A2Z – Yon Zealots

 

Okay, it’s obvious I’m reaching pretty far this time.  But it’s April 30th, the last day of the A to Z challenge, and I had to find a way to pull together a title with both a Y and a Z.  I thought about Yonder Zenith – but really, that’s just as far a reach.  😉

In any movement of importance, there are always zealots, and they never bring a level head or a spirit of cooperation with them.  So while our ideals may speak to equality and acceptance, we do need to keep an eye out and guard our hearts and minds against those who take these notions and force them upon people.  Because, in doing so, we’ve turned against equality and acceptance.

Do I advocate accepting a society that treats you as “less than”?  Definitely not.  But we do need to accept those who would try to force you into their mold of what a man or woman should be.  We don’t need to accept their condemnation or bow to their will, but in accepting them for what they are, we can move past them knowing that we don’t need them or their acceptance.  It can be a confusing idea.  But but ultimately, when we accept others for what they are, even if we don’t necessarily agree with them, we free ourselves of the constraints they’d harness us with.

So, my last message for you during this month of discovery on the topic of sexual and gender identity?  It goes back to the letter A, with the word acceptance.  Just as we can free ourselves of the restraints others would place on us by simply accepting them as they are (and thus not giving them power they don’t deserve), we can claim our own power by accepting ourselves as we are.

Accept yourself, and find the freedom and love you so rightly deserve!