Bisexuality is NOT a Rest Stop on the Highway to Homo

In my mind, it goes without saying that I'm an GLBT Ally. I'm a boy, I like boys. How much more of an ally could I possibly be, you know? It turns out there's a lot I don't know. Yes, my heart and effort went into combating Prop 8, but I'm in Illinois, there's only so much I can do. Well, as an employee of a University that cares dearly for social justice [a term I hadn't really heard thrown around much until I got here] I have all of these wonderful opportunities to broaden my horizons, as it were. So, this past Saturday, I spent time in ally training.

I won't lie to you, I often forget aboout the BT in GLBT. Shit, I forget about the L. [Ew, lesbians.] But I spent a lot of time learning terms like "Gender Fuck" and "Ze and here." For instance. Ze doesn't like to go to WalMart because they don't carry here's favourite bread. It's about using more inclusive terms, and not assuming that a person identifies as a man or woman. And I know a part of sounds like some hippie bull-shit, and it can on times, because it's like you're making all these changes and excpetions to cater to like 0.02% of the population; But you know what? As a super-minority I feel like it's worth it. And I know what's it like to be in uncomfortable situations because people make assumptions about me.

And this whole Prop 8 business has weighed so heavily on my mind. I can't tell why. As I've told the Mistress, I don't often feel the plight of the gay community. I'll be honest. I'm just in it for the butt sex, but that one hurt. Prop 8 hurt because I felt like it was a double blow. Not only was marriage taken away from GLBT Californians, but it was taken away on a day that should have been celebratory and monumentous. Barack Obama, a black man, was elected president. 150 years ago, he would have been property. Now he's the fucking president. It's wonderful. But it's tragic, that his victory, the civil rights victory that he represents, is marred by the passage of laws in four states that oppress gay and lesbian people. It saddens me.

More than I thought it would.