Sometimes the Bandwagon is Right

I generally don't like jumping on the bandwagon. I often avoid things that are trendy. I don't like to be seen as just "following the crowd". I suppose that these are natural human tendencies, that because of the individualistic nature of our society, many of us feel this need to strike out on our own, to be unique, to loathe the idea of being a follower. Every once in a while, however, I have to ask myself if I am avoiding something that I actually believe in simply because it is a trend. I debated over whether or not to change my profile picture to show my support for marriage equality. My first reaction was to reject the idea, simply because a lot of people were doing it. Nevertheless, I weighed this against how much I felt that I agreed with the sentiment. I very much stand behind marriage equality for all. Luckily, I live in Canada, where gay marriage is already recognized under the law. That said, it might seem a moot point whether I show my support or not. But I don't think it is. It's easy to take for granted these sorts of rights living in Canada. When you think about countries where a person can be put to death simply for being homosexual, it is a sharp reminder to cherish our culture of tolerance, imperfect though it may be. I am happy to show my support today, to remember that I live in a country more tolerant than many others. I don't know the difference, if any, this will make. But I want to be vocal about my support to let others who share my views see that it is okay to speak loudly about this issue, and to let those who don't share them know where I stand. Sometimes it's okay to follow the crowd, if the crowd is already going somewhere I want to go.