Examining Hate, Intolerance & Bigotry

So many people, on both the Right and the Left are talking about bigotry, hate and intolerance.  With equal, human rights at the forefront of recent controversy, there has been an onslaught of charges, with both sides pointing fingers and using these words so often, they have almost lost their meaning.

As someone who has used these words on several occasions, especially against those from the anti-gay Religious Right, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss these words.

For starters, the dictionary definitions:

Bigotry:

1. Stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one’s own.

2. The actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc.

3. The state of mind of a bigot; obstinate and unreasoning attachment of one’s own belief and opinions,   with narrow-minded intolerance of beliefs opposed to them.

4. An attack made to intentionally hurt a group of people because of how or where they were born and/or if they are an unwilling victim of circumstances entirely beyond their control. Attack those who cannot actively change their circumstances.

Hate:

1. To dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest.

2. To feel intense dislike, or extreme aversion or hostility.

Intolerance:

1. Lack of toleration; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs, persons of different races or backgrounds, etc.

2. Incapacity or indisposition to bear or endure: intolerance to heat.

So, with the above definitions, taken from a literal sense, I would conclude that many from the Right, as well as many from the Left are guilty of both hate and intolerance.  When in comes to bigotry however, the Right, especially the Religious Right, holds the license for that.

Unlike those on the Right, the Left isn’t asking anyone to change something they cannot.  The Left isn’t asking those on the Right to change things they can.  The Left is not asking people to give up or change their religion.  The Left is not even asking anyone to change their beliefs.  If people from the Right choose to think homosexuality is a sin, the Left isn’t asking them to stop, they’re simply asking them not to force that belief on those who are on the Left.

Let’s examine this in terms of homosexuality just a little closer.  Many of those who believe homosexuality is a sin are claiming the LGBT community is forcing homosexuality upon them. I strongly disagree.  Gay people are not trying to change constitutions to deny people rights, but those who have adverse beliefs against homosexuality are doing exactly that.  Gay people aren’t trying to “make” anyone gay, but straight people are trying to make gay people straight!  Now think about that for a moment.  If you are straight, could you “choose” to be gay?  It just doesn’t work that way.  I realize there has been a small percentage of people who have been through “reparative therapy” and now consider them self to be ex-gay, but I believe anyone who wants to believe something bad enough can be brainwashed to actually suppress just about anything.  There is a certain percentage of people on this earth who are easily influenced…remember the Reverend Jim Jones and the Guyana Kool-Aid tragedy?  I find this pertinent as well because the LGBT population is not out trying to convince those who believe they are ex-gay of how crazy that very thought is and make them “gay” again. Unlike what those from the Religious Right would like you to believe, we do NOT recruit! Yet, again, those from the Religious Right are trying to change the sexuality of LGBT people which is not a choice. They are asking us to change who we innately are, who we were born as…and yes, the Religious Right is ALWAYS trying to recruit!

Through this, I’ve yet to find anyone from the Religious Right claim that a LGBT person has asked them to change which religion they “CHOOSE” to follow.  Being that sexuality is NOT a choice, asking a gay person to be straight is really no different from asking someone to change the color of their skin or where they were born.  LGBT people do not reject straight people on the basis of their sexuality.  So again, no one from the LGBT community is trying to “force” a lifestyle onto anyone.  We don’t want to enter the bedrooms of others, and we don’t want anyone else entering ours.  I’ve never completely understood the obsession those from the Religious Right has with sexuality.  How does what I do in my bedroom, or who I do it with, affect their life in the least?  So, instead of taking ownership in their feeling, again many claim it’s because of God.  I find it very difficult to believe people from the Religious Right are so concerned about me getting into heaven they feel I am, somehow, their personal responsibility.  I wonder if those same people, who only believe they are going to be accepted into heaven are trying to hard to prevent Buddhist, Taoist, Jews or Muslims from getting married…because according to their doctrine, those other religions sure aren’t going to heaven…and while I’m up on my soapbox about this, I will mention, as I have  time and again, Christianity is NOT the majority religion in the world, so I guess only a minority of the world’s people get into heaven.  I’ve also asked this question before, but think it to be worth reiterating…Should we let the majority religion tell the Christians who or how to worship?

One big difference in “hate” and “intolerance” we find on the Left and the Right however is that the hate and intolerance from the Right is proactive and the hate and intolerance that comes from the Left is reactive.  We’ve all heard the term “for every action there’s a reaction”, well it holds true with hate and intolerance as well.  The Left is simply reacting to the hate and intolerance brought out by the right.  There is no “chicken or the egg” dilemma here.  The Right has continued to demonstrate hate and intolerance towards the LGBT community which has sparked a very strong reaction.  I’m in no way condoning hate or intolerance, but this reaction does not surprise me.  I feel it worth pointing out as well, as in many instances, those on the Left will own up to their hate and intolerance, being responsible for their reactions, the Right does not.  The Right masks there hate and intolerance behind things such as “the sanctity of marriage”, “redefinition of a word” or worse yet, “God”.  The Right simply doesn’t have the balls to come out and say “I hate fags”, but they are very quick to point out that “God hates fags”.

So again, I pose this.  While both sides are guilty of hate and intolerance by the literal meanings, It is only the right who is guilty of bigotry, as people on the left do tolerate those on the right, and DO NOT spend time trying to change them or force them into conformity through laws that limit their civil and human rights. Those on the right are stubbornly and completely intolerant of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from their own, and are continually trying to change them…which, in the true sense of the word, is BIGOTRY!