DHRB

Deeply Held Religious Beliefs are often quoted when people deny GLBT people equal rights. I read of a South Carolina principle who wanted to deny a GSA group at his school due to his DHRBs. It appears the main reason Prop 8 passed was due to many people's DHRBs. People who want to overturn Roe v Wade cite DHRBs.

The Vatican is claiming its DHRBs prevent it from signing a resolution condemning the criminalization and execution of gays. What kind of religion puts you in that position?

But there's something in all of this that leaves me unsettled besides the obvious person aspect of their actions. I think it is the pain that some people's DHRBs inflict on those around them.

Today I was thinking a bit about that and I know that I have DHRBs as do many in favor of gay rights and reproductive rights. But it feels like my DHRBs are discounted while others are "respected."

I have a DHRB that I was created by God in his image. I have a DHRB that God loves me just as I am. I have a DHRB that God does not seek to deny my need for love and human intimacy. I have a DHRB that being gay is no barrier to being a Christian (or Muslim or Jew or...).

I guess the difference is how I put my beliefs into practice. First off I don't wear them on my sleeve or use them as a replacement for logic and dialog. I also recognize that my DHRBs may apply to me alone since God does have individual relationships with each of us. The idea that his relationships with the billions of earthlings are identical is naive.

Like everyone else, I use my beliefs in building my values and my actions. And there are times when I act against my beliefs because of the situation I am in.

For example, I have a DHRB that corporate profiteering to maximize stockholder value and executive compensation at the expense of employees, community and the environment is wrong or sinful as some would say.

Yet I work for a Fortune 50 company that I know at times violates my DHRBs. I have a choice of action from quitting to protest to acquiescence to speaking my mind. I will choose the latter when circumstances present themselves. I don't consider this discarding my beliefs or values because there are many many good things my company does as well and I am proud to work here. I am proud of the progress it has made and the restraint shown.

This weekend I heard of a local high school whose GSA membership was over 50 students. And reportedly most had not revealed in the meetings their orientation. The group had grown from an initial 6.

GSAs are not about sex. They are about support and not feeling alone in school. They are about helping each student acheive their potential.

I spend my high school years trying to be invisible and thinking I was the only gay kid out of 3000 students. My social life was stunted. My relationships were few and shallow. My dating life was totally screwed up as I did what I was supposed to do not what I wanted.

Today I am much more outgoing and confident with a great support community. I will always wonder what life would have been like if I had had that in high school.

It makes me angry to think that there are kids like me in schools today denied that support I needed to bloom because of their principle's deeply held religious beliefs. How much hurt does one have to inflict on fellow human beings to begin to question one's actions based on beliefs?