Disclaimer: Please please, no one be offended by this- it is just my experience- and in no way is meant to speak ill of Holmes County and those that I know there. As I've said, I loved growing up here. But everyone has their own opinions, and this is mine.
As much as I loved growing up here, there was one major downside. One, that with the joys of Facebook, I'm forced to remember every day- especially the past few days. As a county that will always be a red in any election, my views and beliefs were always different than the majority of my friends and classmates. Views and beliefs that I still very strongly stand by, and I thank my parents every day for raising me the way they did, supporting me to have those beliefs even if I was often ridiculed for it.
Of course, I'm referring to gay marriage. And not just gay marriage, but just over all support of gay couples. Two of my parents closest friends when I was growing up where a lesbian couple who owned a farm in Holmes County. I was never told they were lesbians; it was just normal to me. But when I once heard someone refer to it as "The Lesbian Farm" and throw all sorts of derogatory terms in the same sentence, I was shocked. These were two women who had been a huge part of my childhood, and to hear people (who had never even met them) talk about them in that way- still makes my blood boil.
Now again- I loved where I grew up, but moving away from Holmes County was probably one of the best things that I ever could have done. And not only did I move away, but I went to Ohio University...in Athens, Ohio...which is ALWAYS on the blue side of things. There was such a higher level of tolerance for people- it didn't matter if someone was black or white, gay or straight. There was support for them at OU.
And in the past two days, with Facebook turning red and overwhelming support for gay marriage, I have also seen a large number of comments (I won't say ignorant...I can't even think of a proper word here) that again, make my blood boil. And every. single. one. of these comments has been from someone I went to high school with. Needless to say, there were quite a few hidden comments yesterday- and even a few unfriended.
So what this all comes down to is why do you care? What difference does it make on your life? Is it really affecting you in any way, shape or form? I have heard the Bible argument. I have heard the "It's gross. I don't want to see it" complaints. And seriously? That's idiotic. There was a lot of rape and killing and polygamy in the bible- but that's not cool. And to me, it's gross to see ANYONE making out in public, straight or gay. Keep the PDA at home.
