Coming Out as an Ally

I'm going to go on the record here and now and just lay it all out there - I am an ally.  I am proud to be an ally, and to speak up as a straight voice for the fair and equal treatment of my fellow LGBT citizens.

I don't know if anybody who knows me and reads this blog will be upset at this revelation.  Frankly, I don't really care.  Anyone worth having in my life will respect my feelings on this, and anyone close to me will almost certainly feel the same way.

Why is this so important to me to go on the record when I don't have a dog in this fight?

It's simple:

• I'm a patriot who believes in the constitutional right to equality for all Americans
• I am pro-love
• I respect and admire the bravery and courage of those who have to fight each and every day to be treated with decency and respect instead of prejudice and hate
• I ache for anyone who has been bullied, injured, cast out, rejected, and mistreated just for being who they are
• I couldn't live with myself if I were any other way

I'll never know what it's like to be the victim of gay-bashing, or job discrimination on the basis of my sexuality.  I'll never know what it's like to be rejected by my own parents because of who I fall in love with.  I am of two minds about this, because I'm grateful that I will never experience this, and yet knowing that others have breaks my heart.

I think it's important to continue speaking out as long as discrimination takes place around me.  You can't think that it won't affect you just because you're white, straight, Christian, etc... the truth is that as long as we as a community tolerate hatred and bigotry from anybody, we allow our humanity to be diminished.

As humans, we must not allow that to happen.

I won't allow it to happen.