tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12180121.post112541349869955430..comments2023-10-17T08:48:04.114-04:00Comments on Not Shady, Just Fierce: Morning Edition - 8/30/05Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10988868216271744389noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12180121.post-1125457212518332952005-08-30T23:00:00.000-04:002005-08-30T23:00:00.000-04:00OK, I'M SORRY THAT I CAME TO THIS DISCUSSION A LIT...OK, I'M SORRY THAT I CAME TO THIS DISCUSSION A LITTLE LATE BUT ITS IMPORTANT TO ME. MY ANSWER IS COMPLICATED. ITS YES. IN THE BROADEST SENSE OF THE WORD, GAY/LESBIAN RIGHTS IS A LIGITIMATE PEROGATIVE-----THE RIGHT TO EQUAL TREATMENT UNDER THE LAW. THERE IS NO ONE IN THESE UNITED STATES WHO SHOULD NOT SHARE IN THESE RIGHTS..... PERIOD. NOW I'M A BLACK MAN AND AN OPENLY GAY BLACK MAN AT THAT, BUT I'M A BLACK MAN FIRST. AS SUCH I HAVE EXPERIENCED MORE DISCRIMINATION AS A BLACK MAN THAN I HAVE EXPERIENCED AS A GAY MAN, SO IT IS OBVIOUS THAT I MIGHT TEND TO PLACE MORE VALUE ON RACIAL CIVIL RIGHTS. BUT HAVING SAID THAT I WILL STATE EMPHATICALLY THAT GAYS AND LESBIANS ARE ENTITLED TO THOSE SAME INALIENABLE RIGHTS AND A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF THEM. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE BOGGED DOWN IN SUCH A NORROW COMPARISON AS TO WHICH IS MORE VALUED. AFRICAN AMERICANS AND MINORITIES ARE AMERICANS WHO WERE ENSLAVED AND ARE DISENFRANCHISED AND DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, BUT WE ARE FAR FROM THE ONLY AMERICANS SUFFERING AND DYING FROM THAT DISCRIMINATION. AS A GAY MAN, I'VE LIVED WITH THAT DISCRIMINATION EVERY DAY, IN HOUSING; BY THE POLICE; IN CHURCH; BY THE IRS AND BY ANTIQUATED LAWS STILL ON THE BOOKS. MOST RECENTLY MY VERY BEST FRIEND WAS NOT ALLOWED TO BE AT THE BED SIDE OF HIS DYING LOVER OF 17 YEARS BECAUSE "HE WAS NOT CONSIDERED A "FAMILY MEMBER" OR "SPOUSE". SOME PEOPLE WHO OBJECT TO GAY RIGHTS HAVING THE SAME IMPORTANCE AS MINORITY RIGHTS SEE BEING GAY AS A CHOICE AND A SOCIAL BEHAVIOR OF MOSTLY PRIVILEGED WHITES, BUT SCIENCE HAS DEBUNCKED THAT CONCLUSIVELY AND SHOWN THAT SEXUAL DISPOSITION IS INHERENT AND NOT AN OPTION OR AN ALTERNATIVE WE SELECT. IN THAT REGARD IT EXACTLY PARALELS RACE DISCRIMINATION. BEING TREATED EQUALLY IS NOT A SPECIAL RIGHT IT IS AN EQUAL RIGHT, AN ORDINARY ENTITLEMENT OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP. NOW I DON'T EVEN LIKE KANYE WEST...I THINK HE IS A POMPOUS ASS AND A POSTERBOY FOR OUR SHALLOW AMERICAN CULTURE...BUT I BELIEVE HIS COMPARISON IS A VALID ONE.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12180121.post-1125437575368910882005-08-30T17:32:00.000-04:002005-08-30T17:32:00.000-04:00Caspar... no one is questioning your ability to sy...Caspar... no one is questioning your ability to sympathize or empathize. That said, oppression, discrimination, hatred and prejudice are the same without regard to what group is suffering the transgression. A black person called a "Nigger" is as offended as a gay person being called a "faggot". A beat down for not fitting into someone's picture of what is acceptable, normal or equal is still the same whether that ignorant behavior is being weilded against someone for their race or their sexual orientation. When blacks and whites struggled to marry in the 50s many felt the same way. They felt that race mingling was horrific, against nature and God and Lord knows what other ridiculous reasoning. Today, we see how insane these beliefs were. I never have felt the need to validate my relationships by marrying any partner I've had, but it would be great knowing that I could. That my rights were EQUAL to those around me. That's what civil rights and liberties are about. We may not ALL agree with how the other guy lives, but our beliefs cannot infringe on their RIGHT to be equal - to share the same rights and priveleges afforded everyone else. Oh sure, there are still those who don't agree with race