The Gaytheist Agenda

This is beautiful. Yet another RWer compares healthcare reform to Nazism and Barney Frank is…frank with her.

If only more of our elected officials would do that this nonsense would come to a screeching halt.

 

Despite the hideous lies and fearmongering of the RRRW, including outrageous claims that Matthew Shepard’s death was “a hoax”, the House of Representatives passed HR 1913 by a wide margin!

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, also known as the Mathew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a 249 to 175 vote. A total of 231 Democrats voted in favor of the legislation with 17 voting against, while 18 Republicans voted for the legislation with 158 voting against, according to Stonewall Democrats.

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This description comes from HRC:

During debate on hate crimes legislation taking place today on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) claimed that Matthew Shepard’s death was “a hoax.” While Matthew’s mother, Judy Shepard looked on from the House gallery, Foxx, who managed the floor for those opposed to the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, spoke saying, “the hate crimes bill that’s called the Matthew Shepard Bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn’t because he was gay. This – the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills.”

You have to love those Republicans and their “family values”. Nothing screams “morality” like supporting violent crimes against people just because you think they’re icky. Watch some of their antics yourself, courtesy of Think Progress.

The bill now goes to the Senate where it is anticipated voting will be close. Hopefully, though, the Senate will do the right thing, as the House did.

 

Related posts:

The Hate Crimes Bill, Critical and Long Overdue.

Hate Crimes Bill Gets OK By House Judiciary Committee. RRRW Goes Berserk.

 

Of course there are the obvious ones that are inherent in the specific laws themselves. Legislation banning same-sex marriage prevents gay and lesbian couples from accessing the 1138 federal rights and hundreds of state rights that are automatically granted to married couples. Such laws also reduce same-sex couples and their families to second-class status. LGBT people have many other laws specifically against them and do not enjoy the same protections others do, mostly due to the efforts of the RRRW.

Just as insidious, and often more dangerous, is the way that anti-gay legislation gives to intolerant people implicit permission to engage in hate-crimes against LGBT people. We’re not protected, and we’re not considered worthy of protection, so we’re fair game. What’s more, in cases where such laws have recently been passed the trend is for hate-crimes against LGBT people to surge. Perhaps the bigots are trying to send us a message, like “Now shut the eff up about your rights and get back in the closet you *****”.

LBGT PEOPLE and their supporters, who have turned out in large numbers to protest the narrow passage of the anti-gay Proposition 8 in California, are turning their attention to increasing incidents of horrifying hate crimes.

On December 13, in the Bay Area city of Richmond, a lesbian woman was gang-raped by four men who used homophobic epithets as they violently assaulted her for almost an hour, before leaving her naked in the street.
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Activists note that anti-gay hate crimes are on the rise nationally. According to FBI statistics, hate crimes directed at people because of their sexual orientation have risen over the past two years–1,017 were reported in 2005, 1,195 in 2006 and 1,265 in 2007.

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Avy Skolnik, a coordinator with the New York-based National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, noted, “Anytime there is an anti-LGBT initiative, we tend to see spikes both in the numbers and the severity of attacks. People feel this extra entitlement to act out their prejudice.”

In 2008 alone, there was a spike in violent crime against LGBT people. Overall, the FBI reported a 1 percent decline in hate crimes in the U.S. last year–but a 6 percent increase in hate crimes against gay, lesbian and transgender people.
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In December, in Brooklyn, a 31-year-old Ecuadorian immigrant, Jose Sucuzhanay, was beaten with a baseball bat and kicked by three men, who jumped out of a car yelling anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs.

Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman in Greeley, Colo., was found dead in her apartment on July 17. She had been beaten with fists and a fire extinguisher, after her assailant discovered she was biologically male.
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On January 6, 11 gay bars in Seattle received letters addressed to the “Owner/Manager” that warned, “Your establishment has been targeted. I have in my possession approximately 67 grams of ricin with which I will indiscriminately target at least five of your clients.” A 12th letter was sent to the alternative weekly, The Stranger, warning that the paper should be “prepared to announce the deaths of approximately 55 individuals.”
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Yet the RRRWers have been wringing their hands over how persecuted they are. Apparently people have been saying less than glowing things about some of them. That’s obviously much worse than what Zapata, Sucuzhanay, the lady in Richmond, and others endured. (Is the sarcasm emoticon really necessary here? )

SO WHY has there been such a spike in in violent crimes against LGBT people?

