Stop acting like unreasonable bigots.
Not getting your way in every policy debate and not having everyone else defer to your beliefs is not oppression.
Getting fired from your job, getting evicted from your home, getting constantly harassed and threatened, getting declared deviate and criminal, getting the shit beaten out of you, or getting killed just for being yourself, now THAT'S oppression.
EXTRA:
This I think is an appropriate response. The video features Bishop Gene Robinson, along with a couple of my fellow parishoners who I recognize at Rockefeller Center, holding MSNBC accountable for its inexplicable deference to Tony Perkins.
According to the logic of these networks, every time they have a Jew on, they should put on a Nazi for "balance." If Al Sharpton has a show, why not David Duke?
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Abominations
A gay family
A Roman Catholic priest blesses weapons to be used against Muslim rebels on the island of Mindanao in the PhilippinesYour choice of which one of these you find abominable says a lot about you, and if you are a Christian, about what kind of Christian you are.
As I recall, Our Lord in the Gospels says nothing about same sex relationships. He says a lot about love; for all, including the least, and even for our enemies. Our Lord says a lot about violence and His views are clear and categorical.
Referendum
Governor Christie wants to put marriage rights up for a vote in New Jersey.
What can be bestowed by a referendum can be taken away by a referendum.
LGBT people either already have full rights of citizenship (including the right to marry in their state) as spelled out in the 14th Amendment, or they don't.
Washington State does the right thing. Governor Christine Gregoire signs the Marriage Equality bill in a public ceremony. It should be noted that Washington State had to repeal a "marriage protection" act to make this legislation happen. Washington was the first state whose voters turned down a measure to repeal civil partnership rights for LGBTs by a substantial margin. Bravissimo!
What can be bestowed by a referendum can be taken away by a referendum.
LGBT people either already have full rights of citizenship (including the right to marry in their state) as spelled out in the 14th Amendment, or they don't.
Washington State does the right thing. Governor Christine Gregoire signs the Marriage Equality bill in a public ceremony. It should be noted that Washington State had to repeal a "marriage protection" act to make this legislation happen. Washington was the first state whose voters turned down a measure to repeal civil partnership rights for LGBTs by a substantial margin. Bravissimo!
Coming Out Matters
And it has always mattered. Read this from an op ed piece today by Michael Klarman, a Harvard Law Professor in the LA Times. He argues that marriage rights for LGBTs are now inevitable.
I couldn't have said it more clearly myself. But then, I knew this. You know this. You don't have to go to Harvard to figure this out.
I remember when the gay movement was always criticized for being leaderless, that we didn't have any charismatic galvanizing leaders (though I remember Harvey Milk as being pretty galvanizing and charismatic, and we all know what happened to him). One thing that I've always noticed about gay politics is that it has always been faction ridden from the very beginning divided along all kinds of lines of gender, race, class, you name it. Gay politics can really devour its own. That plus the ferocity of our enemies makes me astonished that we've been so successful over the last 40 years, more so than I ever expected. And this success came despite the AIDS epidemic which all of us at the time expected to roll back all the progress made since 1969, if not earlier.
We succeeded for the very reason Michael Klarman points out. Every gay man or lesbian or bi or transgender who comes out is a leader with dozens behind them. Everyone who comes out creates a little more space for even more to come out and make even more space. Every time someone comes out, especially in institutional settings of work, government, the military, academia, the churches, they are demanding that those institutions change to accommodate them, a just demand after decades of LGBTs distorting their own lives and sacrificing their personal happiness to accommodate those institutions. And now after 40 years of that process, it looks like we might have some critical mass to achieve real liberation.
Why is gay marriage inevitable? First, the basic insight of the gay rights movement over the last four decades has proved powerfully correct: As more gays and lesbians have come out of the closet, the social environment has become more gay friendly. In turn, as the social environment has become more hospitable, more gays and lesbians have felt free to come out of the closet. This social dynamic is powerfully reinforcing and unlikely to be reversed.
