Confronting Homophobia

August 29, 2010

Confronting Homophobia

I was having my usual Sunday morning conversation with my Mom, and she made me very proud today. She told me that this past week she went to the City pool, which was filled with Seniors. Let me just say my Mom is a senior, but she is a young 71! 70's are the new 50's in my Mom's case, so she probably has little in common with most seniors! My mom is not at the bingo hall & she is not at Norms for the Senior Blue plate special. So I wasn't proud she was at the pool, it's what transpired at the pool that made me proud. A group of men in their 70's were having a conversation and began to speak ill will of the gay community. They were saying how they hated "those dayum Queers", something to that effect. Well my Mom, being the "deadliest" mom there is, ripped these homophobic seniors a new one! She let them know her son was one of those "queers" and "he was more a man than they will ever be." If you know my Mom the way I know my mom, well just say these old fellas pacemakers had to be on overdrive.

I have learned from my mom to always confront people if they are being out of line. It's one of the best traits I have gotten from my mom, because nobody will belittle or talk down to me. I confront people on a daily basis about their racism, homophobia, or just plain old rudeness. I applaud my mom for being a true LGBT Rights Leader. Of course groups like GLAAD or HRC are very necessary and do help to confront homophobia, but it is the little things like my mom did that make the biggest difference. My mom is a silent hero who will not get the accolades someone like Kathy Griffin or an Ellen might get, but she is the true hero. In a world of cowardliness like the in the closet Queen Latifah, and the just out the closet Ricky Martin - it is time to give credit to people like my mom who make the real difference in the lives of LGBT. I LOVE YOU MOM!!