Society at large has moved in the direction of supporting LGBT rights, as ideas around sexuality have moved to the left in the past decade. One example of this is the fact that in 2004, the anti-gay Prop 22 in California won by a 14 point margin as opposed to the 4 percent margin of Prop 8.

However, as the trend of tolerance and acceptance has been increasing, so has the growth of right-wing religious organizations that have focused on getting anti-gay legislation passed across the U.S.

And the RRRW can’t stand the thought of losing their “right” to keep us mashed firmly under their boot heels. What’s more, if we could no longer be legally discriminated against the leaders of the RRRW would have to concoct a new “enemy” for their minions to engage in battle against. They have no identity unless they are God’s Christian Soldiers fighting some enemy. Should they lose us it would take great deals of money, time and effort to redirect their hatred to another target. It’s such a pity they can’t fight poverty, homelessness and hunger with the zeal they do our rights and our very existence.

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Prop 8 and similar legislation not only deny civil rights to gays and lesbians, but they give a green light to violent attacks against LGBT people. Anti-gay legislation gives credence to the idea that LGBT people are “immoral,” “unequal” and don’t deserve protection from hate. And the silence of politicians like Barack Obama on repealing DOMA gives a free pass to the homophobia expressed in legislation like Prop 8.
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Unfortunately Obama is, IMO, beyond hope. He’s apparently decided to throw LGBT people completely under the bus in favor of alliances with the RRRW. Essentially invisible token gestures and weak words on our behalf are useless and gain nothing.

 
The effects of anti-gay laws go well beyond laws themselves. They give carte blanche to bigots to keep being bigots and to harm LGBT people. They allow society to look the other way when law-abiding human beings are harmed, and their families are destroyed, simply because of who they are. It’s well beyond time we rid ourselves of them for the good of all.

 

Finally some good news!

Two-thirds of U.S. adults today perceive that the influence of religion in American life is waning, while just 27% believe it is rising. This represents a sharp decline in the image of religion compared with only three years ago, when 50% thought its influence was on an upswing, and marks one of the weakest readings on the influence of religion in Gallup’s five-decade history of asking the question.

“At the present time, do you think religion as a whole is increasing its influence on American life or losing its influence?”
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Religion rose even higher in perceived prominence in the 1980s during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, when religious conservatism — also known as the “religious right” was in ascendance as a potent political force. From 1983 to 1986, Gallup consistently recorded more Americans perceiving religion to be on the rise than in decline.

Given this historical context, it is possible that the recent decline in perceptions that religion is increasing in influence is partially a result of the decline of Republican political strength throughout President George W. Bush’s second term, a trend that was punctuated by the election of Democrat Barack Obama last month.
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Of course the theocrats see Obama’s election as a “sign” that their iron grip on America is waning. But he’s proven repeatedly through his association with RRRW preachers and constant infusion of religion into his campaign that he’s no friend to LGBTs or advocate for Separation of Church and State.

Public perceptions about the influence of religion have varied widely over the last half-century, and may be more a reflection of changing political realities than of personal beliefs about religion. However, the new poll also finds the percentage of Americans believing that religion can answer society’s problems is at an all-time low. Although still a majority, just 53% of Americans say religion “can answer all or most of today’s problems.” While 28% say it is “largely old-fashioned and out of date.”
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The vast majority of Americans who attend church or another worship service weekly (82%) say religion can answer today’s problems, as do 59% of those attending at least monthly, but only 27% of those who rarely or never attend agreed.
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And hardcore drug addicts are far more likely than non-users to think another fix is just what they need. Fancy that.

At the close of 2008, few Americans perceive that religion is thriving in U.S. society, and a relatively small majority believe religion is relevant to solving today’s problems. These perceptions may stem in part from the political climate — characterized by a weakened Republican Party and the incoming Democratic administration — as well as from the overwhelming consensus that the main problems facing the country today are economic.

