Throughout the history of human kind there has always been the existence of gay, lesbian and bisexual people. In each culture they are perceived differently as either being two complete opposites. On the one side, they are considered spiritual leaders; on the other side they are considered the viruses of society. These people in either case challenge the gender roles that have been in conflict for the past two or three millennia. Particularly the dominance of men and the ignorance of the skills of women. Gay, lesbian and bisexual people take these roles and ask why can’t men look good in make up or why can’t women wrestle in the arena. These are just some examples. In our modern era these gender roles are changing in their diversity and furthermore the gay lesbian and bisexual community are slowly being more accepted. Yet there is still a battle for the freedom of individual sexual identity let alone being an individual in our society and on the streets.

Coming out of the closet is no easy task and teenagers have now evolved into different sub-cultures based on either their family background or their life background in general. Trying to find a way to fit in and find a sense of identity teenagers have created different scenes and each accept or deny homosexuality in their own way. From the gangster style “pop-pop your dead” to the gothic “I hate life” to the punks causing havoc with their skateboards, each accept homosexuality in different ways.

If you were gay and you walked into a crowd of hip hoppers you’d be probably attacked if they found out you were gay. Yet if you were Goth they would accept it as a trend, as a common stereotype is that gothic people are bisexual. However, if you were to go to a party with a mix of these different scenes, probably no one would care of what sexuality you are as everyone is either too drunk or high to care about a person’s sexuality, unless you were clearly gay. Showing all flamboyant tendencies is a problem, as most people do not accept femme men and butch women. As a result, these people have created their own scene and have courageously stood up to the narrow-mindedness that is usually set before them. A place where they can freely express themselves without the fear of being hurt or killed.

Now it’s time to balance the scales. Even though there is a high level of homophobia homosexuality is slowly being accepted. Different scenes accept homosexuality differently and usually accepts them if they conform to the scenes standards. This has led to a new sub-culture where gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-gender, and two-spirited culture or any sexual identity can be expressed and accepted. Very small yet everywhere and known through-out the history of human kind, they challenge the gender roles of our society and persist in their quest of finding their identity.

In my personal experience I have been gay bashed three times, and in two occasions my friends stood and watched (I believe this is b e c a u s e o f  f e a r  a n d misunderstanding). No kidding! But I have come to learn that there is no point in staying in the darkness of the closet as being in such takes away identity and losing that can be the most heinous thing that could happen to anyone. What is self, what is identity? The answer exists within each and everyone’s mind and soul, and that is not just given to one but earned. Furthermore, the homophobes of our society must understand this, that love is love and nothing could ever be compared, as love can be the most amazing thing that anyone could ever live through and should never be selfishly stolen due to narrow-minded insight. As for my kindred spirits, stay strong and live life and for those in the closet, jump out and face your fear. My over all message to people, we all have an identity that must be found, look in the mirror and face your fear because it might not be as bad as you may think.

By A. Burke, 17
A. Burke is a “seeker” who lives in South-western Ontario. He dreams of understanding the world.