Heal the world. Make it a better place.

I started this blog almost exactly 3 months ago. Initially, I wasn’t sure who I would tell about it, if anyone at all. At the outset, I only told my sister and then a little bit later I told drippingwithoptimism. I had been reading and enjoying his blog for some time. By now, most of my friends and family know about the blog, both gay and straight. Or same sex attracted vs. opposite sex attracted if you prefer. (Has anyone coined the acronym OSA? If not, can I claim that right now? I hear the phrase “I struggle with SSA”. Does anyone out there “struggle with OSA?”)

Anyway, I digress. As I’ve continued down the blogging path, I’ve started to more clearly see what I want my blog to be and do. Generally speaking, I think there is a huge divide and misunderstanding between SSA mormons and OSA mormons and I believe the divide exists inside the church because rarely are many members forced to face the issue on a personal level. Those who are gay and stay in the church often stay quiet about it and maybe even try to pursue an outwardly hetero life, so other members rarely know about them. Those who are comfortable being open about it often get frustrated with and eventually stop being active in the church, so the only homosexuals many members of the church know about are the ones that leave. This makes it easier to perpetuate their idea that the homosexuals are degenerates because they all leave the church anyway (or at least the ones they KNOW about).

Having said all that, I feel the need to clarify some things. One, I’m speaking in generalities and I realize there are many experiences and people that don’t fit into what I’ve described in the previous paragraph. Two, I’m not trying to say that the divide and misunderstanding is the fault of those who keep quiet inside the church or of those who get frustrated and leave the church. As I said in the last paragraph from two posts ago, everyone needs to figure out what their best path will be.

The fact of the matter is that there is a divide and there is misunderstanding. This all played out quite nicely (or not) during the whole Prop 8 kerfuffle. I heard news reports of protestors desecrating grounds and buildings I hold sacred. I saw facebook status updates of friends who compared homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality. Sometimes you don’t choose sides. Sometimes you’re on both sides. Sometimes you shut down and opt out because you don’t want to affiliate yourself with the ridiculousness that exists on either side.

Part of the problem is that each side sees the other as an exaggerated caricature of who they actually are. This is very skillfully illustrated in Eric Snider’s piece called “The Gay Marriage Column”. Read it. It will totally make you LOL and maybe even make you think a little also.

So back to one of the purposes of my blog. I want to bridge the divide. I want to heal the world. I want to make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race. Apparently, I want to do it by blogging about step aerobics and spelling bees and gym class and deformed dogs and denim jumper clad toddler dolls and bad haircuts and homemade lingerie and nudity. Ambitious? Probably.