It was getting too good for us minorities. For years, we have slowly been shattering walls and ceilings in a gradual shift from segregation, ostracism to tolerance, acceptance. We are still far from the ideal - a society so agnostic to the diversity. But we have made great strides in the journey, including recognition of same sex unions.
We were thinking that it would just be a matter of time when the rights we had been fighting for would finally be ours. The pervading culture of 'political' correctness was a recognition of a common humanity over those that divide us. In many, many countries and societies, the present generation had started to enjoy certain freedoms.
Unfortunately, this 'blessed' status quo was misleading. There was growing discontent from those who used to enjoy all the rights and powers exclusively. For some of them, there was a real negative impact. They were losing opportunities, and maybe even jobs and revenues, to those 'minorities'. Even their 'churches', previously so entrenched in preserving the old world order, had slowly started to give in. Many have started to feel offended by this reversal of fortune. All this had started to seethe and boil from below the surface, under a veneer of civility and tolerance.
And it started to boil over. They found expression in that new medium created by technology. They found community in what were previously isolated feelings of anger, even hate. Then finally, they found real people who were willing to vent these in the political space. The push became a shove as they realized their collective strength. The political systems across the world allowed their ideas to flourish to finally be expressed in elections and referendums.
It remains to be seen exactly how far the pendulum will swing back, how dark it will actually go. No matter, we have to remain vigilant and become even more vocal. We have to protect those gains, the precious few human rights we have fought for and deserve.
When one group of human beings is denied their basic human rights, all groups' rights are at risk of being denied. All. We cannot live with the illusion that they are different from us. They have been labeled as 'drug users' and pushers, dregs of society. They have been summarily murdered on mere suspicion. They had no chance at all to defend themselves. They were 'threats to society'. What keeps these 'arbitrary judges' from making conclusions that other groups of people are similar 'threats', too?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
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