Pivotal Moments:
Seeing The Laramie Project:
I had to see The Laramie Project for my drama class. My friend Whitney volunteered to see it with me and drive me home. As I saw Matthew Shepard cruelly murdered, the Mormon stood out like that racist Phillies manager would later stand out in "42," insisting nothing be done for Matthew. Then, even the Catholic who arranged his funeral said, "He got what he deserved, and I hope he recanted before death." I knew being that lifestyle wasn't a choice and they were being homophobic. It was then that I realized that's how the outside world sees us.
Choosing Garden Street Methodist:
It was finally too much. Years and years of no safety, only talking about the Mariners and living with anxiety that my secret of being an LGBTQ+ rights advocate would be outed for that Church to punish me and call me "of the world," as they toted on Facebook. It had to stop. Same-Gender marriage was constitutional and a woman called us the "United States of Sodom and Gomorrah." She said she'd go to Canada and I told her "it's been legal there for a decade." I wanted to scream "Why don't you go to Israel like all you extremists want because you think we're destroying the world?!" I cried with Mom. BCC couldn't be my home anymore. I just wanted to play a certain way with video game characters in response to our carelessness and they wouldn't stop punishing me. They probably laughed victoriously after those 2 elections and the death of Rachel Held Evans. They oppose love and trade Jesus for corrupt CEOs and mindless celebrities.
Beating Three Houses:
I was unrelenting on the dragon, the Immaculate One. I saw in her everything I had come to hate; saying God was responsible for punishment, utter contempt, no desire to let us criticize her and be peaceful in doing so. The axe, the magic, the sword, into her face as I screamed. No more would my two girls need to hide. No more of this theocratic dictator. And in a few blows, it was over. The animation that followed, wondrous. Edelgard and Byleth leapt, smashing the dragon's skull. Byleth then collapsed as the Immaculate One died. Edelgard began crying, it was then that it hit most to home how similar we are. Byleth returned to life and for once, I was at peace as Edelgard cradled her.
5 key figures:
Mom
Dad
Miley Cyrus
Rachel Held Evans
Tara Platt
Letter to Rachel Held Evans:
Dear Rachel,
I would like to start by apologizing for how little this country listened to you. I would also like to apologize for abandoning Twitter from late 2017 to late 2020, you needed the support. You don't know me, we never spoke, but I always admired how bold you were in speaking the truth. No matter how many enemies you made, you spoke the reality without sarcasm, without fear and with nothing but righteous indignation. I retweeted you a few times, hoping Michael Sweet would listen and change, realizing he had become a Nazi. But I doubt I could say anything strong enough to get him to rethink his politics. I have read "What is God like?" and have 2 copies, one for myself and the other for my nephew. I wish you were still here, I don't feel a lack of fear in speaking the truth. I know the Wishbone version of "Tom Sawyer" says "Never be ashamed of the truth," but I fear backlash every time I post truth, as well as fear of the despair that comes from dwelling on hard realities. I think you would've been a good friend to Brandi Carlile and Miley Cyrus.
Love,
Daniel Short
Bellingham, WA
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