Someone called me a groomer today.
If you've been keeping up with things, you would know that conservatives and others on the right are using the word 'groomer' to imply that gays are pedophiles. It's no different than when they used to say that we 'recruit' children.
Before deciding whether or not to respond, I took a moment to think about what being called a 'groomer' meant. I thought about how when I was younger, it would have deeply hurt my feelings.
How it would have reminded me about how alone I felt and how society despised who I was.
How it would have reinforced the notion that my life had been decided for me by people who wanted to box me up in accordance to their beliefs and prejudices. People who didn't care about my worth because the only thing they knew was that I was gay and therefore to them, I was a less than; a diseased, pitiful sinner trying to go after their children and infect everyone with AIDS.
And how I was probably doomed to a sad life filled with misery, loneliness, and self-hatred because of all of the hate thrown at me.
All in all, it was the saddest five seconds of my life.
That is before I said f@ck it and responded back with an immature but very satisfying comeback:
I'm in no mood to apologize, capitulate, or play nice with anyone trying to take away the rights and peace of mind I've earned. And neither should you. Whether it be on Twitter or when it comes to legislation designed to take us down, we shouldn't sit back and allow things to be taken from us. No matter what you hear, always remember that you have a voice and an ability to fight.
Use them, albeit not being as petty as I was.
