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01/03/2008
Small-minded attacks 'Focus'ed on small biz endeavors
Oh, Focus on the Family. We can see from this, one of your first gay-decrying "news" stories of 2008, that your organizational new years resolution was not to be more honest in terms of how you present the gay community's goals:
The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring seminars to encourage small businesses to favor homosexual employees. It also is teaming with the pro-gay Human Rights Campaign to publish a 32-page booklet on how small businesses can be more "inclusive."
“They want them to provide benefits for same-sex partners, which could increase health-care costs significantly," said Jeff Johnston, gender issues analyst for Focus on the Family. "They also want them to embrace the transgender community.”
Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues with Concerned Women for America, said small businesses are being targeted because they are known for conservative values.
“If they can get to them and strong-arm them and intimidate them into casting aside those values," he said, "then that’s a huge gain for the homosexual lobby and a huge loss for anyone who holds traditional values.”
So, FOF: You say NGLCC is sponsoring seminars that encourage favoritism for gay employees? You put the word inclusive in quotes, as if the NGLCC's desires are alleged? You try to deny the need and right to same-sex partner benefits because you say such could increase health care costs? You charge that the NGLCC wants to "embrace the transgender community" without any further qualifications or condemnations, as you feel that simply supporting transgender Americans is deserving of scorn? And then you give a platform to Matt Barber, you uses every aggressive word in the book (strong-arm, intimidate, etc.) in an attempt to further paint gays as militant and radical for simply trying to eliminate workplace inequalities?!
Gee, FOF -- it's almost as if you kids know that you have no real leg to stand on and that the majority of the populace would be reluctant to support you if they knew that you were the true discriminatory aggressors in the situation, so you've chosen to reframe the conversation in a way that makes it sound as if gays want a hetero-less, society-wrecking workplace environment. But you guys are good Chirstinas who present yourselves as a "moral values" group. So we know you could never act in such a duplicitous manner, right? RIGHT?!
Gay Chamber of Commerce Puts Pressure on Small Businesses [FOF CitizenLink]
**To read factual information on the NGLCC's small business initiatives and to download the full 32-page booklet mentioned by FOF, go here.
Your thoughts
"small businesses are being targeted because they are known for conservative values"
Funny, I thought small businesses -- all businesses -- are known for trying to maximize profits, which increasingly means reaching out to the gay community, as customers, employees and investors.
My bad.
Posted by: KipEsquire | Jan 3, 2008 9:52:57 AM
Thank you Jeremy,
VERY well put.
Posted by: Emproph | Jan 3, 2008 11:36:19 AM
The great irony is, of course, that many many gay people in the 70's and 80's fearing discrimination in corporate America and went the route of starting or joining a small business. While much has changed in the culture of big business (thanks greatly to the work of HRC), some gay people still find it easier to function in a setting that is not as homogenous and structured.
Anyone who has ever lived in a small town knows that the gay businessman was often the backbone of the small business community. So much so that this became an unspoken stereotype. Look at the movies or television from the 40's and 50's and you'll often find a slightly fussy shopkeeper who is single. He also tends to speak for the local business people when they have to appeal to the great masculine hero for help.
Posted by: Timothy | Jan 3, 2008 1:33:52 PM
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