Born into Hatred

By Alyssa Gutierrez

“You’re raised into your beliefs”

oh, but that’s a lie.If I was raised into my beliefs; a Catholic, Hispanic-focused culture rooted in hatred for those who are“different”

then, shouldn’t I have hatred for these people as well?shouldn’t I look at them with a face full of disgust?

like how my neighbors in Mexico look when they see two men kissing on TV?

they ingest the rage; as if it looking at the kiss meant they were sinners; ready to repent.

though,I never saw it as revolting.

as a child,I was forced to believe I was consuming sin being friends with those who liked the same sex

as if I wasn’t taught in my Catholic masses: God loves everyone equally.

Author’s Note

I wrote this poem to talk about the relationship between culture and the LGBTQ+ community. While I am straight, I have–often–heard about the harrowing experiences my friends back in Mexico encountered when they decided to come out to their parents. As children, we were all forced to believe that same-sex relationships were acts of the Devil; our Catholic masses emphasized the need to bring light to those who liked the same sex. I hear too many times, “This is how I was raised,” but there is importance in educating ourselves and becoming aware that what we are taught as children is not necessarily the most beneficial or correct information. I will continue to be an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and support anyone dealing with the negativity that comes from a specific culture; however, it took distancing myself from my culture and Church to become aware that my community—at the time–was only stripping away the humanity from others who were not the same as us.