Only You, by Banksy.wmv

IF, Cover by Banksy

Everything I Own, Crescendo Remix Cover, By Banksy

Everything I Own, Cover by Banksy.wmv

Personal Declaration.

I am going to give it my best effort to do what I have to do in life to make me happy while

remembering to help others to feel happy as well.

I will try to not concern myself with what others think about what I am doing or whether or not they agree and just focus on the fact that what I am doing is worthwhile.

As long as what I am doing is legal, safe and harmless to myself and others, it is OK and in no need of validation by anyone but myself.

A gift to myself and If others gain joy from what I do, that is just a bonus.

I will also ensure I take time to enjoy the beauty that others create in this world without forgetting to stop to admire their roses as well.

Copyright (C) Robyn Whittaker. 2012.

A BOOK CALLED FACE.

Are we all becoming a legion of social networking followers that have been seduced by the promise of constant feedback on our every thought and action on a daily basis? In our quest to connect through wires, keyboards and screens I wonder if we are losing some of the opportunities for face to face interaction and old fashioned togetherness. The temptation to neglect physical interactions may take over for some, owing to a lack of necessity, if too much time is spent Internet sharing what was once saved for our get together conversations. So many of us over share to the point that when we do meet up there is little left to tell and what is left to say when all has been said. It becomes just a rehash of the news that was reported in an update an hour before we meet. And though it does give us a thrill that the other already knows about our news, it is like constantly feeding information into our own personal gossip rag while totally disregarding the virtues that come from keeping a little bit of mystery.

After a few years of passionate input and over sharing, I have found myself avoiding this medium in favour of internalized reflection. Maybe like others who I have heard are curbing these activities, my online presence is evolving. It is easy see how one can be seduced into the desire to over share when receiving the almost instant gratification of being noticed, liked and loved. I think back to words I have written and the words of others I have read and it becomes clear that some of our statements are deliberately reaction based. A rush of satisfaction that someone somewhere at any given time liked or commented on something we felt was in need of notice. It is indeed obvious that some are more addicted to this feedback than others. Everyone wants to be understood and we all have a yearning to belong to a group that shares our hopes and dreams while sharing togetherness.

We hear of the rules recommended with this sort of online interaction and some of us adhere to them and follow. I engaged in this world with a healthy dose of caution at first, but in time the waters felt safer. I dared to swim with little regard for the sharks that bite with lexicon and found that some of the followers were not really friends and are just there to feed off your story. It is indeed a dangerous endeavour to make public what in any other age would have been left unsaid unless in the audience of family and confidante close friends. In any arena it is wise to remember the pitfalls that can come from not guarding our private cards and keeping them close to the chest. Because honesty is good but not always your friend and though it can be fun, it is wise to remember that life online is also based on the game.


Copyright © Robyn Whittaker. 2012.

A LOVE THAT DOES SPEAK ITS NAME

As another year begins we dust off our hopes and dreams and sprinkle them with just enough faith to get us through the rest of it. Some great achievements were realized last year amongst our crew, individually and collectively, and now we are one more step closer to equality. Civil unions for our community in Queensland are now a reality and though it is one step toward a goal, it will only be a matter of time before we are granted the right to legally marry the ones we love in all areas of this country. It is a tide that will not turn in the favour of those that wish us to stay behind the pack, begging for the crumbs of a marriage loaf that most have taken for granted for years. One only need exchange the gay community for another minority into the debate about marriage rights, whether it creed or colour of skin, and the bigger picture emerges. It then becomes clear that no other minority would be expected to accept anything less than equal rights and to deny anyone these rights is discrimination in black and white.

When will those in power stop fooling each other that this is not the case and start to face the facts. Just because it is not your personal preference does not mean you have the right to disempower a minority and dictate the terms of their partnerships. Equality is about treating all humans with dignity and respect, providing equal rights for all regardless of sexuality or gender and not about mans ongoing what’s next obsessional fear of burning in hell. Believe what you want to believe and find happiness in what you will, but do not disguise oppression of another in sanctimonious religious beliefs that benefit some, but if sanctioned too heavily ultimately denigrate and legally oppress others.

The sky will not fall if the gay community are granted the right to marry as has been proven in other places in the world. They came to their senses and realized the stupidity and stubbornness of outdated beliefs under pinning laws that hinder the happiness of others, and so too will those holding the keys in this country. The day is coming when it will be impossible to continue with the lie that some are more worthy than others to celebrate and legally bind their love, and the walls will continue to crumble brick by brick until we reach equality.

