A Killer Disease We Have To Cure

This past Tuesday, Rod Snyder, a 30-something former president of Young Democrats of America, “came out” on MSNBC’s “The Cycle” news show. Here’s how he put it:

“I am a West Virginian, American, Christian, Young Democrat, singer-songwriter, a brother, a son, a grandson, a nephew, and a gay man.” He is also a candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates – and good luck to him! During his interview with the panel, he claimed that America’s prejudice against gays is “totally an age thing” – that racial bigotry is an old people’s disease, and that young people today have simply outgrown it.

Old people are the biggest bigots. What a bunch of baloney!

Rod is deaf to his own prejudices. He says he was “raised in a strongly Christian family.” Apparently, he hasn’t listened to, or read about his church’s prejudiced views regarding homosexuals, women, and others. As a West Virginian, he has excused, forgotten, or ignored a bit of Southern history. He says it is “alright to talk about our faith.” He has a slightly different take on that than the founding fathers.

Young people who come waving their religious flags, claiming they don’t see themselves as prejudiced or bigoted, have no mirrors in their homes. And, I am one old man who finds their assumptions – that most people my age are anti-gay – terribly offensive.

I agree with the Cycle panel that “knowing someone who is gay makes a difference.” Familiarity breeds understanding and tolerance. That makes more sense to me than, ‘old people are a bunch of homophobic old fogies.’

I have been on this tour for 80 years; been to almost every kind of church there is; lived more than a decade each in Philadelphia, Richmond, Detroit, LA, and San Diego. I have seen and experienced ethnic, cultural, and religious prejudice – including the killing of people who don’t belong to the right group. That's what wars are usually about.

There has seldom been a time when I didn’t have a gay friend, co-worker, or comrade-in-arms. Yes, there were gays in the military 60 years ago. It just wasn’t an issue back then. Blacks were the issue – they had special “Black” barracks, attended “Black” schools.

Prejudice is not mainly an old person’s disease. It is, as much as it has ever been, an American disease. It’s a killer we must cure!