A quick response to Lifetime Movie's "Prayers for Bobby."
Prayers for Bobby
By Casey Wooley
Lifetime premiered a movie tonight called "Prayers for Bobby." The movie was about a young man who realizes he is gay, comes out to his family, and in turn his overly religious and ignorant mother attempts to "cure" him of his gayness. Trapped in a world where his entire life he's been taught being gay is a sin, and a family who is trying to love him for the person he can be, he is lost, and believes that there is no way out. In a way to escape the pain, he jumps off a bridge and into the path of an 18-wheel truck. A tragedy indeed.
I encourage all people to watch this movie. From both perspectives--gay people and religious people alike will find common ground, and those who are bigots and preach hatred towards those who are gay, I hope, will understand that the Bible can be interpreted in very many ways, and was interpreted by men when written, and as such holds many of the societal views of the time. Personally, I will say that everything that this young man went through--every emotion, every thought, every question, every belief, every denial, everything he thought, I at one point have thought about and lived through. This movie was very real to me.
It isn't very often that a movie can come along and touch me the way this particular movie did. I only thank God that I didn't allow my disillusions to cause me to take it to the final step that Bobby did--suicide. I thank God that even though my family still has a hard time here and there with accepting homosexuality, that they still love me; that they aren't trying to "cure" me. Homosexuality isn't something that can be cured. Just as a person's skin color, eye color, hair color, mental capacity, and any other genetically born trait cannot be "cured," homosexuality is something that just "is."
As we as a new generation begin to rear our children, I ask the question--how will we do it? Will the subtle comments about "when a boy meets a girl that he really likes," do damage? Will it cause a young boy or a young girl to feel trapped into a stereotypical societal role that they must find somebody of the opposite sex attractive. Will the blue blanket, or the pink blanket we give a child at birth signify that pink is only for girls and blue is only for boys? Will we raise our children and as we get to the birds and the bees talk, only mention the opposite sex--never giving any thought that the same sex may be an option? We as a society have a lot to think about when it comes to what we say around our children. Even the slightest remarks that we may think of innocent could effect a person for the rest of their life. Self esteem is a fragile thing, and growing up is difficult enough without having to feel we don't belong to the ones we love.
Lastly, it's not about abandoning you're religion. Gay people will be in Heaven. No, instead it's about interpreting your religion differently and realizing that everything you read in the Bible, or some other religious text was written and interpreted by those who came before you, shaped by societal views, and passed along by those in power, with the ability to make change. As the reverend in the movie, says, sometimes blind faith is just as bad as no faith at all. With that, I say goodnight to you. I'd love to hear your comments, and even better, have a conversation with you.
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