Tolerance Is What You Make Of It

TOLERANCE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT:

HOW A NATIONS'S ETHICAL PERIPHERAL VISION CAN AND SHOULD WIDEN FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAY AND LESBIAN RELATIONSHIPS/MARRIAGES

BY: MATT BLALOCK

COLLEGE WRITING

To whom it may concern,

Please know that when I address "to whom it may concern", it truly means "to those who are TOO concerned". I do not need "to whom it may concern" with the exception of it being a legitimate letter heading. What should one be so concerned about? It may not even be a huge concern to some. Instead, it's become a natural fear. For years, homosexuality has been a horror for some members of the Christian community, affiliated members of supremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi Socialist party, and many others who find the actions of homosexuals to be "strange and disgusting" in some way. Acting as though they had just viewed as a very gory horror movie, they give sneers, cringe their faces into uncomfortable wrinkles, offer verbal insults, or simply dodge anything in sight that shows any sign of "faggotry" or "dykism". The fear has been placed in the minds of such people as homosexuality has evolved from a quiet dormancy into a cultural phenomenon. Homosexuality is no longer viewed as an "abnormality" as thought in the past. What was once considered "queer" has become integrated in the common population. The psychological community may attribute the passionate discourse they express to an inferiority complex or hidden sexual repression, but a more common and accessible explanation can be seen: lack of tolerance through close-mindedness.

Despite the thoughts of some people, homosexuality is definitely not a "fad" or "trend" for the current times. In fact, homosexuality dates back to the great ancient times when the Greek military had assembled militias of gay soldiers. This built morale for protecting one another, and needless to say, looking back on the reputation of the Greek empire implies some success. However, in the later years, it was not well received. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (otherwise known as the DSM by those who work with it in the psychiatric community), which creates the guidelines in which a doctor may declare a patient "mental ill", once considered homosexuality a mental disorder severe enough to admit a patient into a mental health facility. The writers of the guideline had stated that homosexuals produced unnatural gender role confusion and therefore had to be separated from society. Such separation could be linked to Christian centers used currently for "de-gaying" homosexuals with faith in the church. Needless to say, GREAT advances have been made in the field of psychiatry as homosexuality was removed as an unhealthy diagnosis thanks to a psychologist's plebiscite given in 1973. Unfortunately, it wasn't the end of the persecution faced by homosexuals in society. In the late 1960'a more and more gay communities formed in metropolitan areas and gay bars were established for social interaction. Alas, surrounding communities often had