Some random notes...Rep. Randy Cunningham's loot came on the auction block last week. You remember Randy? The gentleman who ranted about the evils of gay people but then accepted bribes. The last time I checked, stealing was a big one in the ten commandments, but, uh...being gay ...WAS NOT.
Also, some observations about who might vote to take away gay folks right to marry. The pigeon sniper. The man who was seen walking on the roofs with an air rifle that looked like an assault rifle? Shooting piegeons. The person who locked down Pittsburgh for several hours and then, incredibly, tottered back to Fayette County. He can marry. He can breed. And they say gay people are a threat to society?
Finally, I attended the ACLU's annual meeting on Sunday and heard Randy Forrester speak. Seems among urban gays there's still a complacency about gay rights. A belief that being gay is becoming routine. Accepted. Let me say this, and not as eloquently as Mr. Forrester. The religious right, the self-righteous hypocrites that they may be, are coming after you. They don't like you. They want to establish a theocracy and, guess what? It won't include you. So wise up and get your head out of the sand.
Finally, I am also amused about the religious right's collective panties in a knot about the Afghanistan Christian that the Afghanistan government wants to execute. Bush came into that country and a "democratically" elected government was established. And this same government wants to execute this man. Not that I agree, but what did they expect? There also going after women and...gay people but you don't hear the focus on the family squawking about that, do you?
Now this makes for an interesting Monday morning read. A letter to the Tribune Review from a pagan that stems from another letter commenting on an Anglican Nigerian Bishop.
Anne E. Lynch of Swissvale writes in response to John Patterson's letter. You'll recall from last week that Mr. Patterson is an admirer of homophobic Nigerian Archbishop Akinola, noting his "spiritual testosterone" as well as his disdain for American sexual freedom.
Ms. Lynch takes issue with Mr. Patterson's reference to "the rubber-band flexibility of neo-pagan permissiveness." A practicing pagan, she notes that "all Pagans follow a code of moral, ethical, social and religious behavior."
Ms. Lynch then goes on to invite readers to visit Greater Pittsburgh Pagan Pride with a clear request that visitors avoid offering to save their souls.
She writes, "We don't proselytize or seek converts. Your spirituality is your business -- let us practice ours in peace.
Ah, Anne, if only all people of faith could live by that code.
This has been an intriguing thread and a fascinating example of the real dialogue around LGBT faith and spirituality issues and, perhaps, a microcosm of the larget societal debate. Archbishop Chane's original epistle frames the conflict between a pastoral concern for members of the gay community and a failure to speak out when a church leader endorses a law that openly criminalizes homosexuality and strips homosexuals of their most basic civil liberties.
This treasure trove has inspired many letters to the editor in both the Tri and the Post-Gazette with the vast majority expressing sympathy and compassion for the gay community. How telling that the few letters defending Akinola's position are vitriolic rants from individuals who openly hate homosexuals. Excepting the tempered response opinion piece in the Post-Gazette.
That's the ultimate chasm. These people -- the ones who speak up -- deeply hate homosexuals. They are not content to love us in spite of our "sins." They want to obliterate us from their churches, schools and government. They have a clear, concise message that appeals to the vast masses who are acutely uncomfortable with homosexuality and find us a convenient target for all their post-modern angst. (Obviously, they would not describe it that way).
The gay community, both in and out of the church, must find a way to reach out to the middle. We are never going to convince the right wingnuts to let go of their hatred. But I remain convinced that most people don't hate us; they simply don't understand us. Confronted with something new, they look for guidance and many turn to a warped moral schematic which puts queers in the category of immoral being.
We chip away at this stigma, this sense of "other" with every positive interaction the middle folks have with an identified homosexual. Some of my gay comrades prefer to keep a low-profile. In the name of self-preservation, that's fine and sadly necessary. But for those who ride under the radar simply because its easier or because its comfortable, you are doing a disservice to our community.
People need to know queers on a personal level to overcome the homophobia they learn at school, church and home. It is not the only battle, but its one that every queer can take on.
Published on March 9, this letter to the editor from Lionel Deimel of Mt. Lebanon rightly condemns the intolerant words and actions of Nigerian Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola. Deimel opines:
Those applauding his principled stand in opposition to the consecration of gay bishops should recognize that Akinola's principles apparently also include intolerance, ignorance and hatred.
Archbishop Akinola's rhetoric may have more dire effects in Nigeria than mere repression, however. He recently warned rioting Muslims in Nigeria that "(our Muslim brothers) do not have the monopoly of violence in this nation" and that Christian Association of Nigeria, of which Akinola is president, "may no longer be able to contain our restive youths should this ugly trend continue."
Whether this was meant as a statement of fact or an outright threat, it should alarm Muslims and Christians, dismaying all who seek justice and peace.
And Ron Pedersen Jr. of North Versailles takes a similar stance, drawing on the esteemed Bishop Desmond Tutu in response to the hateful letter written by a Mr. John Patterson of Monroeville. Pederson writes:
Mr. Patterson, you have not earned or achieved heterosexuality. It is yours because of genetics. You face no persecution because of it.
Patterson admires Akinola's ample supply of "spiritual testosterone" and comments that "It's a fine thing to see biblically minded African Archbishop Akinola spit upon Hollywood's code of sexual freedom, which lots of American Episcopal clergy relish with all of their lustful hearts."
In the face of such ridiculous ignorance, kudos to Mr.Deimel and Mr. Pederson for standing up to homophobic ignorant fools.
You can count on your lesbian correspondents to let you know when mind shattering events, such as Trib readers defending homosexuals, take place in Pittsburgh.
