Tyler Clementi 18
Billy Lucas 15
Asher Brown 13
Seth Walsh 13
Theirs are the names that made the news but they are not the only ones. Each year hundreds of youth and young adults take their own lives. In response to a recent rash of suicides among youth who identified as GLBTQ or were perceived to be by their peers, writer Dan Savage filmed a short video message called "It Gets Better." The "It Gets Better" phenomenon has spread across the nation to include politicians, celebrities, clergy, parents, teachers and others from nearly every walk of life telling GLBTQ youth and young adults that they are not alone. The project is a great one, but it raises an important question about the state of our society…why have we created a world where it has to get better?
It would be overly simplistic to draw a straight line between religious intolerance and the tragic deaths of GLBTQ youth and young adults. There is certainly a connection between theologies of intolerance and the culture of despair surrounding far too many youth and young adults; however it is not the only factor. Not even the only religious factor. Mainline Protestant traditions have played a part in creating a world where it has to get better by contributing to the conspiracy of silence on issues of sexuality. Our absence on issues of welcome and justice and our failure to publically and vocally advocate for the full inclusion and embrace of GLBTQ men and women of faith makes us silent accomplices.
Civil rights for GLBTQ men and women around the world is one of the defining issues of our time. It is certainly the defining issue of American culture today. For many youth and young adults, it has quite literally become a matter of life and death. It is not enough to shake our heads and lament the tragedy of their despair. We must speak up. Simply rejecting theologies of intolerance and hate is not sufficient. We must actively proclaim the Gospel of radical inclusion that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are to be true to the calling of Christ to care for all God's children, the church cannot be silent any longer. We can no longer contribute to a world where it needs to get better by offering nothing more than indifference. Each and every life- male and female, rich and poor, old and young, GLBT&Q- is a cherished treasure in the eyes and heart of God.
The hope we know in Jesus Christ gives us the strength and courage to not only dream of a world better than the one we share today, but the imagination to bring that world into being for all of God's children.
Yes, it does get better.
But it shouldn't have to.
2 comments:
"The project is a great one, but it raises an important question about the state of our society…why have we created a world where it has to get better?"
As I hear public figures asserting that "it gets better," I think there's an "as you get older" implied on the end of this statement. It gets better says to a thirteen year old that right now, your classmates don't accept you, but when you become an adult, a) your classmates become adults too and could realize their faults in not accepting you, and b) more GLBT communities are advertised well enough for you to find them on your own.
Certainly religion has played a role in oppressing the GLBT community and some churches continue to do so (while others have begun to embrace this population). But for an adolescent, regardless of religion the message becomes "it's okay to hide who you are until later on, when your peers can accept you and you can find more people like you." They shouldn't have to hide who they are as soon as they discover it (be it at age 12, 13, and on) but they will continue to do so as long as their peers are bullies and they don't have a safe place to go.
I think you raise an important point. We need to stop implying to these kids that they somehow have to wait to be who they truly are. My hope is that the church will become a place where it is ok to be who you are in this moment not some day down the line.
Post a Comment