Apart from everything else, the financial windfall for those counting the coin that is generated from uniting a couple would be incredible and the wedding gift registers alone would surely leave them spinning. They only need consider just how extravagantly some in our community celebrate a big day, and you will witness the whole wedding industry on mass heading to Canberra to heavily lobby the change. A change that will bring equality for those with a love that does speak its name, who loudly demands the right to register it.


Copyright © Robyn Whittaker. 2011.

THE ORCHARD OF HAPPY FRUIT.

For the first time in my whole life, I can actually say with all honesty I am starting to understand what happiness is in all its glory and I am learning daily the skills and the art of keeping it. I have suffered over the years with many bouts of depression and a feeling of unhappy hopelessness and have only recently re-emerged from my last sojourn into that land of barren dry and desolate despair, constantly covered with dark clouds that tease with promise of release but void of replenishing rains. Part of the secret to finding, keeping and building your inner happy, is giving it freely to others, because what you give out comes back to you in time. Every seed of this type with the water of your hope filled tears will grow, maybe not as quick as you want to see these results, but grow it will. And in time from those desolate plains of barren earth you will produce a tree filled with the fruits of your love, and those that deserve your fruit will sit with you and enjoy the offerings of your happiness. Before you know it, those around you will see your tree and want to plant one too and so on and so on until the desert that once surrounded you will transform into an orchard for the family and friends you love.

Don't get me wrong, part of this process is learning who to keep and who to leave well alone, to go off and walk their path with or without you. You can only try and be there for people, if they aren’t right for you and grate on your happy nerve, send them packing to find their own plot of land and learn to till its soil.

Too many times I was on auto pilot being Miss Florence Nightingale helping anyone and everyone all the while forgetting that to really be effective in helping and supporting others, you first need to help yourself and love your self unconditionally and be your own best friend. It has taken me a long time to put all of those pieces together and we never stop learning and like all human beings, I also am not perfect. The only way to rise above those less than wise choices both from the past or new ones on the way, is to never live in regret over them and just try to accept that we are the end result of every choice we make and can always try to do better next time.


Copyright © Robyn Whittaker. 2011.

TAKING YOUR POWER BACK!

What does it mean to be free in a world that is increasingly becoming a policed existence, of moral judgment chosen for the many by the ruling few? How many of our civil liberties will fall by the wayside in the quest to placate perceived government desire to safeguard us against the terror from out there. We all know deep in our soul’s right from wrong, but for the growing majority we look to others to be our guide and compass on how to live and what to do. Continually being fed a diet of lies and deceit, prevents most from waking from a dream state wonder lust for a lifestyle that for many will always be out of reach. Every day we rise from our beds and prepare ourselves for the treadmill that is our life, never questioning the state of play that has left many of us in debt and in a constant state of trying to catch up. Unless you have been lucky enough to win big or come from old money, your chances of getting ahead are slim, and that is just the way the powers that be want it to stay.

Yes I do believe in positive values and thoughts and I know all too well that they can indeed get you far, but I am also a realist and it would be remiss of me to act like an ostrich in this world of plenty for only the few. It is becoming apparent to me that things are not quite as they seem and if we are to bring about a change for the better, we must resist the constant Schism we are fed. Schism for those who are unaware is the negative energy that is created by those in power to keep us trapped in a state of fear and terror. Every other day another show about crime and murder hits our TV screens. Doctored media teamed with the constant rolling coverage of bad news we are encouraged to consume on a daily basis, all create Schism. Have you noticed that the ones that have appointed themselves to protect our world are also the ones feeding this negative machine?

Change your treadmill and refuse to be a part of the status quo you have been sold and stop being a slave to the ones who wish to control you. Go to work and live your life while focusing on good thoughts and feelings, and if getting that thing you think will make you happy leaves you trapped in repayment hell, leave it on the shelf. Watch the box selectively and the entertainment it brings, remembering its purpose is to sell you a life you are told you need as well as the food you are encouraged to buy for the families you feed.

You are beautiful beings and more so for being born into this wonderful LGBT community, a community that has taken pride in being different from the rest. Choose a calmer life and beware of the deliberate energy trap called stress and take your power back.

Copyright (c) Robyn Whittaker 2011.

DON'T WORRY!

