"I'm as mad as Hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”
– Howard Beale (played by Peter Finch) from the 1976 film Network
"Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And
change has its enemies." – Robert Kennedy
There are times when I become resentful of the Internet in general
and social media in particular. So much information is at our fingertips and it
comes across our desktops at lightning speed. Most of it is good information
and, at least for me, generally serves as a call to action.
The “opportunity” for the activist blogger is sorting through it
all and fact checking for accuracy. It can become “information overload” on
steroids, especially when trying to balance personal life and the proverbial
“day job” simultaneously. Periodic episodes of writer's block don't help much, either.
If you’ve read my blog before you know I always start out with a
quote and you may find it curious why I chose two, and specifically these two,
for this edition.
The first one expresses my feelings at the moment, and the second, a timeless quote from Robert Kennedy, recently made its way across my desk.
Both quotes felt appropriate, as the last several weeks have certainly seen
both progress and change in the United States. We’ve also seen our fair share
of enemies of progress and change rearing their ugly and hateful heads.
On May 14th Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota signed marriage equality into law in that state. Then on May 18th President Francois Hollande of France signed marriage equality into law in that country. And by now everyone is aware that the Boy Scouts of America made a controversial decision – the right decision – to admit openly gay members into their ranks.
Of course the Boy Scouts’ decision – voted in through the democratic
process, in true American fashion – resulted in backlash from the far right,
including religious organizations expelling scout troops from their premises
and a spokesman for the ironically named “American Family Association” – a
known hate group – giving the Boy Scouts a new name (which I don’t care to
repeat here or ever hear again, for that matter).
Last Friday a marriage equality bill failed to come up for a vote in the state house in Illinois, although the state senate has already approved it and the governor has promised to sign it once it clears the state house of representatives. So marriage equality in that state is now on hold until the fall.
During the course of the last several weeks I also ran across at least a dozen sad and tragic stories about LGBT youth including that of a young lesbian, sick and tired of being bullied, who threw herself into the path of an oncoming subway train, presumably to get it over and done with, and a young gay man who attempted suicide in front of his class by shooting himself.
Once again I was reminded of some of my own experiences being bullied and thanking whatever God is out there that I never went that route myself.
But what really set me off last week, making me “as mad as hell”,
was a post from an 11 year old from Tennessee that reminded me about that
state’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill that I’d all but forgotten about. Here’s
the link to his story:
And here’s a link with more information about Rep. Ragan, referenced in the above article:
Sounds like a delightful fellow, doesn't he?
I did further research and ran across another name, Tennessee state
senator Stacey Campfield, sponsor
of a “new and improved” Senate version of the bill, now called “The Classroom
Protection Act.”
The entire bill is available to read online:
It seems that Sen. Campfield has a blog as well. He calls himself “Just
an average guy....With a real cool job.” Yikes.
Here are a couple of his more “intelligent” blog posts that went
up during his recent visit to Azerbaijan (a trip which I’m still not sure a
state level politician had any business being on, but that’s another story):
“Lets see, now even pro homosexual scientists are saying its
not genetic, that its more likely a learned trait and people are changing away
from homosexuality and bisexuality as they grow up and shifting to monogamous
heterosexuality. In fact they say there are more former homosexuals and
bisexuals than there are current homosexuals and bisexuals.”
“What do Muslims, who aren't supposed to eat from sun rise to sun
set during Ramadan, do in Alaska?”
His bad punctuation aside, is this really someone who needs to be
in a position of power? Yikes again.
With as many as 40% of homeless youth identified as LGBT by a 2012
Williams Institute study, what’s particularly disturbing about this bill is the
clause that requires teachers and counselors to “out” LGBT (and even
potentially LGBT) students to their parents.
Additionally disconcerting from this study was how evident it was
that family rejection contributed to this disproportionate number of homeless
LGBT youth:
If the “Don’t Say Gay” bill actually passes there goes what was
once a safe haven for youth – after all, you’re supposed to be able to discuss
things in confidence with a school counselor, at least the way I remember it.
Recently George Takei posted the following on his Facebook page:
“Many on this page have commented that they are "sick"
of people talking about gay issues, or simply "don't care" if someone
is gay and would rather they would keep it to themselves. I find this
disheartening.
There may come a day when we need not come out of the closet, and need not remind others of the terrible violence, inequity, and ostracism that LGBT people face daily simply because of who we are and who we love. But that day is not here, and more importantly will never get here, unless people continue to step forward and offer themselves as examples, often at great personal cost. I am called "faggot," "degenerate," "queer" and "homo" by misguided people every day of my life, even on my own page, but this does not discourage me. It only reminds me of how far we have to go.
Once upon a time I was called a "Jap" and put into a prison for four years with my entire family, for no reason other than who we were and who we looked like. It is my life's mission to fight against the dark forces of fear and intolerance that could ever lead again to such an injustice.
Thank you for taking the time to listen. The next time you feel fatigue from hearing about LGBT issues, ask yourself this: Do we live yet in the kind of society where violence, hate and prejudice is not an issue? Until we do, be part of the solution, and stand always for justice and equality for all people.”
Well said, as usual, George.
Although I do consider myself a person of faith, I feel that
religious beliefs and practices are an intensely personal and private matter
determined by each individual and I’ve always believed in separation of church
and state.
The United States of America is a secular nation where people are
free to worship as they please, or not worship at all if they so choose. And
any time any government tries to legislate morality nothing good can come of it.
Soon the US Supreme Court will announce their decisions on both
California’s Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Depending
on the outcome, these decisions could potentially invalidate all of the current
discriminatory amendments in the various state constitutions, and all of which,
at least the way I read it, are in blatant and direct violation of the Equal
Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
“States Rights” aside, I’m pretty sure that the Equal Protection
Clause trumps state sanctioned discrimination.
No one should have to put up with being bullied, and no one should
be “outed” to their parents for what their sexual orientation might or might
not be.
I’m one of the lucky ones. I shudder to think what might have
happened to me had I been born into one particular branch of my own family that
lives not too far from Marcel Neergaard – would I have become homeless? Would I
be dead?
As I said, I’m one of the lucky one. My parents eventually
accepted me for who I am and for that I am grateful.
I urge you to sign Marcel’s petition, found on this link:
I know one thing for sure. I am sick and tired of being a second
class citizen in the country of my birth, a country that most consider the land
of opportunity, the land of the free, a land that I am glad to be associated
with and proud to be a citizen of – most of the time.
I am hopeful I won’t have to be a second class citizen for much
longer.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned, as official launch of “The Personal Stories Project” is getting closer every day.
And if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m baaaaaack!
