*IMO | Not All Opinions Are Valid

In a world that is constantly shifting beneath our feet, where headlines hit harder than heartbeats and empathy often feels like a rare, antique thing, we must pause, reflect, and speak with unwavering clarity.

Words have power! I wrote a whole blog-series called Words Matter about this very subject.

Adults get very emotional about language: tone, intention, attitude, inflection, even method of communication (email, text, phone, meeting, tweet, etc.) and the mode of delivery (in a group, in a comment field on social media, in private, reply all, etc.) Who's included or not included to hear (or know) what's being said can also have an impact . . . but, regardless of the actual language spoken, it is often the words themselves that carry the true power.

It is because of this, that I personally believe not all opinions are valid. Please allow me to explain:

First...

"There is no defense of genocide."

None. There is not one syllable, not one justification, not one political excuse or historical context that renders it okay.

Ever.

Genocide is the deliberate erasure of a people, culture, language, laughter, lineage, all of it. It is the systemic, intentional, cold machinery of obliteration. Whether it's cloaked in nationalism, in vengeance, in "self-defense," or in silence, it is always evil.

Always.

And still, in corners of our world, in power-choked boardrooms, behind podiums polished to a political shine, there are those who try. They try to defend the indefensible, masking it behind complex conflict or centuries-old hate. But if you listen closely, you’ll hear the hollowness in their words. The truth can’t hide behind spin. The bones still speak.

Let me say this plainly: you do not rationalize mass murder. You do not offer nuance where there is only cruelty. You do not debate it like it’s a policy issue or a budget concern. You call it what it is: an atrocity. A tragedy. A crime against the soul of humanity itself.

I believe, deeply, that language matters. That the words we use to describe the world shape the world. So, let’s be precise. Let’s be brave. Let’s name genocide for what it is. Let’s teach our children not just the facts of history, but the moral fortitude to stand up and say: “Not in my name. Not on my watch.”

Second...

"Racism is not up for debate."

There are some truths so basic, so deeply human, they should never need to be said aloud. And yet, here we are. Saying it. Again. For those in the back, for those who still want to intellectualize oppression, for those still wrapped up in the luxury of their own denial: Racism is not up for debate.

Not in this house. Not on this blog. Not in this life.

We do not treat racism like it’s a policy point to be negotiated. We do not sit around boardroom tables or dinner tables dissecting whether a person’s lived experience of discrimination is “valid.” We do not coddle ignorance, gaslight pain, or entertain the poisonous “what ifs” of whitewashed logic.

Not here. Not ever.

You see, racism is not a disagreement. It’s not a difference of opinion. It’s not a left or right issue. Racism is a moral failure. A spiritual rot. A socially sanctioned sickness that eats away at the dignity of real people. People with beating hearts, with stories, with children, with dreams. Racism is the systemic scaffolding built by history and held up by silence, apathy, and comfort.

And let me also say this, especially for those who, like me, were raised in places where whiteness was the unspoken norm: it is okay to get it wrong. But it is not okay to stay there.

Growth is possible. Humility is powerful. Listening is revolutionary.

Third...

"Homophobic hatred is not worthy of equal time."

Let’s set the record straight, not that it ever needed straightening in the first place: homophobic hatred is not worthy of equal time.

Not on stage.

Not on air.

Not in the classroom.

Not in the sanctuary.

Not in the court of public opinion.

Not in my home, and certainly not in my heart.

This isn’t a counterpoint. This isn’t a “balanced perspective.” This is a call to wake up. To grow up. To speak up.

Because hate, dressed in the costume of “a differing opinion,” is still hate. And when that hate targets who someone loves, how they live, or the divine spark of queerness that makes them whole ... it becomes a desecration of our shared humanity.

Let me be painfully clear: we do not owe hate a microphone.

There is no moral obligation to give airtime to ideologies that seek to erase, criminalize, or demonize LGBTQIA+ lives. That’s not “free speech.” That’s free cruelty. That’s platforming poison and calling it a picnic.

You don’t get to scream slurs and expect polite applause. You don’t get to dehumanize and then cry censorship when no one wants to invite you to brunch. Hate is not brave. Hate is not edgy. Hate is not revolutionary.

Hate is lazy.

Hate is loud because it’s hollow.

It clings to fear.

It weaponizes religion.

And yet, somehow, we still see it given equal time. Equal weight. Equal debate. As if there’s something “to discuss” about whether LGBTQIA+ people deserve rights, respect, or rest. As if existence is up for review. As if love needs defending.

