MARGINALIZED
My focus recently has been on my marginalization as a gay, divorced, single man in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I had an insight last week as I studied scriptures and pondered and prayed about marginalization in general.
What does it mean if someone is marginalized?
Today, marginalize refers to the act of treating a person or group as though they are insignificant by isolating and/or disempowering them. The term marginalized applies to the person or group that is treated insignificantly, pushed to the margins of society and rendered powerless. Marginalization is the result of discrimination. Discrimination exists in many forms, such as racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, homophobia and xenophobia. Whether or not the discrimination is overt or covert, it marginalizes others and that is unacceptable.
As I thought about that some insights came to mind.
I was a small child marginalized in many ways. I was a Highly Sensitive Person in a family that did not like a HSP boy. I had a father who wanted a boy like his ideal, the man he never was. I grew up early, knowing I was not acceptable, something was wrong in me. I lived in the ghetto of a small Midwestern town. That side of town was regarded as trash. Child abuse was common and just part of life. We did not know any different. I went into a profession, Registered Nurse, dominated by females. Once again, I was marginalized as a "male nurse." When I was 13, I understood I was attracted to my male friends. I knew that was wrong and I felt so different and so alone and so marginalized. After I joined the LDS church, I accepted that my sexual orientation was a sin that would result in eternal punishment, and I fought against it so hard. I got married, had children and grandchildren and tried to be happy. I was on the outer edge, and I was a man divided against himself.
As I think about the members of my ward and the many good people who pursue being good, I wonder how many of them are marginalized in some aspect. Maybe they all fall into some marginalized group.
LBGTQA+ and allies
People of color
People of African American descent with family history of slavery
People of religious groups who may not be in favor for various reasons, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons, Catholics, Jehovah Witnesses, Snake Baptists, Holy Rollers, Whirlimng Dervishes, etc. etc.
People raised in the wrong part of town.
Single parents, Orphans, Adoptees, Adopted parents, childless parents,
Shamed, self-loathers, want to be someone else’s,
People who project onto others, those projected on, those who use transference to defend themselves,
Married people, teen-agers, pre-teenagers,
People who went to schools that were not the best, community colleges, virtual colleges, home schooled, schools dominated by non-white races.
Latino people, pickers, illegal aliens, people with foreign accents that are not desirable,
People with everyday jobs, housekeepers, hotel cleaners, waiters and waitresses, sewer workers, garbage collectors, used car salesman, scammers, phone solicitors.
People with smelly homes, broken down porches with appliances and furniture on them, uncared for yards.
People with dirty children in bare feet and dirty clothes
Appalachians, hillbillys, southerners, racists, bigots, nazis, KKK, Haters,
women, girls,
Fat people, people with glasses, ugly people, people who spit in public,
Bullies, fighters, controllers, get their wayers
Abusers, sexual, emotional, physical abusers, their victims their survivors
Criminals, jail birds, cons, ex-cons, police, fireman, law enforcement
Lawyers, doctors, nurses,
Republicans, Democrats, Conservatives, Liberals, Communists, Fascists, Libertarians
Rich people, people with no worries or cares or need to help.
People of privilege who can have everything they want.
People who like snakes and lizards
People with odd looking hair, dyed or long or wild or standing up or part shaved, or all shaved or just different
People who are animals, dogs, cats, deer, pigs
People from Poland, Russia, Mexico, China, Asia, people with slanty eyes, with red dots on their foreheads, Muslims, people with turbans, women covered with burkas,
Blondes, especially female
Single people, unmarried, divorced, windowed,
People addicted to drugs, alcohol, pornography, sex, working out,
Lovers of fame, fortune, liars, thieves, politicians,
Heart breakers, non- committers, seducers, pedophiles, enticers, embracers, touchers, feelers,
Homeless people, beggars, street people, shopping cart people.
Atheists, Agnostics, God haters and profaners,
People who believe they are saved, condemners, better than thouers, people who know it all, prideful people.
Have I left anybody out? Or have I failed to insult you or the group you align yourself with? Or the group you want to forget you ever were a part of? Or the group you are happy to be a part of and do not appreciate being lumped into here?
I also fear that we will compare who has it worse. I say that each situation, whether of our making or by our birth or others’ choices, are legitimate. I have heard or read of thousands who had it worse than me. It did not take away my issues and what I go through. Your trials and tribulations and joys are yours and deserve the same reverence and respect of all others.
These words cannot define or describe the people they may represent. They cannot be equal in their results or effects. First there is the person who experiences these words in their lives. Each is different and unique and deals with a myriad of ways.. Some can turn these experiences into stellar personality adaptations. The environment that you grow up in and the attitudes of those who influence you can change the effect of these situations. They can become a reason to overcome or a reason to despair. Your faith can change how you view life, and its' vagaries can change the outcomes. The options you have or the perceived options you have can change how you react to all situations. The intensity of the experience and its effects on you can vary greatly. It is true that some of these are a result of things you cannot control or change. Others have the potential to be choices that you can control or change. But to some degree we all have traits or situations that others judge, feel superior to or dislike enough to not want to acknowledge your worth or value. If we examine ourselves, we will find we are both victims of and people who sometimes, marginalize others.
My question is how any of us can feel superior or look down on anyone else, when we are all in some way marginalized people?
I am a strong believer in Heavenly Father and Mother and my Savior Jesus Christ. I attest that he made all of us, everyone on the lists above. He loves us fully and completely as we are. He wants us to be better, but He loves us with our faults and offers a way back home to His side. Many of the people I listed above are people that I am either a part of or have judged in my life. I seek to be a better man, a better queer man, a better Christ-like man by realizing that the people at church and in my social sphere that marginalize me are themselves marginalized in some capacity. My goal is to help us all see that and accept that we can love one another because we are different and we have incredible stories and incredible pasts and that we can all become more loving, accepting and affirming.
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What tropes and cliches you like based on your favorite Obey Me brother
Lucifer
Black hair characters, amirite?
The stoic type that seems mean but in reality hides that he cares
Basically the CEO cold hearted stereotype who you either think you can make open up or corrupts you
Mammon
Two oblivious idiots TM
The hot headed childhood friend who won’t ever admit they like you and bullies you as a love language
Definitely stands outside your window while holding up some radio over his head playing y’all’s song because you’re mad at him and he’s sure this is a way to get you back because he saw it in a movie once
Leviathan
Aware he’s a yucky otaku, when in reality he ain’t that bad
I see y’all geeky depressed self-loathers, y’all want someone to match your energy so you don’t feel alone
The Bookcase Nerd Obsessed With Anime Is Actually A Hottie?!- a slice of life, romance and comedy that turn to shonen
Satan
Same personality as ‘black hair characters, amirite?’ But blond
Hot head temperamental mess who is always calm around one person
Cat obsessed man who makes you think perhaps he’s into some kinky shit in pet
Asmodues
Has a slightly deeper and hidden personality that gets overshadowed by his narcissistic personality and the unwillingness to see him as more than
Pretty boy TM
Very popular guy always swarmed when in public, yet somehow you manage to catch his eye and it’s love in first sight
Beelzebub
The nice soft gentle character is actually hiding a lot of insecurities
I see y’all carving the size difference
Big honkers TM
Belphagor
One of the most conflicting characters, often Villianized but you can make him different, right?
Sleepy little cow man, soft and warm
Acquaintances to enemies to friends to lovers- tw after helping little cow man, there’s a brief scene of little cow man killing your character as you body lays on his brothers but don’t worry the story never mentions it again and y’all become besties and you get to romance him
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