According to an article in the Wednesday (March 15) Post-Gazette, several state legislators have decided to attempt to ban a notorius gay basher--Fred Phelps--from protesting at the funerals of fallen soldiers. Putting aside for a minute the First Amendment issues this ban would involve, I find this incredibly hypocritical. As perhaps some of you may know, Fred Phelps and his merry band of bigots has been protesting at funerals for aids victims, homosexuals, and several years ago, even paid a visit to Pittsburgh to protest at the funeral of--Fred Rogers-- of all people. And, apparently that did not offend the sensibilities of Senators John Pippy, Bob Regola and Jennifer Mann, the sponsors of this proposed legislation. I have a suggestion. Instead of banning Fred Phelps' free speech rights, however despicable his speech may be, how about if these senators do something constructive and GASP Christian. How about Senators Pippy, Regola and Mann make a statement that everyone--regardless of who they are--deserves to be remembered and mourned in a respectful and reverant manner.
The thing that really gets me is when homo-bigots are not content to just hate us for ourselves, but have to take the extra step of connecting us with something vile ... like pedophilia, bestiality or white supremacy. From the New York City St. Patric's Day Parade comes this gem.
In an interview with the Irish Times published on Friday Hibernian chair John Dunleavy said, "If an Israeli group wants to march in New York, do you allow Neo-Nazis into their parade? If African Americans are marching in Harlem, do they have to let the Ku Klux Klan into their parade?"
Dunleavy went on to tell the paper that "People have rights. If we let the ILGO in, is it the Irish Prostitute Association next?"
For the past 16 years, the NYC parade organizers have kept the queer contingent from marching as an identified group as permitted by a court ruling on religious freedom. Apparently, they are not content to simply disallow homos but have to take it one step further.
And guess who marches in spite of these hate laced comments? Senator Hillary Clinton. Are you stunned that she'd sell us out for a good PR moment?
(Cleveland, TN) ? The Equality Ride bus was defaced Thursday evening outside the hotel where Riders were in a planning meeting for their action on Friday at Lee University. As the meeting dispersed, Riders found pink letters scrawled across the side of the bus reading ?Fags Mobile.? The bus driver reported that he witnessed a middle-aged woman and a teenager drive away from the scene, possibly a mother and son. The vandalism and suspect description were reported to Cleveland police, who are investigating the crime.
?The attack on the bus is hate speech, plain and simple, spelled out for everyone to read,? said Jacob Reitan, Equality Ride co-director. ?But a more subtle form of hate speech happens when students at the schools we are visiting are told they are sick and sinful just for being the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people God made them to be.?
Today's Post-Gazette includes a letter from Scott Means, Administrator of the Seeds of Hope Fellowship in Bloomfield. Seeds of Hope is a mission church of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
As a member of the Episcopal Church, I was ashamed to read Bishop Chane display his ignorance of African culture. He clearly presumes that it is acceptable to hold Africans to the moral standards of his own Western culture. Bishop Chane is guilty of the very same intolerance of which he accuses Archbishop Akinola.
Shame on you, Mr. Means! Shame on you for dressing up your homophobia in the guise of cultural relativism. Bishop Chane rightfully calls out Archbishop Akinola for his UNCHRISTIAN stance with regard to the welfare of homosexual Nigerians. This isn't about disrespecting the African culture underpinning the Nigerian homophobia. This is about a man of the cloth failing to uphold his moral obligation to the vulnerable members of his community.
It is xenophobia to claim that African's are culturally wired to be homophobic. Even if they are, it doesn't absolve Archbishop Akinola from his MORAL obligation to protect the human rights of Nigerian homosexuals.
Susan J. Boulden of Oakmont writes " As a 20-year member of Integrity, the Episcopal Organization of Gays and Lesbians, and a 35-year member of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, I had been praying that someone in our church would address Archbishop Akinola's complicity in the legal persecution against homosexual people in Nigeria."
She goes on to chastise Pgh's own Bishop Duncan for leading a war against the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Church of England
.
Jno and Anne Hunt of McCandless (wow - Malicious Hart territory) clearly get it. They write "It is tragic for Archbishop Akinola, a professed Christian, to promulgate doctrines of bigotry and hatred instead of the gospel of love, acceptance and respect for all of our fellow men that is the heart of Christ's teachings. "
But here's the best line .... Since silence is consent, how can we possibly tolerate their acceptance of Archbishop Akinola's doctrines of hatred and prejudice?
One more time -- Since silence is consent, how can we possibly tolerate their acceptance of Archbishop Akinola's doctrines of hatred and prejudice?
I'm writing this for Desiree. She's a student at Miami Sunset Senior High, where you teach business technology. A few days ago, she sent me an e-mail recounting an incident that happened on campus last week.
It seems that on three successive days, the morning announcements, which are televised throughout the school, featured student-produced segments on the subject of gay rights.
On the first day came comments from students who took the pro position. On the second day came remarks from a counselor who spoke of the need for students to respect one another. On the third day came you.
You and a few students, actually. One told classmates homosexuality was ''unacceptable in the eyesight of God.'' Another said gays were ``unrighteous.''
The coup de grace, though, was you invoking Sodom and Gomorrah and telling students homosexuality was ''wrong
And then this wonderful ending
Just once, I'd like to read a headline that said a Christian group was boycotting to feed the hungry. Or marching to house the homeless. Or pushing Congress to provide the poor with healthcare worthy of the name.
Instead, they fixate on keeping the gay in their place. Which makes me question their priorities. And their compassion. And their faith.
If you love me, feed my sheep.
For the record, Ms. Reddick, the Bible says that, too.
Just go read it. It is a great Sunday evening post!
