alexstrait.bsky.social
Father, husband, software developer, musician, gamer, writer, American deist. 🇺🇸
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Humans are a wonder to behold. We're a rich tapestry of threads that make up a brilliant whole. We depend on each other and we contribute to each other's beauty. That's something special and worthy of a feeling of pride for who you are and where you came from.
Happy Pride Month. 🌈
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The proper response is to hold the line and believe in ourselves. To be able to look in the mirror and say, "I approve" without shrinking back in shame nor giving into self importance. A healthy love of self as a member of a long standing species whose strength lies in endurance.
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Because that ridicule, that utter disdain and disappointment still lives and breathes in the hearts of those who know not what they do. And for some, the mask they've had since they were young will no longer come off. They have become the mask.
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That was over a decade ago and my position has remained clear as is my conscience. I now understand, more than ever, why Pride is such an important cultural convention. Why it must continue unabated despite bitter resistance.
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My original ominous intuition about the Bible's "stance" on homosexuality was affirmed. There was just always something off about how we singled out that one particular behavior and fostered a taboo. Subtly, over time, working the negativity into the culture through language.
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So now in 2025 it's well established that we aren't much like the forging of the Great Blacksmith. We aren't the rigid product of a careful plan, but something different. We have a plasticity to both our lives and our biological heritage that easily leaves room for LGBTQIA+.
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Since Darwin's discovery he's been vindicated in remarkable ways and with science that didn't even exist during his time. There are so many cross discipline convergences that evolution has become the de facto cornerstone of modern biology. He changed what it meant to be human.
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On the other hand, if our species evolved through natural selection then the previous perspective gets turned upside down. The human story of genetics and biology tell of a richer story full of twists and turns. What was once called "deviation" now deserves a second look.
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If we're designed like a blacksmith forges a tool then a strict observance to and the conservation of norms makes sense. On that worldview we're like a watch that can either tell time well or poorly. Any deviation from our design would be knowingly degrading ourselves.
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But we're more than just athletic hunters, we also evolved big brains to solve complex problems and exist within sophisticated social structures. Learning all this put my past use of the pejorative "gay" within a rich anthropological context.
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When I discovered what we were my perspective changed nearly overnight. What devotion I had to the Creed's position melted away like butter. We are persistent runners that evolved in what is now known as Africa. Bipedal great apes that used endurance running to tire out large prey.
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So I began to do some serious research. I wanted to know what the correct ethical position to take on the subject matter was. I read about genetics and biology and it very quickly became apparent to me that the question was easier to answer than I had thought.
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Was the mask worth keeping? Or should I just throw it away and let my friends/family see the real me? The consequences of that decision were dire. I'd be willingly taking on the ridicule, disdain and outward disappointment that I had participated in. I knew what was at stake.
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What happened? Why the 180? The truth is I always felt bad, deep down, when I'd read what the Bible had to say about same sex attraction. It was a mask I put on when I "defended" what I saw was the Bible's position. And one day the dam broke and I was confronted with a choice.
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I agree that it doesn't make sense to think of God as a being that makes decisions. As a deist I believe in one supernatural event and that's the instantiation of the laws of nature. Then the natural order does its thing, no divine decisions required thereafter.
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For some extra perspective the next time Easter Sunday and Trans Day of Visibility will coincide is in the year 2086. But tell me again how Biden permanently coupled the two days???
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But now we have Trump a year later acting like he has to decouple TDOV from Easter Sunday. I'm wondering if this level of deception is normal for American politics? The lie was not only told, but then used as a basis for further slander a year later. The blatant lying is flabbergasting.
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There often seems to be a kernel of truth to these radical positions that Trump and his followers have. I think we do have a problem with libel in the press, but he has to always take an interesting idea and warp it into something deeply unconstitutional.
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It's always strange to see anyone get baited and switched and then just roll with it.