It Matters

Tom Daley came out yesterday. A lot of people said things like, "It shouldn't matter". "Who cares". And the perennial, "I didn't need to tell people I was straight, why does he need to tell us about his sex life??".

Well, it does matter.

Nobody was ever refused a job simply for being straight. Nobody was ever refused a home simply for being straight. Nobody was ever raped simply for being straight. Nobody was ever beaten in the street, or gaoled, or executed, simply for being straight. Nobody was ever rejected by their parent, kicked out of home, simply for being straight.

Those things happen Every Single Day, here in the 21st century, to LGBT people.

And as long as those things continue to happen. As long as "straight" is the default status. As long as young men are asked "do you have a girlfriend??", and young women "do you have a boyfriend??", instead of "do you have a partner??". As long as kids in small towns commit suicide because they're bullied, thinking they're the only one "like that". As long as "dyke and "faggot" - and yes, even "gay" - are insults flung by idiots. As long as LGBT people cannot call themselves fully equal - fully human - in more than half the countries of the world, and fully safe in the other half - then yes - it does matter.

In fact, it's a matter of life and death.

Ze

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Girls' Night Out by Elleth (AO3).
  
  Criminal Minds
  
• Chapters 1 to 3 of Nothing But The Truth by MadameCissy (AO3).
  
  CSI:Miami
  
• Chapters 3 to 10 of Connecting the Dots by find_nowhere (AO3).
  
  (The) Devil Wears Prada
  
• Part 33 of For Once by Miranda Priestly (dvlwears-prada).
  
  Once Upon a Time
  
• Chapter 6 of Moments by sleepingwarriors (AO3).
  
  
• Chapters 10 to 12 (conclusion) of Dear Mulan by sleepingwarriors (AO3).
  
  
• Chapter 18 of There's a Road We Must Travel by justlovebt (AO3).
  
  Original
  
• Chapter 5 of Grimhild by D_Morgenstern (AO3).
  
  
• Part 1 of A Bit of the Old West by Carole Mortenson (Royal Academy of Bards).
  
  
• The Ferry Queue by Manning Lamont (Sapphic Voices).
  
  Teen Wolf
  
• Martin and Reyes by clio_jlh (AO3).
  
  Thor (movies)
  
• In the Spirit of Scientific Collaboration by exmanhater & scintilla10 (AO3).
  
  (The) Vampire Diaries
  
• Chapter 1 of Something Wicked This Way Comes by wickedgal08 (AO3).