Thankful For Progress

Last week I was thinking a lot about the things I am grateful for. There are many. My amazing children, my family and friends, my health, my career, good food, yoga, chocolate, men, spazy dogs, miracle coffee... the list goes on and on.

But, last week while watching Glee I was reminded of something for which I am unbelievably grateful. Progress. For those of you that haven't caught the Glee bug, please bear with me. On last week's episode Kurt, a gay kid, continued to be bullied by one of the school's jocks. The other guys in the Glee club stood up to the bully - which was cool. But, we're used to Karate Kid punches-being-thrown-for-the-underdog movie of the week moments. I'm not talking about the locker room scene. I'm talking about the wedding.

The wedding in which Finn, the very straight popular and handsome high school jock, pledged his allegiance to his new gay step brother - vowing to have his back no matter what it cost him - and then sang "Just The Way You Are" to him while they danced together. Two teenage boys, one gay one straight, both in tuxes, dancing hand in hand to the lyrics "... cause you're amazing just the way you are."

I, of course, burst into tears. My kids are as used to their totally dorky mom tearing up while watching "Glee" as my little brothers were to their lame big sister crying during every freaking episode of "Little House on the Prairie." Oh, well. Welcome to me.

I couldn't help it. I thought of the gay kids at my California high school in the 80's being thrown into trash cans and hand cuffed to the gym doors. I thought of myself, the daughter of a gay man - guilty by association, being shoved into lockers and having empty desks bashed into me by voices chanting, "Dyke, dyke, dyke...!" I thought of the string of gay kids, from those as young as 13 year old Asher Brown to nineteen year old violinist Tyler Clementi, this summer and fall that took their own lives because their personal bullying got so bad.

I look around me and see how far we have to go and I feel sadness. But then I look around me and see how far we've come and I feel hopeful. Happy even. Ignorance is no longer the norm. Homophobia is no longer accepted as cool. Cruelty and violence are no longer being held as the example. More and more people are standing up and saying No More. More and more kids are growing up with visions of love and kindness and equality.

When one of the most popular shows on television today not only takes on the subject of gay bullying but shows straight kids and gay kids embracing, dancing, smiling and singing together as though it were the most normal thing in the world, because it is, I see progress.

And I am grateful.