So maybe it’s time to address the pink elephant in the column. I know readers have speculated, and, yes, my last name is Italian.
Not only is my last name Italian, but I’m also gay. I know this might seem like a shocking revelation from a kid who loves unicorns, but bear with me through this article and you might learn something.
It seems during the last few weeks being gay in the United States has become dangerous. Three suicides have received media attention and, therefore, created various debates on the issues of suicides and bullying.
Meeting someone who is gay is becoming more and more like playing 20 questions, and recently I participated in such a game. While discussing the suicides with a group of my friends, a mutual friend approached the conversation and gave his two cents.
Now I usually throw away pennies, but in this case I chose to listen before disregarding his opinion.
His first statement, regarding the student at Rutgers whose roommate installed a camera in their dorm room to videotape him making out with another man, was typical.
“Well, if he is going to engage in that sort of behavior you should expect people to laugh at you.”
Yes, having a tough skin is without a doubt the best accessory any gay person can have, but in this case diamond skin wouldn’t be enough to keep the humiliation from seeping in.
If someone recorded your most intimate moments without your consent and posted it online for the world to mock, I’m sure you wouldn’t be too happy about that.
After explaining this to our friend, he came at us with my all-time favorite gay insult.
“Well, he chose to be gay.”
Probably the most-asked question by straight guys is when we chose to be gay.
A question to which I always reply by asking the person to give the time, place and exact date he chose a life of straightness.
At this point he begins getting upset and resorts to his last defense.
“Well, I don’t agree with what he did because he was gay.”
The conversation regarding suicide became an issue of sexuality when it should have been one of compassion.
Bullying is wrong no matter the situation, no matter the sexuality. Yes, suicide is wrong. No one in this world should be worth your life.
But shouldn’t we be less concerned about their sexuality and more about the way children are attacking each other? It’s not like they are learning about gay-bashing from Sesame Street. The problem is parenting. I guess the recession has had such an effect on the American population that even the Golden Rule has been sold to Gold 4 Cash.
So instead of repeating something that has been easily forgotten, I’ll put a twist on a pop culture quotation.
Calling someone fat won’t make you any skinnier. Calling someone gay won’t make you any straighter. Ruining someone’s life won’t make yours any better.
Just in case you read this and still didn’t learn anything, just remember a group of unicorns is called a blessing.
See you learn something new every day.
Hassan Casanova is a third-year family, youth and community science student. His column appears every Friday.
