« Go back a post || Return to G-A-Y homepage || Haul tail to next post »
03/04/2008
Society will be its own casting director!
Earlier this morning, we showed you a piece wherein Focus on the Family was trying to discredit marriage equality by misrepresenting the collective views of anthropologists. Well, we want to go back to that same article for a second, because it contained another annoying claim that we feel needs addressing:
Maggie Gallagher, co-founder and president of the National Organization for Marriage, said gay activists want to change the definition of marriage because they say the traditional definition is irrational and bigoted.
“What does that mean down the road, if the idea that our ideas about marriage and about sexual morality generally make us the exact equivalent of bigots?” she asked.
“You can’t have a professional license in this country — you can’t be a physician, a social worker, a teacher, a lawyer, a psychotherapist, a marriage counselor — if you’re openly racist.”
But see, what Mags is overlooking is that none of us have enough power to change hearts and minds by PR alone. Lord knows that if we did have that power, then the religious right's aggressive, highly financed campaigns would be far more successful than they already are. But we don't. There's a little thin called reality that shapes and informs the changing societal norms. And when this reality is placed above hyperbolic rhetoric, the irrational bias within the religious right's heterosexist arguments come to light.
Why is racism considered disgusting by the vast majority? Is it because the African-American community had considerable power and connections? Is it because they had an "agenda"? NO! It's because they were ALWAYS IN THE RIGHT, but just had to connect the dots for a hostile public in order to make inroads. And the same will go for the LGBT community. In fact, it already has to a large degree. The number one tool in our arsenal, just as it has been with most every minority group, is to simply show the world our lives. That is the primary way to cut through the stereotypes and demonized portraits that have been propagated by adversaries. And then it is up to the public to decide whether they want to hold on to misguided bias, or embrace the full spectrum of the world. We are quite confident that just as has been the case with every other group's struggle for freedom, society will only become more and more tolerant as days go by and antiquated biases go bye bye.
So will society ultimately brand someone who holds a queer-hostile attitude as a "bigot", like Maggie fears? Well, that's not for us to decide. All we want to do is open up all of society's doors so that LGBT people will be given the same shake as everyone else who lives, works, and serves as a steward for their nation and their world. We will make our case, just as those who try and lock shut those same doors will continue to make their own. And just like always, the proverbial chips will fall where they may.
The true question is why Maggie & Co. are so worried that those chips will be unfair to their life's work. That fear is quite foreign to the pro-gay side.
Anthropologists Agree on Traditional Definition of Marriage [Citiznelink]
Your thoughts
that is a standard argument for maggie gallagher. In her past writings, she has set up the straw argument, "if you believe in 'tradtional marriage,' then you are considered a racist and a homophobe." It's her schtick.
Posted by: a. mcewen | Mar 4, 2008 12:20:53 PM
one more thing - according to Wikipedia, the Bush administration felt that Gallagher was the best activist money could buy
Posted by: a. mcewen | Mar 4, 2008 6:21:06 PM
comments powered by Disqus
