Why are we preaching about tolerance when it comes to the LGBT community? What exactly is wrong with them that we have to tolerate? I don’t know the last time a bunch of gay men blew up a federal building or decided to bomb abortion clinics. When is the last time we read about a band of lesbians running around beating up heterosexuals? How many transgender people have formed some sort of alliance demanding that anyone conform to what they believe is normal? Hmmm….

Using the word tolerance implies that entire relationships are based on sexual orientation. I hate that! Maybe because I have gay friends. Maybe because my kids have gay friends. They are real people with real emotions. At least to us. When i fight with one of my gay friends, which is often, it’s not because he is in a relationship with a man. It is usually because he did or said something I didn’t like. Sometimes, rarely, I do something that he doesn’t like. Him being gay is never a part of that. When I feel like I must have tolerance for him it’s not because he’s gay.

Believing that anyone should have to be tolerated because of their orientation is a completely arrogant belief. My kids have friends who are part of the LGBT youth community. Those kids are part of the same community that my kids belong to so why do we have to differentiate and talk about tolerance and acceptance? Why can’t we just let kids be kids and love and support them all? Why is that so scary to some?

My daughter never had to worry about coming out as heterosexual. She never had to worry about being accepted by her peers or even their parents because she is heterosexual. There was nobody who had to be told to learn to be tolerant of her for being a hetero girl. So why are we doing that to our LGBT youth? Why are we sending the message that there is something wrong with them?

We talk a good game when it comes to bullying. We see stories all over the news and in social media about kids who are bullied to the point of breaking followed by talk about doing more, doing better. The rate of teen suicide is alarming. Yet, we preach tolerance. Because there’s something wrong with those kids and maybe if we tolerate them the world will be a better place? If you break it down, that’s the message we’re sending.

Let’s stop sending the message that being part of the LGBT community is something that needs to be tolerated or accepted. Let’s stop sending the message that there’s something wrong with them. We don’t reduce heterosexual people down to their orientation. Why are we doing it to the LGBT community, especially our youth?

Change the conversation. Let’s stop teaching that we must accept and tolerate the LGBT community and instead stop tolerating ignorance and hate.