The first is that they give us incorrect and dangerous assumptions about others around us. Attempting to engage me in a conversation about sport will be short and useless because I defy the male stereotype of holding interest in or knowledge about the topic. Likewise, although I am gay, I have no interest in the stereotypical caricatures of the gay lifestyle (though I must confess a fondness for 1950's musicals).
Secondly, and more damaging, is what stereotypes do to our self-image. If I am a guy and I don't follow sport, does that make me a 'bad man'? To be a self-respecting gay man, do I HAVE to be prone to emotional outbursts and adore Judy Garland? If I don't, what does that say about myself? Can you be a good catholic without feeling guilty all the time? Should I feel guilty about not feeling guilty? On a more subtle and subversive level, what about your friends and/or associates? Are there things which you do/don't do or say/don't say because of how they perceive you? What about God? Does your perceptions of His expectations change how you externally portray yourself, or do they change how you actually are?
So....rephrasing His question, look in the mirror and honestly ask yourself, "Who do people say that I am? Who does God say who I am? Who do you say that I am?"
No comments:
Post a Comment