The Bid 2 Beat Aids auction continues, as Queerty encourages you to support LIFEbeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS by turning your Chrismahanukwanzakah shopping into a chance to raise money for a worthwhile cause. We've got our eyes on the Christopher Meloni's signed Law & Order: SVU script (though a used napkin would suffice), a [...]
On Dec. 5th 1979, feminist Sonia Johnson is formally excommunicated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for her outspoken criticism of the church concerning the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Later, she authored a book, From Housewife to Heretic, about the experience.[Wikipedia] Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us [...]
Ben Bernake called it right when he said "There are no atheists in foxholes and no ideologues in financial crises." Irmo High School principal Eddie Walker is calling a mulligan on his plan to resign in protest of his school establishing a gay-straight alliance. The State reports that: Lexington-Richland 5 interim superintendent Herbert Berg received a [...]
WORLD AIDS DAY By: Jay Matthew  As the music started at the World AIDS Day event here in Fresno (held annually in Fresno’s Historic Tower Theater), people were already beginning to stream in. The event opened with two songs from Fresno’s Gay Men’s Chorusâ€"both were really funny gayed-up versions of Christmas songs, the second of which was [...]
On December 10th we are supporting Day Without a Gay. Join the Impact is calling for a nationwide strike and economic boycott by all members of our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered community AND OUR STRAIGHT ALLIES on December 10th, 2008, International Human Rights Day. PARTICIPATE - VOLUNTEERING IS TWO FOLD: It both gives us something meaningful [...]
Fresno Stonewall Democrats will meet on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at Carrow’s Restaurant 4280 N. Blackstone at Ashlan in Fresno. Dinner and Social 6 P.M. meeting with speakers 7 P.M. We have a full agenda withda with two presentations: Jay Mathew will speak on the ongoing local activities to support the NO ON 8 campaign and [...]
The National Organization for Marriage, which seemingly exists mostly to exalt heterosexual marriage above all other forms of relationships, has initiated a petition, ad campaign, and website called Above the Hate the purpose of which is "to say 'Enough!' to the campaign of hate and intimidation being waged against the LDS Church and other supporters of California's Proposition 8." This campaign accuses "powerful, well-funded political forces" (ie- gays) of "attacks" against the LDS Church in the wake of Prop 8's passage including:
Now, if in fact there were an actual large, orchestrated, well-funded, powerful, and/or coordinated campaign of "hate and intimidation" being "waged" against any group, even a bigoted religious one, I would oppose it. There are civil ways of dealing with disagreements, after all. Since virtually every "marriage defender" has shouted it from the rooftops at every chance they've gotten, we all know that some LGBT rights advocates have committed some less-than-honorable actions in the wake of Proposition 8's passing. I, like most people, condemn illegal and/or violent activities. At the same time, though, "marriage defenders" need to be really clear about what they're saying, not saying, and implying. For, by their omissions, certain histrionic "marriage defenders" imply that our entire "powerful, well-funded" LGBT rights movement is violent, bigoted, and hateful.
Unfortunately, the Above the Hate campaign indicts the entire LGBT community. Notably, nowhere does the National Organization for Marriage make it clear that these behaviors are discrete actions of individuals and are not representative of most LGBT persons and gay rights advocates. Instead, the National Organization for Marriage lumps all LGBT rights activists into one group of sinister "powerful, well-funded political forces" and makes no distinction between those who are hateful and those who are not. This omission is silent but deadly. For, in this silence, those who have no interaction with the many upstanding members of the LGBT community deduce that LGBT people and our allies are nothing but hateful religious bigots. That, without a doubt, is the most despicable mistake with respect to this latest "marriage defense" campaign.
This campaign is, actually, just the newest incarnation of the Orwellian message that it is not gay people who are hated, it is gay people who are the haters. You know, just because Average Christian doesn't hate and fear the homosexuals enough as it is. In fact, if you do a quick "Above the Hate" Google Blog search, you'll quickly discover that conservative Christians and other "marriage defenders" throughout the blogosphere have nicely incorporated this myth into their broader Christian Persecution Complex perspective on life.
For instance, Michelle Malkin has been getting down with her bad self via her own "Anti-Prop 8 Mob Watch." Overstating her case, she accuses the peaceful grassroots Join the Impact organization of being "the same-sex marriage mob" and refers to the rest of us Wild N' Crazy equal rights advocates of having "insane rage." Continuing the theme, Pam's House Blend has reported that a "religious freedom" organization is set to run an ad in The New York Times blaming gays for a "Campaign of Violence" against religion in the wake of Prop 8.
Hoo boy.
