I am living in a very liberal and tolerant country and work in modern and forward thinking company. Homosexuals in Switzerland are allowed to get married. With my employer homosexual couples can name their partner as beneficiary to the deposited pension funds (like heterosexual unmarried couples like Mark and I were). So to me, restrictions like this are totally incomprehensible and discriminating. In order to show our sympathy and support to our homosexual and transgender friends and colleagues Jezz and I decided to show a Rainbow Mani today.
For my Rainbow Mani I choose an all Cult Nails mani - I find their colors sunny, happy and totally rainbowy.
Ingredients from left:
Love At First Sight, Party Time, Riot, Be Loco, You're My Dandy Lion
Jezz has created the most wonderful rainbow mani go and check it out - and for any of you who want to join us in our protest - please feel free to add your mani through the below link. It will remain open for a month - this battle is ongoing and nowhere near ended so any statement at any time is always apt and timely - thank you for considering joining us!!!
Final thoughts: Only a few decades back it wasn't possible in Switzerland to rent an apartment as an unmarried couple. Much less visit your loved one in hospital if his family didn't approve of you and to name your partner as beneficiary for our pension funds or in your will was simply unthinkable - the Swiss have managed to step out of this pattern and accept that people have the freedom to choose their way of living together. I could not imagine living in a society where I have to possibly hide my love from family and friends or fearing discrimination at work if my unmarried status would have become known. Mark and I were always completely and hundred percent accepted as couple be it from our families, friends, working colleagues or authorities. And now, after Mark passed away earlier this year, I also experienced an equal accepting behavior from all involved. We were lovers, partners, companions staying true to each other in good and bad days - the fact that we remained unmarried by choice did not matter and doesn't matter to the day. I wish this freedom to the homosexuals and transgenders of this world too!!
I look forward to your respectful comments!!! Thanks for visiting!!!
Christine
I absolutely share your feelings regarding homosexual and transgender people. My brother is gay, and through im I know a lot of gay people. They're just as "normal" as we all are, and just want to love and be loved like everybody else. I always find it very cute if I see a gay/lesbian couple in town just showing their love.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing with us <3!!! For me it is as well a totally "unspectacular" fact if someone is homosexual or not - I could not care less and I find it also cute when they speak lovingly of their partners - I am so tired of the snide tone heterosexuals seem to find funny of they speak of their loved one - well not all of them but many do
DeleteHi pet! What an awesome mani you have done and what a touching text you have written! <3
ReplyDeleteMany things have improved during the last decades but this question somehow seems so hard for so many people! God knows why! (Or not ;)) I'm hoping our little statement here can give hope of a better future for the gay and transgender people! Let people be who they are and love who they want! Thanks for doing this with me hon! Viele Küsschen!!! xxx
Thank you so much sweetie - I agree so much with you, will wonder always and forever why exactly it is so hard for people to accept... I am so glad we did this, if only to show on a small stage that there are plenty of people out there supporting the homosexual community - once more it is me who has to thank YOU!!! Viele Küsschen xxx
DeleteSalut Christine, I share 100% what you wrote, I also think this is an important issue that needs support. Sometimes we live without caring for certain problems until they touch our own interests, we live selfishly. It's such a pity. Each person, citizen, has battled and suffered, and eventually gained certain rights, and suddenly we forget about those who are now battling and suffering for gaining the same rights!! What you're doing is an example of solidarity. Showing support to a cause I think is just. And of course I'd love to join you!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll add my link tomorrow :)
xxx
My dear Nati, thank you so much for having joined us!!! You worded our cause beautifully and I could not agree more, we tend to forget what other people had to go through that we can live now the way we do and walking this planet empathetically and supportive is the least we can do to help people of our days who still have to fight for becoming accepted members of society without hiding parts of their core personality - you are such a wonderful friend - thank you xxx
DeleteVery pretty manicure done for a great cause!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Ina for your support and lovely comment <3
DeleteYour lovely post put into words my exact thoughts. This is a wonderful mani to show support for a worthy cause! :)
ReplyDelete~ Yun
Thank you my dear Yun - it feels so good to know that we are many supporting this cause!!!
DeleteI have a close family member who has been a gay rights advocate since the '70s. Many different lifestyle representations are present at his big parties (he's a never married lawyer, generous, and loves to entertain) but he's never talked about his personal life at strictly family functions and I used to think it was because he was uncomfortable speaking freely in front of varying degrees of liberal- and conservatism. He mentioned a friend's partner in a conversation we were having at one such function a couple weekends ago and did so with the strangest look of fear, defense, and slight trepidation in his eyes and it made me sad. I thought about it a lot over the next couple days. He's seen and likely experienced discrimination and hatred the likes of which I can't imagine and I just wish, with the day and age we're in, with all he's fought for and all he's won, he could feel at ease speaking even so simply in front of his family. At the very least, I wish I could say to him that he can speak freely to me but our relationship isn't one that allows me to do that without my own trepidation. All I can do is hope he allows himself to experience that personal freedom around his family within his lifetime and in the meantime my heart hurts for him.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful mani, sis. Next time I think I can get away with hauling a few polishes I'm joining the cult, lol. Unless I pick up more AEs first ;)
Hi Liesl - first and foremost - thank you so much for sharing this personal experience here!!! It always makes me sad to read such stories because being able to show the world your happiness in love is so beautiful and gives so much strenght. I am sure your relative is sensitive to realize that he might confide in you if he feels the moment is right for him. And even if he doesn't I am sure your interest and warmhearted and witty approach towards him (well I haven't met you, but I cannot imagine you any different in such a situation)will give him consolation and comfort and I am sure he knows that you are a support - not all things need to be said, some work wordlessly - I think this might be one of those situations!!! I so understand your dilemma - haha!!! BL's have become harder to get for me, so I indulge in AEs and CNs, somethings gotta give :-S xxx
DeleteAw, this was beautiful! Love that the colors follows the same nuance, just different color! :) I also agree with the message, for me it's so clear that we all have the same value, no matter who we are, who we want to be and who we love. It feels so medieval that some countries and even laws still discriminate some groups of people. And I didn't how the situation was i Switzerland before, I actually had to read how it was in sweden and it seems like before 1944 it was illegal for homosexuals but after it became legal and that followed a lot of laws pro the hbt, like nondiscrimination laws.
ReplyDeleteAnd I would also like to send my condolences for losing your loved one. Forgot to ad that above.:)
DeleteAwww thank you for extending your condolences!!! I lived through a couple of rough months. I knew that Sweden is way more liberal and forward thinking country than many others. In Switzerland the situation mostly improved over the last decade (we were never known to be leader of the pack in most things) but what I know for sure that the voting right for women passed the federal vote in 1971 only
Delete