Difficult to Watch, But Important To See

After the Gay Pride festivities in Minneapolis, this man was harassed by children after simply answering a question.

"Are you gay?" a boy asks.
"Yes," the man responds.

What follows is quite difficult to stomach, but it's important to see. For those of us who already support gay rights, this illustrates why it is so crucial to avoid complacency when it comes to homophobia in our country. It exists - and in fact, it's wide and rampant. When we silence ourselves in these situations, we are just as guilty as those chanting slurs.

This brings me back to a time in college when I was hanging out with a few friends at a party. I was the only gay person in the room. Someone (outside of my immediate circle of friends), said something to the effect of (not referring to me), "Well, he's from California - aren't all Californians faggots?" What hurt more than the burn and anger that immediately enters my chest after hearing that word, was the fact that my friends in the situation did absolutely nothing - nobody spoke up. How will any of us ever learn anything if we just keep silent?

Silence and complacency are dangerous when it comes to advancing a broader understanding of gays and lesbians. Living in a progressive city with a large gay population and even larger straight population that supports gay rights, and coming from a very supportive family, I often forget myself the discrimination that exists surrounding gay men and women in America.

Let this video serve as a reminder that prejudice still exists in our country and let it serve more importantly as an educational tool. What questions come to your mind after you watch this and how do we find adequate answers that will massively decrease the likelihood of events like this happening again? Is it the fault of these children or their parents? Why do those 2 cops just pass by without doing anything? What do you think?