The powerful in our society define, establish and interpret the dominant policies, beliefs and images that form the basis for what is socially normative.

History is full of examples where the powerful have maimed, tortured and killed people who were different.

Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: the Salem Witch Trials, the virtual annihilation of Native Americans and the enslavement of African Americans.

Like plankton in the ocean, people seem helplessly propelled by currents of thought that are defined and established by the powerful until something happens to disrupt them.

Then, in hindsight, we understand how easily the interests of the powerful were served and how horrible it was for us to have adopted them.

It is not surprising, then, that gays and lesbians are consistently discriminated against regarding opportunities for housing, employment, military service, ordination, marriage and the freedom to live genuine, authentic lives.

In extreme cases, people are beaten and killed for being gay, even if they are only presumed to be gay.

Clearly, homophobia and heterosexism are the most recent examples of society’s oppression of one group by another, an oppression that hurts everyone.

This ignorance blinds our ability to see the value in our gay and lesbian neighbors.

We need to learn to live among— and not over or below —others.

We need care and love one another proactively without stipulation, reservation or qualification.

Challenging our fears of gays and lesbians and seeking them out in our communities and getting to know them is one way for us to see that our fears are unfounded, biased and the result of our ignorance.

Then, we can disrupt the currents of prejudiced and lazy thinking regarding gay men and lesbians in our society.

Don Paulsen

Sioux City, Iowa