Let me tell you what needs defending:

Dignity.

Safety.

Joy.

Pride.

I was not put on this Earth to weigh my worth against someone else’s hatred.

Neither were you.

You, my dear reader, especially if you are LGBTQIA+, questioning, or quietly radiant in a way the world doesn’t yet understand, you deserve better. Not just tolerance. Not even just acceptance. You deserve reverence. You deserve unshakable belonging. You deserve spaces where your truth is not “controversial,” but celebrated.

So no, we will not give hate equal time. We will not pass it the mic. We will not water down our love so that someone else’s bitterness feels more comfortable in the room.

Because love (real love) is not afraid of the truth. And the truth is:

You are worthy.

You are sacred.

And your right to exist freely is not up for debate.

Let the haters shout into the void. Let them sputter and spiral while we're over here dancing in the daylight. Loving loud. Living full. And refusing to make space at the table for hate disguised as opinion.

Because some ideas don’t deserve a seat. Some lies don’t deserve airtime. And homophobic hatred is not worthy of equal time.

Not now. Not ever.

Fearless visibility in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

We’ve gotten too cozy with this idea, this myth, really, that every story, every struggle, every sorrow has two sides that are equally valid, equally true, equally deserving of the microphone.

Let’s lovingly, but firmly, let that go.

Because the truth is, there are not two legitimate sides in every situation.

Not when one side is calling for equality, and the other is calling for erasure. Not when one side is demanding dignity, and the other is demanding dominance. Not when one side is planting seeds, and the other is burning fields.

There is a dangerous kind of neutrality masquerading as fairness these days. You know the kind: it sounds like, “Well, everyone’s entitled to their opinion.” It sounds like, “Let’s hear both sides.” It sounds like cable news panels and dinner table silences and editorial pieces with false equivalencies baked right into the headline.

But here’s the thing, we don’t “both sides” human rights.

We don’t “both sides” compassion.

We don’t “both sides” basic decency.

Fearless visibility.

To do so is not open-minded.

It’s opportunistic.

It’s not journalistic.

It’s cowardly.

It’s not noble.

It’s negligent.

Would we say there are two legitimate sides to slavery? To the Holocaust? To apartheid? To conversion therapy?

No. We call those what they are ... atrocities. And yet, today, we still find ourselves tripping over the idea that every voice deserves a platform, even the ones rooted in cruelty. Even the ones that punch down. Even the ones that twist freedom into a weapon and fear into a virtue.

But this isn’t a reality show. This is real life. And in real life, some positions are indefensible. Period.

This is not about shutting down dialogue. It’s about discerning when dialogue is being hijacked by dishonesty. When “just asking questions” is a Trojan horse for hate. When “free speech” is being used not to share truth, but to shred it.

If you’ve ever watched a child cry because their parents were called slurs in a grocery store, if you’ve ever had to explain to someone you love why their pronouns are met with mockery, if you’ve ever stood in front of a grave that should’ve never been dug, then you know: some sides aren’t sides. They’re scars.

So, let’s stop giving them equal weight. Let’s stop handing out microphones like every voice is holy, even the ones screaming hate from the back pew. Let’s stop acting like the middle is always the safest place to stand.

Sometimes the middle is just the shadow of the fence.

I believe in listening. I believe in growth. I believe in transformation. But I do not believe we are required to dignify ideas that dehumanize others. That’s not balance. That’s betrayal.

Because sometimes, sometimes there is only one side. The side of love. The side of justice. The side of the one who’s been pushed to the margins again and again and is still standing. Still singing.

And I’ll be damned if I call that anything less than sacred.

Some things are simply - wrong.

Well, that's my opinion.❤️

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IMO is a blog-series where I, John-Michael Scurio, express my own personal opinion about some subject or situation. It's an editorial of sorts. "But what about the opinions of others?" people ask. "Yeah, that!" I reply, "Well, this specific blog-series isn't about other opinions - just mine. If I opened it all up to other opinions, I'd need to change the acronym (IMO) to something else and it probably wouldn't feel as cool, but, hey, that's also just my opinion."

Do you want me to write and *IMO blog-post about something new? Tell me about it: jmscurio@yahoo.com Please take a moment to check out the different posts in this particular blog series on www.iloveureka.com.

Spread joy and love, my friends, and spread it often. Our world needs it right now.