Equality?

Are there pockets of prejudice within the spiritual community?

In June 2015, I, along with many people in the world, watched the issue of gay marriage put in front of the Supreme Court here in the United States. Many cheered when it was ruled that all people should be able to legally marry. Lots of gay people got married as soon as they could. Although I find it fascinating how quickly our country is evolving out of old prejudices and into the new era of seeing all of us as equals, it’s also not surprising to see some kick-back these days: disappointing, but not unexpected.

When a pendulum swings one way, it always swings back the other direction. The trick is to catch it when it hits the middle and get it to stay there. Right now, we’re experiencing the swing of the pendulum against transgender and non-binary people as well as lesbians and gays. Here’s what we can do about it.

Once we begin to accept ourselves and internally recognize that we are, in fact, equal to everyone else, the world around us begins to accept us for who we are. Spiritually, we are all the same - no matter the color of our skin, our sex, our nationality, our gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic we might embody during this incarnation. Spiritually, none of this matters except to the souls who have incarnated in particular ways for their own reasons.

Although our spiritual community is mostly accepting of everyone, there are still pockets of prejudice against LGBTQ people from the spiritual perspective. I know of one spiritual organization that won’t allow gay people to sleep in the same quarters as non-gay people. I’m not sure what they think will happen. I know of some teachers who work with sexuality who exclude gay people from their workshops because “We don’t have that experience and don’t understand it.”

Every time I receive a review book that talks about sexuality, the first thing I do is see if it is inclusive of all people, including gay and transgender individuals. If it isn’t, I don’t review it. That is similar to receiving a book that says the information only applies to white people because the author isn’t black and doesn’t have that experience and can’t understand it. Maybe some effort needs to be made to understand other people rather than ruling them out.

Most people who read my work know I am lesbian and I have been with my partner for 32 years, longer than most of our non-gay friends and family members. I have been discriminated against in various situations and within my family. I wasn’t allowed to go to my mother’s Catholic funeral because of being lesbian. I know how difficult it can be for gay and transgender youth and my heart goes out to them. I also know how strong they will be if they stay the course and learn there is nothing wrong with them.

I know that as I have accepted myself for who I am, that has been mirrored in the people and situations in my life. I am encouraged that this acceptance is finally being played out on the national stage. I know that the entire country is not ready to be fully accepting just yet. It is, however, only a matter of time before the consciousness shifts. Honestly, I didn’t think gay marriage would happen in my lifetime and I am thrilled to be able to witness this social transformation.

What about you? Is there some aspect of yourself that you have not yet fully accepted and integrated? Some aspect that, if you do, you will be able to be more fully present in your own life? If there is such as issue, begin today to make a plan to work on it. Get help if you need it. Why? Because once you fully accept yourself for who you are, you stand ready to live your life so that you will be more of a blessing to the entire planet. And isn’t that why you are here?

Is there a category of people you do not fully accept as being equal to yourself? This is a great time to examine your prejudice and be willing to root it out – why would anyone on this planet not be equal to you?If you are prejudiced because you don’t understand a certain group of people, make it your business to find out more about them so you can understand and accept them. Your spiritual growth depends on it.

We live in magnificent times of spiritual awakening and growth. Let’s do our parts to help move this acceptance of one another along so we can fully focus our attention on the larger issues facing our planet. With love and acceptance of ourselves and of one another, surely we are a force for good that is difficult to deny.

Krysta Gibson is the publisher of NewSpiritJournal.com where she offers a free weekly subscription to her inspirational emails sent every Wednesday. She’s also the author of several books including one called Inspiration, available at Amazon.com and gives on-demand classes through Udemy.com. Krysta also offers spiritual mentoring using the tarot. Her website is AnOasisForYourSoul.com. She can be reached at krysta@krystagibson.com. She has two newsletters, one about crystals and one about current events right here at https://Krystagibson.substack.com.