Oh Dear.

[boobsforme]

I am really sick of seeing people play the "oppression olympics" when it comes to gays vs. blacks vs. women. Because there certainly aren't any black lesbians or anything in the world amirite lol????//
I think that oppression is like, well... a box of chocolates (not in the same way that Forest Gump's mother would compare a box of chocolates to life, but humor me with this).

All oppression is different; hate comes in different shapes and sizes, but essentially, it is hate nevertheless. Gay's fight for civil rights is not the same as PoC's or women's, or whathaveyou. None of the said groups' fight for civil rights is the same, nor has any of their fights ended either. However, that doesn't mean that either groups' suffering and injustice is invalidated or insignificant in comparison to another's. I suppose people seem to think this is so because of California Prop 8 opposors spontaneously protesting and fighting for gay's equality quickly as if this is their highest priority. It isn't so, in such a way. People are immediatly counterattacking this because it is an opportunity, not because they like gay people more or anything like that. It is an opportunity to stop the nation from openly stepping backwards on equality instead of moving forward. It is to send a message that hate should no longer be tolerated in this world/time, while simultaneously trying to save a fundamental right for a minority. I don't think gay's rights is more or less important than women's rights, or race's rights, or whatever other minority that is still being oppressed out there. It's all important, and I think it's important to stop oppression where and when we can swiftly and overwhelmingly do so when the opportunity presents itself. It's not about priorities, it's about fighting the good fight for PEOPLE. Not just for race, sex, sexuality, etc. We're all people, and we all feel pain.

That aside, how about some actual journal type-entry.

I spent all day babysitting both of my nephews. One of them, Seth, was here because Marissa's brother-in-law committed suicide a few days ago. He jumped off the Crystal Springs bridge, leaving his wife and his daughter behind. I feel sad that the only response my sister Katie could think of to say is, "two down," in reference to Marissa's ex-husband also committing suicide last year.


On a lighter note, I'm going to try and go to the nation-wide Join the Impact protest in San Jose, and maybe San Fran, if I can. I hope you can too.

Comments

[kamesen24.livejournal.com]

Like I've said before...the most effective way to come up with any sort of solution in all of this is to first put aside our hatred and bitterness.

In a bout of hypocrisy now, I will say that your sister seems like an insensitive bitch. Perhaps it's just how she chooses to cope with such a tragedy though.

[feeleetfut.livejournal.com]

The one similarity between the fight for women/blacks' rights is the fact that they were a repressed group of people who, over time, became an accepted [for the most part] part of society. It's one of the things that, when looked at without trying to make exact connections, is almost hopeful in it's own right. Amongst the passing of Prop 8 and of course the oppression that still comes today, I do believe we're close to reaching that point of acceptance. It may take a little more time, but the fact that marriage was even allowed in CA for the short period that it was is just a monumental step on it's own, even if it didn't last. I'm sure more instances of gay marriage becoming allowed in other states will follow in the near future; Most decisions like this aren't left to the public vote, anyhow, and it seems like a majority of politicians are apprehensive to letting a law such as banning gay marriage/restricting their rights in some way or another be decided by the masses after what happened with Prop 8 and the whole adoption ban in whatever state that was.