oprah says...

Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.



and matthew says: replace "racism" and "sexism" with "homophobia" and "bigotry."


i, for one, believe that we, as a minority, are innately excellent. seriously! that probably sounds terrible, but listen... i don't know if it's in our DNA or if it's a coping/evolutionary mechanism, but many of the greatest contributors to philosophy, to science, and to art were homos, or at least alleged homos (in which cases there was usually cause for the assumption). i've read studies that show same-sex couples are excellent parents, based on the socialization, aggression, and intelligence of their children in comparison with their peers. gay men have long been known, and scientifically recognized, as being more compassionate, more sensitive, and more aesthetically inclined than other men. it's science, people. get with it.

along this vein, a wise man once said, "homosexuality is God's way of ensuring that the truly gifted aren't burdened with children." that man's name was sam austin. i have no idea who he is, and i don't have time to google him, because i'm busy not writing a paper i should be writing. but i know he is wise, because that quotation supports my thesis.

over time, the divisions of sexuality will no longer remain as strong. the homophobes of yesterday will be the colleagues and even the fans of tomorrow. the savvy businessman will be able to tell his clients about his same-sex wedding. talented artists will continue to be successful while at the same time being open about their sexuality. it's happening now, day by day. slowly, but it will continue.


the unnerving part about all this is that it requires something extra from us. it requires you to actually be excellent. to live up to your potential. to pursue your talent. to rise above oppression. to rise above repression, for that matter.

is it fair that some of us may have to try harder to get to the same place? no. but the playing field wasn't level for oprah, either. nor was succeeding in corporate america always fair for martha stewart. [editor's note: u know how i know ur gay? u read martha stewart's blog. ...oh wait, that's me. but it's such a good blog! it's in my links, over there -->] some of us will have to try harder to fit in among "the big boys." some of us will have to work more diligently to keep a squeaky-clean public image, in order to be above reproach. so these are the cards we've been dealt. let's play them.



EXCELLENCE is the best deterrent to homophobia and bigotry.


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