Political Uncertainty

There are 27 churches within a mile radius of my house, I know, because I counted.  No I don't live in the bible belt in the USA, I live in the UK.  In the past I've had the fortune to live in London for a while, and when you live there it's very easy to be blinded by the bubble your trapped inside - the same bubble most large cities create.  Inside that bubble it's very easy to think that the UK is a progressive place and with Gay Marriage et al being passed that things have moved forward.  The problem is when you step outside of that bubble you come face to face with reality - like the division between the capitol and the districts in the Hunger Games, it's a very different world outside.

You can live a normal life, I'm not saying you can't, however casual homophobia still exists, and it's quite real.  There is a town not far north of London called Luton and last year a couple of straight radio DJs decided to walk down the street holding hands because they were convinced homophobia didn't exist; needless to say they had a rude awakening.  I don't blame religion for this specifically, I don't think that's the problem if I am honest, people are the problem.  People have always harbored hatred towards someone, the target has changed over the years but the same base expression has remained.  I don't blame religion because if it didn't exist it is my firm belief people would find another excuse.  Religion is a shield people hide behind, they think by masking their hatred in religion it will protect them and allow them to do and say what they want no matter how hurtful, and the sad reality is that it often does.

The recent wave of anti-LGBT legislation in the USA has brought home to me the reality of the fight that the LGBT community has fought for so long - that it's not over, and I don't think it ever will be, not in my lifetime at least.  There are those sitting quite comfortably right now who don't think it could happen to them, and don't pay the attention these events should really warrant.  The raw truth you have to accept is that everything we have fought for and every victory we have achieved has been ratified by laws that were past in their wake.  No law in the UK is immutable.  No Parliament can bind any future Parliament.  With every single election in the UK a new government is elected which has the power to completely undo anything and everything any past government has done.  To everyone in the LGBT community in the UK you need to see what is happening in the USA and take it as a warning - what we have, can be taken away.  You might be sitting thinking it would never happen in the UK but it can.  Political tides can change, and those parties you backed who promised you the world can transform into parties that seek to take it from you.

It is still illegal in parts of the UK for gay people to marry.  It is still illegal in parts of the UK for gay people to give blood.  Homosexuality in Northern Ireland in particular was only legalised in 1982 after the European Court of Human Rights forced them to do it, if that had never happened it would still be illegal there today because their government today still blocks gay marriage.  Outside the large city bubbles there is still much homophobia in the UK.  Throughout the UK in its entirety today it's still not legal for someone in a Gay Marriage to divorce their partner if they cheated on them with a member of the same sex - it has to be infidelity with someone of the opposite sex.  Gay Marriage was granted through separate legislation rather than replacing the existing legislation, it can be easily repealed.

There are many people in the USA right now preparing for their Presidential election in November, looking at the candidates in horror telling themselves "This isn't funny any-more, they can't possibly win..." - there's an obvious target for that sentiment but the reality is neither side stands in unity, you can apply it to any candidate who is currently running.  The same is true for the UK, there are those unhappy with the government of the day who look to the opposition and see no candidate from any party that they think could actually win, or that they would even back.  There will of course be many who will argue on those points, I wish those people luck, I'm not convinced myself.

There is a lot of political uncertainty right now, 2016 is a year when a number of elections on both sides of the pond will be fought, and a number of decisions, including the EU Referendum will be made.  There is a time to dream and there is a time to be realistic; over confidence leads to arrogance and complacency.