For the first time in my whole life, I can actually say with all honesty I am starting to understand what happiness is in all it's glory and am learning daily the skills and the art of keeping it.. I have suffered over the years with many bouts of depression and a feeling of unhappy hopelessness and am only recently re-emerged from my last sojourn into that land of barren dry and desolate despair, constantly covered with dark clouds that tease with promise of release but void of replenishing rains. Part of the secret to finding, keeping and building your inner happy, is giving it freely to others, because what you give out comes back to you in time. Every seed of this type with the water of your hope filled tears will grow, maybe not as quick as you want to see these results, but grow it will. And in time from those desolate plains of barren earth you will produce a tree filled with the fruits of your love, and those that deserve your fruit will sit with you and enjoy the food of your joy. Before you know it, those around you will see your tree and want to plant one too and so on and so on until the desert that once surrounded you will transform into an orchard for the family and friends you love.


Don't get me wrong, part of this process is learning who to keep and who to leave well alone...to go off and find their own path with or without you, you can only try and be there for people, if they ain't right and grate on your happy nerve, send them packing to work it out for themselves and find their own plot of land and learn to till it's soil.


Too many times I was on auto pilot being miss Florence Nightingale helping anyone and everyone all the while forgetting that to really be effective in helping and supporting others, you first need to help yourself and love your self unconditionally and be your own best friend....It has taken me a long time to put all of those pieces together and hey I am not perfect, we never stop learning and of course like all us human beings...I make mistakes. The only way to rise above those less than wise choices either from the past or new ones on the way, that will I never regret because they all brought me to who I am today.....Is to just pick yourself up, brush yourself off and try to do better next time.


Everyday is a new day and an opportunity to create a better you and a better world. We all have a choice, go with change freely and embrace it or stay stuck in old thoughts, ways and regrets. I choose now to leave the past where it is and make an effort to live in the moment. Nothing will change the past, but we can change the future. Worrying is worthless and finally I am learning to let go of this useless thought process...worrying about things will not change them, it will only make the situation worse, distort your aura and create illness. I used to be so locked up with worry, I grew up with a father who was a worrier, and would worry sometimes if he did not have something to worry about....I say that with the up most of respect for him please be assured, he was one of my teachers/best friend and I adore him and so miss him now that he has passed on. Before he died he said to me almost in a desperate voice while holding my hand...Don't Worry! He died in 2006 and I have experienced post traumatic stress owing to the terror of watching cancer take away my friend, as his main carer it shook me to the core and took a toll on my mind and filled it with sorrow and fear. Part of the problem was also the old issues I had thought were dealt with regarding my childhood and my dad and his illness and the stress surrounding it brought up so many things that I was incapable of dealing with at that time, especially considering I had thought I already had. I am getting therapy for this currently and feel that the trauma from this and my childhood is starting to unlock from my soul...But you know what? The best part is ...I finally get it and what he was trying so desperately to warn me about in his desperate desire to help his child avoid what he realised at the end, contributes to dis-ease, thank you so much dad for this...Only in the last few recent weeks I can hear is voice echo those words of desperate warning, and now after all this time, I have finally heard those words fully and understand exactly what they mean and released the need to worry.


I reject worries out of my mind when they try to re-invade my thoughts, and let things and time take care of themselves, because worrying does nothing to change whatever it is of concern.... Just do what you have to, to change or improve what is causing you to begin to stress or at least make small steps toward that end goal...Everything happens in the perfect time and if you trust in the process of time and that it is happening exactly how it is meant to....you no longer feel the need to worry.


Every day now I thank my father and the many other teachers in my life. There are too many to name here, Louise Hay was one that helped me turn on my light and I will be forever gratefull to her for this, but a very special and precious teacher in particular is my beautiful mother. The pearls of wisdom that pour from her mind and then her mouth could fill an ocean with wisdom. Mum you are so very special and you know how lost I would be if it were not for you, you are my guiding light and a compass that helps me find my way, finally I am putting your advice into practice and though I still wander from the path you recommend, know that I am doing my best to follow your lead.

My siblings have taught me so much as well, as have the beautiful offspring they have given our family and world. Marilyn you are a natural teacher and it has always struck me as something quite magical and interesting that the first and the last child from our family are both dedicated to the love of seeking and imparting wisdom. My version of it is without a degree and as we both know I have shown also a talent for being easily distracted, whilst you were a master of working towards the goal that brought you to your graduation and in my minds eye I still remember the day, albiet I was very young! lol. I have always been in awe of how you seem to effortlessly understand those steps needed to complete your school work and focus until the assignment and task reaches fruition. We had different styles of intelegence and possibly A.D.D or maybe my lack of attention span and the land of gender change, led me to the school of the world, but in the end we are both in love with teaching.

