that should be sacrosanct.

And yet fear of the unknown, fear of anyone who is different, or even fear that one might him/herself be gay or transgendered can cause otherwise rational humans to turn ugly and violent.  The reasons for homophobia are most often social, cultural, ideological, or religious in nature.  But the one thing they all have in common is a basic belief in heteronormativity–meaning the idea that humans are supposed to fall into distinct genders and roles, and heterosexuality is the “normal” sexual orientation.  Any person who doesn’t fit into tidy heteronormative categories is therefore abnormal, different, wrong.  And therein lies the problem.

It’s up to progressive individuals, organizations, politicians, and governments to illuminate why such narrow-minded views are damaging, not just to LGBT people, but to our society as a whole, leaving us fragmented with anger, hostility, and a sense of “us” vs. “them.”  Instead of making laws that insist on maintaining old-fashioned ideals and clinging to outdated more’s like mold on old bread, instead people in positions of authority (whether they be presidents of countries, senators, teachers, journalists, clergy, parents, or anyone else in a position to effect change) should be educating those in their care on appreciating the differences that make us all unique, teaching tolerance and compassion, and working toward new laws of equality.

Progress comes slowly.  Painfully slowly at times.  But there is hope on the horizon.  Eight states now allow gay marriage in the United States, with a handful of others recognizing gay civil unions.  President Barack Obama has become the first U.S. president to speak out in favor of gay marriage.  “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was finally repealed, allowing U.S. military personnel to come out of the closet without fear of losing their jobs.  Many countries allow gay marriage or civil unions on a national level.  Some schools are beginning to incorporate tolerance education in their curricula and are cracking down on bullying, which has been a tragic problem for LGBT youth.  Numerous companies are now offering benefits and protections to LGBT workers and their spouses/partners, and are supporting LGBT causes.

Step by step, little by little, we can all help bring awareness to the issues that LGBT individuals and couples face.  By speaking up and talking, talking, talking to our friends and family, to co-workers, to the people we interact with on the Internet, to our organizations and local politicians, to our friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter, we can each play a role in fostering tolerance and fighting homophobia.

I challenge each of you to find one thing you can do this week that will help fight homophobia and/or improve the quality of life for LGBT people.  It could be a simple as making a supportive post on Twitter, or speaking to a family member about the importance of tolerance, or telling your kids a bedtime story that has two moms or two dads or tells about a girl who prefers to dress like a boy and the people who love her support that.  It could be donating a few dollars to one of the many LGBT support groups online.  It could be writing a blog post like this one, to help educate the people who follow you.  Or it could be simply reaching out to your lesbian neighbor and giving her a hug and telling her you appreciate her for exactly who she is and you believe in her right to marry the woman she loves.  Trust me, there’s no thing too small.   It all helps, bit by bit.  We, as individuals and as a community can make a difference!

To read more blogs about homophobia, please check out the Hop Against Homophobia website, where you’ll find a long list of authors, publishers, reviewers, and readers who are participating in this event. 

To show my appreciation for you taking the time to read this post and for (hopefully!!) taking me up on my challenge to you to find one way to help fight homophobia this week, I’m doing a random drawing for copies of my backlist.  I’ll pick 3 winners who will each have a choice of any 2 books from my backlist.  Yes, that means each winner can choose 2 books.    If you’ve already read all my books (Thank you!!! ), then you can pick any two books from the Amber Allure catalog and I will buy them and send them to you.  To enter, please leave a comment below.  Or you can send me an email with “Fight Homophobia” in the subject line and enter that way.  Only one entry per person, please.