We are on a rollercoaster this year. Drag Queens and children seem to be of concern to many States’ legislators. Apparently cross-dressing is much more sinister than when Max Klinger was in Korea on MASH.
When Jamie Farr was asked about cross-dressing today he noted, “Our morals and our whole society has changed, attitudes and everything else. I was born in 1934. I can’t answer that question (because) I’m part of another era.”
We live in an era now where everything is second guessed. Evil intent is seen behind any action, no matter how well intentioned the volunteers involved might be. While some in our society are trying to celebrate diversity and show that a wider range of normal lifestyles is not a challenge to society, others want to make sure nothing they find “uncomfortable” should be allowed because of its supposed moral or recruitment impact.
I never felt when growing up that priests and nuns were trying to recruit me to a lifestyle they embraced. They were just comfortable in their acceptance of rectory and convent life dedicated to God, and not to human intimate practices. That was their choice. Other sects have their own idiosyncrasies regarding their belief system. That is not a challenge to a society that embraces all people regardless of their experiences growing up.
We need to get over the idea we must all be alike in our daily lives to have a secure future. We need to celebrate the diversity that makes us a truly remarkable cultural phenomenon.
Canada more so than the United States seems to celebrate the diversity of their citizens. We don’t need to see someone dressed in drag as a call to recruit more to that lifestyle. We need to see that as just one more choice for living that will present its own challenges to those who choose to live that way, within the greater parameters of personal freedom we profess to encourage and protect.
Wanting to share your comfort with another generation presents no more of a threat to them than any other thing a child observes growing up. Parents don’t worry that a child seeing a substance-abusing individual or a homeless person or a person with mental or physical challenges is a recruitment effort to that lifestyle. Drag queens reading books is no different.
Not every difference between us should be a cause for concern. Sometimes personal choices, like choosing to be a nudist, are just that, a choice that others should tolerate and try to understand. We don’t need laws to protect us from every aspect of another’s habits we don’t personally embrace. We need laws that protect our right to exercise that diversity.
-Tim Mullins