(no subject)
There are two particular cop-outs that bug me. "People's rights" and "lifestyles".
"People's rights":
When you say, "I support people's rights" in response to a question about gay rights, you're dodging the question. You're dodging the question while still trying to maintain a piece of the high ground and appear open-minded.
Gay rights are about people's rights and they're about equal rights. If you support equal rights for all people, you support equal rights for gay people. But if you can't say, "I support gay rights," then you probably don't actually support equal rights. Because you'd just say it and avoid the cop-out.
So if you support all people's rights, why can't you say you support gay rights?
But right now, gay people do not have equal rights. They cannot marry (which comes along with it a slew of other included rights). In many states they cannot adopt children. They cannot serve in the military.
They get a lot of non-governmental discrimination, too, but I, oddly, support the right of other people to be bigots (as long as they understand that I'm going to call them out on their bigotry). But governmental discrimination I cannot abide because that is done in MY name.
"Lifestyles":
"Lifestyle" is one of those words that Christian Fundamentalists have co-opted to serve their agenda. It is used to bring to mind a choice on sexuality and when a Christian Fundamentalist is talking about a choice, they mean the right choice and the wrong choice. In the Fundamentalist world, there is a narrow path of "righteousness" and any deviation from that path is an assault on those who walk the path.
It's ridiculous.
We humans are embodied people. We are not brains in a vat. The human animal responds to pheromones on an unconscious level. Nobody here picks who they are attracted to; you're just attracted to them. It's physiological and subconscious. The embodied brain responds the way it does.
You don't choose your sexuality. Not consciously. It is chosen for you, and probably before you are born.
And when you say, "I support the rights of everyone to live whatever lifestyle they so choose, and my own right to disagree with them if I so choose. I am proud to live in and serve a country that allows all it's citizens this right," you're using this bastardized, mis-informed version of lifestyle.
In America, we do not allow gay people the majority lifestyle choice that we allow to straight people: marriage, family, house, dog and/or cat. That's a lifestyle and we don't let them have it because we have bigots that are afraid.
Why support gay rights?
So here's the thing. There a million things wrong in this world, maybe even a million and four. I don't expect everyone to champion this issue. Heck, I barely champion this issue. I support it, even if only a little bit.
And I certainly know that everyone who does not re-post the "Gay Rights" entry isn't a bigot or a villain. A lot of people don't have time, think it's silly, didn't read it, et cetera. I have only taken issue with people who commented on it, but they gave cop-out answers that bely non-support. If you don't want to support gay rights, don't. But don't try to pretend you do.
I think we need to show more support for gay rights and gay rights specifically. As above, gay rights ARE human rights. But two, every persecuted group we have in America-every group that wasn't as free as the majority-earned their equal rights. They didn't earn them by playing along but by standing up and demanding they be heard. For me, that's what America is about.
And when some deserving group stands up to earn their equal rights, I want to support them. They have captured in their hearts what America has in its heart: the eternal struggle liberty and justice.
(And the idea that these rights will cause red tape is laughable to me. It's a couple of simple changes. The immobilization of rights is coming from other sources-usually the other side-not always.)
"People's rights":
When you say, "I support people's rights" in response to a question about gay rights, you're dodging the question. You're dodging the question while still trying to maintain a piece of the high ground and appear open-minded.
Gay rights are about people's rights and they're about equal rights. If you support equal rights for all people, you support equal rights for gay people. But if you can't say, "I support gay rights," then you probably don't actually support equal rights. Because you'd just say it and avoid the cop-out.
So if you support all people's rights, why can't you say you support gay rights?
But right now, gay people do not have equal rights. They cannot marry (which comes along with it a slew of other included rights). In many states they cannot adopt children. They cannot serve in the military.
They get a lot of non-governmental discrimination, too, but I, oddly, support the right of other people to be bigots (as long as they understand that I'm going to call them out on their bigotry). But governmental discrimination I cannot abide because that is done in MY name.
"Lifestyles":
"Lifestyle" is one of those words that Christian Fundamentalists have co-opted to serve their agenda. It is used to bring to mind a choice on sexuality and when a Christian Fundamentalist is talking about a choice, they mean the right choice and the wrong choice. In the Fundamentalist world, there is a narrow path of "righteousness" and any deviation from that path is an assault on those who walk the path.
It's ridiculous.
We humans are embodied people. We are not brains in a vat. The human animal responds to pheromones on an unconscious level. Nobody here picks who they are attracted to; you're just attracted to them. It's physiological and subconscious. The embodied brain responds the way it does.
You don't choose your sexuality. Not consciously. It is chosen for you, and probably before you are born.
And when you say, "I support the rights of everyone to live whatever lifestyle they so choose, and my own right to disagree with them if I so choose. I am proud to live in and serve a country that allows all it's citizens this right," you're using this bastardized, mis-informed version of lifestyle.
In America, we do not allow gay people the majority lifestyle choice that we allow to straight people: marriage, family, house, dog and/or cat. That's a lifestyle and we don't let them have it because we have bigots that are afraid.
Why support gay rights?
So here's the thing. There a million things wrong in this world, maybe even a million and four. I don't expect everyone to champion this issue. Heck, I barely champion this issue. I support it, even if only a little bit.
And I certainly know that everyone who does not re-post the "Gay Rights" entry isn't a bigot or a villain. A lot of people don't have time, think it's silly, didn't read it, et cetera. I have only taken issue with people who commented on it, but they gave cop-out answers that bely non-support. If you don't want to support gay rights, don't. But don't try to pretend you do.
I think we need to show more support for gay rights and gay rights specifically. As above, gay rights ARE human rights. But two, every persecuted group we have in America-every group that wasn't as free as the majority-earned their equal rights. They didn't earn them by playing along but by standing up and demanding they be heard. For me, that's what America is about.
And when some deserving group stands up to earn their equal rights, I want to support them. They have captured in their hearts what America has in its heart: the eternal struggle liberty and justice.
(And the idea that these rights will cause red tape is laughable to me. It's a couple of simple changes. The immobilization of rights is coming from other sources-usually the other side-not always.)