mingling or believe that disabled folks shouldn't be allowed to work in our offices if they can't function the way we do or maybe we might feel that women shouldn't be allowed in clubs that were primarily for men, but thankfully someone stood their ground back in the day and today, regardless of personal beliefs, folks have rights; they're protected by the law and equality is encouraged. Hopefully we'll look back on this ridiculous battle of judging adults for loving other adults of the same sex and say - Wow, on the real, that was so silly, especially when it wasn't my f*cking business who anyone loves. Ultimately, equality is equality. Rights are rights. Denying those civil rights is wrong. It was wrong to deny blacks their rights, it's wrong to deny gays their rights and if an adult crippled green martian lands in America and wants to marry an adult transgender Cherokee Indian with one leg, I say MORE POWER TO THEIR NASTY ASS!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10988868216271744389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12180121.post-1125427193815434602005-08-30T14:39:00.000-04:002005-08-30T14:39:00.000-04:00Now explain it to me like I'm a five year old... :...Now explain it to me like I'm a five year old... <BR/>:)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10988868216271744389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12180121.post-1125426195880805642005-08-30T14:23:00.000-04:002005-08-30T14:23:00.000-04:00Oop!Signed J'MooOop!<BR/><BR/>Signed <BR/>J'MooAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12180121.post-1125426148828394402005-08-30T14:22:00.000-04:002005-08-30T14:22:00.000-04:00racial discrimination = Hatred discrimination = Ha...racial discrimination = Hatred <BR/>discrimination = Hatred<BR/>discrimination against homosexuals = Hatred<BR/>discrimination against the right to pursue happiness as you choose to = Hatred<BR/>discrimination of who you can financially secure in case of your untimely death = Hatred<BR/>discrimination of interracial marriages = Hatred<BR/><BR/>interracial marriages = the right to pursue happiness as individuals<BR/>…over….<BR/>same sex marriages = the right to pursue happiness as individuals<BR/><BR/>= LOVE<BR/><BR/>Martin = Love<BR/>Malcolm = Rights<BR/>Martin + Malcolm = the Right to LoveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12180121.post-1125413800769568702005-08-30T10:56:00.000-04:002005-08-30T10:56:00.000-04:00Let's see...If we asked Tina Brandon what she thou...Let's see...<BR/>If we asked Tina Brandon what she thought of discrimination against gays and lesbians when she was being beaten, raped and murdered by folks who couldn't accept her masculinity, she'd probably agree with Kanye. If we asked Matthew Sheperd what he thinks about Kanye's statement he'd probably say he prefered not being beaten and tied to a fence; left to die in the cold and all alone. If we asked millions of gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals whether their struggle to "just be" has been paved with heartache, loss of family, loss of friends, physical, emotional and verbal abuse, I'd say, they might agree that the homosexual struggle is virtually the same as the struggle of minorities in this country. I would venture to say that they would feel they are entitled to civil rights that protect them from discrimination in housing and employment. I even think they might want some type of hate crime legislation to protect them from getting the life snatched out of them by some fool that can't accept that there are people different from themselves. <BR/><BR/>That said, I'll post your question Caspar. Seems like a fair enough quesiton to ask.<BR/><BR/>I will say this though... It is difficult for those outside of any oppressed group to understand the true hardships encountered by minority groups.<BR/><BR/>Enough said...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10988868216271744389noreply@blogger.com