Ask Trippy92 what his first feeling was when he read your post! And did he feel happy or a bit sad and anxious?!
It doesn't matter what you think whether you have offended someone or not. That is not for you to decide. Only people who have read your post can. And let you know.
You might have not I tended to offend anyone, which is great, sincerely great, but you need to understand that if you believe something is true it doesn't necessarily mean everyone else does as well or should as well, and it doesn't mean that just because that is your opinion, that it can't offend or hurt somebody.
If you are modest, how can you say that pride is a sin?! Do you even know what they stand for, what they are fighting for? For the basic right God gave everyone - to be equal and equally treated.
Just because some of them dress differently or are happier on the outside than the next guy, does that make it a sin in God's eyes? Or does their cry for the intolerant and closed-minded to leave them alone and not violently attack them a sin? Is it a sin if Elton John and his partner have been together for over 30 years, love each other, are faithful, supportive and respectful to one another, wanted to be able to get married just like all of us straight people have the right to?
I don't understand exactly whether you feel ok or not if some people are gay, lesbian, bi, trans,... or it is just the way they present themselves at the annual memorial of a really bad and upsetting event in 1969.
I do agree that it would be smarter and more effective if they toned it down a bit, because people can get the wrong impression of how and who GLB and even T really are and behave in every day life, but well it's their choice how they wish to fight for their rights. They are not hurting anyone. They don't wish to take anything away from the straight people. They live day to day, trying to survive, with their ups and downs, just like you and me.
God won't punish actors in theatres. The costumes they wear, the way they behave on stage is just their job and a way to hold up a mirror to society and influence introspection. When a play is over people go home and think. And that is exactly what people at the pride are trying to do. To express the need for social change, communicating, dealing with a universal theme, recreating and interpreting information, ideas, and emotions and trying to get the human side out of people.
Both the actors and pride members go home and change into sweatshirt and sweatpants and sneakers and live their life.
Why did I react to your post?
Here where I live, the LGBTQ pride parade was on Saturday in our capital city. Some bars, pubs and restaurants put the rainbow flags in their windows the evening before to show that everyone is welcome. In the morning on the day of the parade, all the windows were broken and bars, pubs and restaurants literally destroyed.
A straight man in his late thirties, a lawyer, was walking alone. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt. As a sign of support for his colleagues and friends, he was on his way to the parade and he put around his neck and a bit of shoulders the rainbow flag. His family friend gave it to him. He was attacked by quite a big group of people, male and female. They kicked him and hit him so hard that doctors in the hospital do not know if he will survive. Broken this, broken that, bruises, damaged organs,...
The president of the country was at the parade. She had a beautiful speech and took countless pictures with LGBTQ members.
The pride was all nice, tasteful, not much exaggeration. Well we are a small country and there are more gay, lesbian and bisexual people here and only a few transvestites, so the emphasis was more on the issues they are fighting for than the clothes and exaggerating.
While the president was having fun at the parade, just a street away the straight lawyer was getting killed because he wanted to support his friends.
I do not know what a pride looks like where you come from, but I am 1 million % sure, that no matter how colorful, exaggerated and some might say tacky the pride turns out to be, no one deserves violence, attacks, insults, restrictions just for being themselves and for walking down the street. I know you agree.
That lawyer is a father of two, has a wife. 30%of his cases are pro Bono, he has a dog, a cat. He is obviously a good friend. And all it took for him to get attacked was a scarf- a rainbow coloured scarf.
I do not want to live in a world like this.
But I shouldn't be surprised. I lost all my family, relatives and old childhood friends just because I had OCD. All. I had to run away from my family for my own safety. Just because I had ocd. My late father even tried to force ocd out of me by trying to strangle me.
I have not been in touch or seen anyone of them in way over half of my life.
95% of the people I met and was friends with in the last 20 years, I lost because I don't eat meat. I eat vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, drink Coca-Cola, eat Magnum almond ice-cream, eat plant based cheese, milk, ice cream, sweets, everything they eat except I refuse to eat anything that might have contributed to an animal's suffering and death.
And because of that, I am not worth being their friend. I am the weird one!?
I never ever asked anyone to become vegan or promoted or preached veganism to anyone unless they asked. Well, those who did ask, are still in my life. The others who didn't, just stopped calling, visiting, answering my messages. Because I am against totally unnecessary and unaccepted killing of animals.
And I do not judge them. I was one of them for many years. But even though I ate meat, I had friends who were all eaters, vegetarians, vegans, gay, lesbian, straight, black, white, brown, yellow, depressed, intelligent, not very bright.
They cast me away just because I do not eat meat. Life is so mysterious.
Dear Princess, I have been suffering for 38 years with one of the hardest and most debilitating forms of ocd. 0n 2nd July 23 will be a year anniversary since I managed to leave my then home in which I was in self inflicted prison for about two years. I couldn't go out, I couldn't touch most of the things in my home, I couldn't go shopping, couldn't cook, couldn't pet my 3 rescued cats, couldn't sleep with my husband, ,... It was living hell. I prayed to God to have mercy on me and end my life every single day.
I guess he must see more in me than I do. Maybe I am here to save an animal's life, to teach kids something and to stand up for those who need understanding, compassion, support, love as much as I do.
From the bottom of my heart I admire you for being a mom with ocd. I was not blessed with children. But I can't even imagine how I could possibly function if I had kids. And from the bottom of my heart I wish you to win the battle with ocd and all the best to you, your husband and your children.
If you allow me to say just one more thing. It isn't intended to be a criticism. It's just how I would do it and maybe you will agree: If I had a chance to have children, I wouldn't teach them about what is a sin or not, I would teach them what is right or wrong and how to look at the world with their heart. Because the most important things in life are hidden to the eyes. You can only see them with your heart.
Have a nice and piece ful ocd free day. 😇
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