Journal

two days after last quarter
october 11, 2001 ~ 9:34 p.m.

So last night, me and some people from the GLBT alliance got together to chalk the campus for National Coming Out Day. First we painted the rock, this big rock that periodically is repainted by some group or another, last time I think it was the Girl's Volleyball Team, and the tradition is to do it in the middle of the night so the next day it's just painted different. So we painted it in rainbow colors and did a trangle on the side. Then we took our bucket of chalk all over campus, writing things like "What colors are in your closet?", "Pride", "National Coming Out Day", "Come out, come out wherever you are", "God loves homos", "We're here, we're queer, get used to it", "Don't fear the queer", etc., plus lots of trangles and lesbian, gay, hetero, and transgender symbols.

But today, after admiring our work on the rock and the sidewalks, entering one of the buildings we'd chalked in front of, a sign in the glass of the door caught my eye: I think it was the word "lifestyle" that I noticed first. After skimming the sign for a few horrified seconds, I tore it down and took it to show my friends. It was your typical anti-queer ranting, complete with words like "unrighteous" and "ungodly". Jesus, please save me from your followers.

I know they were mostly objecting to the chalkings that quoted the bible to argue against anti-queer rhetoric. I was not particularly enthralled with those chalkings anyway, considering I don't care one way or another if the bible says it's sin. Of course, what we chalked was that gays are no more sinners than anyone else, since everyone sins, which is true according to Christian theology. But what the homophobes said in reply was that the bible tells us to "turn away from our ungodly lifestyles." Somehow I doubt that they've given up mixing two types of cloth and eating non-kosher food; why are the supposed rules against homosexuality any more important?

Here's the bible passage they suggested we read, from the Revised Standard Version:

"16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another." (Galatians 5:16-26)

So my question is, what is the difference between queer "desires of the flesh" and hetero "desires of the flesh"? This passage doesn't differentiate between queers and heteros, it just says that all sexual desires are wrong, or at least wrong to act on. And it also says that there is no law against love. Kind of an odd passage to cite. I would think they'd quote Leviticus 18:22 or some other passage that more clearly applies to queers.

Of course, that's not the point: the point is, I'm fucking PISSED. I really don't need some conservative Christians telling me I'm a sinner. Even if I was Christian, I certainly wouldn't be trying to obey every supposed law in the book, and since I'm not, I just don't care what they think is sin and what they think their god would or wouldn't approve of.

The point is, there is no concievable reason why queerness would be wrong -- what exactly is bad about someone being physically and emotionally attracted to their own gender? How is that wrong? How is it harmful, to us queers or the rest of the world? Love is never wrong. Can't they understand that?

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