Sex has always been a taboo topic, but lately things are changing. This change is for the better, in the long run, but the transit stages have some very questionable stops. If the result of these multiple movements ends in being better for the general, can we make the road any easier?
Construction of your own identity in the process of growing up is a difficult job. It is normally helped along by parents, teachers, friends, in some dubious cases, neighbourhood aunties as well.
A good question to be raised here is if your self constructed identity clashes with that provided by your environment, which is to be followed? The first answer that jumps to mind is that people tough enough to handle the consequences can afford to follow their own instincts, while others choose the ‘easier’ path. I ask you, is denying your own instincts easy? It leads to depression, frustration and a good amount of self doubt, and makes the perfect breeding ground for a myriad of identity crises. As if teenagers today don’t have to deal with already.
Sexuality is a prime factor in identity. The default setting for our society seems to be heterosexual, and any deviation can be seen with a mixture of views — hatred, intolerance, admiration, jealousy — all depending on which circles you run in.
Youth today, in general, seems to care less about society, and one should not judge a system by its majority. The reason for this development is not clear, and I don’t think it matters very much. The progression is clear, and the message is clear too. Homosexuality is not hidden in closets anymore.
On the flipside, with the prevalence of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, there is a growing, violent community of homophobia. People have paid with their lives for their choice of sexuality, and they are to be greatly admired for their bravery in following what they felt was right in adverse conditions. Teena Renae Brandon, an American trans man was raped and murdered at the age of 21, when it was learned that he was anatomically female. This is one case in hundreds. Is human dignity and life less important than society’s need to feel comfortable? Is it anybody’s right to end somebody’s life just because they call themselves homophobic? It is not, and neither is it anybody’s right to dictate what sexuality anybody else should choose. Various states are now in agreement, and have amended or put in place laws that protect us, but the real challenge is to kill the hate in people.
All this is very well on paper and in speech, but how does one actually face their environment with themselves in the wringer? It’s a tough thing to do, but the only way to REALLY get through anything is to actually do it. Once you do, there is no need to hide anymore, and there IS a growing community out there to support you. We have it much easier than the generation before us, and we owe it to the next generation not to let our identities be quelled by conformity.
Compromises are for people who deal with assets and money. An identity is not open to a deal.