The past month has encouraged people to celebrate what makes them, them! From a former olympian changing their gender identity, to the United States finally standing by it's citizens and allowing marriage accessibility to every one! It feels incredible to be a US citizen right now.
This may sound strange to 'some' US citizens, but our global image is less than ideal. Living in London during Barack Obama's presidency helped my cause. I was embraced and people were more open- and, yes, due to our president! Having a black, educated president did wonders for the 'USA.' Our own ignorance is often our own bliss. We live in a sheltered view of how we are perceived in the world. We are not loved and people do not 'look up' to 'us.' Our news stations poison the minds of our ignorant and blast useless gossip. We should question our news and work at understanding global trends.
While other countries know about our policies and government, we know about our own pop culture and celebrities. We idolize the beautiful instead of our intelligent and iconoclasts. We should educate ourselves on countries with which we have contact, countries we respect, people within those countries we respect, and people in our own country that we respect. These are our idols.
There will always be people with different opinions and history has proven our barbaric tendencies. People fear different whether due to religious fanaticism or pure ignorance. Rather than reading and understanding what affects our minds and bodies to love the same-sex or identify with another gender, people fear them. Their minds are closed to change. The fact that homosexuality is mentioned in religious text goes to show how long it has been around. It has taken thousands of years, but we are evolving. We are embracing change, and we are making a difference. We are on a path towards love instead of hate. We are loving thy neighbor!
Let us celebrate people who made a difference and fought for what they believed. Is Caitlyn a slightly annoying figure for society, maybe. What she went through and that decision, however, is extremely admirable and I embrace her with open arms. Caitlyn is beautiful, not merely her outward appearance, but her inner beauty. She has tested her body to the utmost extremes- extremes defining humanity! She can say she was the best in the world! She took her body to the limit and won a gold medal. Now she took her body to another limit in order to outwardly express who she felt she was inside. Go Caitlyn!
There are endless people I could list who stood up for marriage equality. I will go with a short list of some people that touched my heart. The elderly couple that married at nearly 90, George Evans and Jack Harris- 55 years strong, and in Texas no less! Jim Obergefell and his late partner, John Arthur. Barack Obama for being our first president to back gay marriage- and get it passed! My roommate in uni who I had no idea was gay, and her partner. My spa boss in uni and his partner. Most importantly, all of those that suffered at the hands of evil who are unable to see this bill to fruition. We remember: Howard Efland, Terry Knudsen, Robert Allen Taylor, Steven Charles, Charlie Howard, Rebecca Wight, Tommy Lee Trimble, John Lloyd, Brandon Teena, and the hundreds, if not thousands, more!
Here, I will educate. I will share stories to understand those that may be different. I will remind us about the true heroes and true genius. I will not waste my time and effort towards aesthetics- but will challenge our minds, my mind.