Bigotry and Discrimination is Still Alive in the South!

Like many of my friends, I have given up hard copies of local newspapers in exchange for the electronic versions. Call it me being Earth-friendly or economical. Whatever!

This morning I logged on to the Knoxville News Sentinel…just one of several papers to which I have a subscription. I waded through a barrage of articles about Vol football, education reform, fires, obituaries, etc. Finally, my eyes were caught by an article titled I’m Proud of My Gay Son.

While I agree it was not the most compelling article from the mother of a gay son. It was something that brightened my day and gave me hope of acceptance that may one day come from my mother.

What I love about reading the paper online is that it also allows for readers to make comments about the articles. The comments are usually rather comical given the area of the country in which I live.

I live in the true south of the United States. I live in an area where farming is still a way of life. Friday nights are still football game nights. Everyone knows your business. My hometown high schools are still rather segregated. (My high school only had 3 black students and no black teachers. The rival high school is 85% black.) The largest building in our town is the First Baptist Church. It is larger than our county courthouse. There is a large percentage of citizens in our county who never received a full high school education.

I bring this up because of the comments made in response to Mrs. Griffo’s article. As suspected, there were many disparaging remarks about homosexuality. One in particular made the following reference:

I would conjecture that this boy’s mom is probably divorced and did not know how to raise a boy to become a man. In all likelihood the boy was sexually traumatized when he was young by either a male or female and it opened up a window in his soul to homosexuality…

It was at that point that I logged in and posted a reply to this fool! Below is what I wrote:

Everyone is entitled to their opinions...I get that. We live in this blessed country known as the United States where it is legal to express our thoughts at free will. I have no problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is your sickening conjecture about Mrs. Griffo's marital status and her ability to raise sons. Since it is obvious that you don't know this woman, I am angered that you believe that single women cannot properly raise their sons to become your definition of a "man." The fact is that many single moms raise their sons to be great men in our society.

My question to you concerns your definition of "men." Are you suggesting that a homosexual male is any less of a man that a heterosexual male?

I also have concerns about your conjecture that Mrs. Griffo's son was likely "sexually traumatized when he was young...and it opened up a window in his soul to homosexuality." How can you even suggest something so disgusting?! Now you are saying that boys who are sexually traumatized grow up to be gay men? According to the American Medical Association, this just is not so.

Here is some evidence against your hypotheses:

1) I grew up in a single-parent household. However, I grew up living with the greatest male role model I know...my father.

2) Even though I grew up without a mother, I had some wonderful female figures in my life...my paternal grandmother and a paternal aunt. (I throw this point in just in case you decide to make an argument of a lack of female figures in my life, too.)

3) I was raised in a wonderfully loving and supportive family that would do anything to protect me.

4) I grew up in a fantastic Southern Baptist church family where I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior when I was a teenager. For the record, He and I talk daily. Thank you!

5) I was NEVER sexually traumatized as a child, teenager, or as an adult.

And here is the last bit for you...I happen to be gay.

That doesn't make me a sexual deviant or promiscuous.
It doesn't make me any less of a man that your definition might suggest.
I am a man who is a productive contributing citizen to this beautiful state of Tennessee.
I am the uncle to 8 beautiful nieces and nephews.
I am a brother.
I am a son.
I am a Christian.
I am an educator.
I am a community volunteer.
I am a Vol fanatic.

I will continue to be me no matter how much discrimination and bigotry I will face in this life. It is not a life I would ever have chosen for myself. This is just me.