Urvashi Vaid Presentation

I know this is late, it was due last week, but I figured I should post something none the less.  My expectations of the presentation were, well, not high.  I myself had read your e-mail you sent to the class and decided I did not want to be part of the presentation.  I think less than half the class read your e-mail or even knew anything about what they were voting on, just wanting to get out of class, just my opinion there.  I don't support the equal marriage movement, and I wasn't all that keen on listening to someone who was pro for the movement.  Call it selfish, call it close minded, call it whatever you want, but I know what I believe.  I know where my world view starts and ends, so I didn't think it would be a fruitful presentation for myself.  What I knew has a lot to do with where my faith lies, spiritually and theistically.  I knew a little of the information that would be presented, or what I assumed would be presented.

I'll admit that the way the information was presented surprised me.  I wasn't expecting it to be so mixed with other human rights issues, such as racism and woman's rights.  How she mixed the equality movement with homosexuals in with the other social justice movements was unexpected.  In a way it made it seem like if you were against one, you were against all.  I wasn't surprised though of the condescending tone/vibe against those who didn't support the movement, projecting their insecurities upon the LGBT communities, it was a bit offensive actually.  She was very adamant about trying to dismiss the legitimacy of non-supporters concerns.

Something new that I learned while listening to the presentation, I did not know that people who are against the LBGT communities marriage amendment are just projecting their insecurities about heterosexual relationships upon the LGBT.  Who knew?!   I found that rather enlightening.  Something else I learned that I didn't know was that the same sex marriage movement, and the equality movement doesn't infringe upon religious freedom after all.  Which I found rather odd, since it is now illegal for tax exempt churches to speak out and have an opinion about same-sex attractions/marriages.  It could be considered a hate crime to speak out against such practices.  That doesn't seem to infringe upon freedom to practice your religion at all.

As for the professional background of the speaker.  Urvashi Vaid is an expert in her field.  After all, she devoted her whole life to this equality movement. Her study, in field action, lifestyle, it all adds up that she could be considered an authority on this subject.

I'm not really sure what I can take away from this presentation and add to my alternative viewpoints paper, as in fact this presentation upset me and frustrated me.  Plus it really had nothing to do with my particular subject of the alternative viewpoints paper anyways.