Lupus Never Looked So Good

<3

# gay

# lgbt

# marriage equality

# equal rights

# senator

# roy mcdonald

Sean and Jewel from the cast of Firefly (Simon and Kaylee) showing their solidarity for marriage equality*. Let’s put one in the win column for having two of the most attractive people on the planet showing support, shall we?

*I’m done referring to it as “gay” marriage. That implies that we’re following the notion propagated by the far right that the gay community is asking for “special” rights, that gay marriage really is a separate thing. We aren’t. It isn’t. We’re just looking for equal rights between consenting adults.

Conservative Christian college vs. LGBTQ group? Everything went exactly as you’d expect

Wheaton College, a conservative Christian college requires it’s students to attend these chapel messages. As a private religious school, they’re entitled to that. But, one of the more recent chapel messages dealt with sex and sexuality. At this meet, a former student of the college who is also gay spoke. And he told the students that while being gay was not a choice of their own, that it was a sign that they are broken, in need of redemption, and that anyone who is gay is to never break celibacy.

This person went on to share that in his 30’s, he is depressed and lonely due to the fact that he has chosen life-long celibacy, and that he constantly aches for a partner. And he is proud of himself, because he thinks his suffering will lead him to Christ.

In response to this message, an LGBTQ-straight alliance group comprised of Wheaton College alumni wrote a letter back to the students currently attending the college. The letter essentially said, “Hey, don’t worry about that garbage. You’re a person deserving of love just like anyone else.”

So the college writes a response to the letter from the LGBTQ community. And here’s the kicker…they state that they recognize that people are people no matter what they’re sexual orientation…But that they take pity on members of the LGBTQ community because they will have to stay celibate for life in order to be with God. The letter reinforces that being gay is a sin and a sign that we are broken.

And everyone is proud of the college! People generally see this as a step in the right direction! Really? You think I need to pat Christians on the back for finally admitting that gays are people who don’t deserve to be beat to death? No, this is 2011. If you still think that being gay is anything but normal, natural and worthy of equality, then you are the one that is broken.

Highlights for January/February 2010

So I’ve been on Tumblr just about a month and a half now, and I’ve posted…a lot. So I was thinking, maybe once a month I’ll post a highlight. Sift through some of the sillier posts and compile all the major things I talked about the last 30 days. So this will be my first one of those.

FIRST I wanna remind you all to KEEP SENDING ME STORIES! I have some great ones in my ASK and reply boxes already, but I want this to be as collaborative as possible!

1. Spoon Theory Garbage: Why I think we need a more positive story in our community, and why I don’t think Spoon Theory is healthy.

2. Depression and Anxiety: The importance of paying attention to your feelings and taking care of your mental health.

3. Benlysta, the new Lupus drug: A good link about the drug, and my thoughts on the positivity of its development.

4. Lady Gaga does NOT have Lupus: The media used her story to spread misconceptions and sometimes blatant lies about what Lupus is.

5. Don’t be a slactivist!: quit changing your facebook picture to cartoon characters and donate or volunteer! And if money is tight donate some used crap!

6. Reflexology, Meditation, Holistic treatments!: They DO help sometimes. It’s not all hokey voodoo magic!

7. Some posts on specific Lupus symptoms: Raynaud’s Phenomenon (reblogged from fuckyeahmedicalstuff, with my added anecdote), Alopecia, Thin Blood, Photosensitivity, Gluten Intolerance

8. A tool to detect UV intensity, thanks to Thinkgeek.com

9. Dating and Lupus: My advice to anyone with Chronic Illness regarding dating and life!

10. STATISTICS: A compilation of all the scattered Lupus-related statistics out there, neatly packaged so you can know your stuff and spread awareness!

11. What causes Lupus?: All the controversies explained from my point of view.

12. A simple etymology of “Lupus”, followed by my explanation for why our mascot ought to be a wolf instead of a butterfly =)

13: LGBT, domestic violence, rape, chronic illness, sexism, mental illness, racism: Holy Hell people, we need to stick together

Why can’t we understand that we’re all on the same team? Let me tell you, this is something that really bothers me.

I don’t want to be misinterpreted, I’m not equating sexual orientation to chronic illness because I think being gay/trans/bi/etc is an illness of any kind. What I’m saying is that we’re all facing similar struggles and we need to stick together.

Those of us on here blogging about Chronic Illness often talk about “invisible illness”, and how no one can tell by looking at us that we have anything different going on with us, and how that can be misleading. This misunderstanding leads to confusion, and when people in a general sense feel confused about something different from them, that’s where prejudice and discrimination happens.

If you are Chronically Ill or disabled and you were not outraged by the recent controversy about attempting to redefine rape, you are forgetting that rape survivors are suffering from an invisible illness. You can’t tell by looking at them, but they are holding on to something just as infectious as any disease. Homosexuality in itself may not be anything like a disease, but repressing your sexuality, or holding onto years of teasing and maybe even serious discrimination very much can be.

If you are a woman, and you are speaking out in oppressive ways toward the gay community, you are a walking contradiction. You’re causing someone else to experience the same injustices you were subjected to.

If you are of the LGBT* community and you speak ill of the disabled community. Guess what?

If you are a chronically ill or disabled person and you sling racial slurs around? Bad form.

Person of color who thinks mental illness is a joke?

Some of us are, myself included, members of more than one of those categories. Doesn’t matter. We’re all just people trying our best to live life with the cards we happen to have been dealt. And we have to deal with a lot of discrimination, and a lot of misunderstanding and oppression in the process. Let’s at the very least strive to not let it be from each other.

*I know that’s not the current full appropriate term anymore, but I keep seeing confusion over it. So if anyone wants to tell me what they think is the full/correct one, or what they prefer, let me know.

(Also, I know there are plenty of other groups facing discrimination that I didn’t include in this post or my pictures, but I just picked some of the larger and more prominent issues that came to my mind.)