Homophobic insults are sick.

I have heard many people criticize queer folk for being too sensitive where it comes to homophobic insults. I do not think I am too sensitive about it; in my opinion people who have a dying need to use insults have an inferiority complex and are seriously disturbed. I have heard more comments about the intelligence of black people from white people with a lower IQ than from any other group and homophobic insults tend to come from people who are unsure about their own sexuality. For that reason I do not take either group seriously.
Yet, since there are countries where you could still lose your life for being queer, a homophobic remark is just as tasteless as a fascistic remark against the Jewish people or a racist remark against black people. I will not be sensitive about it, but I will form my own suspicion about your intelligence, racial purity, sexual orientation and your sexual adequacy. In my experience bigotry does originate from some kind of inadequate feeling you nurture within yourself.
A healthy self-image is one of the best gifts a parent can give their children and gay children have to take so much disapproval from the world around them that they need their parents’ positive appraisal so much more than the average kid. A remark from Virginia Uribe comes to mind:
"While many minority groups are the target for prejudice... and discrimination... in our society, few persons face this hostility without the support and acceptance of their family as do many gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth."
I can’t imagine parents who do not love their kids; in fact I think it is the worst thing there is and yet parents of gay kids somehow think it is their parental right to hate their kids. Don’t tell me you love your kid but you hate what they do; if you took the time to know your kid you would know that being gay is not something you do; it is something you are. You are born gay; it is not a choice, so if you hate what your gay kids do, you hate who they are and if you hate who they are, you hate them. You can tell me anything you like, but if you hate your kids, you are seriously disturbed (read: fucking sick).
Unfortunately that is true of many gay kids; they have seriously disturbed parents, because if you love your kids conditionally (as in I would love you if you turn straight), you do not love them at all. Love is by definition unconditional and conditional love isn’t love.
This brings me back to homophobic insults: they are not only tasteless; they are hateful and since many gay kids do not even have the backing of their parents, homophobic insults is stepping on someone that has had more rejection than any person should have to bear. Don’t tell me your God expects you to be a bully; not one single religion teaches that God is a bully or expects you to be one; so that doesn’t convince me either.
So if nobody is going to stand up for gay kids and if nobody is going to help them with their selfimage it is up to me and you, gay adults, to make the difference. It is our responsibility.
As for homophobic insults; I don’t give a fuck what you call me, but don’t think I am carelessly going to keep my mouth shut if you insult a gay kid, because if you do you are seriously disturbed, especially if you are that kid’s parent.

This week’s Cobrabite
By Andrew Blade.
Cobragay
Dr. Andrew Blade