A Short and Simple Thought Regarding Sexual Equality

 If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act III.i

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For centuries, the idea of homosexuality created havoc within religious communities and became a sort of taboo in society. Yesterday, I wrote a short blog on equality between men and women. It did not occur to me how I have, for a moment, forgot those who are still fighting to be recognized in their own rightfully chosen genders. Homosexuals have now taken over the fight for equality which women have previously done. Although the legal system of today’s society is much more keen to listen to these types of protest, conservatism still plays a big role in its deliverance. We have been taught, after all, from infancy that there are only two types of gender: male and female. This idea, of course, did not merely pop out of nowhere. Religions of all sorts were persistent in branding it as a sin against the omnipotent one and it was only recently that some churchs have actually opened their doors to the gay community. Funny how the word gay have devolved from being positive to something negatively degrading.

I admit, I am one of those people who frequently uses the word as a form of joke to my male friends. However, I refrain from using it as a form of disrespect for I, myself, know how it feels like to be discriminated upon. You know it’s time to draw a line when photos of actual people of no relation to you whatsoever are used as a mean for public spectacle. Yes, it may be amusing. Yes, it may be funny. Yes, those people don’t know their pics are being circulated like freaks in a circus. Regardless of these notions, somebody’s face and reputation is still being harmed in the process.

 
The Postive Space Bulletin Board at my campus was previously arsonated as a form of hate crime against homosexuality

If we all live on the same earth and breathe the same air, then why is it that equality is so hard to attain? The answer is simple: human nature prevents us from doing so. Even Shakespeare himself contemplated on this issue in his play, The Merchant of Venice, through the character of Shylock:

hath [we all] not… eyes… not… hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal’d by the same means, warm’d and cool’d by the same winter and summer…

Certainly, the bard gives no evidence to Shylock’s homosexuality; however, I think this passage and the issues it raises regarding equality is proper for this topic. In a sense, Shylock is a microcosmic evidence of a highly discriminating society. It is then important to note that even though humans are made uniquely different fby  junk DNAs, we should never forget we all carry the same body parts and bodily functions. Male, female, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, transsexual, transgendered or not, we are all different and similar at the same time. The social norms of today may seem quite difficult to abolish. Nevertheless, change has never been impossible nor inevitable to attain. The time will come for complete positive space. It may not be now, not tomorrow, or even the day after that. But if women are able to attain equal rights as men, then so can anybody else.

Hi, I‘m Mikhaela Ajon and I proudly support positive space.

That is all.
Adieu.