Renee, I hope you know how special you are to me, and how grateful I am to you for giving me the opportunity to love and care for you as I always was wanted to but my life and life in general got in our way. You have taught me many things as well and I cherish the connection we now have. You were the one I grew up with and spent the most time with as a child. I adore you and am so sorry for any lost time we have experienced for one reason or another. You are a strong incredible woman with five beautiful children, and now they have children as well. Never forget what a truely amazing effort you have put into raising these gorgeous human beings, and especially the fact that you succeeded doing this through adversity. I miss you and us as kids, just playing and yes sometimes fighting lol, but through it all we survived and thankfully we are now closer than ever. Cut out dolls, mums pattern tin, tea parties with Terrina, or just dreaming our own dreams while watching a glamoures movie, pretending we were that beautiful actress in an old movie on the sunday TV matinee. So many special memories and I will treasure them always and even though you are my big sister..(well only by 3 years. lol) I will love you and look after you until the end. I know things get muddled up sometimes but I know that we are going to be ok from now on and feel a sense that we have helped our loved ones find peace. Thankyou for your open hearted love.

I thank dad everyday for the gift of those last words he spoke to me and I now feel a freedom I have never experienced before. Live your life, show gratitude for it and everything that is in it and strive to be happy...And most of all Don't worry, whatever happens happens, try to guide your life positively when and where ever you can, but remember, worrying will only make things worse and drain and take away from your joy.


Copyright (c) Robyn Whittaker. 2011.

PRECIOUS GEM

Joy is the gift you give with love,
With voice to soothe the soul.

The musical girl with style and grace,
Sings from the heart with golden glow.

You are a precious gem on earth,
The gods created a goddess.

Thanks for the hope you gave my soul,
Thanks for the sparkle imparted.

And if ever you’re feeling sad and blue,
Remember the hearts you've touched,

I will never forget that special night,
When all my woes seemed mended.

All thanks to a girl with a beautiful heart,
Whose voice mends hearts that are broken.

Copyright (c) Robyn Whittaker. 2011

DESTINY OVER DOUBT

Lately I have been feeling very alone and overwhelmed with a feeling of loss. I hope against hope that it is just to do with the death of my old self in readiness for the new, but something in me is not so sure. Recently I have lain awake in bed terrified to fall to sleep, imagining that I may not awake. I thought I was not scared of death, but I am and anyone who says they are not scared of it is indeed putting up a brave front. What a horrible ability it would be to be fully aware of when we will pass on. My greatest fear in regard to this is caught up with a fear of failure and not getting to where I feel I was meant to be and the achievements that are proof of my arrival at this point. I know I will die one day and I am grateful for not knowing the exact time and date of this inevitability. All I ask of the universe is that I am given a little bit more time to do what I know I am meant to do, promising to do it with haste. I realize that I have squandered allot of the time I have been given and have for many years blamed it upon my transgender journey as a way of explaining why I had no energy to fulfill the destiny open to me with the gifts I have been given. I love singing and it is my one true passion, but I am also scared of it and have failed to develop this skill to its full potential. I allowed myself to be lazy and a victim and say that it was ok to neglect it because the voice I have would not be accepted when it is attached to what appears to be female.

I am nearly 40 years old and I am over giving myself excuses and I am over allowing others the right to dictate my actions, even if it is my own perceptions of what I think they expect of me. I am going down in a blaze of glory and honesty and those that do not like it will have to get over it and move on. I do not have any time to waste on those who would never accept me anyway and only a fool would enter into any venture expecting total acceptance from everyone. There is always going to be someone who does not agree and what a boring world it would be if we did not question things and all agreed. I am going to come out on top and I am going to find my centre and when I do, the whole world is going to know who I am. So many have told me I am special, but it meant nothing until I believed it too.

I know my capabilities and I have dared to realize the extent of my worth, but insecurity can be a bug that eats through the best of a harvest. I will prevail and punch through the boxing ring of insecurity, surfacing to reclaim my destiny over doubt.

Copyright © Robyn Whittaker. 2011.