I hope this trend continues. Maybe our descent into the Dark Ages is finally over–not that I expect the RRRW to give up without a fight. Their minions are getting more vicious as they realize they’re losing the battle.

At the same time, a solid majority of Americans (56%), largely unchanged from recent years, say that religion plays a very important role in their own lives. Also, Gallup Poll Daily tracking data shows no decline in the percent of Americans’ self-reported church attendance this year.

If it remains something that plays a role in their own lives it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg, as Jefferson said. Only when they try to impose it on me do I take issue with it. Sadly some people can’t discern the difference between the former and the latter.

 

A study released Tuesday showed that despite popular opinion politicians who openly support and vote for LGBT friendly laws do not suffer damage to their political careers. In fact, they fare better than their bigoted or equivocating counterparts. (Guess what, Obama, you didn’t have to do a complete turn-around and sacrifice us for your presidential bid. )

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A review of votes from 2005 to the present shows that legislators who vote to end marriage discrimination for same-sex couples are consistently re-elected.

The success of more than 1,100 state legislators who voted to support same-sex marriage appears to defy the commonly held belief that supporting marriage equality ends political campaigns and careers.
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It also found that legislators who ran for higher office won after voting in favor of marriage for same-sex couples.
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“The American people deserve leaders who aren’t afraid to lead.” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry.

“For politicians, standing up for marriage equality is not touching a third-rail, rather, it is a track to re-election – and, happily, the path toward inclusion that America is traveling.”

The study included results from 21 different states representing all four major regions of the country.
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” And those of us outside the legislature should not be afraid to ask our representatives to do the right thing, and should do our part to help them do it, by talking about the injustice of exclusion from marriage and how government should help, not hurt, all families.”

This study should be forwarded to every politician in America. They need to know that it’s no longer necessary to kowtow to the RRRW bullies’ threats and tantrums. Voting for equality and fairness–the right thing to do–will actually advance their careers.

It would be wonderful to see our current descent into the Dark Ages come to an end.

 

Obama is having a few token gays at his inauguration in an attempt to seem “fair and balanced”. Needless to say a gay marching band and gay Episcopal Bishop who has never done nor wished harm on anyone doesn’t begin to make up for Rick Warren, Mass Murderer. But I digress.

The usual RRRW shills are having kittens because actual gays will appear at the event. Apparently we’re supposed to have been left locked in our closets until sometime after the Apocalypse.

The Rev. Gene Robinson, a gay Episcopal bishop, will say a prayer at an inaugural event at the Lincoln Monument on Sunday; a gay and lesbian marching band will take its place in the official presidential parade; and a slew of gay parties and inaugural balls will be held in the nation’s capital before and after Obama takes the oath of office.

But the gay-themed events have some conservative critics expressing concerns that while the celebration may be gay-friendly, it won’t be family-friendly.

Yeah, I’m sure Robinson is going to do his prayer in butt-less chaps, and the marching band will feature full-frontal nudity. That’s how we gays are, you know. Do these people ever get their minds out of the gutter?

Of course the assumption is always that gay people don’t have families, nor are they part of families, and that anything about them is automatically “not family-friendly”. The RRRW needs to wake up to the fact that their definition of family is not the only one that exists, or the only one that is acceptable.

“It’s not a day where a group that feels like it has some payback coming should be putting its decadent lifestyle on display.”

I agree. So does that mean Obama will finally can Rick Warren?

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, an organization that describes itself as “devoted exclusively to exposing and countering the homosexual activist agenda,” is worried less about what happens in public and more about what may go on behind closed doors.

That’s the biggest problem with the RRRW. They spend too much time obsessing about, and interfering with, what people do behind closed doors. It’s none of their freaking business! And to think they have the nerve to call Liberals “Nanny Staters”. However the majority of the “gay” events will likely be much like the other events. Drinking and celebrating the inauguration of the new president. The notion that they’ll be huge gay orgies is just a figment (fantasy?) of LaBarbera and his cronies. Maybe if they spent more time having sex instead of repressing everyone else it wouldn’t be such an obsession with them.

