By: Grainne Rhuad
I’m pissed, again.
Yesterday I received an email warning me of the “evils” planned by the “Gay” community that were going to be affecting my children. I was warned of “Forced Promotion of the homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual agenda to children as young as kindergarten. This legislation is written so broadly that it could allow gay-pride parades on campus, cross-dressing, and homosexual marriage dramas, etc.”
That’s a direct quote folks. I know the hate-flingers couldn’t even get their spacing and font settings right… But that isn’t the scariest part. People believe this bullshit. They truly believe that we are at risk of teachers bringing out feather boas for the boys and tool belts for the girls.
What’s got Californian’s in a hissy this time?
Harvey Milk.
That’s right, 23 years after his death he is still scaring people. I heartily hope the same happens with me.
A Harvey Milk state appreciation day has been suggested in California, along the lines of a César Chavez holiday. That is to say it will probably still be a work day and only those who care to talk about it will even recognize it. I have yet to see any César Chavez celebration notes or curriculum coming home with my kids. And it’s not as if there is a crop, pick-off to celebrate it… Why are people so scared?
A few months ago I wrote about the bored church ladies and gents who were pumped up on precinct walking highs and had nothing to do. I think what we are seeing here is the fruit of my intuition, that something would have to come along to make use of all that energy. Not surprisingly it’s an unhealthy use.
While listening to the Christians and others who truly believed that marriage between a man and a woman is important and were against same sex marriage; I also heard them say time and again how much they “loved” their homosexual brethren and sisters…(make no mistake though I think this is mostly about Gay men, I don’t think a Saddleback person could pick a Lesbian sans purple out of their own congregation and they are hardly ever talked about) Anyway statements were made that this was not an attack on lifestyle but a protection of marriage. Fine.
Then what is the big deal with celebrating a man who was killed in the line of duty, so to speak?
Take away the sexual preference and Harvey Milk was/is a poster-boy American.
He was someone who crossed lines in race, community and creed to do the best for his constituents whoever they were. He would have protected Mormon’s rights to worship in Temples and Muslims’ rights to not be profiled. He was about what is right more than what is “Gay”.
Honestly I don’t see where “marriage dramas” and “cross dressing” even fit in to remembering Harvey Milk, who did neither of these things.
This fear based bullshit has to stop. I am all for celebrating a Good Man who worked to make his community safe and better, who would have gone on if not murdered to do probably a lot more. I think the youth of today could learn a huge lesson from him and giving a day to talk about how he got involved civically is only right I think.
I wish people would say what they really think…”I am afraid of Gays.” or “It scares me that I like musicals too so let’s not have a day where I might scare myself by letting the world know that I know every line of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”
If people are going to profess “Love” for their homosexual brothers and sisters it’s about time they start showing it…to date I have seen only hate and fear coming from the Right wing, anti-anything different community.
The letter I read finished up with this:
“This year, Schwarzenegger is being lobbied more heavily by homosexual activists. Sean Penn, who played Harvey Milk on the big screen, and Milk’s homosexual activist nephew, have both lobbied Schwarzenegger to ask him to sign SB 572. This year there are four more Democrats in the Assembly voting for Harvey Milk Gay Day. And for the first time Republican Senator Abel Maldonado is supporting this anti-traditional family value bill.”
This is the Bullshit icing on the Bullshit cake. This is not an anti-family value bill, this is plain and simple a bill long overdue, honoring a Man who did the best he could and better than most.
Subversify Staff
What a wonderful commentary. I couldn’t agree with you more Grainne. This over gerneralization and scapegoating merly reflects the closed mindedness of intollerant people. Many of my heros were the ones standing up for the little guy. The ones that work to right a wrong. I especially appreciate the comparison you made about Cesar Chavez. Thank you so much for bringing perspective to this divisive issue (I’m talking about the gay rights issue).
you know every word of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ???? every word ??? and all the dance moves ?? FEAR is an argument for those who have no argument to make … they are afraid of gays, blacks, latins, catholics, anyone from the east coast, anyone who doesn’t have their head firmly up their ass …. BULLSHIT cake is the new Mom’s Apple Pie. Ask those who are against the MILK Day if they would rather have a DAN WHITE Day, might as well show what their real agenda is from the start.
Two closing thoughts/questions: Did you get anything at the California garage sale (?) and can you post a performance of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, with you playing all the parts ??? Hope the foot is well.
Hey! I didn’t say I was afraid of being called out for knowing showtunes…I was referring to the lists I keep of “straight” men who break out into song at Roadshows…anyway…just for you Rich..”A Man can’t sleep when he sleeps with sheep.”-From Lovesick.. or how about “Bless your beautiful hide…whoever you may be.”
Good enough???
And Damn it, No, I was not able to get anything at the State Yard Sale…I looking forward to the next one though…they’re selling water rights!!
It was an unfortunate event when the media began to pay more attention to what goes on in the bedroom than what that person has accomplished as a statesman or representative. I once devoted nearly an entire article to a definition of the “hegalian dialectic”, the act of creating a problem where one did not previously exist to detract from real physical dilemmas. Examining people’s private lives instead of active policies is a dialectic. Is it a worst crime to be a homosexual than an embezzler or a racketeer? Does the politician who accepts bribes have more integrity than someone whose sexual activities are not quite harmonious with monogamous relationships but who effect great changes for the good of the whole?
Any solid foundation has nothing to fear. We don’t need to protect monogamous marriage. It has already been attacked from the right and the left from sexual exploitation leading to high divorce rates and reluctance to make commitments, from economics driving both parents out of the home, from alienation from our children through day care, the educational system and the liberal use of counseling, yet still some families remain monogamous. It’s up to the individual to uphold these ideals or find another that makes them happy. Force fed morality only creates rebellion. It has to come from inside, it has to be sincere, or it isn’t any good at all.
let me get this right, you don’t know the score of 7 Brides ….. I thought you were perfect, now I have to wonder ….. of course your Saturday song selections should have given me a clue …….
Well-written, Grainne! Like César Chavez, Oscar Roméro and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harvey Milk challenged people to face their fears and the dark, intolerant notions they would rather pretend they don’t secretly possess. And that threatens the bedrock of the whole Fundie McNugget™ Cult.
I applaud those who continue to fearlessly raise the tough questions, and challenge us to move beyond the reprehensible “us vs them” mentality that affects more than just the LGBT persons, but also those from so many other marginalised groups.
It’s time we took a good, long look at the good contributed to our society by those who are “not like us” and then compared it to the bloodshed, intolerance, violence and perverse effects of institutional religions — especially in the West — and then discover who the “real threat” is.
It was wonderful to run into Rich In PA here, who has yet to take a drive out to the Land-o-Amish-Boys to say hello, but is sorely missed!
Thanks to you Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda. Indeed the “us vs. them” is the thing that keeps all of us apart, even those who have genuine arguments and complaints. It would be better to take all of that out of the equation and remember what Rabbi Yeshua taught “By their fruits ye shall know them” Harvey Milk’s fruits (no pun….but kinda funny) are good ones.
I can say ‘amen’, but I run the risk of being a hypocrite on several levels.
Not only is the bill long overdue, it’s necessary to roll back the depredations on both the California and Federal constitutions by the Christian Talibanistas who followed the banner lifted in part by my favorite Fat Bastard, Rick Warren.