Most people base their identity on how they believe that other people perceive them. Through constant comparison to others, and evaluation of how well we are meeting their expectations, a false image of self is created by the mind.
At present, certain religious groups seek to prevent gays from legally getting married, openly serving in the military, and from joining their religious groups. Their polar opposites are homosexuals who base their identity on how certain other members of society view them, and thus feel that they are unequal.

Many religious people fear homosexuality because they identify themselves with interpretations of the bible which teach that homosexuality is sinful. When gays openly express themselves through a perspective that defies others perception of “normal”, this threatens their belief system – which is a healthy and natural catalyst for change.

However, gays commonly use organized protest in attempt to control how these religious groups view them. Through protest, they endeavor to force their “opponents” to change religious or moral beliefs and stop opposing gay rights; or they look to media to expose how “their people” are being victimized by certain religious groups, and hope that society will put pressure on those groups to accept homosexuality.

Instead, protest is perceived by followers of the subject religious belief systems as a direct attack on their morals and principles, which serves to reinforce their resolve to discredit the homosexual lifestyle; and this in turn creates more perceptions of inequality. As a result the “us against them” mentality is strengthened on both sides, the battle against one another in the desperate pursuit of acceptance and righteousness is intensified; and the polarity between the two groups is magnified.

Effectuating Change through Peace:

Although through protest we may force certain laws or policies to be changed, acceptance of others cannot be forced or even taught – it is simply known at the core of every being. Thus, the way to effectuate real change is to demonstrate equality through our own actions.

As a start, we can recognize that some people are are simply not yet able to appreciate that we are all equal – and we can accept those who are theologically opposed to a gay lifestyle.

As more people offer independent thoughts, feelings and actions which express their equality, others will continue evolving to accept and appreciate them. Specifically, when people know and respect you as a school teacher, a baseball player, a fireman, a policeman, a dancer, a coach, etc. who happens to be gay; each of your relationships, whether close or casual, promotes acceptance by and of all people.

However, when we are consumed with our statuses, it creates a false sense of separation from others who either do not hold our same status, or who hold beliefs that oppose our status. Then we stand back and criticize others because they make us feel uncomfortable for being who we are.

Holding a one-dimensional view of self creates fear of stepping outside of our comfort zone and associating with people on different levels of awareness, or with people who hold opposite viewpoints. In this way, many gays live their lives identifying with others’ ideas that they are inferior; and acceptance as equals cannot come from this point of view.

When we know who we are, we can easily love ourselves and everyone else – then we do not require the approval of others to express our true selves. From that vantage point we are powerful creators of change simply by being in the world and enjoying our time here.

In this way, we are able to savor every ounce of pleasure we can squeeze out of life, while simultaneously raising awareness that people with different lifestyles are deserving of acceptance and equality.

What is this emotion of pride? And why is it being promoted as a feeling that should be basked in and displayed for others to see?

Pride is not love because it is conditional – Pride is a perceived sense of worthiness based upon an inherited or achieved status, hence it would be subject to withdrawal if that status or achievement were different.  Love is unconditional and it is never changed, diminished, or lost for any reason.

We are here to fully and completely enjoy this diversity and contrast we call reality.  When we feel love for ourselves, for all others, and for everything that is – we can release pride as we bask in the delightful experience that is love.

Pride is not joy because it demands to be acknowledged by others as being something or having accomplished something of value.  When others do not see that value, a feeling of pride has a tendency to slip into anger, shame or depression.  Conversely, joy emanates from the soul and can only be shrouded, but never diminished by judgments of mind.

Moreover, when a person vibrates with a prideful feeling, they attract others who hold judgments of hate, shame, guilt, resentment or even pity for them.  When these judgments are perceived, the mind tells us to hold stronger to the feeling of pride, lest we allow ourselves to be shamed – and the cycle repeats itself with stronger feelings of resistance as we allow our minds to take us down this path.

The reason anyone would adopt a sense of pride in the first place is to command acceptance.  When that doesn’t work out, and we get the opposite of what we wanted, we push harder – we resist our true selves more – and life is quite a bit less joyful than it was meant to be.

Pride is not knowledge because it carries a vibration of fear.  Throughout life, we notice others who expect us to feel shameful for something that we are or something that we have done.  Our mind convinces us that a prideful feeling is essential to thwart these expectations.  Our mind tends to cling to the prideful feeling because it fears shame, which is its opposite.

Knowledge recognizes the self as being magnificent in its own right and that nothing can diminish the self except judgments of the mind.

That being said, pride is not a “bad” emotion, but an instructional one.  When we are aware of a prideful feeling, we can release it before the mind creates fear from it.  We can achieve this release by directing our thoughts to love/appreciation/joy that we created what we are, and that we have the opportunity to experience reality from this vantage point.

In this way, we can bring ourselves closer to knowing that we are perfection itself.  And that perfection, that purity – although it is the only thing really worthy of pride – does not know pride.