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But not everyone shares their enthusiasm. LaBarbera’s group hopes to disrupt the Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, held annually on Martin Luther King weekend for men with an interest in motorcycles and leather, by releasing details about the group’s plans.

“They keep their hotel location top-secret because they don’t want conservatives to find out. But we know it, and we’re going to try to get it stopped,” he said. “This is the most vile event, and it’s being held at a swanky hotel where conferences regularly occur. Groups coming in after MAL won’t know what went on there before they got there.”
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By “disrupt” Peter means “take lots of photos of half-nude and fully-nude men“. I notice Peter never takes photos of the women at these leather events (women do attend them, you know), nor does he take pictures of the heterosexual couples (who also attend leather events). And he never runs around the country infiltrating the Swinger parties to “disrupt” them. Maybe that’s because Peter is utterly and completely obsessed with gay men.

But there is some lingering resentment toward the gay community for its reaction to the passing of Proposition 8 in California, when demonstrators protested outside some houses of worship. “We would never choose the route of bigotry or hatred,” Mahoney said, “as the gay community did when they lost Prop 8, by defacing and vandalizing churches and places of worship, and attacked people of faith because they did not share their beliefs.

Oh FFS it drives me crazy when they lie like that. Hello! Proposition 8 was one of the most direct routes of bigotry and hatred you could ever have taken. Or would you like us to take away some of your rights while claiming we don’t hate you, we’re just “defending tradition” (or some other happy horse-poo)?

And the RRRW can’t even begin to pretend the “resentment” began after Proposition 8 protests. They’ve hated us since day one, and will do so until their dying day. Or until they do as they truly wish, and find a way to eradicate us.

 

Rick Warren has been making quite a stink about “defending” so-called traditional marriage from Teh Gays. But the more he talks, the more it becomes apparent he has no clue about the history of marriage at all. From the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jon Carrol:

Here’s a lovely quote you may wish to put in your scrapbook:

“For 5,000 years, every culture and every religion - not just Christianity - has defined marriage as a contract between men and women. There is no reason to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2 percent of our population. This is one issue that both Democrats and Republicans can agree on. Both Barack Obama and John McCain have publicly opposed the redefinition of marriage to include so-called ‘gay marriage.’ Even some gay leaders, like Al Rantel of KABC, oppose watering down the definition of marriage. … Of course, my longtime opposition is well known. This is not a political issue, it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about. There is no doubt where we should stand on this issue. … This will be a close contest, maybe even decided by a few thousand votes. I urge you to vote yes on Proposition 8 - to preserve the biblical definition of marriage. Don’t forget to vote!”

There’s so much wrong with that quote, I don’t know where to start. Islam, a reasonably well-known religion, has defined marriage as a contract between one man and as many as four women. I note that the speaker skillfully slides over that well-known custom; would he, one wonders, support a law allowing for polygamous marriages, since it is sanctioned by a popular monotheistic religion? No, he’s just cherry-picking.

Homosexuality was and is permitted in many cultures around the world. Even where it is not sanctioned, it is common and tolerated. Sometimes it is forced underground, turning gay people into criminals and making them more susceptible to both blackmail and disease. Does the speaker believe that criminalizing that private and nonviolent behavior constitutes an action of Christian charity?

Sadly he and his ilk do. They think they’re saving us from burning in hell by making our lives here on earth a living hell, even to the point that we kill ourselves in despair. Or so they claim.

And in what sense is the definition of marriage “watered down” by allowing gays to marry? Surely legalizing same-sex unions strengthens bonds, gives gays a greater stake in a free and peaceful society and makes the care of children of gay couples more stable and more loving.

Oh, but allowing gay people to marry destroys marriage for straight couples. They’ve given all sorts of valid reasons like, um…um… Well I’m sure they would give them if they existed.

We don’t invite Nazis to speak at the inauguration. We don’t invite Holocaust deniers. We don’t invite officials of the Ku Klux Klan. There are plenty of ministers who personally oppose same-sex marriage but do not get involved in political battles, allowing their parishioners to vote their consciences as opposed to ordering them to support one side. For that matter, there are plenty of ministers who support same-sex marriage. They are men and women of God, scholars, people who minister to the sick and watch over the dying. They too have purpose-driven lives, and their purposes are rather more admirable than leading a fight to take away previously granted rights from gays and lesbians.

