Homophobia seems to be sweeping the nation
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By Josh Aterovis
Homophobia seems to be sweeping the nation like a plague of Biblical
proportions--an apt analogy since the basis for most of the antigay
sentiments is the Bible. The outbreak has been building for years now.
I think it all started when Bush took office in 2000 and it's gotten
steadily worse ever since. The latest wave of "moral values" that
ensured four more years of fundamentalist conservatism brought the
threat level to epidemic proportions. Don't believe me? Just check out
the latest news. Antigay sentiments abound.
On Wednesday, December 1, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm announced
that the state would be removing domestic-partner benefits from
contracts negotiated with state workers, citing a voter-approved
amendment to the state constitution that bans same-sex marriage "and
similar unions." Michigan voters approved the amendment November 2.
Alabama state representative Gerald Allen recently proposed a law that
would ban all books in public libraries and schools with any gay
content, no matter how small. The proposed law would prohibit all books
with gay characters and any school textbooks that suggest homosexuality
is normal. In the past, Allen was an outspoken advocate for the ban on
same-sex marriage. He suggests destroying the books that contain
positive gay material. This would include works by authors such as
Herman Melville, Tennessee Williams, Willa Cather, Carson McCullers,
John Cheever, Alice Walker, James Baldwin, Truman Capote, and Gore
Vidal, to name just a few.
In Webb City, Missouri, Brad Mathewson, a 16-year-old openly gay high
school student, was sent home for wearing a T-shirt bearing the
insignia of the gay/straight alliance from his old school. In support
of their friend, a group of fellow students made homemade T-shirts
reading "If this shirt offends you, look the other way." The back,
among other messages, stated, "We have the right to be who we want to
be" and "We support gay rights." Other students donned shirts with
messages such as "I'm gay and I'm proud" and "I have a gay friend and
I'm proud of him." The group was given the choice of either changing
their shirts or going home. Seven chose to go home.
A Methodist minister was defrocked on Friday, December 3, after being
convicted of violating church laws against actively gay clergy. It is
the first such decision in over 17 years. The Reverend Irene Elizabeth
Stroud, 34, an associate pastor at Philadelphia's First United
Methodist Church of Germantown, set the case in motion last year when
she announced to her bishop and congregation that she was living in a
committed relationship with her partner, Chris Paige.
CBS and NBC rejected an ad from the United Church of Christ. The
30-second ad highlights the Cleveland-based UCC's welcoming stance
toward gays and anyone else who might feel shunned elsewhere. The ad
shows a muscular bouncer working a rope line outside a handsome but
nameless church, deciding who is eligible to enter and worship. "No,
step aside, please," he says to two men holding hands. Across the
screen comes the message, "Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do
we." The final scene shows a woman with her arm around another woman.
The networks said the ad was too controversial to broadcast because it
implied exclusion of gay and lesbian couples by other groups. ABC
Family, AMC, BET, Discovery, and TBS, among others, accepted the ad the
UCC said.
ABC's 20/20 recently aired a deeply flawed segment about the murder of
Matthew Shepard. The news magazine claimed to have found previously
unexamined layers in the story. Instead, they presented rumors and
unproven claims by the murderers who now assert the killing had nothing
to do with Matthew's sexuality--contrary to their court testimony. In a
shameful bid for ratings during November sweeps, the network gave up
journalistic integrity in order to play off the nation's homophobic
mania.
These are only just a few highlights of the stories that have surfaced
in the last week. Taken as a whole, they paint a stunningly depressing
picture of the state of the US. If anyone had any hope that things
might possibly improve during Bush's second term, it's not looking
good. If anything, we seem to be slipping back into a hysterical state
of McCarthyism--book burnings, open discrimination, and panicked
finger-pointing.
It's not all bad news though. The chances of Allen's proposed book ban
passing are extremely slim. In the Webb City, Missouri case, the ACLU
has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mathewson. Rev. Stroud has said that
while she is disappointed, she never expected to win the case, and
hopes to use it as a learning opportunity. Her supportive congregation
has said it wants her to remain with them, serving in many of the same
positions she did as assistant pastor, but now as a lay minister.
How do we counteract the rising tide of homophobia? Since the elections
many people have written me asking that question. They all want to
know: What do we do now? The answer? The same things you were doing
before, only take it up a notch.
Come out. Coming out is by far the most important thing anyone can do
in the fight against homophobia. Someone recently sent me a humorously
toned email that listed things to do before the inauguration in
January. Some of the suggestions included drink a glass of clean water,
photograph an endangered animal, visit Florida before the polar ice
caps melt, and come out--then go back! All I could think was, "No,
you've got it all wrong. Yes, by all means come out, but then stay
out!" That's the only way we can ever hope to turn the tide of
ignorance and religious zealotry. People need to see that gay people
are not the horrible monsters the right wing is painting us to be, that
we are in fact capable of committed meaningful relationships, and that
we are a valuable part of our society. The only way they will see that
is if we are out there lives open, honest lives.
Speak out. It's just not enough anymore to come out then fade into the
shadows while hoping everyone will forget. Like the kids at Webb City
High School, you have to stand up for what you believe. If you see
injustice, don't look the other way. Point it out. Make a scene. Make
it harder for people to get away with bigotry and discrimination.
Write your Reps. Keep your government representatives on their toes.
Never fail to remind them that you are their constituents too (not just
the religious fundamentalists). If they promised to work gay rights,
hold them accountable. If they are anti-gay, flood them with
intelligent, logical reasoning opposing their bigoted views. There are
some great online sites that help you stay abreast of issues important
to you, and give you tools to make writing your officials even easier.
Sites like HRC.org, NGLTF.org, ALCU.org, and TrueMajority.com just to
name a few.
Donate. If you can afford it, make monetary donations to groups
fighting for gay rights. Lambda Legal, HRC, and the ACLU, as well as
many other national, state, and local groups, are out there fighting
for equality on a daily basis. They need capital to make it happen. The
Far-Right is extremely well-funded and we need to be as well. Every
little bit helps. If you just can't afford a monetary donation, contact
these groups about volunteering your time. Volunteers free up more
money to go to programs.
Educate. After coming out, this one may be the most important of all.
While you're living your life openly and honestly, be sure to take the
time to educate those around you. If you hear someone say something
that you know is incorrect, like maybe that old chestnut that gay
marriage is a threat to heterosexual marriage, gently correct them with
the facts. That means you have to educate yourself first. Even if you
don't change that person's mind right then and there, you may have
planted a valuable seed that will take root and grow. And who knows who
might overhear your conversation and have their mind changed.
These are just a few examples of what you can do to combat this
terrible disease that is spreading like wildfire across the US.
Fortunately, while stupidity is untreatable, and bigots aren't likely
to seek or accept a cure, ignorance is curable. And you hold the
antidote.
© Josh Aterovis, All Rights Reserved
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Josh Aterovis is the author of the Killian Kendall Mystery Series as
well as numerous columns and articles. He can be reached at
Ater...@comcast.net or http://www.steliko.com/bleedinghearts