By now, you have probably heard the news. Jamie Hubley, from Ottawa, killed himself a couple of days ago. He was 15... and gay. The usual culprits are involved: bullying and depression.
When I saw the post on Google +, I was outraged of course. I always wonder if human beings will ever learn anything. How many of these teens need to commit suicide until we start taking bullying and homophobia seriously? How long will it take for any of us to stop passing judgments on everything (and destroy lives in the process)?
If all we do is talk and do nothing to put an end to this madness, things will never change. I am a human being and I am TIRED of the status quo. People SHOULD be allowed to love whomever they want, because Love is universal. It has no color, no age, no preference, no religion, and is certainly NOT a matter of "right" or "wrong". Being gay, bisexual, transgendered, or whatever else in the book has nothing to do with parenthood gone wrong, genes, or some kind of a curse.
It always makes me laugh (and cringe) when straight people tell gays that they are open-minded and respectful of their lifestyle. As though gays should feel grateful that these people are finally seeing them as human beings rather than "sinful animals" after centuries of unforgivable and horrendous acts perpetrated against them.
Being gay is not a choice. Being gay means a lot of rejections, a lot of bullying, a lot of mockery.
So, if people have really become open-minded and respectful, how come they still stand on the side and watch kids and teenagers like Jamie being bullied and slowly die inside? It's time to stop this madness.
To echo Stephen Colbert: "If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it."
To Jamie and all the other teens we keep losing every day because they "dare" to be "different" in this judgmental world, your voice has been heard and will be remembered. Rest in peace!
Cendrine Marrouat - http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com
