As noted many times before on this blog, the United States of America likes to depict itself as "the land of the free" and the home of "religious freedom." Of course, based on the country's treatment of same sex couples, both claims are a lie and LGBT citizens receive neither the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness as they see it afforded to other citizens nor the religious freedom marry to who they wish. Instead, the nation continues to cater to a Taliban like version of Christianity that belittles religious freedom and strives to make LGBT citizens pay a heavy price for their failure to conform to Christianist religious beliefs. In the pockets within the country where gays have secured marriage rights, the Christo-fascist work diligently to roll back progress. Add the high level of secret surveillance America applies to its citizens under the guise of "homeland security" to the mix and the USA even less resembles the myth that is disseminated by politicians and swallowed by the ignorant and xenophobic. The South Florida Gay News has a column that looks at America;s hollow promise when it comes to its LGBT citizens. True, the USA is not as horrid towards gays as some Middle Eastern and African countries, but it surely is not the beacon of freedom it pretends to be. Here are some column highlights:*
Valentine's Day holds a very special place in my heart for a couple of reasons. The two milestones that changed my life happened on this very day. First and foremost, on February 14, I met my life partner of eighteen years. Furthermore, 36 Valentines ago I decided to leave my native country because I thought I could never be myself there. There was a siren calling me. History says it was discovered by an Italian from Genoa. Only fitting since I was born a few miles away from that same city.
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America seemed to me the shiny example, and the beacon, of a true democracy; maybe the last hope for an Italian gay man, stifled in a country run by Church and Mafia. Or so I thought!
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I embraced my adopted country only to witness the rise of Anita Bryant, the killing of Harvey Milk, the emergence of hate preachers like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson and their pseudo Moral Majority, a bunch of white, right wing, heterosexual, homophobic, bigoted, intolerant Christians. I discovered that even though the Pledge of Allegiance says "...with Liberty and Justice for ALL", I was not fully included in the "ALL".
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I read articles about gay men getting set up, busted, and arrested for hanging out in public parks, more often than not entrapped by police officers acting as bait and decoys. What was that all about? How could the greatest country in the world be so oppressive?
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In "The Home of the Free" I came to we are not only still fighting for equal rights, laws and legislators and voters are still voting against us. Yet, on the continent I left, gay marriage is acceptable, permissible, and even commonplace. It is legal in Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Portugal. Many other countries like the UK, Denmark, Iceland, Austria, Finland, Greenland, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland fully recognize same sex unions. So does Slovenia, The Czech Republic, even Germany.
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By all means enjoy your Valentine’s Day, but think about what YOU can do to bring about change. Speed up the process. Come out. Speak up. Be counted. Get involved. Don't ever forget what this country is supposed to stand for: People being who they are and most importantly: letting other people be, on equal terms and with equal rights.
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It's a sad state of affairs and as noted before, once the boyfriend's parents pass on (both my parents are gone), we will seriously have to think twice as to whether or not we want to remain in the faux land of the free or instead move to a country that delivers what the USA falsely promises.
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