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Sunday, May 1, 2011

Celebrating Characteristics A-Z

[This is actually from a couple times ago--I forgot to post these in the right order, so here you go. Better late than never I guess!]

Keeping It Queer
By Erica Chu

Celebrating Characteristics A-Z


Imagine a world that rewards all people with “Characteristic X” but punishes people for exhibiting all other characteristics.

This is in fact the world we live in, and Characteristic X can be things like heterosexuality, cisgenderism (not being transgendered), monogamy, or whiteness. Yet sometimes Characteristic X is something unreal and imaginary, and we can get so caught up in the cultural shame, we fail to recognize its impossibility.

Mental illness. There, I said it. Now who wants to fess up and say they’ve got one (or two…or three…)?

Whether we call it mental illness or just issues related to mental health, the LGBTQ population is especially susceptible. Perhaps you’ve been lucky in this regard. Perhaps not. But consider this: perhaps you’re so caught up in the assumption that you are as sane as they come that you haven’t even stopped to consider if your mental health needs some attention.

Characteristic X is perfect mental health, and as we should have figured out by now, perfection is impossible and often undesirable.

When Characteristic X is assumed to be heterosexuality or whiteness, we resist the assumption that sexual and racial minorities ought to be punished for not meeting this standard. We stand up and scream, “We are valuable human beings, and what you say is worthy of shame, we embrace with pride.”

We don’t, however, tend to extend the same logic to issues of mental health. In some ways, it’s for good reason. For example, we who have or do experience depression know we’d rather have it otherwise; however, depression can sometimes be very productive. It gives us new and valuable perspective, it forces us to reassess the paths we take in life, and it sometimes provides the impetus for new motivation, deeper relationships, and richer life experiences.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not suggesting we try to embrace the negative aspects of our life to the point we don’t fight for what we want and need, but I am suggesting there is good in what we often assume is too shameful to even discuss.

In some periods and even still in some communities today, homosexuality is discussed with shame by those who practice it, but we who have learned to turn shame into pride celebrate our sexual identities and embrace how our differences enhance our lives. I wish embracing my sexual and gender identity had not caused me to become alienated from those with whom I once had a strong connection. Yet I celebrate myself, and I labor so that others can see the value I see in myself.

Mental health is not so very different. We may wish the negative aspects were not present, but we must value ourselves enough to turn shame into pride—getting the help we need along the way, grieving for what we’ve lost, but most importantly accepting and loving who we are.

This of course extends to others. So the next time you start to judge someone because of your perception of their mental health, think again. Turn shame into pride, and value the different characteristics that each person offers. The world is much better because LGBTQ people are full of pride. It can be even better when all differences are supported without shame.


Erica Chu is a student at Loyola University Chicago and is seeking a PhD in English with a concentration in Women Studies and Gender Studies. They manage the blog keepingitqueer.blogspot.com and can be reached at ericachu@msn.com.

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