what's that smell?

only recently has the psychological stress of coming out of the closet been brought to my attention.

it makes me very, very sad to see self-loathing boil over until you can almost smell it. it smells like fear, really, and i wonder if it's fear of the unknown or fear of society. if it's the former, then only happy experience can tame that beast. and if it's the latter, you ask?

then we have a long way to go in our quest for acceptance of universal human dignity, frankly. and i'm not idealistic or stupid [same thing? tune in next week] enough to claim that america's primary, foundational purpose is the protection of human dignity. that said, i do think, as a country, we do as good a job as anyone else. and truthfully, maybe better, though i'm not going to open that can of worms.

but watching a friend of mine squirm and persecute himself at the end of society's hook is neither something i enjoy watching or that i enjoy passively allowing to continue.

i am a short person [think napolean with two "x" chromosomes and fewer soldiers], so even when i stand on a soapbox, i'm only just as tall as everyone else screaming out their opinion into this blasted wasteland of a marketplace of ideas. i'm not asking you to become a card-carrying member of the glbt alliance [but if you do, kudos to you]. i'm just asking you to think twice before using "gay" as an insult. last i checked, its first and primary definition was "happy." and that's not insulting, is it?

unless you're trent reznor.