"Have You Ever Questioned Your Sexuality?"

The first thing I want to do with this blog is wish everyone a happy 2012. I hope 2012 brings everyone many great things and much progression. The title of the blog isn’t me asking you the question, but rather a question that was asked to me at a New Year’s Eve party. The question was an easy one for me to answer as a heterosexual male, but afterwards I thought about how it might not be as easy for everyone. There is no unnecessary pressure on me to ever question my sexuality. Whereas for a homosexual, the pressure of judgment from others might influence them to repress and question their sexuality. This pressure from the outside that forces individuals to question their natural self seems entirely unfair to me.
When I was younger and discussed homosexuality, I really couldn’t decide whether homosexuality was a force of nature or nurture. At that time, I argued that we most likely have to be born with a gay gene encoded, but that the environment triggered it. I ran with that idea for a while but never seemed to be completely satisfied with my answer. However, one night I was asked a question that really rattled me and made me rethink my position on the topic. A young heterosexual woman asked me on that night when I chose to be heterosexual and it occurred to me that it was never a choice for me, but rather I was born this way. It wasn’t as if I sat around with my family over dinner and discussed the benefits and disadvantages of a heterosexual life and a homosexual life. It wasn’t like picking the best college for me to attend. It simply wasn’t a choice, and so why would I ever question it? Why would anyone ever question their sexuality? Yet, it is still a question we are forced to ask because of this unfair treatment toward homosexuals. So, to me, a question like “Have you ever questioned your sexuality” is an useless question because I was born a heterosexual and I’ve never felt any pressure to question it because I live within the norms of society. However, this unfair question is asking homosexuals to choose between the person they actually are and being ridiculed, or choosing to live a lie and be accepted.

Racism Is Not Dead

There is no denying that racism still exists in America and around the world. The argument that racism is dead is tremendously stupid and an argument that should be extinguished. To be fair, I think some people can claim ignorance on the topic. Even as an ethnic minority, I might have been blind to the fact that I was a victim of racism. I ignorantly believed that it would never happen to me or that I was somehow immune to the poison of racism. I only realized I was a victim a few years ago. It took someone I knew and respected to open up my eyes and be more aware of the venomous words and actions of racism. Racist actions probably aren’t as prominent these days which is most likely the reason some crowds assume racism is dead since acts of racism are explicit. These days we need to be much more aware of the words and propaganda of racists.
I became aware that I could be a victim of racism when someone I respected and worked with thought my level of intelligence was lower only because of my ethnicity. My friend’s family owns a business so I went in every summer to make some extra cash while school was out and to help them out. The grandpa of the family is now retired but stops in every summer to help out. The shop uses a lot of temporary workers who are often ethnic minorities. While working I heard the grandpa of the family claim that my friend, his grandson, needed to show that he is smarter and superior to the other workers since they are of lower intelligence only because of their ethnicity. He made no effort to shield his comments from the other workers and it took an open and very blunt comment from someone I respected and thought held me to the highest of standards to open my eyes. This isn’t a detailed report or meant to be a life changing article. I just think minorities of any kind can also be blamed that racism and other acts of hate exist if they are tolerant of it. I wanted to bring that thought to attention.