Dear Homophobic Facebook Friend

Subject: Dear Homophobic Facebook Friend
Date: 15 Sep 2016

I scrolled past your Facebook post to the disgust that a human being could repost a video about a public torture/execution of a gay man in Africa with hateful words stating that gays should deserve that punishment. I can't restate what you said, since it was so evil and insensitive but I also couldn't believe that 2 hours into your post, none of your 3000 Facebook friends replied with a single comment. Unfortunately, in our day and age, we always feel so safe not projecting our voices about what is right and wrong for someone else, with the fear that the comment would be retaliated with embarrassment or our own insecurities. I could confess that for a moment after seeing your post, I felt the same way. But I sat on it for a couple of minutes before replying "That's f*cked up", to which your response was simply "Oh Well". I was so suddenly filled with anger and sadness in a way that impacted me so much more than I realized. I have been exposed to negativity before during my whole 20 years of life, but it has never fueled me the way your ignorance did.

One thing I know for sure that you understand is death. Hundreds of innocent black men are killed week by police officers. As a black man yourself, I'm sure it hit you at home. I'm sure you wouldn't dare post online how humorous you find that to be, regardless if you feel that way or not. Yet somehow, a black man that is being innocently tortured and killed for being gay is such a different story to you. You don't see them as an equivalent human being. Well you should know that they were also BORN THAT WAY. Do you have any respect for a human life? It just hurts me so much that you will never try to understand how much your ignorance affects people. I know there are really great people out there, and also a lot of bad ones. It scares me a lot to know that I will put children into this world without at least attempting to make this world a better place in my eyes. I'm not exactly sure why I feel so passionately about this one thing but it's consuming me to the point that I am wide awake at 3am because I cant sleep thinking about this and I have forced myself to put this on the internet anyway that I could possibly do without the ignorant backlash that you're used to giving. I have vented to many many of our peers about what you have said, yet everyone seems to reply with "you can't change anyone". Well, I'm not trying to change you. I just refuse to let you feel confident publicly exuding your ignorance. I deleted you as a Facebook "friend" so I wouldn't have to witness anymore of what you say but I just really want you to know that you're hurting many people with or without knowing.

It kills me to say this but you are not the only homophobic person out there. Our reality is that many people aren't accepting of the gay community. Some of the best people I've ever met in my life is gay. Sexuality doesn't define anyone. Being gay isn't abnormal. Being straight isn't "pure and perfect".

I am a straight woman myself feeling this way because one day, my child may come to me and come out of the closet. I would hate for them to be in a world where they could potentially see your unwanted feedback about them.

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