TRANSITIONS

Life is all about transitions and the ongoing path that leads us to who we become, while leaving behind who we were. No one escapes this ongoing transition and though we for the most part feel like the same person, we are different from the one we were a second ago and so it continues. I have made many changes not unlike all of us do on a moment to moment basis. Unlike most of the populace, I was born into a life that was destined for moments in time that were heavily grounded in major change. It is difficult for all of us to accept change and go through the inevitable growing pains of continual renewal in the process of our human existence, but we go through it whether we like it or not. Some believe it was a choice I made to make the major changes I have to my gender, but as time rolls on I realize that survival was an instinct that inevitable forced my hand. I am who I am and I am the end result of decisions that lead me to the identification of Transgender. Does this fit me? Well of course it does because this is who I am and I will always be the end result of the ongoing realization of this reality. Who really knows who or what they are and where exactly does a label fit on someone who is nothing in particular but everything in general. I have been described as Gender Queer by someone who heard my story and surmised that to not own a gender island is proof that gender fluidity may be the ship that I sail. I am not a woman and I am not a man, I chose femininity over masculinity and I will never regret this choice. But free of regrets is not what I am and I must admit this to myself and sail on until I find a shore that brings me the emotional and mental shelter I yearn for.

I have experienced so many amazing moments in my journey punctuated sometimes more than I would have liked with moments of sheer hopelessness and doubt. How can I doubt the decision I made that helped me survive. Even though it was a survival tactic, I would be living in denial if I did not own the sadness of what I sometimes feel I have lost. The person I was always deserves to be remembered and my inner child is indeed a boy not a girl.

I know there are those that deny the existence of this part of their history but I never felt the urge to bury the boy I once was. He was a valid and beautiful person and worthy of recognition just like any one else who has graced this planet. I am working through my issues with this loss and at times I feel almost haunted by the person I once was. When do we stop trying to prove that we are legitimately who we are as a defense mechanism against those that are looking for any reason to accuse us of instability, and just celebrate that we are a combination of both. I think it is healthier to accept the past for what it is and rejoice in the fact that yes I was once male. Every transgender person is different from the other, so this is my story and I only speak for myself. I just hope that maybe someone who might have similar feelings will relate and grant themselves the right to be comfortable with a past that is ok to admit to. I don't think I have ever come to terms with this memory and though I have never denied who I was, I allowed myself to feel embarrassment. Who I was when I was called Byron will forever be my history and to deny this is not only self destructive but it is not unlike burying someone close to you and not even bothering to mark the grave with a headstone. The reality is that the person I was has never died; he is with me still and lives on through me like a partner unto myself. I am starting to realize that I would do much better if I learnt to come to terms with this loss while placating an inner child feeling neglect and in the process turn it into a gain. This is my realization and I only advocate that you do what is best for you. I have seen so many transpeople in the past that denied who they were in favour of starting a fresh and wiping out the past.

As a transperson I am from the old school of thought and thankfully I can see that this ideal of wiping out the past is being replaced with a new breed who are loudly proclaiming who they were. There is nothing wrong with whatever you choose to do and what is right for you is best. If along your journey you choose to embrace all aspects of your history, more power to you and remember it is sometimes fear of others reactions that stop us from taking this step. It also is a choice born from the belief that this is who we have always been and that is also a very valid position to take. We are all different and it would be wrong to try and recommend any particular path for someone that is part of a collective that encompass such a vast array of different gender realities.

For me I realize I am going through a massive flux of change once again and the evolution of my being is open to questioning and going with the flow of the moment. There is nothing worse in my opinion than becoming stagnant and telling myself that this is all I am, and my penchant for analyzing is both a curse and a virtue. I sometimes wish I could just accept an unhappy position and just march forward without questioning the doubts, but I can't. I have an enquiring mind and it comes with an insatiable hunger for finding my intrinsic self. Do we just arrive at different junctures of our lives or ongoing moments and tell ourselves that regardless of my thoughts today, though they are different to the ones I had before, I will ignore them and save myself from fracture. I will continue my quest for my own personal truth and I will go forth and evolve with the process of change that led me to who I am today.

Maybe I will stay relatively on the same path or maybe I will break away and incorporate a new facet to my being that is not locked into what I know others expect of me. Sometimes I feel we fall into the danger of not growing for fear that we will lose the person everyone around us has invested in. So many have pondered what could have been at the end of a life and wished that fear had not robbed them of the life that would have indeed brought them closer to who they were meant to be.


Copyright © Robyn Whittaker. 2011.

BEAUTIFUL MISS CONCEPTION 2

What is an opinion, if it is not backed up by logical thought and fact? The white noise of un-secured thought, let loose on witnessing eyes and those in earshot. Everyone is entitled to them or so we've been told, but beware of the fog that surrounds your world. Opinions constantly pouring from the mouths and keyboards of the masses locked in a pen less technological sword fight. So over soaked with information, the truth invariably gets lost in a sea of false interjections, usually lacking in whit. Lately it must seem that mine are a bit on the heavy side and a tad gloomy, but I promise to find a lighter one for my next installment. Forgive me my indulgence in this theme of warning; thankfully in the distance I still see a rainbow.

