Fueled by ignorance and intolerance, today the recently-created, wrongfully-named group Frente Nacional por la Familia (National Pro-family Front) will initiate a series of marches in Mexico’s main cities, denouncing a law initiatives package geared towards combating homophobia and discrimination, promoting inclusion and the legal recognition of all family units and marriages.

Among other things, they claim that the proposed law initiatives are “a threat against our children, our marriages and our families.” Members of the Catholic Church promoting this movement, have stated that the marches are not anti-gay “because gays are to be accepted and accompanied in order to heal them, just like prostitutes and drugdealers” (I shit you not).

While other modern societies are proud to show their progressiveness embracing diversity and inclusion, the FNxF’s emergence is proof of how backwards a relevant portion of Mexican society continues to be.

I was happy to see that in my social media networks, practically 100% of my contacts were denouncing today’s marches. One dear friend of mine very eloquently stated “nothing has generated more support for equal marriage rights than this march against them” because the absurdness of the FNxF movement has made many of us come out and state that this so-called national march does not represent us or our families.

Unfortunately, my list of contacts in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are not representative of society as a whole. Just driving around my neighborhood this morning, I could see a number of houses proudly displaying signs in favor of the discriminatory march. I guess the new saying goes, you can choose your Facebook friends but not your neighbors.

Another very creative friend with a very acid sense of humor posted a series of pictures portraying the KKK and said “To those of you going to the FNxF march today, remember the dress code is all-white.” The use of imagery was funny, the unfortunate closeness to the real thoughts and motivations behind the march, certainly is not.

How is the acceptance of the right of other individuals to love each other and establish a legal bond in their relationship “a threat to your children and to your families”? Regardless of the fact that we should all be recognized as equals, just as a universal truth, I think anybody who is a parent and has a sound mind should naturally consider the fact that they hold a responsibility in teaching their children love and not hate.

I was born in a homophobic society, in a homophobic time. I laughed at and made homophobic jokes as I grew up. I simply did not know better. Luckily, as I grew and developed critical thought, I quickly and very logically understood how ridiculous homophobia is. It was an easy and logical transition and I believe most of my generation and the generations to come, naturally fall into this development route in Mexico. It will continue to be this way as long as homophobic humor is part of our mainstream media and culture, but at least there are natural breakpoints and people can evolve. One of those breakpoints, ironically in the FNxF’s view, is when you become a parent and you realize your responsibility in teaching your children the right path. During this time, you also come to realize that your child could as he grows up, identify his/her sexual orientation as a homosexual. When you realize that this is a possibility, it becomes so natural, based on the love you have for your child, to develop an inclusive attitude of coexistence. You would never want your child to be hated just for the fact that they were born of a specific sexual orientation… you would never want your child to be hated at all!

While most arguments in favor of this march are based on religious misinterpretations of the catholic faith (the Pope himself has expressed that this type of gender discrimination is an abomination), there is one particular argument I read that I want to tackle: Somebody in my timeline said that just like we allow gays to march during Pride, we should not criticize the FNxF’s right to manifest their beliefs. So here goes:

1. Intolerant thought should not be tolerated. Different points of view should be celebrated, but a movement that states that the sexual orientation of people wanting to establish a legal bond between them based on the love they have for each other is a threat to society, cannot be compared with a plight for respect and inclusion. I’m sorry, but no, you don’t get to be tolerated if your ideological framework is based on hate. The whole idea of established codes of conduct in organized society and generally-accepted behavior is an attempt for us to get along as a group. You’re not helping. Leave your hate at the door.
2. You don’t have a just cause. If you try to compare your right to spread hate with the plight of PRIDE parades, you are either ignorant of history of simply blunt-headed. PRIDE was born as a cry for equal rights and non-discrimination. It was a brave movement geared toward letting gay people know that it was ok to be gay, that they should not fear the fact that they were gay. As society progressed, the parades have become more and more a celebration of the fact that global society has become and is becoming more inclusive. If your march is supposedly a defense mechanism in order to preserve your understanding of family and how your family is composed, how is gay marriage a threat to you? How does the possibility of two men or women getting married directly affect you? You have no just cause… Quite frankly, I think you only have way too much time on your hands and way too much hate in your soul.

Exactly forty-five years ago this month, John Lennon wrote and released the song Imagine. Forty-five years later, more and more of us still imagine all the people living life in peace. And yes, you may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one. If you’re planning to march promoting hate today, I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one.