An ex-friend said to me that I am not the one to define concepts like intolerance and violence, but it is a job of social consensus. But “consensus is not a fact-based exercise”, sings Greg Graffin. Meanwhile, a lot of people including me were beaten because of participating in a LGBT civil rights march. This ex-friend says publicly that it was a horrible act, but in private she tries to convince me that we provoked and deserved it.

Who is right? What is truth in cultural issues like this? You are society, you define the concept of violence; where is the line between opinion and bullying, right and wrong? Is there such a line at all? (Why does seeing another human being enjoying herself in any manner from dancing to cutting provoke fear and disgust, but seeing someone throwing stones at the police induce respect?)

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