Normal

I hate the word Normal. Defined as "conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural." by dictionary.reference.com. The very first word defining it is so off putting it's enough to hate the word, "conforming." But then you have to decide what the standard is to which you must conform. And who gets to decide that? This is where the problem comes in, groups of people decide they are the determiner of normal. I think we should only apply normal to our own personal views and to things. You have a view of what normal is based on your own experiences and with whom you spend time, but that view of normal could be changed as you broaden your experiences. 

Normal as applied to things is much easier, "Normally when I open Microsoft Word the font is 11 point font size." or "The normal position of my computer is in the center of my desk." These normals don't illicit controversy or upset. We get into trouble when my normal doesn't match your normal, and by "we" and "my" I am referring to the world at large not just the individual me. 

I understand that normal gives people comfort, but your discomfort with another person's normal is intrusive, judgmental and inappropriate. What gives you the right to dictate to someone else that they have to follow your normal? You aren't comfortable with someone being gay because it is outside your normal, so that gives you the right to tell them they cannot be that?  That they are not normal?

Ah, so that's where the laws come into play... if you make it illegal to be something then you are given the "right" to tell someone they are not "normal." So this is why the laws have to be analyzed and changed. Someone being gay or gay couples getting married does not effect you beyond making you uncomfortable or going against some belief that you have, but you can still hold onto that belief while others work in the new "normal." The worst that happens to you is that you are uncomfortable, but for the people who are being put outside "normal" with laws are made to feel not normal, which is much worse, because it means they have to conform to YOUR normal which is non-inclusive. Their normal does not eliminate you from the group of Normal, it just adds more people to it and makes you uncomfortable.

Of course history has proven that laws must change, and thankfully there have been and continue to be strong people to stand up for themselves and get their normal included so that it can all be normal. This has been done time and time again for women and for people of color, and continues to do so as people from each of these groups defy what people consider to be normal. Gays, lesbians, transsexuals, bisexuals, queers, they are now standing up and asking us to get rid of these crazy laws that declare them not "normal." This opens the doors and society to a new "normal" which is harmful to no one. 

Murderers, rapists, thieves, these are people that live outside the normal and should continue to have laws against, because their behavior is harmful to others in a physical way or well being. All gays and lesbians and the like do are make others uncomfortable. 





I don't want to hear anymore arguments against gays and lesbians using the word Normal. Too bad if it is outside your normal, your discomfort is not enough to make laws against it. Deal with it either by figuring out how to deal with your discomfort or by broadening your own definition of "Normal."