The dangers of dihydrogen oxide.

One of the reasons we work to raise awareness of queer issues in the straight community is because of the massive amount of disinformation presented about us, regularly, in mainstream america. This disinformation is a combination of fear tactics and truth twisting that can have disastrous results for our community and beyond. One example is the Ohio state anti-marriage act which was so limiting in its definition of marriage that for over two years there was a court case that questioned whether it had limited domestic violence statutes to only legally married couples. While that was eventually determined not to be the case, the ban has created a legal limbo for same-sex couples, unmarried heterosexual couples, and children. The fear of same sex couples was so great that basic protections were put in jeopardy to limit their ability to build a life together.

It reminds me of the on again, off again fervor over dihydrogen oxide, a dangerous chemical found in almost everything we use and ingest. This story was first introduced in the early 90s and then re-introduced by a junior high student, who surveyed 50 people in his town. He managed to convince the majority of them to sign a ban against the use of dihydrogen oxide, based on a compelling list of its dangerous qualities. For instance: it can cause death if inhaled in small quantities; in its gaseous form it can cause severe burns; and in its frozen form it can cause tissue damage. I might consider banning it myself, if I didn't know dihydrogen oxide is simply water.

The real danger isn't dihydrogen oxide. It's the fear people spread when they are ignorant of the facts. It's the fear people spread when they don't take the time to really understand that us being queer isn't about them, it's about us. We don't want to interfere with their lives, we just want to live ours. With plenty of dihydrogen oxide for all.