In case you missed it, it seems that a large number of folk in France dislike the whole subject of gays and homosexuality. They would prefer their children not be taught about the differences in people.
Isn’t it amazing how fast news goes around the world?
We’ve come such a long way in just a few short years. Seems that way anyway.
After the first plane hit one of the twin towers back in 2001, most of the world tuned in to watch the second one hit, in real time. Reactions were mixed: most folk were horrified. Some actually shot their guns off into the air, rejoicing.
No wonder newspapers are having a hard time of it, and struggling to stay afloat. In an instant-gratification, instant-access world, the fate of the traditional news rag is to stand as an anachronistic beacon; a signpost to another, calmer era.
Who knew that when the internet became available, the thoughts and trends of faraway countries would transmit to those of us in the U.S. and Canada, in the blink of an eye? Who knew that libraries too would become dusty relics, at a time when Google provided access to all of the information you could possibly need or want? About anything!
I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. All of this has been obvious for a while. I’m just struck by the effects of the increased access to knowledge, to news, and now to culture.
Living in Toronto, I find I’m used to the presence of multiple cultures involving nationalities and sexualities. Every summer we have food weekends, which celebrate Greece or Italy (and a host of others, I’m sure).
Like many large cities, we also have Gay Pride week, which also involves at least two parades.
I’m used to a culture of tolerance here. So it seems surprising when I read about what’s going on in France, and how gay marriage has been enshrined in law, despite the outrage of many of its citizens.
Not so surprising, given Russia’s autocratic supposedly he-man leader (the great, the wonderful, the amazing, the virile and often shirtless Vlad – the Vladimir – Putin) is the anti-gay culture enshrined in that society. A culture which promotes a passive acknowledgement and appreciation of anti-gay violence, while hypocritically giving lip service to a decidedly tepid tolerance of gays.
Despite Toronto’s enshrined tolerance, there are a few conservative newspapers which (unwittingly? unintentionally?) provide a forum in that same city for those who find gays disgusting.
“I don’t want to hear about what they do with each other’s penises”. Trust me – no one does. Just as no one wants to know about how your grandfather services your grandmother. But then again – that’s a red herring, isn’t it? Of all of the gay people I know, not one of them has ever expressed any interest in vocalizing any details about their nightly romantic escapades. (Not that I’ve asked, mind you). But then, I don’t ask my hetero friends about how much hot wax their girlfriends poured on their naughty bits either.
The intolerant in our society are barking about what gays do with each other, but this isn’t information based upon what gay folk are actually saying to straights. It seems to be mostly based upon what they imagine gays are doing to each other beneath the sheets.
This aversion to the gay culture stems from religious intolerance. Religion has always had a problem with sexuality in general though. Ask a preacher about masturbation and watch the sparks fly.
When I was entering adolescence, I didn’t know who to turn to, so I asked my Baptist preacher about it. You never saw a face turn so quickly turn red. After mumbling a few words about “the sin of Onan”, he shut the door. He just couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.
Back then, we didn’t have Google or the internet, so I had to search elsewhere to find out what he was talking about. (You, on the other hand, had full access to Google, so have it. I won’t explain it here. Search phrase: “sin of Onan” “spilling seed”).
I could lay all of the angst about sexuality at the feet of religion, and I supposed I’d probably be correct in doing so. The sad fact though is that change and acceptance goes largely unappreciated, as part of the human condition. It goes beyond mere religion.
We like things to stay the way they are. We like our values to be static. Right is right and wrong is wrong. We cheerfully rejoice when a thief is jailed, and even more so when we learn that someone in a far away land has been hung for his crimes. Some of us don’t even mind when we hear about a thief having his hand chopped off. We’re not really interested in the sick child he had at home, or in any of the circumstances which precipitated his crime.
There was a time when it was acceptable to own slaves, or to treat people with different coloured skin differently. It took a long time to change all of that – and it didn’t happen without a lot of blood being shed first.
Seems almost crazy to think that there are still evolving cultures out there where people still have to stay in the closet, or hide their nationality. You’d think that with the advent of the internet, we’d all come together and cast off our prejudices.
The Olympics has given us yet an opportunity to do so. Putin’s announcements and laws about homosexuality has given him somewhat of a Pyrrhic victory, as he has opened the door to discussion, to debate, and to protest.
Cities around the world are raising the gay pride flag, in support of the Olympics and in support of the gays who participate, and in support of the gays who live in fear in Russia. Those with entrenched hatred of gays are complaining loudly about it. This includes our Toronto mayor, who is vehemently protesting, and trying to get the Pride flag removed.
“I’ve done everything I can to ge the Canadian flag back up” he said. What he didn’t say was that a Canadian flag had not actually been removed.
I have to admit that it’s fun to see genuine hypocrisy hard at work. One has to tweak logic pretty hard on the nose in order to get it to support one’s prejudice.
Someday, the brotherhood of man will be understood and embraced. Until then, we’ll continue to have mobs, and lynchings and wars.
Still, there’s a catharsis in knowing that the fight for tolerance is persistent. No matter how badly folk want people to shut up about it, it’s just not going away.
View from a Wolf 