One More Reason to Love Lea Salonga
Ms Lea Salonga, we want to thank you for speaking up for equality. It's very heartwarming to see a growing number of Filipino artists (no matter how small the number) speaking their minds and bravely standing up for the basic human rights of the LGBTQI here in the Philippines.
Lea Salonga actively promotes the rights and welfare of LGBTQs and women in the Philippines
Changes Happen Not Because a Society is Ready to Change
Ms Salonga mentioned in an interview with Rappler that we are not yet ready which is the reason why many people are still against controversial issues such as the RH (reproductive health) law and same sex marriage.
"We are not yet ready."
I want to share my thoughts on this seemingly simple line. I myself, have uttered this many times. In fact, this "we are not yet ready" sentiment had been thrown around too carelessly by people resisting a change whenever one is taking a peek at our horizons. The truth is whenever a change happens in any society, it's not because people were ready for it. It doesn't happen like that.
We Are Hardwired to Resist Change
No one is ever ready for a change. We are hardwired to resist change because we are scared of the unfamiliar and we feel safer knowing that things are going just the way they have always been. And this is because of our lizard or reptilian brain - the oldest of our 3 brains.
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The truth of the matter is, nothing will get done if we wait for everyone or the majority to be ready to change. All the changes that have happened in any society was started by only a handful of people who held an unpopular idea but were unwavering in spreading their ideals. Not because the majority of the people were ready to embrace change.
Changes Are Hard Fought
Civil rights movements such as women's right to vote, the struggle to end slavery, the black civil rights movement - society wasn't ready for these changes. They were hard fought. Sacrifices were made. Lives were lost.
But look where we are now. Look at how things are all over the world. We've had pretty good changes. Women are now able to vote, the United States elected a black president. We had 2 women president. Mothers have the freedom to choose pursuing a career, staying at home to care for the kids or even do both instead of having no choice but to stay at home. Women are in business and are able to climb to the top of the corporate ladder. These things were unheard of before. And a lot more changes has happened that made our society a better one.
These changes came to be because of the few people who recognized the injustices happening around them before anyone else did, and decided to do something to make things better. They went on ahead spreading their ideas to change the world for the better even though they were met with such resistance.
By the time most people are ready to embrace change, that change has already happened. The once unpopular idea has already become a norm.
It's Time to Retire the "We're Not Yet Ready" Thinking
I think it's time we retire the "we're not yet ready" thinking. Because, it's being thrown around as if it's a justifiable reason as to why a society should keep trampling on other people's rights and treating a group of minority unfairly.
As I said, I've casually uttered that very line carelessly in the past, in frustration. And I think, it's just not helpful. It gives many people a way out from joining a movement, or from standing up and speaking out against injustices, and perpetuating a change. The seemingly simple and harmless line "we are not yet ready" makes people believe that it's hopeless to change the system. And that's where its dangers lie.
I think instead of saying, we're not yet ready, it's better if we say, we need to find other ways to spread our idea of change and make people realize its importance and why such a change should matter to them too.
Stop Waiting. Be the Change You Want in This World It may sound cliche but unless you become the change you want to see, nothing will happen. Yes ideas can change the world. But ideas in isolation will remain a faraway dream. You need people to take along with you. Not all people. Just a handful of them until the idea spreads to more and more people.
The problem is, not many people want to lead the change because of the social costs they would surely incur.
The thing about speaking out and going against the norms is that people will hate you, say awful things about you. They will call you a heretic, a troublemaker and other such names. They will throw jabs at you. They will do everything to tear you down - and in a world where many are craving for everyone else's approval, swimming against the tide is not such an attractive option.
So many choose to live in an ugly, hateful and unfair world just to get a nod of approval, turning a blind eye to the injustices of our society and embracing the safe haven and dangerous trap of "we are not yet ready for a change" reasoning.
Only a few are brave enough to speak out and challenge the status quo. And we're thankful that we have Lea Salonga actively promoting the rights and welfare of the LGBTQIs and women.
Don't Wait for Someone to Change the World for You
You can make a difference. Don't belittle what you bring to the table. You are good enough, heck more than enough. Stop questioning how someone like you can make an impact.
People Who Changed the World Were Not Born Extraordinary. They Were Just Like You
Don't wait until someone - bigger than life - comes along to lead the cause. All the leaders of change - they weren't born extraordinary. They were just someone, like everybody else, like you. The only difference is they took the leap. They summoned all the courage they can muster and went on ahead spreading their ideas, speaking out and challenging the norms because they knew something was not right with how things were.
And that's how they became larger than life.
Image Credit: asianjournal.com
Resource: Rappler