Our hopes lay with the collective that still hold dear to the best of a past era. The ones that know that to gain the most, we must first give of ourselves. I see so many now that are determined to make front page at any cost and to hell with the consequences and who it hurts in the process. When did we stop teaching our children that what we give out we get back? Cause and affect still rules the world and consequences or not, we will find our way. It is inevitable that we will be forced to see the error of our ways, cherish ourselves, and on all fronts I hope for a kinder and more understanding race. The Titanic sank, and the unsinkable was lost and man was forced to learn from mistakes that were made. And just like that ship, the evolution of mans selfishness will also find the bottom of its ocean. We will in time see that everything has a price and everything finds its centre, and whether we like it or not survival is an instinct the human race cannot escape. D-day is upon us and we wish we still had time to evaluate the misgivings that have been spread across our earth.

I will go to my grave knowing that I tried to improve the position of others and help my fellow man, while in the process I learnt to help myself. I also will go to my grave regretting a few things that I allowed myself to fall prey to, including jealousy, anger and misguided pride. I fear that we may never learn what we need to know right now and though many are trying to warn us, few are listening. What an amazing yet incredibly stupid race we are at times, to have so much beauty at our finger tips yet as much destruction as the legacy left in our wake. If all is lost we are and will always be a beautiful miss conception on our creators’ conscience. Who or what ever created us, must stand in awe of our ability to do the worst thing imaginable to something that I am sure could only ever be seen as a gift. A blue shining gem spinning in space and time, that for a split second in the scheme of things was a hope full bequeath to a human race that at various moments, does not know what it does.

Robyn Whittaker. Copyright (c) 2011

Parental License.

Heterosexuals of either gender no longer exclusively own the license to being parents and we have learnt that you do not have to be in a conventional arrangement to do a good job of bringing up a child. This is not really a new thing and many children have been brought up very successfully in alternative household arrangements by members of our community in the past. It has been argued that they sometimes do a better job of parenting, compared to the dysfunctional structure of certain families within the wider community. The instances of child abuse and mistreatment in this country prove that having heterosexual parents is no guarantee of a good upbringing. Good parenting does not depend upon the sexuality of the mother or father, and does not require both to be present throughout the Child's upbringing. Believe it or not some seemingly good upright members of our society who appear to be straight and have lovely little families have the reality of either parent indulging in varied sexual practices. Sometimes they even indulge in these practices without the knowledge of the other partner. The statistics of married and apparently straight men frequenting parks and public places to indulge in sexual practices with other men would surely spin the heads of the wives they are attached to. I am sure there would be also many husbands that may be surprised by the reality of closeted desires turned into an experience by their wives when the chance arises. Of course we have been led to believe that the husbands of these women would more likely experience arousal than a shock reaction or a sense of betrayal, but I am sure this is not the rule.

We need only use the best qualities of the past era, and none of the moral structures that give society permission to persecute those that they do not understand. The old world moral and value system that saw LGBT communities robbed of their civil rights and bashed to death is not something to look back on with any sentimentality. Mankind’s old outdated identity was false to begin with and not grounded in reality. We are now living in a time of inclusive realism and those still grounded in delusion do not want to agree with this reality. The LGBT community have been here since the beginning of time and it is a travesty that it took so long for people to come to terms with us and accept us as a worthwhile and valid reality. I sometimes get the impression that some of our detractors feel like they have been shamed and forced into being decent to our community by the laws that protect us from discrimination. Without them I wonder what would happen and I am sure some continue with hate filled beliefs, not unlike the undercurrent of racism that also still exists behind closed doors with safe company. We as a race have come to realize that what we have considered normal society for centuries has now lost its grounding and fallen into an abyss of new realities, and are no longer relevant.

When a person can go out and adopt or artificially inseminate themselves, those old world realities are forced to incorporate the new meaning of what it is to be a family. The world has changed and we need to get used to it and accept that there are so many different realities for what it means to be human or a parent in this new world. Acceptance is about forgetting the excuses that lead us to mistreat those that were deemed less than others and invalid. Always choosing to be open to compassion and the understanding that we are not the same, while embracing the fact that difference is what makes us such a beautiful race. And lastly, who on earth can define for me what exactly is a normal person or family in an ever changing world that is constantly re-defining what is considered normal.

Copyright © Robyn Whittaker. 2011.