One factor that most strongly predicts support for gay equality is knowing someone who is gay. As more gays and lesbians come out of the closet, more parents, children, siblings, friends, neighbors and co-workers know or love someone who is gay. Because few people favor discrimination against those they know and love, every gay person coming out of the closet creates more supporters of gay equality.
The number of Americans reporting that they know somebody who is openly gay tripled between 1985 and 2000, reaching 75%. One study in 2004 found that among those who reported knowing someone who is gay, 65% favored either gay marriage or civil unions, while only 35% of those who reported not knowing any gay people supported them.
I couldn't have said it more clearly myself. But then, I knew this. You know this. You don't have to go to Harvard to figure this out.
I remember when the gay movement was always criticized for being leaderless, that we didn't have any charismatic galvanizing leaders (though I remember Harvey Milk as being pretty galvanizing and charismatic, and we all know what happened to him). One thing that I've always noticed about gay politics is that it has always been faction ridden from the very beginning divided along all kinds of lines of gender, race, class, you name it. Gay politics can really devour its own. That plus the ferocity of our enemies makes me astonished that we've been so successful over the last 40 years, more so than I ever expected. And this success came despite the AIDS epidemic which all of us at the time expected to roll back all the progress made since 1969, if not earlier.
We succeeded for the very reason Michael Klarman points out. Every gay man or lesbian or bi or transgender who comes out is a leader with dozens behind them. Everyone who comes out creates a little more space for even more to come out and make even more space. Every time someone comes out, especially in institutional settings of work, government, the military, academia, the churches, they are demanding that those institutions change to accommodate them, a just demand after decades of LGBTs distorting their own lives and sacrificing their personal happiness to accommodate those institutions. And now after 40 years of that process, it looks like we might have some critical mass to achieve real liberation.
Gay Liberation poster designed by Su Negrin, 1970
Tip of the fedora to JoeMyGod.
Tip of the fedora to JoeMyGod.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Creation According to Haydn
The Archangels praise the beauty of the newly created earth.
GABRIEL
Most beautiful appear, with verdure young adorn’d, the gently sloping hills. Their narrow sinuous veins distill in crystal drops the fountain fresh and bright.
URIEL
In lofty circles play and hover thro’ the sky the cheerful host of birds. And in the flying whirl, the glitt’ring plumes are died, as rainbows, by the sun.
RAPHAEL
See flashing thro’ the wet in thronged swarms the fry on thousand ways around.
Upheaved from the deep, th’ immense Leviathan sports on the foaming wave.
GABRIEL, URIEL, RAPHAEL
How many are thy works, O God?
Who may their numbers tell? Who, O God?
Trio (Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael and Chorus)
GABRIEL, URIEL, RAPHAEL
The Lord is great and great his might.
His glory lasts for ever and evermore.
CHORUS
The Lord is great and great his might.
His glory lasts for ever and evermore.
The Creation was made good as are we who are part of it.
"Life remains a blessing even when you cannot bless" -- WH Auden
GABRIEL
Most beautiful appear, with verdure young adorn’d, the gently sloping hills. Their narrow sinuous veins distill in crystal drops the fountain fresh and bright.
URIEL
In lofty circles play and hover thro’ the sky the cheerful host of birds. And in the flying whirl, the glitt’ring plumes are died, as rainbows, by the sun.
RAPHAEL
See flashing thro’ the wet in thronged swarms the fry on thousand ways around.
Upheaved from the deep, th’ immense Leviathan sports on the foaming wave.
GABRIEL, URIEL, RAPHAEL
How many are thy works, O God?
Who may their numbers tell? Who, O God?
Trio (Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael and Chorus)
GABRIEL, URIEL, RAPHAEL
The Lord is great and great his might.
His glory lasts for ever and evermore.
CHORUS
The Lord is great and great his might.
His glory lasts for ever and evermore.
The Creation was made good as are we who are part of it.
"Life remains a blessing even when you cannot bless" -- WH Auden
The Right Wing Freak Show
In terms of sheer ugly spectacle, how can anyone compete with this? The "better angels of our nature" just get lost in the din.
And keep in mind that some people are writing 6 and 7 figure checks to and for these folks.
And keep in mind that some people are writing 6 and 7 figure checks to and for these folks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)