Standing on the Side of Love

I had the great privilege of hearing reverend Delfin Bautista, a figurehead of the Unitarian Universalist movement Standing on the Side of Love, speak twice this weekend.  After a wonderful dinner at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Northfield, Delfin spoke of his  personcal struggles and of hate crimes and exclusion in the present.  From the recent deaths of LGBT teens across America, to anti-gay legislation in the works in Uganda.

Before I heard Delfin Bautista speak, I never felt close to issues of LGBT rights.  I've been distanced, and thought that my acceptance was enough and no further effort was required on my part.  I now realize that believing in love means actively doing ordinary things with an extraordinary amount of kindness.  There is a difference between tolerance and inclusion.  Every time I the word "gay" slips out of my mouth as a synonym for stupid, I am a hypocrite.  Avoiding people with different sexual preferences than me because I feel "uncomfortable" makes me a hypocrite.  I have a lot of growing to do.

I've come to the conclusion that if I truly believe in the dignity of every human being, I need stop being passive.