The 'Suppression' of Homosexuals, Joel Burns

I have often noted (to myself mostly) that the oppression of homosexuals is a unique form of oppression. As a society, and especially in the mid-west, we are still trying to figure out what we think about the morality of homosexuality. In general we refuse to talk about issues of sexuality in any sort of forum that is unbiased and free of political agenda or religious fervor.

Directly or indirectly young gay men and women are forced to keep any and all feelings of homosexuality inside. This is otherwise known as the "closet".

Hence, why in my mind, the oppression of homosexuals is more of a suppression.

This is just so dangerous. Everything about our society that creates a need for the closet has to change. That doesn't mean that you have to agree that homosexuality is "right" or not a sin but it does mean that you hate with all your might any rhetoric, tone, or method that might make a young teenager hang himself in his back yard because "what he feels" is wrong without ever being able to discuss it openly and freely to figure out just what it is that he is feeling.

What conservative right winged evangelicals who openly and loudly call homosexuality evil, wrong, and sin need to stop and think deeply about is how their rhetoric and methods are creating a climate that says bullying is okay and causing young people to think of themselves as evil and wrong. When in fact the very Bible that so many look to to become so confident that homosexuality is a sin says that we are ALL created in the image of God, that Jesus died and was resurrected as a display of how much he loves ALL of humanity, and that each of us (young and old) have the potential and capacity be awesome, even Christ like.

So think hard, think hard about any sort of rhetoric and methodology of preaching that creates bullying of young homosexuals and a climate that makes young people first turn inside and hide, and then eventually escape completely by taking their own lives.

I am only 21, how could I all ready have such a complicated issue like homosexuality figured out to the point that I can deem it with absolute certainty evil and a sin?

But what I do know with the up most certainty from the bottom of my heart is that creating and perpetuating a society that suppresses young people to the point that they are committing suicide at an alarming rate is absolutely positively evil and a sin.

All of these comments were inspired by this clip. This guys is a courageous and brave man to risk his political career to stand up to a terrible climate of suppression plaguing are American society.

And here is great article by Jim Wallis (modern day prophet to some, heretic to others) on his take on bullying and homosexuality.