I picked this up from the outstanding blog "Pam's House Blend"
One of the contributors, "Radical Russ," takes exception to the phrase "No special rights for homosexuals." You know, the whole thought process that equal rights for GLBT people are actually some kind of special bonus.
Anyway, Russ had a conversation with himself where he systematically debunked that entire concept, pointing out many similarities between two GLBT people running a business (so far there aren't any restrictions to that) and "merging" into a legal marriage, which of course can't happen over most of the world. It's well done and worth checking out.
There are numerous comments already posted there. My favorite was "You will never change what they (oppoents to GLBT equality) believe. Ever. You can however, change how much their beliefs should effect everyone else."
That sounds like a very pramatic yet worthwhile goal to strive for.
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"You will never change what they (oppoents to GLBT equality) believe. Ever. You can however, change how much their beliefs should effect everyone else."
ReplyDeleteIt's long been known by social psychology that change of attitude doesn't cause change of behavior but that change of behavior changes attitudes over time. For example, people didn't change their attitudes toward segregation until integration was forced on them and then, over time, almost everyone has come to view integration as normal and segregation as abnormal.
Similarly, it's only when by force of law that LGBT people acquire full civil rights and civil liberties that people's attitudes toward them and their relationships, including same-sex marriage, will change so that it will be inconceivable to most people in subsequent generations how people could have been so stupid and hateful to have denied LGBT people basic civil rights, and done so largely in the name of "religion" at that.
We can only mitigate homophobic rhetoric's impact on society by confronting the perpetrators of that rhetoric, be they clergy or politician. by loudly and vociferously proclaiming that we will not stand for that rhetoric, and the behavior that that rhetoric generates. This confrontation must be facilitated by such tactics as systematic boycotts of businesses that discriminate; actively lobbying to oust homophobic politicians from office; writing articles and speaking in a variety of venues and forums condemning anti-gay bias, and educate people about the realities of gay life and gay families; support gay-friendly politicians; etc.
All of us, particularly those of us who are people of faith, must speak out in all forums available to us to stop this madness; stop the perversion of Christianity perpetrated by the rhetoric of the hate-mongering clergy and their followers.
just a note to post the permalink to Russ's "Imaginary Conversation on Gay Marriage" blog entry at Pam's House Blend
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