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06/13/2007
Look out, 'Pride Flags R Us' -- you're next!
The folks at the Family Research Council are now lashing out against two companies, Southwest Airlines and Suntrust Banks, for their decision to serve as corporate sponsors of Washington D.C.'s Capital Pride Festival. In a quote given to the the American Family Association's One News Now site, FRC's Peter Sprigg says:
"It's always shocking to me when mainstream businesses are willing to put their name and their money behind radical homosexual activities such as the Capital Pride Festival," ... "and yet we see that more and more. It makes me wonder whether they would sponsor a conservative organization, a conservative event, or a Christian event with equal ease."
Well, first off: It's not fair to compare a gay pride event to either a conservative or a Christian affair. Gay is not the oil to conservative or Christian waters! Contrary to what folks like Mr. Sprigg like to assert, gays are found within both communities. And gay pride parades are not about one particular ideological viewpoint, other than the idea that a certain sect of humans wish to exist openly in this world without fear or persecution. They are parades about people. People who spend money.
That being said, it is true that some companies might be far more reluctant to sponsor an event that is affiliated with a specific religion or political party. So that being the case, Mr. Sprigg is right that you're less likely to find major companies signing on to such soirees, be they conservative Christian Christmas jamborees, or liberal Jewish Purim parties. It is likely that such events would mainly attract companies that appeal to that particular niche, rather than national or international businesses that might be weary about aligning too closely with any one faith or political movement.
So getting back to Sprigg's main claim: It's only shocking to him that mainstream businesses sponsor such events, because he looks at gay pride parades as also part of a specific ideology, faith, or political affiliation. He doesn't view them as celebrations of humans from all walks of life celebrating the visibility, acceptance, and PRIDE of a particular group; he views them as agenda-laden vehicles of anti-Christian corruption. With such a viewpoint and such a distaste for the equality of the LGBT community, he is never going to understand why a business might view it smart practice to show that they too want a society that embraces all potential consumers!
The sad irony is that is only because of the hostility that groups like the Family Research Council hold for gay acceptance that gay pride events began in the first place. There is only a fight associated with LGBT parades because our community has actual combatants fighting to keep us marginalized. Without such opponents, these annual events wouldn't need to have any political connection whatsoever! It is their antipathy, attempts to legislate morality, or hijack God that provide the gay community with any need to dedicate a portion of their celebrations to lobbying for whatever civil right measures are on the table for that particular year. Trust us -- we'd much rather focus on the fun and revelry than any sort of fight. But when handed a fight, we, as a people, are going to stand up and be counted!
So thank you, both Suntrust and Southwest, for recognizing that we are a community of humans that both banks and flies. Thank you for deeming us worthy of your money and attention. And thank you for realizing that by supporting our events, you should not be rubbing any particular sect, party, or group the wrong way. After all, the only radical idea we really hold is that we are part of the spectrum of humanity. The only faith that binds us is our strong belief that the world is turning towards acceptance. If you are standing against those ideas, it is not merely because you are a Christian or a Republican, but rather because you are one whose definition of normalcy excludes a sizable portion of the Earth-dwelling population.
Southwest Airlines, SunTrust Banks chided for funding homosexual agenda [ONN]
**RELATED: Look at the response options One News Now gives in a poll that they are running in connection with the above story:
The best they can even allow folks to say of such a situation is that "it's no big deal"?! Geez, ONN -- at least pretend to be aiming for objective polling accuracy!
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