Sadly Obama has a long history of associating with vicious homophobes and using them to suck up to the RRRW. Warren is just the latest in this trend. I have yet to see him “reach out” to the KKK, and I’m not holding my breath.

 
Now from Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá in Psychology Today:

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Rick Warren, the controversial evangelist Obama has invited to speak at his inauguration tells Ann Curry in an NBC interview that, “For five thousand years, every single culture and every single religion has defined marriage as a man and a woman.”

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The prerequisite for this sort of absolute declaration is absolute ignorance of what one is talking about. In fact, the world is teeming with innumerable examples of marriage that would be unrecognizable to Warren and other so-called traditionalists.

Two spirited ones (formerly known as berdache) were commonly found in many Amerindian cultures. They were either biological males who felt the presence of a female soul so strongly that they chose to live their lives as women or vice-versa, females who chose to live as men. Pedro de Magalhães de Gandovo described such women — whom he called Amazons — in 1576: “The wear their hair cut in the same way as the men, and go to war with bows and arrows and pursue game, always in company with men; each has a woman to serve her, to whom she says she is married, and they treat each other and speak with each other as man and wife.”

The Mosuo people of China practice a form of courtship and sexual interaction anthropologists have called walking marriage, which consists basically of women being completely free to sleep with whomever they like, with children being cared for by the woman’s family — her brothers being paternal figures. Biological paternity is a non-issue. Every night is seen as an independent event, with no expectation of permanence or even continuity.
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Gay people who are accepted by society and women with complete sexual freedom. Wouldn’t that send the Fundies into paroxysms?

Among the Canela, “Virginity loss is only the first step into full marriage for a woman.” There are several other steps needed before the Canela society considers a couple to by truly married, including the young woman’s gaining social acceptance through her service in a “festival men’s society,” which includes sequential sex with fifteen to twenty members (no pun intended) and “the mother in law’s receipt of meat earned by the bride through extramarital sex” on a festival day.

Got that? Part of the marrying process is group sex followed by a gift to the mother-in-law-to-be of meat gained in exchange for sexual shenanigans with men other than the husband-to-be.
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Apart from expectations of permanence or social recognition, what about virginity and sexual fidelity? Are they universal and integral parts of marriage? Apparently not. For many societies, virginity is so unimportant there isn’t even a word for the concept in their language.
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So when defenders of traditional marriage make their appeals to some universally-accepted notion of what marriage is, they’re talking through their hats. No such institution exists, or ever has.

Rick Warren doesn’t know anything about Traditional Marriage. He obviously doesn’t even know that according to the Bible he cites as the reason gay people don’t deserve equal rights, polygamy and multiple concubines were considered Traditional Marriage. ( Exodus 21:10, 2 Samuel 5:13, 1 Chronicles 3:1-9, 1 Kings 11:3, 2 Chronicles 11:21, Deuteronomy 21:15-16). Therefore he shouldn’t proclaim himself defender of Traditional Marriage nor arbiter of who can or cannot participate in it.

In the meantime I have some recommended reading for Warren so he can educate himself on the realities of marriage traditions.
Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe
Anxious Pleasures: The Sexual Lives of an Amazonian People
World History of Male Love
Homosexuality in the Ancient World (Studies in Homosexuality, Vol 1)

That’s what Driving Equality is doing, anyway. What is Driving Equality?

Driving Equality is a trek across America to raise awareness of the various forms of discrimination faced by LGBT people in each state of the nation. Highlighting the differences in rights, laws, and amendments between the states will shed light on the current social standing of queer individuals today. I hope to create a dialogue about the disparities across the nation, and what can be done to end discrimination for all.

During the 100-day trip, I will be meeting with LGBT community organizers, activists, and any citizens willing to talk. Through these interviews, I will gain an understanding of the current political climates, and explore ways of combating discrimination. Throughout my journey, I will make frequent posts on this website, including photos and video clips.

