https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
Not one of my best poems but, having been the victim of my share of homophobic attacks over the years, one I felt compelled to write
Even as we all find ourselves social distancing and doing our best to defeat the Covid-19 coronavirus, readers around the world continue to get in touch to say they have been the victims of homophobic attacks. Yes, it’s scary; it has happened to me, too, but not in recent years, possibly because I am in my 70’s now and the cowardly thugs no longer see me as a target; they forget the power of the written word. Homophobia rocks self-confidence, but we have to get on with our lives rather than let the sick ‘machos’ win, yeah?
As for those religious fundamentalists and evangelical types advocating hell and damnation for homosexuals and tearing the socio-cultural-religious fabric of societies apart ... they are no better than those thugs who resort to physical attacks on LGBT people. Indeed, they are worse since they are using the darker elements of socio-cultural-religious (and political) forces to suit personal agendas; the latter invariably found wanting to say the very least.
Society is a matter of you-me-us, a collective responsibility; parents, teachers, politicians, religious leaders ... all have their part to play, each in their own way. We may think we cannot contribute much to what is a global consciousness, but we need to remember that ripples spread, and even a little can go a long way.
Some say it’s cool to be gay,
Thugs came with baseball bats
They beat us, six gutless morons
Some say it’s cool to be gay
Whatever, we’ll not be put down
Copyright R. N. Taber 2007; 2020
Not one of my best poems but, having been the victim of my share of homophobic attacks over the years, one I felt compelled to write
Even as we all find ourselves social distancing and doing our best to defeat the Covid-19 coronavirus, readers around the world continue to get in touch to say they have been the victims of homophobic attacks. Yes, it’s scary; it has happened to me, too, but not in recent years, possibly because I am in my 70’s now and the cowardly thugs no longer see me as a target; they forget the power of the written word. Homophobia rocks self-confidence, but we have to get on with our lives rather than let the sick ‘machos’ win, yeah?
As for those religious fundamentalists and evangelical types advocating hell and damnation for homosexuals and tearing the socio-cultural-religious fabric of societies apart ... they are no better than those thugs who resort to physical attacks on LGBT people. Indeed, they are worse since they are using the darker elements of socio-cultural-religious (and political) forces to suit personal agendas; the latter invariably found wanting to say the very least.
Society is a matter of you-me-us, a collective responsibility; parents, teachers, politicians, religious leaders ... all have their part to play, each in their own way. We may think we cannot contribute much to what is a global consciousness, but we need to remember that ripples spread, and even a little can go a long way.
CAUGHT OUT
Some say it’s cool to be gay,
there are laws to protect you and
I;
blood and bruises say they lie
Thugs came with baseball bats
and chased us, my gay friend and I,
gesturing abuse at the sky
They beat us, six gutless morons
yelling how all gays deserve to
die,
yet we survived to expose the lie
Some say it’s cool to be gay
in a brave new twenty-first century
professing to respect sexuality
Whatever, we’ll not be put down
(for long); the human spirit
endures,
catching humanity out for its
lies
Copyright R. N. Taber 2007; 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment