Gay people want acceptance – not sympathy
WHILE I am fully accepting of everyone being entitled to an opinion on all matters in life, I was outraged to read the article published on Tuesday 2 May regarding churches not prepared to embrace same-sex marriage. 'The church is very tolerant of people that find themselves in that situation.' First of all, it is not a situation, it is a way of life, no different to a man and woman loving one another.
'We are very sympathetic to those who are in a relationship that is, in some ways, a bit unnatural.'
Can someone please explain to me what is so unnatural about two people loving one another, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Also, gay people do not want sympathy, we want acceptance. We are not freaks, we are not unnatural, we are human beings and deserve to be treated as such.
What would the Rev. Canon Michael Hore's reaction be if I were to ask him 'what made you find yourself in the situation of a straight man, I do sympathise with you'.
I didn't choose to be gay any more than a straight person reading this decided to be straight.
Coming out as gay is a very scary and challenging way of life. It is something that I found extremely hard to accept myself. I lost friends as a result. I also feared losing family.
The negativity and ways that gay people still get described all goes towards people finding it hard to accept themselves as gay. It goes towards people self-harming and, even worse still, committing suicide because of how they feel they will or won't be accepted.
I am not asking for the churches to throw open their doors and hang rainbow flags from the roof tops. What I am asking for is acceptance and to be treated exactly the same way as any other human being.
Gay people still laugh, we still hurt, we still cry, we are still human so please, just respect us as much as you like to be respected.
ADAM CARTWRIGHT-GILL,
Address withheld.
