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To the Editor:
In a welcome display of bipartisan unity, Greenwich legislators including Senator Ryan Fazio, First Selectperson Fred Camillo, Representatives Stephen Meskers, Rachel Khanna, Hector Arzeno, Selectpersons Lauren Rabin and Janet Stone McGuigan ALL acknowledged the positive presence and contributions of the LBGTQ community to the Town of Greenwich and worldwide at Sunday’s Greenwich Town Hall Pride celebration. It was a happy community event!
It saddens me that such a joyous occasion enjoyed by many bipartisan residents – perhaps more than 100, families and all ages – is later soiled by cowardly signs posted at Town Hall.
Unfortunately hate and bigotry live in Greenwich. If you who posted the signs are reading this and are strong in your convictions at least have the courage to include your name on these hateful signs! Why not? Aren’t you proud of them? This applies to your social media as well – sign your name. Or are you ashamed to be known?
This brings to mind what should not be a controversy but is surrounding public school libraries – actually all libraries – the banning of books. In this case the introduction of non-binary gender and sexual identities in lower schools. Those parents opposed retain the parental privilege of withholding information from their own children. BUT they do not have the right to withhold information from all other parents’ children – parents who want their children to be educated in the truth of a beautiful and diverse human race, as well as parents who recognize and accept their child is LBGTQ.
Suppose – just suppose – your own son is inclined to enjoy activities deemed by society as appropriate for the opposite sex. For example, liking to wear pink rather than blue, his sister’s dress, play with dolls rather than trucks, paint fingernails like his sister?I trust librarians who have the education and expertise in what is age appropriate. Chances are if children don’t get an education in a safe setting they will get it from the internet even if you’ve “blocked” certain sites, there are ways of getting around them and kids know how. Or they’ll get misinformation from their peers. This carries over to bullying and name calling.
What is that truth? That like it or not, LGBTQ human beings – yes, human like me and you – do exist and have existed from the beginning of the human race. The difference is that now they do not have to be ashamed of who they are and how they were created. Being LGBTQ is just that – it’s BEING – it’s not a choice as some might believe.
Lady Gaga has it right in her song “Born this way: God makes no mistakes, baby I was born this way!”
Unfortunately fear has not been erased from the LBGTQ community because of prejudice fueled by its own fear. Fear of the other.
No, God makes no mistakes. It’s up to the rest of us not to be silent.
Monica Prihoda
Greenwich, CT