Images: What do they mean and to who?

What comes to mind when you see this picture?

When I see it, I see love. I see togetherness. The fact that the fingers are interlaced makes me think that the two people in the picture are in a relationship.



Now, what comes to mind when you see this picture?

The bodies lead me to think these are two men. Once again, the fingers are interlaced, bringing to mind an intimate relationship. I see love. Maybe some see controversy. Maybe some see an abomination.

Why does knowing the gender of the people holding hands change what someone sees? What does it say about our society that seeing the same act can illicit such different emotions?

In a socially just world, no one would see the difference. Part of my mission as being a member of Peers for Pride is to bridge the gap between these images. I am educating in order to shift society's outlook.

I think it takes looking inward to change what we see outside of ourselves. Can you imagine what it would feel like to be looked at as an abomination? Can you imagine what it might be like to have true equality? Those few questions can change what we see when we look at an image, and even more importantly how we treat those who don't fit into what we think an idea is supposed to look like.