LGBT

Posted by enrico72

My Friday started with this big news from the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the place where I have been living for the last six years. What happened today is a big step towards equality and this country has shown the world that a change is actually possible. Now everybody: all the couples can actually get married and have the same rights in front of the law.

My day continued with some other, usual jokes about gay people in the ESL class that I teach. I repeated another time how it was not acceptable to make these types of jokes and comments and that the students should be careful about what they said in and outside the classroom. Some people nodded while others probably did not even perceive my words because of their cultural stubbornness and ideology.

Well, I want to focus on the positive aspect of the day like I always try to do even when I am not in a good mood but I still smile and be nice to friends, acquaintances, and strangers.

Let’s celebrate this big success and who knows? Hopefully, this will bring consistent changes in some countries like my native one, Italy, and on some retrograde minds who persist in their homophobic attitudes and thoughts.

What Is Being Patriotic?

Posted by enrico72

Living in this world is a continuos confrontation with other people, different cultures, ethnicities and customs. Our big and small mind plays a lot of tricks on us, and we sometimes think that we may be better than others somehow.

Although, we try to be modest and not put ourselves in any sort of pedestal, we tend to do that here and there. Yesterday, a person made a comment about the italian culture. Actually, it was not even a big deal, but when that consideration was flowing in the air, it bothered me. That person was struggling learning my language and I guess that the best way of expressing her frustration was in saying something negative about Italy.

As I previously stated, the comment was not so relevant. It was just about the fact that according to this person’s point of view, the Italian streets are very confusing and it is always a fuss to find the right number of the buildings.

Living in Los Angeles and coming from a small city, Verona, Italy, I may say the exact, same thing about this sunny city. I got lost a couple of times and once even had to go through Skid Row. I guess that the point is that when you are visiting a new place to which you are not so accustomed, your sense of orientation gets blurry; so here you are getting f. lost and blaming the city, or the Romans, the Mexicans or whomever for being just unable to get around in a new environment.

Frequently, I brag the fact that I am Italian and that something is Italian or just point out how good Italians are. However, there is no such a thing as any cultures being better than any others. I sometimes put my culture and my people on that pedestal, but just as a joke. This world does not need more bragging and more people with an attitude.

Equality and mutual love are the aim and what we spread out is how better, more intelligent, more beautiful, more attractive, more brilliant, more … we are. It does not matter which type of relationships we are referring to or dealing with, that feeling of superiority and that snobbish attitude will not bring us anywhere far; we will just be someone on a platform that look down on other human beings.