One of the most important and heartwrenching parts of Todd Glass’s incredible coming-out moment:
“But I see two kids [males], they were obviously together, they were dating…. And I looked at them, and I went—I never thought this, and I’m not boo-hooing me—I went, I never got to fuckin’ do that [as a kid], because some fuck decided that what I was was wrong. And they were wrong. And they were wrong, there’s no doubt about it they were wrong…. And I do picture in my head why I didn’t get to do that…I picture a homophobic person that’s wrong, and maybe religious—maybe—going ‘Nyah!’ And you’re wrong. Time will tell you’re wrong. I always say, if you are homophobic and you’re out there, you better be positive you’re right. Because isn’t it gonna blow if all these kids are killing themselves and later, how convenient, in 20 years you get to write a book, and god bless you if you do it, to say how wrong you were. They’re dead. So why don’t you have a soul-searching moment now? Go into your house. Shut the door. And be fucking positive you’re making kids feel like crap for no good goddamned reason, because you can apologize in 20 years if you’re a politician.”
-Todd Glass on WTF with Marc Maron.
Trembled when I first heard this. Trembled when I played it back several times. Trembling as I transcribe it.
The important thing underscoring this entire segment and most of Glass’s angle is that it’s not just rampant homophobia he’s talking about—that’s an obvious part of what needs to be dismantled. It’s things like calling something “gay” and calling someone a “fag” (and saying something’s “retarded,” and a litany of other simple-to-avoid harmful adjectivisms of human beings) off the cuff, and when that’s an unquestioned part of your life, whether you’re overtly homophobic or apathetic, young people will hear it and feel horrible, and worse.
Incredibly illuminating and important discussion of a fundamental human issue. Please go listen. Please consider. And please pay it forward however you can.
