Justin, as you often do, you struck a chord (in this piece, a few); the homophobia and transphobia part particularly so. I volunteer for a well known LGBTQ listening service, I'd love to, with your permission and with credit to you, copy and paste your last 4 paragraphs into our private 'chat' channel, because they reflect what I think all of us there (we all identify as LGBTQ) feel and listen to a lot these days. Thank you for touching my heart again.
Justin, your post is one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking things I've read about change - so much reality, so much wisdom and genuine inspiration. I feel more grown- up and hopeful (weird combination!) from reading it. Thank you.
It's sad that you even feel the need to write your heartfelt plea about homophobia and transphobia. I'm old enough to remember the 1980s, when The Sun and other "newspapers" would write the cruellest things about gay people (it was the beginning of the AIDS era as well), and as bad as things are now, I don't think they are as bad as they were then.
Nevertheless, it's certainly true that we've been heading backwards of late.
But as with all things, I remain optimistic enough to believe that these are downwards spikes on a graph that still depicts an overall upwards trend to ever greater progressiveness and tolerance. Because thus has it always been over time.
Of course that may be of little comfort to a young teenager struggling today with their sexuality, because it will likely be some years before we get back on the upwards track. But it can still help to try to see the bigger picture.
And while the bigots of this world (and yes, there are and probably always will be bigots) are feeling emboldened in these times - not least by the Musks and the Trumps and the Robinsons and the Farages and the Rowlings and all of these awful people - I believe their voices are genuinely much, much louder than the minority they actually represent. And that's the big difference to the 1980s IMHO - when those voices did indeed represent mainstream opinion.
That's what I think, anyway, and I will continue to hold on to that belief.
And also, as a former English teacher myself, I feel duty bound to point out that "reflection", "renewal" and "reinvigoration" are nouns and not adjectives, even if "adjectives" is so amusingly alliterative with "alliterative" ... ;-)
I'm old enough to remember the 1980s too. I agree that that the bigots are, in this decade at least, a loud minority, but the saturation of coverage in the media, and the government capitulating to them, is very reminiscent of back then and risks tainting mainstream opinion further.
Thanks for the note on the non-adjectives – a victim of an earlier, imprecise edit. I'll leave the mistake as it is and wear my shame, haha. Thank you for reading.
I don't say I am "sober" because I still cook with alcohol and don't avoid boozy desserts etc. I just don't drink any more.
I don’t really use it either – I say I don’t drink – but sometimes it crops up as shorthand.
A very enlightening read to those it affects and those who direct the traffic towards the impact point…
Justin, as you often do, you struck a chord (in this piece, a few); the homophobia and transphobia part particularly so. I volunteer for a well known LGBTQ listening service, I'd love to, with your permission and with credit to you, copy and paste your last 4 paragraphs into our private 'chat' channel, because they reflect what I think all of us there (we all identify as LGBTQ) feel and listen to a lot these days. Thank you for touching my heart again.
Hello Paul. Thank you for reading. Yes, please do share wherever you feel it’s useful. And thank you for your vital volunteering work.
Justin, your post is one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking things I've read about change - so much reality, so much wisdom and genuine inspiration. I feel more grown- up and hopeful (weird combination!) from reading it. Thank you.
That’s so kind of you to say, Fionnuala. I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
It's sad that you even feel the need to write your heartfelt plea about homophobia and transphobia. I'm old enough to remember the 1980s, when The Sun and other "newspapers" would write the cruellest things about gay people (it was the beginning of the AIDS era as well), and as bad as things are now, I don't think they are as bad as they were then.
Nevertheless, it's certainly true that we've been heading backwards of late.
But as with all things, I remain optimistic enough to believe that these are downwards spikes on a graph that still depicts an overall upwards trend to ever greater progressiveness and tolerance. Because thus has it always been over time.
Of course that may be of little comfort to a young teenager struggling today with their sexuality, because it will likely be some years before we get back on the upwards track. But it can still help to try to see the bigger picture.
And while the bigots of this world (and yes, there are and probably always will be bigots) are feeling emboldened in these times - not least by the Musks and the Trumps and the Robinsons and the Farages and the Rowlings and all of these awful people - I believe their voices are genuinely much, much louder than the minority they actually represent. And that's the big difference to the 1980s IMHO - when those voices did indeed represent mainstream opinion.
That's what I think, anyway, and I will continue to hold on to that belief.
And also, as a former English teacher myself, I feel duty bound to point out that "reflection", "renewal" and "reinvigoration" are nouns and not adjectives, even if "adjectives" is so amusingly alliterative with "alliterative" ... ;-)
I'm old enough to remember the 1980s too. I agree that that the bigots are, in this decade at least, a loud minority, but the saturation of coverage in the media, and the government capitulating to them, is very reminiscent of back then and risks tainting mainstream opinion further.
Thanks for the note on the non-adjectives – a victim of an earlier, imprecise edit. I'll leave the mistake as it is and wear my shame, haha. Thank you for reading.