Gay of the Day- Socrates

Socrates is credited with founding western philosophy, democracy, and ethics. His ideas have gone into almost every form of government in western civilization as well as many Arabic nations. He was the most well known philosopher at the hight of the Grecian empire and a hero in his home of Athens. Plato was his student and also went on to greatness as a philosopher, and like Socrates is still a house hold name till this day. Greece was well known as a place of free male companionship. It was a part of society there that young students and older teachers would have relations. Same sex coupling was encouraged and celebrated. 

 Socrates spent his life searching for truth and ethics in his fellow man and asking if intelligence was not in fact the lack of knowing everything there fore not setting absolute limits. He felt the only reason that he was considered so smart is because he had never really felt himself very smart. His quest for knowledge and answers to questions was what set him apart from others and made him appear so intelligent. To overcome fear and take the adventure as it happened seeking not monetary gain but instead just being content to explore the mysteries of the world. He believed so strongly in not taking money for his teachings that he was always very poor and always in need of both food and money.

The father of Western civilization and governing systems was a gay man and yet his descendants have seen fit to go without rights for centuries upon centuries. The fear mongering in America has taken Socrates' very quest for ethics in this world and turned it in on it's self. In stead of using ethics to rule; lies and malicious harm are the codes of the day. This is most apparent in the fact that we as gay people must go without equal rights because it is "too risky politically" for anyone to stand up for us. Our very first black president can't even see the similarity between his equal rights and our own. President Clinton sold us out for a "lie and be safe in the military" strategy. We have been  sold out to our own shame and fear and have decided to continue to wait until our pleas are heard time and time again. When really we are the children of the creator of our way of governing. A GAY man set up our style of government and gays and lesbians are made out to be pariahs to that very system.

We as a people are from the very stock that has given all these men their power and they intern turn to us and say "You are not worthy and never have been". This is a blatant lie because

not only Socrates but the founding father of the Republican party Abraham Lincoln and countless other great leaders were gay men and women. Yet the Republicans and "Christians" stand behind the idea that we are sick and to be feared when they owe us their very way of life. 

Could it be possible that the fear stems from the inadequacy of the people that feel threatened by us that they behave as if we are evil. Isn't it just possible that they know that we have these gifts and they are afraid of us. They are afraid that we can find a better way to live and that would hurt them financially if we were able to spread our magic and and our truth that may show their truth to be falsehood and deceit. Socrates would later stand trial in Athens after their loss of control to the Spartan armies. He could have escaped the city of Athens but instead decided to stay and stand trial and die for his beliefs. He was martyred for his beliefs and for standing up for them after laying the basis for todays world. He was already martyred there is no reason for it to go on.

Socrates is my Gay Of The Day because his story is so similar to todays gay rights struggle except he believed in himself. I feel today that our gay society confuses the idea the we have TV channels, magazines, job opportunities and our own ghettos that we have achieved all we can. But that is not our legacy; we are the inventors and philosophers and stars and shaman of the world. We create great and lasting things and ideas. We have let the world lie about and to us so long that we forget that we as a culture have given so much to todays world. Perhaps if we had not been forced into the closets the world would not be in the state that it is. If our voices had remained free to speak up then maybe there would be more beauty and less strife in the world. Maybe we would have our rightful spot at the top along with the straights of the world without shame. After all there is no reason for the sons and daughters of the great Socrates, creator of modern western politics and ethics, to be anything other than first class citizens. We have every right to claim our position and sometimes; it seems to me; even more right! Maybe thats why the bigots are afraid. They know it too and when the dust settles and the people see just what these liars and fakes have done to the world and its environs there will be hell to pay. Well today is the day to start. We created this society and we will have our place in it. Word to the liars and bigots,..... The truth is out there and we all know it. Retribution will be ours and your fear can't keep you safe forever. Socrates may have been a martyr but not all of us will be. Instead we will own our history and our brilliance and continue to better the world. On Fag, dyke, tranny, queer at a time.