What is Equality? My View on the Gay Topic

The last few years, I have studied and prayed over the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, and Queer) topic. In high school, it was something very foreign to me. I didn't understand it. I still don't all the way. But over the last month, I've been working on this blog trying to put my thoughts together. I hope as you read this that your mind will stay open and allow me to try to explain my opinions and beliefs.

The last few years, LGBTQ has been a very hot topic. People keep expressing views and opinions and trying to be "politically correct". I have had many friends and family members express their thoughts in polar opposite ways. As I kept hearing these conflicting messages, I was confused. I didn't know how to respond. I wanted to have an opinion. Do I choose the side that keeps talking about free agency? Or do I choose the side of traditional belief that marriage is between a man and a woman? Both had understandable arguments, but I didn't know how to express my thoughts. I always agreed and still agree that everyone has free agency. Everyone can make their own choices, but I never supported homo-sexual marriage. How do I express my thoughts without making one side or the other upset? What evidence supports what I think? So my search began.

I read the words of prophets and apostles. I talked to some friends who are gay. Last semester, I took a class which we looked at the LGBTQ view in a theatre way. There are so many different opinions. There's so much passion towards what people believe. There have been so many people who have felt lost, unimportant and hurt on both sides. But as my search continued, I decided to defend with what the prophets have declared years ago in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". It says in the first sentence that "...marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God...." As a missionary, I taught that participating in homo-sexual relations is against the Law of Chasity, one of God's commandments (Preach My Gospel). I will never vote for same-sex marriage because why would I vote for something where I believe it's against God's commandments? A girl in church said today that I very much agree to it. She talked about homosexuality and how some are born with it, but she also mentioned how it's like anxiety and depression, "Just because depression and anxiety run in my family, I won't be happier if I just give into it." Same-gender attraction is a natural man feeling that one has to control just like I can't act out my hetro-sexual attraction before marriage and even then only to one man. It won't make me happier if I broke that commandment. Now before you stop reading because you think that's all I have to say, and I'm a closed-minded traditionalist, please, keep reading on.

One of the arguments for those who are pro homo-sexual marriage is that everyone deserves equality. But I'm here to say that equality does not mean that people get the same rights and privileges. I'm studying to be a teacher and often we discuss how fairness and equality can be reached in the classroom. We don't give every single child the exact same book. We don't give them the exact same math problem. We work on individual needs. We find out where they are and teach from there. Equality means reaching to what every person needs. Now I'm not saying one group is lower than another, just like I strongly believe that each child is not lower than another. Everyone has their weaknesses and strengths. Hopefully, every child is striving to be better. Just like hopefully, we are all striving to be better. And God knows knows every need and how we can become better. He loves and understands all even if I don't (see 1 Nephi 11:17). I don't know why there is same-sex attraction, and I may never know in this life. But the closest logical reason I can come up with is so that I, and all of us, can have the opportunity to understand people who have had to deal differently with life than I have had to. So I can be forgiven of my misunderstandings and take time to understand. So I can learn how to listen without judgement. I'm not perfect, but I'm grateful for those friends and strangers who have taken the time to tell me their story and listen to my questions and opinions without judgement towards me. For life is a long path, but it's even longer when we don't listen to each other and judge each other for our differences.

Now these differences include accepting the opinions of those who oppose same-sex marriage. Many people say LGBTQ needs acceptance. What about those who oppose same-sex marriage? Don't they deserve acceptance to their own opinions and beliefs? I have felt this way many times in my life. I have felt belittled and avoided because I'm a "Molly Mormon". But that's ok. It gives me a taste of what others feel like in a different way. I understand that some of my friends who haven't talked to me since they have 'come out of the closet' for the reason of not knowing my reaction. 10 years ago, I admit my reaction would have been different than today because I didn't understand. I didn't know how to react. But today, I would just treat them like I have since I first met them--with love. Thank goodness for change and for the ability to learn and understand. Yes, I do not have a perfect understanding, but I know that someone does--Jesus Christ.

Christ understands. That's why He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and on Calvary, so He could have the ability and capacity to understand. And I can testify that He does. I have felt the Spirit of truth testify it to me (John 15:26). And as I keep trying to understand life and its mysteries, the Spirit will continue to teach me as long as I'm humble enough to hear it.

Now you may or may not be wondering, why I am posting this blog. I usually just put up the blogs that everyone can at least semi-agree with not any of this hot topic stuff. As I have gone to Institute this summer, I have learned and felt like I need to defend my faith better. I served a mission and felt like I represented the Lord as best as I could, but I can do better now. I need to show my faith and beliefs even if it's against what others may think. No one can take my faith from me, but I need to be able to explain and show my faith to others so they can understand why I believe the way I do. This is a time where we need each other to stand together not stand a part with no ears. Take time to hear one another. Take time to show love to one another. For that's what Christ would have done, and that's what I'm trying to do. Thanks for reading this with open ears and an open heart. I hope it helps you understand more of what I believe. Volim vas.