LGBT Mile Markers -- Do you care?

It's interesting to discover what people care about -- and what they don't care about, too. I think it's easy to think that if it's important to me, it's important to everyone. Duh -- nope! It's even more intriguing when you find out why they do or don't care what you care about...

Do you care that October is LGBT history month? Did it mean anything to you that October 11th was -- once again -- National Coming Out Day?

I was with a group of colleagues recently and raised the subject only to find that it was of little or no interest to the majority -- and some even found the prospect of these focal points ridiculous.

Given the fraught history of America in terms of civil rights for all, I think these specific LGBT mile markers are both worth some thought and energy.  More importantly, it seems we need to learn from what they represent; they exist with good reason.  It seems a bit obvious, but the first and most helpful reason (I hope and pray!) is to break down walls and barriers of misunderstanding that divide people who shouldn't be divided!

In every generation it seems as if a fight has to begin between people of one kind versus people of another kind based on some kind of assigned label -- color, gender, language, birthplace, bank account balance, sexual-orientation, address, hair length and/or style, pro-this, anti-that, and on and on it goes!

That's not good.

What about forgiveness? Reconciliation? Learning together? Seeking harmony with others over getting my own way? "As far as it depends on you, live at peace with all men..." doesn't seem like such a bad assignment to me -- except that it's going to require humility and a purposeful awareness of other people on my part -- seeking to know who they really are and are becoming -- not just who I want them to be!

Healing of families, neighborhoods, communities, cities, this whole country, and the world won't come if people aren't decisive about the way of humility -- including sincere regret for the hurt that's there; meaningful, forgiving dialog; and an awful lot of real (not pretend!), loving interest in those who are alike and those who aren't.

I give my heart, I'll do my part! What about you?