Burn.

I'm gay and happy to be gay and I want to be treated with respect and have the same rights as any other citizen. Yes, I'm appalled by the anti-gay legislation that passed on Election Day. Yes, I'm angry at the people and organizations trying to deny me my basic rights. Yes, I want to see positive change in my lifetime.

What I don't like is a lot of the rhetoric coming from the lgbt community. I don't like the blame game and the finger pointing: "Blame the Blacks!" Blame the Mexicans!" "Blame the Mormons!" And, I really dislike the ongoing blacklisting and witchhunting. The names of people who contributed to the Yes On Prop 8 campaign are being published and the lgbt community is going after those people and hounding them. A restaurant manager. A theatre manager. Average citizens being threatened with the loss of their jobs and their businesses, which they don't own, facing boycotts because these people contributed money to a political campaign, despite the fact that the businesses themselves might be pro gay rights and employ lgbt employees. It doesn't make much sense and it's very frightening and I'm afraid that if it keeps up, someone is going to end up dead, either a victim of violence or by their own hands. Is that what we really want? And while I may not LIKE these people, and to be accurate, actively dislike them for supporting legislation that persecutes me, I don't wish them dead, or homeless, or unemployed. Blacklists and witchhunts, regardless of the reasons why they are being done, or the perceived justification that it's for a good and just cause, are just bullshit. For me, it's the equivalent of saying it's ok to use a machine gun to massacre a Mormon Sunday school class because the ends justify the means and gosh darn it, they deserve it because they are oppressing me! And, I don't think it noble and just to use a tool most famously used by the McCarthyites to wipe out THEIR perceived enemies and promote their own agenda with the justification that's it's ok because we're "The Good Guys" and they're "The Bad Guys". Just because our side IS the good and just side doesn't make it morally right to destoy other people's lives because they oppose us, in order to reach our objective. "The Bad Guys" thought they were right when they went after Alger Hiss or the Hollywood 10. (And, if people were supporting denying us our jobs, or evicting us, or putting us in a prison camp, then that's another kettle of fish. The right to get married is of the greatest importance, but, for me, it's not the same as the right to be employed or to have a home, or to be allowed to live...)

I don't have any problem with people expressing their disapproval at other peoples actions; if you don't like the fact that Suzi the Waitress gave money to a cause that oppresses you, then don't sit in Suzi's section at her restaurant, or, better yet, open up a dialogue with her and find out WHY she acted the way she did...maybe she'll change her mind, but, if she doesn't, that's her own fucking business. She can give money to whoever she wants and support whatever cause she likes because that's her right, the same as it's your right to support whatever cause you might choose to support. It's freedom, stupid.

Yes, I hate the Mormon church and yes, I like seeing them sweat a little, and I do think their generous financial support certainly helped Prop 8 win and no, I don't think non-profit churches have any fucking business getting involved in politics and spending their non-taxed money on government issues and political causes. If they want to pull that shit, then they can pay taxes. But, I also have to point out a couple things: the No on Prop 8 people ran a bad, lameass campaign. It wasn't well organized or well-funded and the commercials were for the most part, terrible and ineffective if not detrimental to the cause. Nobody wants to admit that the ball was dropped when it came to the campaign, but then it's not fun to point fingers at yourself...

Secondly, where were the fags and dykes BEFORE the election? There's shitloads of outrage NOW, after the fact, with tons of demonstrations and protests and rallies but hardly a peep BEFORE the election. Maybe a big, loud, peaceful march of a few hundred thousand fags and their supporters in every major city in California might have got the point across to the rest of California that our voices are many and strong and united and it was time for THEM to take notice of our presence in their lives and respect us with dignity and equality. And it wouldn't hurt to let the Sweaty Masses know that unless they wanted to live in a world without cute hairdos, tastefully designed clothes, vibrantly decorated homes and wittily written/directed/designed/produced/acted entertainment diversions, they'd better pony up and Do The Right Thing...

All the protests going on now, seem like they are a week late and a few million dollars short...It's great that we are making our voices heard, but we needed a bit of this hoopla a month ago.