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04/09/2012
Another far-right conservative fights 'hate' label (*b/c owning actual record is much less convenient)
Mario Diaz, the Concerned Women For America's resident man (there's always at least one), has written a piece all about gays and how he doesn't "hate" us. Or at least that what Mario purports his piece to be about. I see it differently. Because speaking just for myself, I'm far less concerned about whatever motivation and/or label Mario cares to use in regard to his work and more concerned about the actual things he works to tell America about us and our supposed "lifestyles." To wit:
Well, I can say that I have in my life, just like most of the readers, close friends and family members who describe themselves as homosexuals. And I love them.
They know where I stand on the issue of marriage and homosexuality. They know I believe that government should not promote their lifestyle. I have shared what I believe God's grace can do in their lives. That they are not slaves to their desires. We've talked about it privately, and I write about it publicly. Some have even gotten mad at me because of something I have said or written. But our friendship goes on, because it goes beyond homosexuality. They are much more than that.
I am committed to pray for them, and not only about salvation, as some seem to think. They have many worries in life (as we all do) and I pray for those, especially when they ask me to.
I won't lie and say my heart doesn't hurt for them. They truth is that many of their struggles are centered on their lifestyle. And the great majority carry enormous hurt from their past.
So I pray for peace, joy, and mercy in their lives. That's the Christian approach. That is, at least, for those who follow the teachings of Christ.
Why Christians Cannot Hate [CWA]
So let's recap. Mario thinks we have lifestyles, not lives. He thinks policies that grant benefits or protections somehow constitutes "promotion" of said "lifestyles." He thinks if we are proudly gay, then we are being "slaves to our desires." He thinks "god's grace" can "save" us. He thinks that we "struggle" in large part because of our "lifestyles." And all of this stuff leads Mario to pray for us, be we strangers, friends, or family members.
Oh, and he doesn't just do all of this stuff in his own life. No, no—Mario collects a paycheck from this kind of thing.
When it comes to the subjective process of applying a rhetorical "hate" label to a certain commentator's words, I'll gladly leave that to others. For me it's all about the objective process of noting this same commentator's documented record and pushing back against his or her body of work. Within this, the latter and more pertinent framework, Mario Diaz more than fits the bill as one who's working to bring enormous hurt to LGBT people's futures. I hate to say.
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