Change. Now. (Please?)

I was having a fairly positive feeling about the state of the world this week after seeing "Glee" the other night. I don't think I really went into the storyline, but it involved -- among other things -- a gay teen coming out to his dad.

What made me so happy about it was that the conversation between the two of them was honest. I was exceedingly happy that the dad was understanding, but also that the kid realized that a coming out isn't always easy for either party. It was a nice piece of sensitively treated television in a show that can be pretty over the top.

I finished watching it and had one of those "Wow. The world really is moving in the right direction. People are accepting each other for who they are, not what they do. This is really cool" moments.

And then I got up this morning and went onto facebook and saw that some of my friends-in-law (some people refer to these as "friends of friends") were the victim of an obvious hate crime in New York City last night. These three men were simply walking home and were confronted and assaulted by some idiots who tossed slurs at them while also throwing punches. (You can read the full story on Blake Nebel Hayes's blog.)

The cops were called, but all they did was make sure everyone was okay. They didn't take the thugs' names or information, which means that no charges can ever be filed. They just sent everyone on their way -- even though this was obviously a text-book version of a hate crime.

It just amazes me. Christopher and I take so much for granted on a daily basis. We walk down the streets holding hands (sometimes... not always... frankly, we know there are parts of town where that could be dangerous). We openly talk about our relationship in public. We have marvelously supportive families, great neighbors, and wonderful friends who know us as a couple.

And, when we travel, we take these things for granted, too. The last place in the world I would ever think we would need to worry is in the middle of Manhattan. I mean, if people in my hometown of less than 1,000 people don't seem to have issues with us, why would we worry about people in one of the world's most advanced metropolitan areas?

It's unbelievable. It shouldn't be this way.

And if someone is going to come at me with a "God didn't want it to be this way" argument, I'm gonna have to respond with the fact that God also said that we should leave the judging to him. In the meantime we're supposed to love one another, regardless. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we should beat each other up on the street.

Friends of mine are taking part in the National Equality March in Washington, DC, in October. Most of us obviously can't make it there. But we can all do our part to speak up and speak out in our own communities (online or otherwise).

Change has to start somewhere. Why not here? Why not now? Why not with one conversation, one word, one smile of understanding?