The last time I was in America I had a wonderful conversation with a woman a few years older than me. We were chatting about what terrorism does to a country (it was December 2001) and how important it was that people be allowed the time and space to grieve properly. On this topic we were in broad agreement. I even agreed with her that the US going into Afghanistan was the right move, because the Taliban were nothing more than Nazis and should have been stopped years before rather than shamefully supported as they were.
Then she made a comment on how the country of her childhood had turned into a hell of gay rights and disrespect.
"Hang on," I said. "The two don't go together. You do have a raft of social problems,l but that's because your public education systems are shot to hell and you have an entrenched underclass. As to gay rights, you're a woman, and I bet that you enjoy the rights that you have now that you wouldn't have had in 1901. Equality makes nations stronger and better, not weaker."
"But gay rights aren't the same as women's rights," she replied.
"They're all human rights," I argued. "It's something that I care a lot about because my mother's a lesbian and I've seen her life significantly affected by legislative homophobia."
She stopped and looked at me for a long moment. "Your mother's a lesbian? But you seem so very normal."
"I AM very normal, that's the whole point."
When I have enough money, I am going back to the US and I am going to have this conversation with 50 million people.
no subject
Then she made a comment on how the country of her childhood had turned into a hell of gay rights and disrespect.
"Hang on," I said. "The two don't go together. You do have a raft of social problems,l but that's because your public education systems are shot to hell and you have an entrenched underclass. As to gay rights, you're a woman, and I bet that you enjoy the rights that you have now that you wouldn't have had in 1901. Equality makes nations stronger and better, not weaker."
"But gay rights aren't the same as women's rights," she replied.
"They're all human rights," I argued. "It's something that I care a lot about because my mother's a lesbian and I've seen her life significantly affected by legislative homophobia."
She stopped and looked at me for a long moment. "Your mother's a lesbian? But you seem so very normal."
"I AM very normal, that's the whole point."
When I have enough money, I am going back to the US and I am going to have this conversation with 50 million people.