Some sick freak beat up a 72 year old man in Detroit. With a pipe. Because he thought the man was gay. Now he's paralyzed and reported to be slipping away.
The victim, Andrew Anthos (right), was riding a city bus back to his residence at Detroit's Windsor Tower apartments on Feb. 13 when another male passenger asked him if he was gay, Anthos's niece, Athena Fedenis said. Anthos was followed by the man from the bus and beaten with a pipe in front of his apartment, Fedenis said."
Due to the repeated beating, Anthos is now paralyzed from the neck down and cannot speak above a whisper.
This shit doesn't happen in a void. Like the sexualization and objectification of women in the media being psychologically damaging to girls, the constant drumbeat of negative stereotypes and exploitative hatred issued by the GOP and social/religious conservative leaders is dangerous for members of the LGBT community. And the hatemongers' faux-na?vet? at the reality that you can't continually put a target on someone's back but expect no one to shoot at it is growing really goddamned old. The hate-the-gays schtick isn't just infuriating and spiteful and wrong; it's irresponsible. There's a paralyzed 72-year-old man and a severely injured 21-year-old woman this week because someone, somewhere, communicated to their attackers the message that gays are not equal, transmitted fear and hatred and claimed they were moral and good.
Let's revisit that last sentence:
[S]omeone, somewhere, communicated to their attackers the message that gays are not equal, transmitted fear and hatred and claimed they were moral and good.
This is why secondclass civil rights should never be enough. When you say we don't quite deserve what the rest of you have, you reinforce the hate-speak of Big Daddy Dobson and Rick Santorum and Archbishop Peter Akinola. Its a slippery slope of intolerance and bigotry.
We here at Lesbian Central are pleased that our good friend and all-around groovy middle aged white guy John McIntire wants to expand his repetoire of gay jokes beyond the phrase "butt fuck." He now seems hung up on kissing (lesbian kissing, Snickers eatin' men kissing, Ravenstahl's ass kissing ...) but that's movement in the right direction. We hope one day soon he'll be able to get through an entire broadcast without sexualizing lesbians for his own sordid pleasure. We doubt it, but one can always hope. :-)
Now for the real homo round up. Not the City of Pittsburgh Police on a Friday night in Schenley Park homo round up.
Check out Pam's House Blend on DOMA stances of the assorted Presidential candidates.
Why the statement "I support civil unions" is meaningless
All of this nonsense is why I've been saying that the Dem presidential candidates have an obligation to voters to define what they mean when they toss out "I support civil unions" as a salve to gays. Asking for clarity, commitment and well-thought-out answers on the matter is not flogging the issue. There is a morass of separate-but-unequal legislation being debated and amendments voted on "by the people" right now.
Meanwhile, the Anglican and Episcopal chuch struggles to find unity in the midst of turmoil over gay and female ordination among other social justice issues.
Polish President Lech Kaczynski told Ireland that homosexuality will lead to the destruction of the human race. However, he is willing to refrain from forcing people into therapy as long as they don't promote their orientation. The Irish were not impressed.
Two lesbians were arrested for a non-violent protest at the Focus on the Family headquarters. Big Daddy Dobson was not available for comment.
The US Air Force considered developing a "gay conversion" chemical weapon in the mid-nineties. Because apparently turning your opponents gay somehow makes them less effective in the battlefield.
And, finally a shout out to another homo-lovin comedian, Sarah Silverman who was quoted in Out thus:
"The people -- both the Republicans and the pussy Democrats -- that won't stand up for gay rights have made the idea of marriage ugly to me."
"I don't hate gay people," [Tim] Hardaway said. "I'm a goodhearted person. I interact with people all the time. ... I respect people. For me to say 'hate' was a bad word, and I didn't mean to use it."
That's apology-take two. He didn't mean to hate on us. And he's surprised at the reaction --- as if he had killed somebody. He even lost an endorsement.
How much you willing to wager that he ends up in "rehab" like Isaiah Washington, Mel Gibson and Michael Richards?
The PG editors chime in on Tim Hardaway's banishment from the NBA All-Star weekend in response to his "I hate gay people" comments.
