i mean, what is bigotry, really?

ok so here’s the thing: i’m about to graduate from nursing school in may. throughout the program, we have been told time and time again to be careful what we put online because it can affect us professionally. this kind of scare tactic works so well that a person in my class stresses out about posting a harmless joke because it has the word “asshole” in it. now that we’re in our last semester and getting ready to apply for jobs, people are becoming more aware of what they’re doing online and being more discrete about what they say. i agree that if it’s something frivolous and offensive, then it may not be something you should let prospective employers see. i admit, i say a lot of things that people don’t agree with but if for some reason i don’t get a job or i get fired for who i am and what i stand for, then that’s an organization i probably don’t want to be associated with anyway. there is integrity in the things i say and i won’t be scared into not voicing my opinion.

so here it goes:
bigotry is bullshit. i’m sure i could have found a less offensive or more eloquent way to express that sentiment but it really wouldn’t communicate my exact feelings about the topic. let me say it again–bigotry is bullshit. it doesn’t matter if it’s against black, hispanics, christians, muslims, frenchmen, homosexuals or anything else. i think it’s bullshit.

the idea that this kind of behavior and ideology still goes on in 2012 in America boggles my mind! that you think your opinion of how i should live my life should have any affect on how i actually live my life is completely ludicrous! this delusion that marriage equality is somehow an injustice against family values or christian values not only flies in the face of what this country prides itself on, but it flies in the face of what your religion supposedly teaches and it flies in the face of basic human decency!

now, i understand there’s always room for growth and if it’s a matter of simple ignorance or lack of understanding of other groups of people and there’s a willingness to learn and be more open-minded, please feel free to voice this. however, i unapologetically call all the other bigots and bullies out on their shit.

take a look around you. we’re making changes in the world. and no amount of hatred, violence, fear-mongering and bullying you hurl at us will make us cower under our beds and let you rule our lives. and after we win this gay equality battle, we’ll take on the next.

Below is a video of howard stern discussing the recent events of ellen degeneres and jc penney’s run-ins with one million moms, rosie o’donnell’s problem with letterman and how michele bachmann and rick santorum should be spat on and shunned. enjoy!

oh no, she dih-int: trans rights and girl scout cookies

not that i wasn’t going to buy caramel delites anyway but i’m going to make sure to buy extra (and i’ve been known to order an entire case and more) just for this. isn’t it interesting how the inclusion of minority groups automatically equals injustice against the ruling majority? isn’t it interesting that more often than not, it is trans people who are bullied, victimized, discriminated against and murdered and most people don’t even bat an eye? (more here, here, here, here, and most especially here). isn’t it interesting how the inclusion of a 7-year-old transgirl to the girl scouts is a threat to the safety of a 14-year-old teenaged girl? this little girl and the parents who put her up to this should realize that whatever you put on the internet stays on the internet. she’s on the losing side of this battle and it will be to her detriment when she starts looking for opportunities in a few years and people will remember this act of bigotry. and even then, she will only experience a fraction of what the trans people have to go through.

image source

if you clicked on the “most especially here” link and watched the video, this one should tug at your heartstrings.