The project will culminate with a documentary of my experience with the aim of activating a discussion about potential strategies for ensuring equality.

Driving Equality is holding a Rick-A-Thon whereby Warren’s appearance at the inauguration will raise money to help fund the 16,000 mile trip. BTW, DE will work to ensure the effort is as environmentally friendly as possible.

We are using Warren’s own bigotry to raise funds for a good cause, one that will help counter the lies that are being spread about LGBT people. Donations will go to Driving Equality, a 100-day trek across America, through all of the lower 48 states, to advance LGBT equality.

More, including embedded videos of Warren preaching intolerance, at the link.

You can pledge a particular amount of money per second Warren speaks or a flat amount for the entire time he’s on stage. See the pledge form for details and to sign up. Driving Equality also has Facebook and MySpace groups for anybody who would like to join.

Needless to say I’m thoroughly disgusted by Obama’s decision to invite the hardcore homophobic, mysogynistic theocrat Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. However I’m much more disgusted with the so-called progressives who dare to claim we have no right to question or criticize Obama’s decision (he’s just reaching out and building bridges!). Interesting how Obama continually reaches out to/builds bridges with rabid homophobes and supporters of the “ex-gay” movement, yet not once has he done so with a member of the KKK or White Stormfront. Apparently some forms of bigotry are more acceptable than others to Obama.

More nauseating are the LGBT apologists like Melissa Etheridge, who fawns over Warren to the point that one thinks she’s witnessed the Second Coming. Of course she neglects to mention the efforts he put into passing Proposition 8, which she herself so vocally denounced not so long ago. But if you read the piece yourself you might get the same impression I did–that Melissa was rather under the influence, or that her brain had been abducted by aliens. She’s certainly not speaking like anything resembling an advocate for LGBT rights, that much is for certain. LGBT rights advocates do not imagine that “reaching our our hands” to the likes of Warren will result in anything but missing fingers.

Christie Keith has it right. Like me she is mad at Obama, but is even more angry at the apologists who dare to support what he’s doing.

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Let me explain something very carefully, for those who don’t know: none of what’s going on in the fight for LGBT rights is part of a strategy, as should be apparent by our lack of a cohesive movement and any viable leaders. It’s a true grassroots uprising among people who got a taste of freedom and decided we wanted more. We were no longer willing to settle for a long, slow, state by state battle, for death by a thousand cuts, for an extended period of second class citizenship.

I’ve lived through a lot of watershed moments in this movement, including the assassination of Harvey Milk and the beginning of the AIDS epidemic and the rise of ACT-UP. I know like I know my name that this is another one.

Whether it’s “strategic” or not, whether it’s what our “leaders” think we should do or not, it’s pretty clear that real actual LGBT people are done with the closet. We’re seeing things in a new way. We’re no longer willing to settle for simply not getting beaten to death, for being able to live in our constricted safe zones without fear of baseball bats to the head and getting fired.

It’s not okay anymore to have to decode when and where we can be out, who can and can’t be trusted to really know us. We’re done with glancing around the restaurant or the street before taking our partner’s hand if we’re not in a gay bar or walking down Castro St. Done with paying for living fearlessly with broken bones or even death.
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You keep saying things like, “Just because someone is against gay marriage doesn’t mean they’re a homophobe or a bigot,” even though there are no non-bigoted, non-homophobic reasons to oppose marriage equality.

You say that equality for LGBT citizens is an “issue” that needs to take its place on the list of progressive causes, and not a fundamental civil right that is the very foundation and bedrock of our entire constitutional system: equality under the law.
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You keep telling us we need to reach out and build bridges to the religious right. Do you really think there is any point at all in telling us we need to reach out to homophobes and bigots, to the people who run the churches that abuse our youth and shove us out the doors, that have brainwashed our parents into rejecting us, that tell us they “love” us while they knife us in the hearts with their laws?

