GenQ - For the not so straight individual

I am sure we are all fully aware by now that a significant number of religions adhere to something known as the Ten Commandments (you know, thou shall not steal, thou shall not whatever those other nine were). For those that don’t have or believe in a religion, they don’t apply, so, why not make fabulous commandments just for us? Here are my ten that I came up with.

I – Thou shall wear thy gayness with pride!

Everyone is an individual. Everyone is entitled to be an individual. Your sexuality is just a part of your personality, not all of it. Don’t be afraid to hide it. You don’t necessarily have to flaunt it, but don’t do yourself the ill justice of denying it. Let people accept you for who you are. There may be people out there that may discriminate against us, but there are also a lot of people out there who frankly don’t care if we sleep with a person of the same gender or the opposite. Don’t deny your sexuality, because ultimately, the only person who is going to be unhappy about it… is yourself.

II – Thou shall smile at thy ‘enemies’

There are a significant number of people out there that don’t accept us for who we are. Take it in your stride, move on, and always have a smile on your face. It is physically impossible to please everybody, so don’t try to. Just be around the people that are happy being an acquaintance, friend, partner or lover to you, because ultimately, they are the people that matter to you the most.

III – Thou shall gleefully ‘notice’ others of thy same gender

Everyone has to have that bit of eye candy, and we all know it. Whether it be our partners that we choose to embrace for the rest of our lives, or Brad Pitt’s latest shirtless scene. Everyone has their eye candy (I know I do!). Don’t be afraid to admit it, and have a laugh about it if it is ever revealed to any friends. They do say laughter is the best medicine after all!

IV – Thou shall obey thy fashion gods

One of the things that we are well known for, is that we know how to dress! It is us, that takes notice of what becomes in season, what looks good, and what does not. We don’t have a religious figure as our god; we have Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, and Emporio Armani to name a few. What else could we possibly need? Brownie points to us for this commandment, as we have practical gods that are put to good use on a daily basis.

V – Thou shall not fornicate with thy opposite gender

If you are going to be gay (and proud of it!), stick with it. None of this crossing back and forth, deciding to be gay one week and straight the next. No fornication with people of the opposite gender allowed! Fornication with people of the same gender however, is an entirely different story…

VI – Thou shall be thy ‘everyday individual’

Despite what others may say, you are exactly the same as everyone else. You have a job, you have friends and family, and the traditional ways of living apply to all of us. So why go out of your way to separate yourself from that? Don’t let people think that your living fundamentals are different, when they are not. Sure, you may do things on a different level, but we all go out and party, we have relationships, some of us have kids, but everyone does it. So don’t think of yourself as being less than an everyday individual because you are gay; you’re not. You’re just as good as the rest of society. And besides, if we didn’t have different personality traits, then what would be the meaning of the word individualism?

VII – Thou shall not be discriminatory

I am sure we are all in the same frame of mind when I say that being discriminated against as a minority is not a fun thing to go through. Some of us go through it more than others, but nevertheless, I am sure it has happened to us all. One of the most common sayings that is used today, is ‘treat people the way you want to be treated’. If you do not want to be discriminated against, then don’t discriminate yourself, because ultimately, you may end up in a battle in which although you may be right, you may also be outnumbered.

VIII – Thou shall not commit felonies

This one I am sure is common sense. Don’t commit any crimes, as ultimately it will be you that ends up second best.

IX – Thou can use protection

I bet you are thinking that this commandment seems really pointless, but think about it logically for a minute. Believe it or not, there are religions that do not approve the use of protection (no matter what form). Most of us know what risks there are when enjoying well… you know... without protection. If you choose not to use it, that’s your choice. But never feel stupid using it, and never feel at any time that you shouldn’t use it. Do what you feel comfortable with, and don’t be pressured into anything that you don’t want to do.

X – Thou shall be proud of thyself

And lastly, no matter who you are, no matter what you do, there is always something about yourself that you can be proud of. Whether it is your sexuality, another personality trait, your fantastic job with a great salary, an accomplishment which you have just achieved, whatever it may be, be proud of it. It does wonders for your self esteem, and it makes you feel better as a person. Being proud of yourself makes your world, a better place.

Those are my Ten Commandments, and I plan to stick to them until the day I die. Remember, you don’t need to flaunt your personality to be proud of who you are. Just give yourself that satisfaction, and you will see just how much your world changes and evolves positively around you.