Journal #7: Gender Identity and sexual orientation

I found Michael Lassell's poem kind of eye opening because, although there are many homophobic people in society that do even shun their family members when they found out they are homosexual, the fact that the brother that died in the poem had been neglected by his older brother for so long and that, once meeting the dying brother's lover he came to terms with the situation was something that seems rare.  I feel as though homophobes tend to normally stick to their views on the situation and do not take that time to realize that it is actually okay even if it makes them feel uncomfortable.  This poem defines homosexually as a love between people of the same sex that is even stronger than that between a man and a woman because of the ridicule they have to go through just for their choice of feelings, while heterosexuality is thought of as "normal", the love between a man and a woman that everyone accepts and respects.  I believe this poem is very similar to the idea presented in the Duets episode of Glee in the situation of Kurt and how he has to deal with his sexuality and what people would think if Sam sang a duet with him.  In both cases, it shows that homosexuality is something that many people disrespect and believe makes a man not as "manly."  In both cases, the idea that people that are homosexual actually have to be stronger and more comfortable with themselves than the average person does because they have to accept who they are and show others that it is okay to be different, shown by the quote from the poem given above as well as when Kurt goes up on stage and sings a duet by himself.  After viewing these clips, I have realized how many people are still incredibly homophobic despite the growing amount of homosexual people there are out there, as well as how much stronger and more confident homosexuals have to be to make it in this world.