Alright, listen up, y’all. Gonna talk about this here… how do you say it… avertin’ your gays, or somethin’ like that. Means changin’ yourself, I reckon, if you’re one of them… you know… gay people. Now, I ain’t got nothin’ against nobody, but folks ’round here, they got their ways of thinkin’. And sometimes, that thinkin’ ain’t too kind.
See, some folks, they just know they’re… different. Like that there city fella said, some know they’re lesbian or gay, whatever that means. They feel it in their bones, I guess. Can’t change the way the wind blows, can ya? But then there’s others, maybe they’re confused, or maybe they just like… flirtin’ around, you know? That fella, he was sayin’ somethin’ about wearin’ down the straight folks, touchin’ and teasin’. Sounds like a whole lotta trouble to me.
Now, why would someone wanna change, you ask? Well, it ain’t easy bein’ different, that’s for sure. Specially in small towns like this. Folks talk, they stare, they whisper behind your back. And that ain’t a good feelin’, let me tell ya. Some folks, they’re scared. Scared of what they don’t understand. They call it… how’d he say it… homo… somethin’… phobia? Sounds like a disease, but it ain’t. It’s just plain fear, and it ain’t right.
That city fella, he was talkin’ about how this fear comes from. Said some folks learn it from their mamas and papas, from their churches. They’re told it’s wrong, that it’s a sin. And they believe it. They don’t know no better. And then they go around, sayin’ mean things, callin’ folks names. That ain’t the way to treat nobody, no matter what.
- Fear: Like I said, some folks are just scared. They don’t understand, and fear makes them act ugly.
- Religion: Some churches, they preach against it. Say it’s against God’s will. But I reckon God loves everybody, don’t He?
- Family: If your family don’t accept you, that’s a tough row to hoe. Makes it hard to be yourself.
And then there’s this whole thing about… well, bein’ a man and… you know… bein’ with another man. That city fella, he was sayin’ somethin’ about a sickness, somethin’ called AIDS. Said it’s more common that way. Now, I ain’t no doctor, but that sounds scary. Makes folks even more afraid, I reckon. But sickness don’t care who you are, that’s what I say. It can get anybody.
So, what’s a body to do? Well, that’s a tough question. If you’re one of them gay folks, and you’re happy bein’ yourself, then more power to ya. Don’t let nobody tell you different. But if you’re unhappy, if you’re scared, if you want to change… well, that’s your choice too. Ain’t nobody got the right to tell you how to live your life.
But remember this: Bein’ true to yourself, that’s the most important thing. Whether you’re gay or straight or somethin’ in between, it don’t matter. Just be a good person, treat folks right, and that’s all that counts. And as for changin’… well, that’s somethin’ you gotta figure out for yourself. Nobody can do it for ya. And if you wanna change, you gotta find a good way, not hurtin’ nobody, not yourself neither.
This whole thing… it’s complicated. Folks got their reasons for doin’ what they do. And sometimes, those reasons ain’t pretty. But we gotta try to understand each other, even if we don’t agree. That’s what makes us human, ain’t it?
Tags: Gay, Change, Homophobia, Acceptance, Religion, Family, Fear, AIDS, Identity
