Prejudice

I was talking to a guy at school the other day and for some reason the conversation ended up with him explaining to me why he hates gay people so much. He grew up in the north of London and apparently, tolerance isn't particularly important there. He said about people actively encouraging their children to hate and abuse gay people.
Naturally, anyone with any kind of heart or conscience feels sorry for the people that are hurt by this. But do we see the whole picture? It isn't just the hated that hurt. They, however, cannot change their situation really. If people see prejudice and intolerance from an early age, they won't know anything else. So the people that hate are the ones that need to learn how to love.
They won't do that because they suddenly feel a need to become more compassionate and accepting. Many people won't change at all. And personally, I have equal sympathy for them as for the people that they hurt. How can you be complete when you're like that? How can a parent inflict such things on another generation? How can they encourage their children to deny part of themselves? To have such a belief, to think that it is wrong to be gay, or straight, or black, or white, or from Africa or Europe of Asia or America or Oceania or to be a Catholic or Muslim or Jew or Hindu or anything else, is to deny an important part of you. We are all human and why should we hate based on such small things? We aren't meant to be put into boxes where we can be judged. Hatred is born from anger or ignorance. Anger we can't fight but we can turn productive. Ignorance needs to be wiped out. I've hated too in the past. But now, when I've let it all go, I feel a better person for it. And I'm more at peace with myself too.
I don't know why it hurts to hate other people. But it does. And even if for no other reason, if you have some kind of prejudice, let it go for your own sake. Learn to love so that you can love yourself and be complete within your own mind.