Standing Up

After work tonight, I was sitting at the bus stop, and I was suddenly bombarded with the familiar sounds of drunk university students. You know what I mean. So, my mind began to go into ignore-mode because most of the words they were saying weren't real words. I am so tired of the word "fuck". I wish that I never had to hear it again. Seriously.

Anyways, I started to block them out when I heard one of the guys ask, "Why don't you like Derek again? OH YEAH, HE'S GAY!" Then after one of the girls feebly denied it he said, "I hate gay people too. Just say it, it feels better when you say it." That's when I began listening.

Shortly after this, I heard a different guy say, "Gay guys are just ordinary guys." I was pleasantly surprised by this display of tolerance in front of his obviously bigoted comrades. The others ignored him and continued to bash gay people and this "Derek" character.

"Why are you guys hating on Derek? He's a nice guy! He seems to be a nice guy..." said the tolerant one before being interrupted by "BECAUSE HE'S A FAGGOT!" I had some serious problems with these people. I didn't want to listen anymore, but unfortunately, they were three feet away from me and being very loud. It actually makes me really uncomfortable when I listen to people being so crass and rude and prejudice. I just sometimes feel like I should go over to them and give them a good talking-to (or a good punch to the cranium).

Shortly after, they descended into yelling and laughing and pushing and swearing. I shut them out for a bit before I heard the nice guy seemingly still defending poor Derek.

"He's too shy to say sorry. That's just Derek. He probably really really wants to say sorry, but he's too shy." I smiled. This was a real, genuinely nice guy who unfortunately got stuck in a crowd full of dumb bigots. I felt like going over and saying to him, "You're nice. I like you. Why are you hanging out with these idiots? Let's be friends," but I didn't.

I didn't hear the reply because I was thinking about how nice that guy seemed to be. Not long after though, I heard them talking about how many times a day they use the washroom, so I went back to being in my own head.

It really surprises me sometimes to think of how intolerance is still very common, even among kids and teenagers. I know that these ideals are most likely taught to them by parents or role-models or whatever, but still. You would think that given all the terrible things that have been done in the name of intolerance, people wouldn't want to be grouped with that kind of attitude.

Personally, I think that for some people, it is an anthropological response that is ingrained into they're genetic makeup. It is a primordial survival thing. Those who are different may be dangerous, and so alienating them is the safest thing to do. This is also the case for people with insecurities, or who are going through identity crises. I am positive that some people bash homosexuals because they themselves might be having certain feelings that would not be acceptable in their social group or clique.

Anyways, I could go on for years talking about that, so I think I'm done for now.