Homophobia as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary is a irrational
fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or
homosexuals.
Incident #1:
Last summer the Membership Coordinator Amanda Geske asked me if I
would take chalk and place an advertisement for the openings we had on
the front sidewalk. She instructed me to use the exact wording from
our website so that there would not be any inconsistencies. I did as
she asked. One evening I was out on the front porch with Ian and Rhea
and Ken came directly over to me and stood uncomfortably close to me
and asked me in a authoritative tone if I was the one who had placed
the advertisement on the front sidewalk.Anyone in the house could have
placed that advertisement on the front sidewalk. I feel as if Ken saw
the wording which contained LGBTQ and assumed I had been the one who
had done it. I was not involved in the creation of that wording
whatsoever.I was not promoting anything nor was I trying to provoke
anyone. I was simply doing as the Membership Coordinator had
instructed me.I was extremely frightened and was shaking, I was
instantly thrust into survival mode. I told him that if he had a
problem with the advertisement that the person he should talk to was
Amanda. Rhea and Ian stood there silently. When Ken left and went back
inside. Both Ian and Rhea apologized to me for not responding to his
aggressive behavior.
Incident #2:
In 2000, President Bill Clinton proclaimed June to be Gay and Lesbian
Pride Month in the United States. Last summer I hung a rainbow
windsock from our patio awning in celebration of Gay and Lesbian Pride
Month. I was standing on the front porch with both Brit and Brittany
and Ken asked me if I had been the one who had hung the rainbow
windsock from the patio awning. I replied yes. Both Brit and Brittany
are queer individuals and it is possible that they themselves could
have hung up the rainbow windsock for the very same reason I had. Ken
however did not ask them he instead directly asked me. I was not
trying to promote anything or provoke anyone. I was simply celebrating
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month which a leader of our country had created
in the home in which I live. Given the negative responses I have
received from the sidewalk advertisement and the windsock I have been
made to feel as if any outward display of anything LGBTQ in nature is
unacceptable in my very own home. I have since removed all items LGBTQ
in nature that I own from common areas except for the windsock because
I feel that these items provoke a negative response from Ken which
makes me feel unsafe to express my queer identity in my very own home.
I re-hung the windsock only because Cori Mattli had requested me to.
Incident #3
I arrived home from celebrating Chicago PrideFest with Jeff Rolling a
former queer member of the house on Monday, I had left that previous
Saturday. Sometime afterward I was on the front porch relaxing and
thoroughly enjoying my day when once again Ken walks up to me and
stands uncomfortably close to me and in the same authoritative tone
asks me if I was the one who had switched the light switch cover in
the fist floor common area or living/dinning room. He was very
obviously upset and expressed his discomfort with the new light switch
plate cover and said that he was going to immediately remove it and
replace it with the previous light switch cover. Once again I was made
to feel unsafe, I was shaking with fear and in survival mode. I told
him I was not the one who had changed the light switch cover. Once
again I feel Ken linked me to an item which he perceived as homosexual
in nature and the nature of this item made him very uncomfortable. I
went inside to discover a light switch cover with the statue of David
on it with the light switch protruding from the statue's pelvic area.
Obviously simulating a penis. I had been in Chicago from that previous
Saturday until that previous Monday and so it is highly unlikely I
could have been the one to have switched the light switch plate cover
given I was in another state entirely over that entire weekend. I
later found out that a heterosexual male had actually replaced the
light switch cover. I had no involvement whatsoever with the purchase
or placement of this item.
After this encounter with Ken I went to Picnic Point. I go there when
I feel emotionally upset because it's beautiful there and it calms me.
I was upset because it is the behavior like Ken has displayed that
causes millions of queer individuals across the globe to take their
own lives. They are made to feel unsafe and unworthy of existing
because of behavior like this. I was also upset because I know that
there is no way possible I could save them all. I'm loosing people in
my community everyday because of behavior like this and I feel
helpless. The only way I know to combat behavior like this is to
continue existing as the proud queer individual that I am.
I would also like to add that I feel unsafe in my own home because of
this behavior. I live here in fear. Several heterosexual males have
told me that Ken would never physically hurt anyone and that I
shouldn't be worried. They are not homosexual and therefore have no
way of knowing the extent of the fear I experience as a queer
individual.
It is because of my experiences with Ken, without hesitation,
associating me with LGBTQ or homosexual perceived items with which I
have had little or no involvement and how they cause him great
discomfort that I believe the above definition of homophobia applies
to the behavior he has displayed.
fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or
homosexuals.
