Recently I was told that
writing for a Baha’i gay audience was an oxymoron, and when I pointed
out that I found this comment offensive the response was that the
problem was with me and the writer went so far as to state that I needed
to take this up with the House of Justice, as if his statement
automatically reflected their views. My point here is that so often when
in discussion with Baha’is on the topic of homosexuality, at some point
a Baha’i tells me I am disagreeing with the House of Justice or the
Baha’i Teachings as a way of trying to silence me. To start this
discussion I’d like to focus first on homosexuality as a form of
identity.
It seems to me that some Baha’is pretend that gay Baha’is don’t exist
or don’t have a voice, viewpoint or audience. I’m an artist and a
Baha’i, and while I might not have any sort of Baha’i audience, I
certainly have a Baha’i artistic voice, which is informed by my
experiences and beliefs. This is what I mean by a gay Baha’i voice. What
do you think?
Of course there’s a huge difference between no one in my Baha’i
community being interested in what sort of art I’m making and a gay
Baha’i having to keep their sexuality a secret in order to be treated
with dignity and equality.
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