A Meme My Brother Sent Me

I'm writing about a meme right now and that relates to my paper. It was a single picture with a muscular white man standing in a firm stance just barely in the ocean. He is looking out to the water with an intense gaze and words that were added read "I will fight this ocean for calling me gay" and it perfectly fits the topic of my essay, For one, I understand it's a joke but the joke has truth in it. As it's being portrayed as a joke it's mocking men who think like this so strongly to the point where they would fight an ocean. This displays my idea in how masculinity is central to homophobia since being homosexual is seen as unmanly. This a false nature because gender and sexuality are separate. A man can be homosexual and yet be masculine. Also, in the meme he is going to fight the ocean to prove that he isn't gay or not masculine. This displays my idea in how violence is central to masculinity in proving themselves as masculine which makes violence against homosexual individuals with more occurence. Masculinity encourages violence to homosexual and gender nonconforming individuals.

Benefit of the Doubt

I'm writing my essay about homophobic violence and gender nonconformity. Why? I'm not homosexual or gender nonconforming. I haven't had first hand experience with what I'm writing about. So why would I want to write about it? Because I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, let people be them, not be clouded by my judgement of others and it's something that matters. People criticize, ridicule and mock others that are different from the perceived "norm". They experience violence, discrimination, and bullying because of their differences. I think they should be praised for those differences and how they fight to remain that way. It's admirable to watch someone be so authentically them even when miles and miles of people are shouting at them to stop. I've tried my best to live my life to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I try not to judge or assume anything about anyone because from what I've experienced, it's almost never true. I firmly believe you should give everyone a chance and allow them to be them. Don't hold anyone back because of what you expect them to be because of this or that. Let them be them and you be you. There is no other them and there is no other you. and that's why the world is beautiful hidden underneath the storms.