When I started to write this column about a year ago, the concept – as far as there even was one – was to comment on or simply describe interesting and noteworthy observations of everyday lesbian life in a light-hearted way. Most of the time, this concept actually worked, but I soon realized that sometimes, the humorous tone that I usually aim for either feels inappropriate or I just can’t bring myself to go through with it. As you have probably already guessed, this “sometimes” is now.

When I heard the news about last night’s shooting in a GLBT club in Tel Aviv, I was shocked and saddened. Then anger and frustration kicked in as well. As of now, we still don’t know who the shooter was and why he did it, but as there were reports that he also tried to attack a gay night club, it’s very likely that he specifically went after gays and lesbians and that it was a hate crime. And he didn’t just go after any gay and lesbian men and women, his targets were gay teenagers. Accordingly, one of the two people killed was a 16-year-old girl. Some of the teenagers in the group supposedly weren’t even out to their families, making them one of the most vulnerable groups among GLBT people. How much of a threat can they actually be, and to whom, that they deserve to be shot and killed?

I know that there will never be an answer to that question that will make what happened comprehensible for me. Hate rarely is rational, it doesn’t work that way. Why hate somebody who has never done you any harm? Why attack somebody whose only “crime” it is to be different?

I think that what’s usually behind hate is, more often than not, ignorance and fear. Fear of the unknown, of all things different from the respective person and their perception of what is normal. And I believe that the key to change this is visibility and openness.

Last night was the kick-off to this year’s Pride Week in Hamburg, which will culminate in next weekend’s Pride Parade. This year, more than ever, I feel the urge to be part of the parade, part of the community, to be out and proud, and to send the message that the ongoing discrimination, injustice and even violence directed at the GLBT community is unacceptable. Not just because of the tragic events in Tel Aviv, but for so many reasons. Be it the growing number of homophobic attacks against gay and lesbian couples in Berlin. Be it the ineffable homophobic agenda pursued by politicians in Eastern Europe, like Poland and Lithuania. Or be it the derogatory discussions about whether gay and lesbian couples can be good parents.

Of course, we will probably not be able to convince those whose hate is deeply rooted within them. But we can still try. And we can increase the number of people who won’t tolerate or even accept the hate, the violence and the discrimination against members of the GLBT community once they understand that being gay or lesbian isn’t just about sleeping with a person of the same gender or about being different, but that it’s about love.

There’s a line from the movie “If These Walls Could Talk 2” that I think best reflects the message that I would like to send to all the homophobic, hateful, or maybe just fearful people out there. When Fran (Sharon Stone) has second thoughts about having a child with her partner because all of the teasing and social marginalization their child might have to deal with, Kal (Ellen DeGeneres) tries to calm her by telling her that all that matters was their love for each other:

“It’s all from love, how can that be wrong?”

It can’t. Period.

The picture in this article was posted on the “Join the Impact” website as a protest sign against Proposition 8, the proposition against marriage equality in California. My heart goes out to the victims of the horrible attack in Tel Aviv and to their relatives and friends.

(Posted on eurOut on August 2nd, 2009)