Feeling the love after sharing it

I don't generally talk about my beliefs regarding political, religious, or social issues in public. There are so many different opinions and strong feelings that conversations about such topics rarely remain civil. As a child, I was taught that discussing controversial issues in public just wasn't polite and should be avoided, and that lesson has carried into my adult life.

However, just because I don't talk about my opinions doesn't mean I don't have them, or that they aren't strong. I'm not an activist, but I believe in marriage equality. My natural inclination to keep mum is exacerbated by the fact that I'm living in an extremely conservative area of the South. And because I don't speak up about my opinions, I often don't know how people around me feel.

I went out on a limb yesterday and changed my Facebook profile picture to the Human Rights Campaign's pink and red logo in support of the marriage cases in the Supreme Court. I also shared an article about the logo and campign, a picture of my dog sporting a red bandana in support of marriage equality, and a status proclaiming my view of love.

Human Rights Campaign marriage equality graphic

I was the first of my Bible Belt-area Facebook friends to post anything supporting marriage equality, and I had no idea how people, including my boss, family, or friends, would respond. I nervously checked my Facebook every few minutes to see if there were any comments, specifically negative ones.

I was pleasantly surprised: not only were there no negative comments, there were many Likes and positive responses. A few people shared the article I posted, and many of my friends changed their profile picture to the Human Right Campaign red and pink logo.

Considering I had no idea what to expect, I was thrilled with the positive responses. It also felt good to know that, despite not talking about marriage equality with my local friends, many of them shared the same beliefs as me. It was great!

It also made me realize that maybe keeping my thoughts to myself isn't always the best decision. It can leave me feeling lonely and out of place, because I assume that no one thinks like I do. Not only do I feel alone, but the people around me who unknowingly share my beliefs may feel like no one agrees with them either.


 I saw the graphic to the left on Facebook about a month ago, and its message stuck with me. After my wonderful social media experience this week, I've decided that I'm going to find more opportunities to share my beliefs with my loved ones.

I won't do this with the intent to change minds, but to make people know where I stand. I want to foster healthy conversations with people who don't think like me with the hope that we can and will learn something from each other, and I want to let people who share my beliefs know that they aren't alone.

I'm tired of being afraid of what other people will say or think when I share my beliefs. I want people to know where I stand and know that, whether they share my beliefs or hold some others, I am willing to have a civil conversation and learn from their opinions without judgement. I know that courtesy probably won't always be extended to me, but I am going to make it a point to make a change. I believe that there is strength in diversity, and that not always agreeing with other people isn't necessarily a bad thing.