Not A Choice

notachoice
Originally uploaded by Randuwa

This is a poster for the "International Day Against Homophobia" back on May 17th. The message: "Sexual Orientation is not a choice."

I missed the day, but not the reality. Being gay for me is NOT a choice.

I can choose tons of things. I can choose what to wear, what to eat, how fast to drive, what CD to listen to; but I cannot choose the orientation of my sexual desire. I can ignore it. I can suppress it. I can deny it. I can hate it. I can indulge it with reckless abandon. But I cannot make it be something that it is not.

And because it is not what either most human beings experience or what many in my culture demand, it is not something that I can simply live out (The way I imagine that the majority of my fellow human beings can be heterosexual without fear or guilt).

It therefore is a confusion. It is a dilemma. It is a burden. It is a catalyst on the road to self-actualization. It is a gift in the pursuit of enlightenment. It is an opportunity for empathy. BUT IT IS NOT A CHOICE.

You straight amongst us, can you imagine what your life would be like if your sexuality were so pervasively complex? I doubt we'd be worried about the over-population crisis!

And remember: IT IS NOT A CHOICE.