Thursday, November 13, 2008

Don't be a h8er

Veteran gay journalist Rex Wockner says the weeklong protests following the vote to gay-marriage ban in California is "probably the most interesting thing I've seen on my beat as a gay-movement reporter since ACT UP." He wonders aloud if the massive protests planned this Saturday could become "Stonewall 2.0."

Why not? Gay Americans were second-class citizens in 1969 but now it's been written into state constitutions.  Act up?  It's time.  Here's the warm-up act from New York last night: 

The Mormon church is upset at being "targeted" for protest (consider it a 'gift-with-purchase' after the $22 million you spent!) but it's working -- many disgusted Mormons are now leaving their church over its bigotry:

 
Meanwhile, however, there's joy in Connecticut and it's great to see how the California decision has everyone speaking up, like actor George Clooney, sex advice columnist Dan Savage and 'Planet Unicorn' (heyyyyy!) creator Mike Rose -- or should I say, Krayon Brooks:
 


My hero.  Kind of like Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, who's producing a TV series for Showtime (home of 'Dexter' and 'The L Word') based on Perry Moore's novel "Hero," about a gay teenager with super powers. Ignore the cheerleader, save the world!

Such a series would be a nice antidote to all this ugly politicking and, ewww, the return of Mark Foley and the discovery of yet another foot in BC (SevenSeriously?), an antidote like this sappy-but-welcome video for "Better," the new single from the Irish group Boyzone. For the first time ever, gay member Stephen Gately gets a male love interest alongside the boys and their ladies. It's a controversial choice: will including a gay couple destroy the sanctity of boyband videos?

 


Comments

Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:23 AM

You and Rex are forgetting that Stonewall was a violent reaction to a violent assault by police. What ensued was a protest (I was there) and a riot which lasted many hours met by very strong violent police force.

The largest banner in a NYC Prop 8 protest last evening was "God Loves Gay MArriage." as an old New York veteran radical gay libber deadpanned in an email this AM, "39 years after Stonewall the Gay imagination has been murdered."

Bringing God into it is falling into the Christian right psoition (to say nothing of the official Catholic and Mormon positions not to speak of other religious homophobic doctrines offfered by many organized religions).

It is about human rights and discrimination as the courts have ruled in Canada many times (legaalising gay marriage nationally four years ago) and in Massachusetts, California and now in the Connecticut Supreme courts.

So while public opinion in the US may be lagging behind, the courts have consistently ruled in favour of civil gay marriage as a human right. Period. No reason to bring "god" into it and further muddy the waters .

Non-violent, creative and loud protest marches are good to raise consciousness and to relieve the feelings of hurt and helplessness many now feel after Prop 8's narrow passage, , but the real battle is in the courts. And in that forum we have been winning!

(Public opinion will come around too as soon as people see through the many lies--some homphobic and hate=mongering--spread by the religious right and many mainstream churches and their "GOD".)

cheers..james dubro


james r dubro ca


Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:37 AM

You and Rex are forgetting that Stonewall was a violent reaction to a violent assault by police. What ensued was a protest (I was there) and a riot which lasted many hours met by very strong more violent police force.

The largest banner in a NYC Prop 8 protest last evening was "God Loves Gay MArriage." as an old New York veteran radical gay libber deadpanned in an email this AM, "39 years after Stonewall the Gay imagination has been murdered."

Bringing God into it is falling into the Christian right psoition (to say nothing of the official Catholic and Mormon positions not to speak of other religious homophobic doctrines offfered by many organized religions).

It is about human rights and discrimination as the courts have ruled in Canada many times (legaalising gay marriage nationally four years ago) and in Massachusetts, California and now in the Connecticut Supreme courts.

So while public opinion in the US may be lagging behind, the courts have consistently ruled in favour of civil gay marriage as a human right. Period. No reason to bring "god" into it and further muddy the waters .

Non-violent, creative and loud protest marches are good to raise consciousness and to relieve the feelings of hurt and helplessness many now feel after Prop 8's narrow passage, , but the real battle is in the courts. And in that forum we have been winning!

(Public opinion will come around too as soon as people see through the many lies--some homphobic and hate=mongering--spread by the religious right and many mainstream churches and their "GOD".)

cheers..james dubro

james r dubro ca



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