To put it simply, these people are being so very dramatic about all this that I'm starting to wonder if they live secret lives as thespians. I mean really. Most conservatives, who have almost every societal privilege going for them, wouldn't know "powerful, and well-funded" intolerance if it jumped out of their pop-up Bible books and pinched their cherubic cheeks. I can't speak for all gay people, but I think it's pretty obvious that the same-sex marriage "mob" is not targeting Mormons because we hate their religion or because we hate Mormons. 45% of all donations to the ProtectMarriage movement were donated by Mormons precisely because the Mormon leadership urged its flock to support the cause. And thus, the Mormon church is being criticized because it was instrumental in the passage of Proposition 8, a proposition that has hurt many of us deeply. It really is that simple. Besides, for me personally, when it comes to bigoted religious folks, I love the bigot. It's the bigotry that I hate.
Now that that's all clear, click on over to Fannie's Room for a dissection of the National Organization for Marriage's propaganda.
* Large organized protests designed to disrupt places of worship;
* Public calls to investigate and “dig up dirt” on Americans of a particular faith who donated to a political cause;
* An outrageous television ad campaign crudely and deliberately designed to incite fear and hatred of a minority religious community.
Now, if in fact there were an actual large, orchestrated, well-funded, powerful, and/or coordinated campaign of "hate and intimidation" being "waged" against any group, even a bigoted religious one, I would oppose it. There are civil ways of dealing with disagreements, after all. Since virtually every "marriage defender" has shouted it from the rooftops at every chance they've gotten, we all know that some LGBT rights advocates have committed some less-than-honorable actions in the wake of Proposition 8's passing. I, like most people, condemn illegal and/or violent activities. At the same time, though, "marriage defenders" need to be really clear about what they're saying, not saying, and implying. For, by their omissions, certain histrionic "marriage defenders" imply that our entire "powerful, well-funded" LGBT rights movement is violent, bigoted, and hateful.
Unfortunately, the Above the Hate campaign indicts the entire LGBT community. Notably, nowhere does the National Organization for Marriage make it clear that these behaviors are discrete actions of individuals and are not representative of most LGBT persons and gay rights advocates. Instead, the National Organization for Marriage lumps all LGBT rights activists into one group of sinister "powerful, well-funded political forces" and makes no distinction between those who are hateful and those who are not. This omission is silent but deadly. For, in this silence, those who have no interaction with the many upstanding members of the LGBT community deduce that LGBT people and our allies are nothing but hateful religious bigots. That, without a doubt, is the most despicable mistake with respect to this latest "marriage defense" campaign.
This campaign is, actually, just the newest incarnation of the Orwellian message that it is not gay people who are hated, it is gay people who are the haters. You know, just because Average Christian doesn't hate and fear the homosexuals enough as it is. In fact, if you do a quick "Above the Hate" Google Blog search, you'll quickly discover that conservative Christians and other "marriage defenders" throughout the blogosphere have nicely incorporated this myth into their broader Christian Persecution Complex perspective on life.
For instance, Michelle Malkin has been getting down with her bad self via her own "Anti-Prop 8 Mob Watch." Overstating her case, she accuses the peaceful grassroots Join the Impact organization of being "the same-sex marriage mob" and refers to the rest of us Wild N' Crazy equal rights advocates of having "insane rage." Continuing the theme, Pam's House Blend has reported that a "religious freedom" organization is set to run an ad in The New York Times blaming gays for a "Campaign of Violence" against religion in the wake of Prop 8.
Hoo boy.
To put it simply, these people are being so very dramatic about all this that I'm starting to wonder if they live secret lives as thespians. I mean really. Most conservatives, who have almost every societal privilege going for them, wouldn't know "powerful, and well-funded" intolerance if it jumped out of their pop-up Bible books and pinched their cherubic cheeks. I can't speak for all gay people, but I think it's pretty obvious that the same-sex marriage "mob" is not targeting Mormons because we hate their religion or because we hate Mormons. 45% of all donations to the ProtectMarriage movement were donated by Mormons precisely because the Mormon leadership urged its flock to support the cause. And thus, the Mormon church is being criticized because it was instrumental in the passage of Proposition 8, a proposition that has hurt many of us deeply. It really is that simple. Besides, for me personally, when it comes to bigoted religious folks, I love the bigot. It's the bigotry that I hate.
Now that that's all clear, click on over to Fannie's Room for a dissection of the National Organization for Marriage's propaganda.
Rachel Maddow reports on the Public Policy Institute of California’s new poll on Prop. 8 that found religious and political affiliation and socioeconomic status were c Policy Institute of California’s new poll on Prop. 8 that found religious and political affiliation and socioeconomic status were more influential than age and race in voters’ decisions. Â http://www.theinterface.org/media_player.php?v=MSNBC_Maddow_PPICPollProp8_120408.mov
 Click below for a news clip of the effects of the passage on Prop 8 on the Mormon Church. http:/.youtube.com/watch?v=RoRPKhQa6g0&eurl=http://www.omgblog.com/&feature=player_embedded
Celebrity filled interpretation of proposition 8. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/03/prop-8—the-musical-jack_n_147997.html
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