Learning things

I miss writing here sometimes. But only sometimes. A few months ago I wrote a LiveJournal entry about atheism that was taken out of context by a friend, and now we're not friends anymore. Since then I haven't been okay with putting myself out there. At least not to the same extent that I used to. Losing a friend because of LiveJournal is something that shouldn't happen once you've graduated high school. I'm too old for that.

I've been lucky. Some of my friends have had classmates and ex-boyfriends/ex-girlfriends find their diaries or journals. That hasn't happened to me. And most of my friends are understanding of the things I write. They don't take them out of context or anything like that. So I was surprised when finally happened. After a little back-and-forth on LiveJournal with my used-to-be friend, I realized that I don't have the patience or the time for stuff like that (i.e., back-and-forths on LiveJournal), so I shut it down. I learned that sometimes you can't trust people to be understanding.

Something else I learned: you can't give blood if you've had sex with a hemophiliac in the past year. I've been wanting to give blood for years now but haven't because I don't like blood. I finally got the courage a few months ago and went in to give with a friend. I was both disappointed and relieved when I found out that I couldn't give. But if my boyfriend and I break up, I can give in a year. Which doesn't make sense to me. I can't give because I'm having sex with a hemophiliac. Because he might have gotten a blood transfusion for his hemophilia, he might have AIDS. Because he might have AIDS, I might have AIDS. But if I have sex with someone who has had homosexual sex, I can't give. Period.

I hope I get to see an America that's not 68% homophobic before I die. I'd really like that. I've been hearing homophobes say things like, "I don't like being called a homophobe just because I don't think gays should marry." I don't know what these people think homophobes are. You don't have to hate to be a homophobe. You just have to be afraid. And if you don't want gays to marry, that's what you are. Afraid. You're afraid that the institution of marriage will change. Or you're afraid that gays will indoctrinate American children into the "gay lifestyle". I don't even want to go into all the things you might be afraid of because it's depressing.

Marriage has always been changing and will always be changing. In Biblical times, polygamy was normal. A hundred years ago, arranged marriages were normal, whether for monetary or political gain. Fifty years ago, same-race marriages were normal (and anything else was illegal). Don't tell me about the "tradition of marriage". There is no tradition. Just change.

The argument that people aren't built for homosexual sex is similarly illogical. People aren't built for most of the things you do. Human hands were not meant to type on keyboards. Human eyes were not meant to read words on a computer screen. The way we use our bodies has changed and will change.

I could go on and on, but this won't change anybody's mind. Especially not Christians who don't want gays to be able to marry. Even though they're the ones whose god loves and forgives everybody. But that's how it goes.

Anyway. LiveJournal is bad, and I can't give blood. That's what I've learned this year.