Perhaps we are simply being normal people when we react with anger towards those who are in a state of "againstness" towards us, particularly when they are yelling at us. We gay people deal with it all the time.
Much of it comes from the Christian "right wing."
When they use the military vocabulary (soldiers, spiritual armor) in a spiritual sense (this is a very foreign concept to me, but I understand there is a Pauline verse that fuels this kind of thing), I get nervous.
If they are soldiers against me and my queer sisters and brothers, should I be a soldier too, a defensive soldier? What would that look like?
And the more immediate question: are the actions of people such as these worth addressing at all? You know, I find that when I don't watch Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, the right wing seems less threatening to me. I think it's because of all the attention they put on them.
If he won't disclose church attendence, that certainly means it's miniscule.
Something that just crossed my mind. How about a movement of queers with the message: "We love you"? As in, openly gay people who, as a group, feed the homeless, hold community events, help kids in need, etc. etc., who also make a point to be loving towards the folks who are so outraged by our existence. Not judging, debating, trying to change them. Just being humans with love in our hearts.
Then maybe some of them will change their minds of their own accord.
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Well, we already do all those charitable things, but it doesn't do a thing to change anyone's opinion, so far.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, the hate is manufactured by the right (both political and religious) for use as a political tool for manipulating their base. They have to have an object to hate and to create fear in order to control their followers. We're it. Most of the people doing the stirring up are self-loathing closeted gays themselves. Just look at (forgive my saying this) the pope.
There actually are expressions of religion that do not condemn or stigmatize gay people -- Reform Judaism is one of them. It is so nice to be totally and warmly accepted. None of that "Love the sinner, hate the sin" crap that makes you feel like you should be glad they let a miserable piece of crap like you in at all...
The pope may or may not be queer, indeed. Anyway, I agree with everything you say.
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