The "H" Word(s)

With all the latest blah-blah about homosexual this and that in the news lately some new stuff has come to my attention. Of course everyone has known one way or another about hate crimes that homosexuals have suffered through years and years with little or no legal help, which lead to a relatively new word to describe their attackers: homophobe (derivative of homophobia), which means, according to The New Oxford American Dictionary, an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuality and homosexual people. I suppose somebody had to come up with a word for it some time. However, with all of the hoo-ha lately in the world press and the topic of homosexual marriage getting a spotlight on the political stage in the United States, it seems like it might be time for the dictionary to have another word in the H section.

I like to read internet news and I am often entertained and sometimes confused to discover what people around the world are thinking these days about certain subjects by reading their comments. I was reading some comments on an article about what may or may not have been a hate crime that had something to do with a gay pride parade and I was impressed to see how many homosexuals and homosexual patrons voiced their anonymous opinions. I was surprised, well I guess not, to see that there were some homosexuals that appeared to have a kind of disdain of people that are not "with" them. I don't think there's a word for it yet, so I will call it "heterophobia," for now, for lack of a better term. I suppose I wasn't so surprised because when power comes to those who have been without for so long, even suppressed, it becomes easy to hate those who even slightly resemble their oppressors or potential oppressors. Admittedly the homosexual community is still considered a minority, but they have certainly come farther in American society in the past decade than they have in the past 25 years. If that won't boost an ego and give the confidence some arrogance, I don't know what will!

I don't want to give the impression that I'm pro or anti homosexual in this essay. That's not what this piece is about. I also don't want to give the impression that I think all homosexuals are "heterophobic." What I'm trying to do with this short essay is remind people that everyone is susceptible to hating. No matter who you are, what you do, what religion (if any) you follow, etc., etc. we all can hate. That is an important thing to remember. Another very important thing to remember is that we can all love, too. No matter who you are, blah, blah, blah. Just do your best to not hate. I know it can be pretty difficult in this difficult world to love your neighbor as yourself, but it takes less energy to smile and the benefits are innumerable (not that one should do it for the benefits). These are certainly some interesting times to be alive. Let's make them good ones.