Reflection on 30 Days

Morgan Spurlock of 'Supersize Me' fame has directed a series of hourlong documentaries called 30 Days which Lynne and I have made every effort to view. Last week a christian man went to live as a muslim with a muslim family. It is fascinating the way his subjects finally come to examine and recognize many of their beliefs as uninformed stereotyping... and they learn to acknowledge the basic humanity we all share.

This week's program featured a heterosexual man who went to live with a homosexual man in the Castro District of San Francisco. While he seemed to be coping with the differences quite well (which could have been simply good manners), his biggest hangup was over church and the God factor. Honestly, I didn't think he'd ever come to look on gays as being anything other than an abomination.. until near the end of the show. Lynne and I picked out two points at which we felt we could see understanding blossoming.

The gay gentleman took him to meet his family. Mom & Dad, grown brothers and sisters.. they were all there, loving him unreservedly. He saw people who WEREN'T gay, loving someone who was. Sex didn't factor in. To them he was a good man, period.

The next event that seemed to make an impression was when he visited a pflag group. There a father related his feelings when his daughter came out. The idea that his perfect daughter.. who was still perfect in his eyes, was now subject to discrimination was heartwrenching to hear.

It was if he suddenly understood. There was nothing TO understand. We are people, same as he.

I want that understanding everywhere. I want to be unafraid. I want to be able to share my life with others without having to feel so damned censored. When asked what am I doing here, I'd like to be able to say I met this wonderful woman...