Incident #1:
Last summer the Membership Coordinator Amanda Geske asked me if I
would take chalk and place an advertisement for the openings we had on
the front sidewalk. She instructed me to use the exact wording from
our website so that there would not be any inconsistencies. I did as
she asked. One evening I was out on the front porch with Ian and Rhea
and Ken came directly over to me and stood uncomfortably close to me
and asked me in a authoritative tone if I was the one who had placed
the advertisement on the front sidewalk.Anyone in the house could have
placed that advertisement on the front sidewalk. I feel as if Ken saw
the wording which contained LGBTQ and assumed I had been the one who
had done it. I was not involved in the creation of that wording
whatsoever.I was not promoting anything nor was I trying to provoke
anyone. I was simply doing as the Membership Coordinator had
instructed me.I was extremely frightened and was shaking, I was
instantly thrust into survival mode. I told him that if he had a
problem with the advertisement that the person he should talk to was
Amanda. Rhea and Ian stood there silently. When Ken left and went back
inside. Both Ian and Rhea apologized to me for not responding to his
aggressive behavior.
Incident #2:
In 2000, President Bill Clinton proclaimed June to be Gay and Lesbian
Pride Month in the United States. Last summer I hung a rainbow
windsock from our patio awning in celebration of Gay and Lesbian Pride
Month. I was standing on the front porch with both Brit and Brittany
and Ken asked me if I had been the one who had hung the rainbow
windsock from the patio awning. I replied yes. Both Brit and Brittany
are queer individuals and it is possible that they themselves could
have hung up the rainbow windsock for the very same reason I had. Ken
however did not ask them he instead directly asked me. I was not
trying to promote anything or provoke anyone. I was simply celebrating
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month which a leader of our country had created
in the home in which I live. Given the negative responses I have
received from the sidewalk advertisement and the windsock I have been
made to feel as if any outward display of anything LGBTQ in nature is
unacceptable in my very own home. I have since removed all items LGBTQ
in nature that I own from common areas except for the windsock because
I feel that these items provoke a negative response from Ken which
makes me feel unsafe to express my queer identity in my very own home.
I re-hung the windsock only because Cori Mattli had requested me to.
Incident #3
I arrived home from celebrating Chicago PrideFest with Jeff Rolling a
former queer member of the house on Monday, I had left that previous
Saturday. Sometime afterward I was on the front porch relaxing and
thoroughly enjoying my day when once again Ken walks up to me and
stands uncomfortably close to me and in the same authoritative tone
asks me if I was the one who had switched the light switch cover in
the fist floor common area or living/dinning room. He was very
obviously upset and expressed his discomfort with the new light switch
plate cover and said that he was going to immediately remove it and
replace it with the previous light switch cover. Once again I was made
to feel unsafe, I was shaking with fear and in survival mode. I told
him I was not the one who had changed the light switch cover. Once
again I feel Ken linked me to an item which he perceived as homosexual
in nature and the nature of this item made him very uncomfortable. I
went inside to discover a light switch cover with the statue of David
on it with the light switch protruding from the statue's pelvic area.
Obviously simulating a penis. I had been in Chicago from that previous
Saturday until that previous Monday and so it is highly unlikely I
could have been the one to have switched the light switch plate cover
given I was in another state entirely over that entire weekend. I
later found out that a heterosexual male had actually replaced the
light switch cover. I had no involvement whatsoever with the purchase
or placement of this item.
After this encounter with Ken I went to Picnic Point. I go there when
I feel emotionally upset because it's beautiful there and it calms me.
I was upset because it is the behavior like Ken has displayed that
causes millions of queer individuals across the globe to take their
own lives. They are made to feel unsafe and unworthy of existing
because of behavior like this. I was also upset because I know that
there is no way possible I could save them all. I'm loosing people in
my community everyday because of behavior like this and I feel
helpless. The only way I know to combat behavior like this is to
continue existing as the proud queer individual that I am.
I would also like to add that I feel unsafe in my own home because of
this behavior. I live here in fear. Several heterosexual males have
told me that Ken would never physically hurt anyone and that I
shouldn't be worried. They are not homosexual and therefore have no
way of knowing the extent of the fear I experience as a queer
individual.
It is because of my experiences with Ken, without hesitation,
associating me with LGBTQ or homosexual perceived items with which I
have had little or no involvement and how they cause him great
discomfort that I believe the above definition of homophobia applies
to the behavior he has displayed.
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