In most every culture, heteronormative values are everywhere you look, so the idea that a gay friend is imposing upon you by merely mentioning their life is hypocrisy. Straight people have been imposing their heterosexuality on me for past 55 years. 

The idea that “the gays are recruiting” is ludicrous. From birth, gay kids are subjected to and are exposed to a myriad of images promoting, encouraging, and expecting heterosexuality. Who’s grooming whom? Gay kids watch thousands of tv shows and movies and read thousands of books containing straight characters, yet they still grow up gay, despite the heterosexual agenda. But some parents are still terrified that little Timmy will read just one book where a turtle has two dads and he’s going to wake up the next day and ask Tommy to the prom. That’s just silly! 

If you are straight and have gay friends and you just tolerate them, but you don’t want them to ever be gay or act gay in front of you, then I guarantee you, those folks aren’t really your friends. They may tolerate you, but they aren’t your friends, not really. They know that you could never truly love and accept them for who they are. Don’t think they think otherwise, you’d be lying to yourself. 

If you’ve been following my blog, my very first post, “Mourning the Dead”, I introduced you all to Sister/Friend.  If you haven’t read that post, you may want to do so now. Ever since Sister/Friend accused me of imposing my gayness on her, I have been wondering if I did or not. I don’t believe that I did. In fact, she should have felt honored that I felt comfortable enough with her to disclose parts of my life that I wouldn’t necessarily share with anyone I didn’t fully trust.  I trusted Sister/Friend, because that’s what real friends do.  She destroyed that trust. I’m curious, do you feel this post is an imposition? I suppose that some will, and some won’t.

Now, you may very well feel that I have an agenda. Do I have an agenda? Absolutely! It’s very simple. I want you to treat me, and everyone really, in the same manner in which you expect to be treated. I’m rather naive in that way. I always have been. I’ve never understood why we can’t all hold hands and sing Kumbaya. I am sure it will be my undoing. 

Furthermore, and in furtherance of my “agenda”, as a citizen of the United States of America, I do not want my constitutional rights infringed upon because we hold differing points of view. I want the same Freedom to pursue Happiness as you have. As long as my happiness, or your happiness for that matter, doesn’t interfere with the happiness or rights of another, I don’t see the problem, do you? 

Let’s leave your religious beliefs out of this equation. As an American, I could care less if your church, or any church, recognizes my rights as a United States citizen or not. My civil rights and your religion are mutually exclusive and no one’s religious beliefs should dictate another’s rights as defined by the law of the land, nor should the church be able to infringe upon my constitutional rights of Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. 

And that, my dear friends, is the gay agenda! We just want what every other American has. Oh, and we’d like it ever so much if you would show some tolerance, learn acceptance, acknowledge our right to exist in the world, try a little understanding, and perhaps learn to celebrate the diversity of the human condition with us. No more, no less. 

Upon further reflection, and back to the previous topic of Sister/Friend’s accusation that “all you talk about is being gay”, I had to ask myself, is my discourse inherently gay? I imagine Sister/Friend thought the conversation was gay, gay, gay, gay, gay because Sister/Friend is intolerant and I am proud of who I am, and perhaps more importantly, I am happy. 

Indeed, I am happier today than I have ever been. I love. I am loved. I have circle of friends whom I consider my family of choice and, as families should, they love and support me unconditionally. 

I live my life authentically. I live my life out, loud, and proud! My life is fagtastic and fagulous, dahling. Will the retelling and recounting of important events in my life seem gay to others? Yes, my discourse will inherently seem gay at times. As. It. Should. 

I am gay. I am unapologetically, and unabashedly, unashamed. However, gay is not all that I am. I am more than capable of discourse on a variety of topics. I believe there is a balance, but if you think I should feel ashamed to be gay, or you expect me to hide my little gay light under a bushel, well... this little light of mine... I’m gonna let it shine! Let it shine… let it shine… let it shine!