What Am i Afraid Of?

Fear of the other. It's a great fear because you don't know the other. It can instill a deep-seated hatred of the other if not managed well. That's what homophobia is - hatred and fear of the other. i fear being on the receiving end of homophobia because it hurts and brings about great damage. It cuts like a knife. Slurs that are meant to cause emotional harm are what i fear. i also fear the very violence that can accompany those slurs. Like what happened recently to the three gay people in New York. i fear that kind of violence being subjected on me just for who i am. It really scares the shit out of me that i could be attacked verbally and/or physically for being queer. i have experienced homophobia as slurs but never any violence. i feel like one day i might. i don't walk around in deep fear all of the time but it does resonate in the back of my mind from time to time. When i walk down the street holding my wife's hand with not a care in the world, the fear does lurk in the cobwebs of my mind. i'm a pretty carefree person who has a level of confidence in good measure, but i am flesh and blood. Say something nasty regarding my sexuality and it hurts deeply. Prick me and i bleed, so verbal pricking affects me greatly! People can be horrific to others. It's these people i fear the most. If they would only take the time to get to know a queer person, maybe then they would see we are ALL human with all the same ups and downs in life. i am saddened by all the hate shown lately through the bullying and subsequent rash of suicides. No one should be driven to take their life. No one!