Sunday 23 September 2012

memoir writers homework-a rainbow

We were always told that a rainbow was God's promise that He would never destroy the world again by means of a flood.But recently,though I'm not entirely sure how recently,rainbows have taken on a new symbolic meaning.They have become a symbol of the gay community.This is something I became keenly aware of when I moved to Toronto in 2010.It seems that the rainbow flag flew everywhere around Wellsley and Church streets,and many businesses had small stickers on their windows as well.I suppose the purpose was to let potential customers know that the establishment bearing the flag or the decal was gay friendly.I suppose not every business establishment is,the world being what it is,so acceptance is a good thing to know about.Likewise,I suppose,if someone is redneck enough to want to avoid business contact with gay people,the rainbow affords them the opportunity to do so.Maybe that saves everyone a lot of grief.

But on July first,2011,I saw a different kind of a rainbow flag,and it offended me,to be honest.Now I'm really not one who defines a person by who they choose to sleep with,so the rainbow flag,by itself does not offend me.I know many gay people,and I've found that most of them want to live in peace and dignity and safety,in a country that values them as people.And in Canada,I think we do,to a greater extent than in many other places.The problem with this particular flag was that it featured a Canadian Maple Leaf in it's center,as a Canadian flag should.However,the outer parts of it were composed of the rainbow colours of the flag indicating gay pride.Again,I bear no ill will to the gay community.The nature of the offense has nothing to do with gay rights in my mind.It was,and is,to me a simple matter of patriotism.I don't like to see my flag corrupted,especially on Canada's national holiday.Not by rainbows,marijuana leaves,or pink potatoes,or anything else for that matter.To me,the flag stands in part for the collective values of Canadians-things like freedom and human rights.Gay rights is not something that is embraced by all Canadians.So,fly the rainbow flag,and I promise not to be offended.Fly it with,and by with,I mean along side of the Canadian flag.

So I walked home that warm summer day in a rather introspective mood.Was I being too much of a redneck?I hoped not.Was I getting old and set in my ways?Again,I hoped not,having always considered myself fairly liberal.But the presentation of that flag bothered me.It still does.I'm sure that there are those who would point their finger at me and say"homophobe" knowing how I felt.I try not to be.

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