December 2nd – It gets better

I never got bullied for being a lesbian when I was young, or for anything else for that matter. I was lucky.

Still, it wasn’t easy coming out to family and friends as a lesbian. I worried a lot about what their reactions might be, as it turned out I worried a lot more than I had any reason to. Again, I consider myself lucky.

Sadly, some young LGBT people aren’t this lucky. Some get bullied for being gay (wheter they are or not) and for some things get so bad that they choose to take their own lives. The It gets better project was started to show LGBT youth what their lives can be like if they hang in there for a while longer, what it can become if they give their life a chance.

It does get better. If you are lucky your family and friends will still love and support you, and if they let you down there is a whole community out there of both LGBT-people and straight people who will be there for you. Give yourself the time to find those worthy of your love… those worthy of your company at christmas.

There are lots of videos on the website, from members of the LGBT-community and from heterosexuals. I find them very moving and right: It gets better.

This is the video that got everything rolling:

And here is one from LGBT-employees at Facebook:

Being gay in Africa

There are several places in this world that I never want to visit. Some because they’re too cold, some because they’re too dangerous for my taste, many because of the way women are treated there and many because of the hostile way gays are treated. Several of these places fall in more than one of the groups, giving me an even better reason to stay away.

These days several countries in Africa seem determined to make it even less tempting for me to spend my money there.

I really can’t understand this fierce hatred against me and anyone else who happens to love a person of their own gender. It’s scary. Facing such hatred, even if it is on video and I’m lucky enough to be in a country where I’m mostly safe from these people, makes me feel a bit green around the gills.

I will encourage everyone to make sure that the organizations they support works for openess, secular education, human rights and laws that protects and ensures equal rights for women and gays all over the world.

You want you money back?

This lady is probably an inspiration for Nina Karin Monsen (local Norwegian religious crackpot). Maybe NKM can demand a return of the money she’s paid into our church tax? Then she can personally donate it to the bishop of Bjørgvin who’s agains such awful things as gay marriage but very into tithing.

Personally I find them all to be loony: the southern baptist lady, NKM and the bishop.

I’ve never regretted leaving the Norwegian state church, and I can’t see myself becoming member of any religious organization ever again.