What defines controversy? The definition of controversy is, "a disagreement, typically prolonged, public and heated." For some reason, one of the biggest controversies in the world right now is whether being LGBT is right or wrong, and for some, things can go from just being disagreements to turning ugly. An example of this type of ugliness is as follows.
This is a thread of comments in response to Cartoon Network wanting to put their first gay kiss in a show. According to Opposing News, the episode aired with a kiss on the cheek rather than the initial kiss on the lips. This, of course, got hundreds of comments, including just a few that I showed you above.
When I first read the article, I was disappointed that Cartoon Network would make a fuss about such a small thing and take it out and make it a kiss on the cheek instead, and silly old me believed that a majority of people would agree with me. Of course, I'd say about 15% of the comments agreed with my belief, that the kiss should have stayed in the episode, and the rest were rude, hateful, and just outright mean.
My first thought was, Why is this even happening in 2014?
The reason is simple. People are extremely closed-minded and there's no other way around it. This thread of comments made me angry, hurt, and had me questioning whether it was okay to be who I am. Why is it that so many people intend to be so cruel to people that haven't even done anything wrong? From a religious standpoint, I can almost understand why someone would disagree (though you can disagree without being hateful, which the Bible clearly warns against hate), but nonreligious people were freaking out as well. To me, this is a big problem.
We live in a world where homosexuality exists. Whether people want to believe it or not, it's not a recent thing. It's not new. It's definitely not a hundred years old, two hundred, or even three hundred years old. People didn't just wake up one day and decide, "You know what? We're going to like people of the same-sex because we want it to be trendy, yet spend the rest of our lives being miserable." Homosexuality has been around since the beginning of time!
With that being said, why do people act like it's a current "explosion" and that homosexuals have "come to take over" everything? The answer is simple as well. Homosexuals have only just recently been given rights in America over the last few years, so it gives people more courage to come out and be who they truly are. If you hate someone for who they are and how they were born, there is really something wrong with you.
Now, in regards to the Cartoon Network controversy, it shouldn't even be a controversy anymore. Really, this LGBT rights thing has gotten so old that the battle should be won by now. There are gay people on TV all the time because there are gay people all over. Everywhere. It's not just in America. We need to start taking a chance and letting our children know that it's okay to be who who you are.
In regards to the haters: Kissing is not sex. Kissing is not, and never will be, a form of sex, and it literally makes no sense to me why some people deem this idea as inappropriate. We are not brainwashing your kids. If your kids see it, tell them it's wrong if that's what you believe, but the world deserves to know that gay people do exist and we deserve just as much recognition as straight people. No one bats and eye when two straight characters kiss or hug or even date, but as soon as a gay character does, everyone wants to act like it's the end of the world.
Three words. Get. Over. Yourself.
Two more words. Grow up.
This is America and we all have rights. No one deserves to be treated this badly, regardless of sexuality, because we are all people. In the end, we're all flesh, bones, and blood, and the souls that live inside us. Our genders, race, sexual orientation, and religion do not change who we are and that we are all truly the same on the inside.
I hope that people take the time to learn this truth.