Why don’t you tell them to reach out to us? We’re the ones who have been wronged and harmed, disenfranchised, electro-shocked, had our kids taken away in ugly custody battles, lost our homes when our partner died, been thrown out of the hospital rooms of our lovers, had wills overturned and benefits denied. We’re the ones who had our equality thrown up for a popular vote, and whose rights are denied us in the constitutions of 29 states. Telling us to reach out to them is like saying battered women need to reach out to their abusers, or children to the priest who molested them.
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No, the people I’m mad at are some of YOU. I’m angry at your ignorance of our lives, for your complete lack of understanding of what a claim for equality under the law is, for telling us to shut up or quiet down or stop being angry or stop making trouble for the progressive movement or stop drawing negative attention to our party or Obama.

You call yourself a progressive and swear you’re not a bigot? Well, if you’re not with us, completely in support of our full and unconditional equality with straight citizens including marriage equality, then you’re a progressive who’s also a bigot — even if your bigotry is a side-effect of your religion. And when bigots give advice to the people against whom they are bigoted, it is, at best, a form of concern-trolling. Your advice is not about us and our real best interests; it’s about you.

So stop. Just stop telling us not to be angry or hurt or so emotional. This happened to us. It damages us. It reminds us of our pain, which many of us put behind us at great personal cost. I have lost dozens of friends to suicide, alcoholism, and depression. I’ve lost friends to gay bashing, and to a disease that ran unchecked and ignored because it “only” killed fags. I live in San Francisco, and there are huge parts of this city I wouldn’t feel safe holding my girlfriend’s hand. Do you not understand what it’s like to live like that?

If you can’t stand with us, at least have the grace to stop giving us advice, advocating our silence, lecturing us about our behavior, or telling us who and what we are.

What we do as a movement now is in our hands, and those of our allies. If you’re not one of them, shut up and get out of the way.

Hear, hear. I’m sick to death of those who claim we need to sit down, shut up and be content with what we have. I’m particularly tired of hearing that we need to suck up to the very people who are trying to eradicate our rights–if not us–and beg them for what they have no right to withhold from us in the first place. It’s bad enough that we’re expected to appreciate mere scraps from the tables of straight people, but when we’re told we’re supposed to beg our abusers for them as well that’s beyond the pale. It’s high time for those who have to stop trying to call the shots and listen to those of us who have not. We know better than anyone what the score is.

 

Apparently my prediction about Leah Daughtry’s letter to the DNC was right. The DNC seems to have ignored her request. The Secular Coalition for America is now asking for individuals to e-mail the DNC to ask that they include non-theists in their opening ceremony.

Nontheists cover the entire political spectrum and are active in many different political parties. However, if you are viewing this action alert and are a supporter of the Democratic Party, we strongly encourage YOU to take action immediately.

For the first time in the history of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Convention will begin with an Interfaith Gathering. This is also the first official event of the 2008 Democratic National Convention and signals an opportunity for all those in the faith community to unite around the faith and values they share as Democrats.

But what about Democrats who do not have a faith? What will they do at a gathering that DNC Convention CEO Leah Daughtry declared “is a time of celebration of various religious traditions” in the Democratic Party?

The Secular Coalition asks that you and your friends and family in the secular community TAKE ACTION NOW.

Join us in emailing Leah Daughtry and tell her that you are part of a constituency worthy of being included in any unity event that the Democratic Party holds.

In a recent interview, Daughtry said that because she has received a letter from a secular group she is considering including an address from an atheist at the interfaith gathering. Tell her that this would be a step in the right direction, but that this whole situation could be avoided if no interfaith gathering existed in the first place.

Daughtry has been vocal about her desire to make the Democratic Party more faith-oriented. In an interview with The New York Times, she said her mission is to

“make religious believers—particularly ardent Christian believers—view the party and its candidates as receptive to, and often impelled by, the dictates of faith. She sparked this crusade, both to transfigure the party’s image as predominantly secular and to take enough votes from the Republicans to win this year’s presidential election…”

No political party should feel it necessary to change their image because secular people are seen as active participants. Attempts to “transfigure” a party to avoid the appearance of having many secular Americans creates the impression that secularism is a negative when it is not.

In addition, this is not supposed to be a one-time-only event. Daughtry has publicly stated that she hopes starting the Convention with a religious service become a “hallmark” of the convention for years to come.

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