SoulSpeakThe Indescribable Power of Love
The Power of Love and the Pride movement is an incredible story many people are still fighting to achieve. For those fortunately born into love, or educated on love, reach a higher place mentally and physically. Love is the most powerful feeling, we as humans, can have and is the engine behind most people’s hearts. That is also literal as there have been people who died from heartbreak. An article by ABC News Breakfast states taktsubo cardiomyopathy, heartbreak syndrome, is heartbreak stress that produces an adrenaline surge. When it reaches the heart, it explodes (2018).
I too have felt the powers of love to the point where distance could not keep us apart. We had fallen for each other in high school, but life came in and thwarted our plans. College slapped us in the face and said “use your phone” as the distance between us grew over 3 hours. Love kept us together as long as possible before more of life’s problems started to temper the flame. That relationship showed me love has many obstacles, but it also showed me a fortunate experience. Yet, in human history, there have been all kinds of love denied, prosecuted, and prevented. However, individuals being the change can create a place where all love is accepted and welcomed. Today we will review the meaning of love, targets of historical persecution, and how you are the change.
Defining Love
Love varies in all different shapes, forms, sizes, thoughts, races, and genders. As The Anatomy of Love describes: Love is a feeling, love is an action, love is an attachment (What does love mean, 2020). But to address love specifically, it is the feeling you have as a teen when you’re finally allowed to be a pet parent. The feeling of providing happiness and security to another creature than one’s self. Love is knowing you’re a different personality than someone else and having no other desire except to make them feel special. Love does not follow the constraints of any man or woman. It’s the indescribable, unworldly feeling that allows mothers to lift cars off of their children or the ability to fight for the ones you care about most in order to be with that surreal being.
Love cannot be tracked, predicted, prevented, or defeated whether it occurs between two black women, two white men, or transitioning male and a female. No matter who the connection lies between, nobody should be judged, juried, and executed. However, throughout history and to the very moment I’m typing these words. The citizens of the LGBTQ+ community persecuted and denied love.
The Hatred for Difference
There have been horrid cases and stories about the twisted treatment for LGTBQ+. Conversion therapy and electroconvulsive therapy exercised by hellspawn since the 19th century. There have been such horrific experiments such as lobotomies and aversion therapies, which is the attempt to make them believe that homosexuality is disgusting and makes them a terrible person. This can literally destroy the soul of someone who feels as if they cannot change (Blakemore, 2019). All of these techniques in the hope of turning gays to straight; however, it resulted in tragic actions of those who live with hate and fear of those different from them.
This stigma grew like a poison across America’s political and religious groups. As a result, Sodomy Laws resulted in a large target embedded on the backs of gays. In 1969, the StoneWall uprising was the turning point in the liberation of love as it began weakening the stigma within the common household; however, lawmakers and enforces purposely used Sodomy Laws to discriminate and justify inequality within the system. Those laws prevented gays from raising children, granting custody, adoption, receiving jobs and caused many workplace firings (ACLU, 2020).
At this point, Love must be a crime to US officials. This should create fire within individuals, which it so rightfully did. It is a shame that people can possibly perceive they have the power to tell someone who they can and cannot love. A hurdling wave of Pride washed through America to empower those who have been discriminated against and hated for feelings they cannot control. As a result, a movement occurred.
Pride and Change
In 2003, homosexuality became legal throughout the US. Unfortunately, laws display right and wrong, but change occurred because individuals felt as if discrimination based off love goes against humanity and the core foundations of a good person.
Pride month, which is now a commemorative month in October, reached its 50th anniversary of practiced traditions in June 2020. Marches occur throughout the month and grows in numbers every year. Businesses show their support by changing profile pictures to the pride flag or waving it outside the building. Those within the LGBTQ+ community are beginning to feel comfortable with their sexuality and the stigma of “coming out” is decreasing as October 11th is considered national coming out day.
The biggest thing to remember is that true change has only occurred recently. Easily reverted without proper education and voters. It wasn’t until 2015 that all states were required to accept same-sex marriages. The battle wages on as we fight for discrimination laws for the LGBTQ+. Continuously being put into place until they obtain the same rights as everyone. The power of love allows people to love unconditionally.
We All Love
Everyone is capable of love if they choose to allow it into their hearts. There are always multiple perceptions to every side of the spectrum. Those who are born in hatred and judgement are ignorant to love, so all they know is hate. People born in nothing but Love and only hate those who cannot understand that. And what both sides fail to realize is that everyone wants to receive unconditional love, but no one truly knows the intention of one person to another.
The best thing I try to practice within myself is to put myself within someone’s shoes to understand, even if I can’t, to not show judgement as it is their life to live not mine. It is never justifiable to deny someone their right to enjoy life as long as it does not result in the destruction of another and I personally, as a straight white male, have never felt harm from my friends practicing what they consider love. Everyone Love Everyone — shoutout to Jackie Moon.
For more on The Power of Love and the Pride Movement, check out Episode 3 of our Podcast series with special guest, Jordan!
References
A. (2003). Why Sodomy Laws Matter. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.aclu.org/other/why-sodomy-laws-matter
Equaldex. (2020). Equaldex. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.equaldex.com/region/united-states
Brown, L., & Fisher, H. (2015, September 01). What Does Love Mean? Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://theanatomyoflove.com/blog/love-mean/
Breakfast, N. (2018, March 08). Yes, you can die of a broken heart. Here’s how. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/heartbreak-syndrome-and-takotsubo-are-real-for-heart-disease/9523662
Blakemore, E. (2018, June 22). Gay Conversion Therapy’s Disturbing 19th-Century Origins. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.history.com/news/gay-conversion-therapy-origins-19th-century