Protect your family from the real enemy: bigotry

[t0dd]

This article cleverly depicts the absurdity of anti-gay marriage efforts. Definitely check it out :-)

http://www.kansascity.com/273/story/1072165.html

MIDWEST VOICES
Protect your family from the real enemy: bigotry
By TINA MORRISON

At last month’s Academy Awards, Dustin Lance Black won the original screenplay Oscar for the movie “Milk.” In his acceptance speech, he said Harvey Milk gave him hope that he “could even fall in love and one day get married.” That’s a dream that many people share. The catch is that Black is gay. And if conservatives have their way, his dream will never be realized.

Why? I truly do not understand. So I went on a quest to find out.

Apparently, marriage desperately needs protection. I’m not exactly clear whom or what we are protecting marriage from with discriminating laws such as California’s Proposition 8, but we must protect it at all costs. Even if the cost is inequality.

A YouTube video, “Proposition 8 Made Simple,” has cute little drawings and a singsong narrative. It tells the story of Jan and Tom, who live with their two children and a dog, and drive a minivan. Tom mows the lawn and Jan enjoys cooking.

They live next door to Dan and Michael, a same-sex couple. The narrator assures us that Jan and Tom like Dan and Michael very much — the fellas watch their pooch while they vacation, and Jan brings soup to Dan when he is sick.

When Tom hears about Proposition 8, amending the state constitution to bar same-sex marriage, he decides to research it on the Internet. Jan gets on the phone with her sister, Nancy, in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage is legal.

Nancy tells Jan about the local teacher who read the children’s book King and King to her second-grade class. Filled with colorful drawings, it is the story of a young prince who falls in love with and marries a man — kind of like Cinderella and Prince Charming, except Cinderella wears pants instead of a ball gown.

Back on the computer, Tom has discovered that same-sex couples are allowed to adopt children in Massachusetts. Now Tom and Jan understand that if Proposition 8 were to fail, it would have “consequences that would affect not only their children but also their community.” What, exactly, are those consequences?

Tom and Jan decide to vote “yes” on Proposition 8. But they still like Dan and Michael. The video ends with all of them having a barbecue together.

Let me get this straight: Gays cannot marry, should not adopt children, and under no circumstances should ever be the main characters in a fairy tale. But having them over for burgers with the kids is just fine. Do Tom and Jan really think it will make a difference to their kids if this couple has a marriage license? And, were Dan and Michael to possess this legal document, how would that threaten Tom and Jan’s family?

The only message I learned from this condescending video is that people can mask their bigotry and deny their neighbors equal rights while shooting the breeze over a Weber charcoal grill.

...

[msongs]

1. another question is why the gay dudes would socialize with tom and jan nt

[Siyahamba]

5. Log Cabin Republicans nt

[Mike 03]

2. Kick and Rec. And I take back all the nasty things I have said and thought about

Kansas City. Good editorial. Gives me some hope.

[bluedawg12]

3. Bigotry without the guilt is the lie here, among others.

I don't fully understand the premise of this video and what it was meant to teach and to whom.

However, it seems to try to make palatable the old hate the sin, love the sinner mantra and also plays on the more moderate of the social conservatives who like to say things like: "But some of my friends are gay...I have no problem with gay people. it's just the word 'marriage.'"

Like one could ever distance themselves from the discrimination of selective marriage laws, DOMA's and DADT.

As if these fanciful moderate people really "like" all gay people, even if they have a token neighbor, or so it seems to want us to believe.

Yes, the barbecue is the thing.

If we can barbecue together, in a video fairy tale, we are not bigots.

Except for: hospital visitation rights, discrimination in the work place, discrimination in housing, in military service, in benefits and inheritance laws.

Life is just one big barbecue, never mind aging, health issues and transferable rights and benefits that every married couple of different sex enjoy, over 1,200 of them.

Oh and in real life, Tom and Jan are as likely to get tanked and throw a brick through Dan and Michael's window or assault them, (especially that Jan, she's a mean drunk. I watch Cops! she's a regular.)

I don't know who this YouTube video tripe is being peddled to, but it stinks of an attempt to wrap out and out bigotry in a sad, ratty, little cape of tolerance "except" for those pesky civil rights.

[NMMNG]

4. Asinine, aren't they?

"Being against same-sex marriage doesn't make us anti-gay" they claim.

So does that mean if I voted to ban your religion you wouldn't classify me as anti-Christian (or anti-Mormon or whatever)? Because it seems that all you need to is disagree with them and you're "anti-Christian", so I'd think taking action to ban their religion would fall into that category. Yet they actually think we're stupid enough to believe them when they claim they're not anti-gay though they fight tooth and nail to eradicate our rights.



The only "consequences" of equal rights is they lose their privileged status in society. That's what scares the shit out of them.