LOVE WILL CONQUER HATE On Refusing To Be Silenced

This is a post about a love for humanity that drives me to confront the hate in the world, not with indignation but with compassion, humility, and a dogged determination to stand on the side of love.

This morning my attempts to confront anti Transgender hate in the digital world resulted in my being banned from Face book for 72 hours. My friends are outraged that a voice for inclusion is being silenced. As I watch them discuss the action, without being able to comment, it occurs to me that by getting me banned Cathy Brennan has invigorated my friends with a passion for raising voices that will oppose hate and call for love and acceptance to be the guiding principles of our communities.

Here at Patheos, such a community exists, people of many faiths committed to open dialogue, tolerance and the ideal that communication among people of faith can manifest a loving world where those who preach hate have no audience.

I believe in free speech, those who oppose my views have every right to their opinions. My recent experiences have taught me that the “Transgender Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) community do not hold the principle in such esteem, but choose instead to attempt to silence anyone who points out the discriminatory nature of some of their beliefs.

All I really want to say tonight is that, I WILL NOT BE SILENCED! Love will overcome hate, inclusion will take the day in a contest with exclusion, compassion will overcome judgment and our blessed community will find a place of justice for our Transgender community members.

Today I stand as a privileged white male and contemplate the violence and hatred that my transgender brothers and sisters deal with on a daily basis. All their attempts to get me fired from my job and ban me from social media are but a tiny grain of discomfort compared with their struggles. That being said, the idea that I will stand aside in the face of these miniscule pressures is absurd.

As a Feminist man let me state clearly and from the highest mountain tops. TERF’s are not Feminists, because Feminists do not oppress others! Their tiny minority of hateful thought will never be allowed to prevail in our collective community.

Our love for all of humanity, including Transgender women, will never be eroded by lies and disinformation. We stand as allies unwilling to cede even an inch in this struggle.

May Love Win!