I stand in solidarity with Sam Smith in regards to his column in the Oct. 25 issue about school and cyberspace bullying, especially of gay students. In the battle for suffrage, brave women said, “I’m a woman and I’m as good as any man.”

In the 1960’s civil rights push, black men stood up and said, “This is who I am. I am black and I am proud.”

Now is the time for gays. We cannot stand for hate politics or bullying.

There are two messages I’ve heard countless gay leaders preach to the faithful through the media in recent years, especially lately during this rash of suicides and hate crimes. The first message that reverberates in the ears of gay youth everywhere is, “You are not alone.” The second message is, frankly, “It gets better.”

A few of my close friends are gay. They can reflect on a time in grade school when they couldn’t imagine themselves coming out to even their family or closest friends.

I’m happy to say one of those guys is in a legal gay marriage he obtained in his native Canada, and he is living happily with his partner of over seven years in New York. Another is in a solid, committed relationship on the West Coast.

But here’s the thing — it is not enough for there to be a few gay-friendly pockets of the Earth, small communities tucked away in a vast metropolis.

We have to fight for our gay friends’ right to simply exist as who they are – wherever they are.

Our children need to have the assurance that they won’t have to stand for being victimized or beaten up because they have a crush on a classmate who happens to be the same sex.

All of the minority groups who have sought acceptance and power needed the help of those in the mainstream, those on the inside, to stand up for them to all the haters and offer support.

It’s not a matter of being “for” or “against” homosexuality. Homosexuality just is. Some people are gay. You’ve just got to accept that and learn to coexist with homosexuals if you hope to be a caring human being.

My parents always taught me if you’re not willing to get into a fight to protect a friend you’re not worth much. Those are the stakes.

Parents can’t just wait until their child comes out to them to ever talk about the issue of homosexuality. They have to teach them that it is not acceptable to bully people or to stand by while someone is being bullied because of their sexual orientation.

They must teach their children that gay is not slang for feminine, weak, stupid or less than desired. We must eliminate that term from their slang.

Homosexuality does not affect you or society or the sanctity or marriage.

It’s not hurting anyone and it brings a lot of people together in sustained, loving relationships. Don’t try to deprive them of that.

I don’t give a holy hell what some ancient book says about another human being an abomination, it never gives a single person the right to treat another as less than human.

No human being is an abomination, and being gay is part of a gay person’s being.

Hate is the abomination. Let’s scourge it from the face of the earth.

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