Former Orlando Heat basketball star Tim Hardaway showed just how profoundly ignorant a millionaire athlete can be and still tie his own shoes in the morning.
The City Paper's Melissa Meinzer offers us a peek into the world of Brent Dugan's flock after his tragic suicide, fueled in part by KDKA's planned story on his homosexual activities. To put it bluntly, a lot of people over there hate Marty Griffin for his role in this story and view him as completely responsible for Dugan's death.
What you don't read in the article is much reflection on the part of his congregation about Dugan's struggles with his homosexual identity. Outsiders like Pastor Janet Edwards reflect on the larger struggle of the Presbyterian Church with the issue, but this is what you get from his congregation:
After the first time [Jane] DeSimone and her husband met Dugan, she says, they briefly and privately discussed their impression that he might be gay. "Who cares?" she says with a shrug. "I definitely didn't care. I just dismissed it."
That strikes me as so sad. Not caring or dismissing sexual orientation is a far, far cry from accepting, embracing and affirming people with diverse sexual orientations.
Brent Dugan was on a collision course with disaster far before KDKA poked into some of his activities. He dedicated his life to a faith community which imposed conceptions of sexuality that did not fit his identity. Clearly,the fear of being labeled "gay" in a gay-dismissive environment can push someone to secret sexual behavior much like Ted Haggard.
Its an interesting comparison between Haggard preached in an environment that was much more openly hostile to gay people, yet he pops into rehab, declares himself cured and is back in the limelight. Dugan obviously struggled deeply with his sexual identity in a faith community that prefers to sidestep the issue if at all possible, yet sought a solution much more final that Haggard. Haggard compounded his sins with infidelity and drug abuse (not to mention hypocrisy in the pulpit). Dugan was an unmarried man whose relationships hurt only himself. No evidence of drug use and certainly no reports that he preached hate from his pulpit.
The problem is not the media's investigative journalism. Its not the risky behavior of individual pastors. The problem is the heteronormative culture that pervades mainstream Christianity, imposing a rigid sexual conformity on everyone in its wake.
While the anger and despair of Pastor Dugan's congregation is understandable, it would compound the tragedy of his death if they failed to examine this aspect. Perhaps blaming KDKA is part of the healing process (and certainly KDKA will capitulate on their demands), but if they stop at that point then Brent Dugan's life as a man of faith struggling with his sexuality is effectively dismissed once again.
Remember waaay last year when I was complaining about plans to hold a breast cancer fundraiser in a hookah bar? Well, I got some righteous girl flak from the promoter (Girl Weapon X) and her posse who didn't appreciate me questioning their, like, total commitment to preventing cancer. Scratching your head to remember Girl Weapon X? Yeah, me too. Googling her moniker just brings up 14 million MySpace entries. I just tried it out of curiosity.
Camel is trying to lure more women into smoking by pinkifying the packaging. WTF?
This is exactly why I was impelled to label Girl Weapon X a quasi-Christian bar wench for her stupidity in celebrating breast cancer awareness in a hookah bar. She is exactly the reason why Camel thinks this new tact is a good idea.
This is just too delicious. The Concerned Women for America are taking former NBA player Tim Harding to task for his recent homophobic rant. The CWA fears that Harding's blatant bigotry will taint the anti-gay movement. Or something like that. Just check this out:
"Hardaway?s comments are both unfortunate and inappropriate,? said Matt Barber, CWA?s Policy Director for Cultural Issues. ?They provide political fodder for those who wish to paint all opposition to the homosexual lifestyle as being rooted in ?hate.? It?s important to note that Hardaway?s words represent the feelings of Hardaway. His words do not represent the feelings of the vast majority of people opposed to the homosexual agenda.
?It?s perfectly natural for people to be repelled by disordered sexual behaviors that are both unnatural, and immoral,? said Barber. ?All too often those behaviors are accompanied by serious physical, emotional, and spiritual pitfalls. However, the appropriate reaction is to respond with words and acts of love, not words of hate. Jesus Christ offers forgiveness and freedom for all sinners, and that is the heart of the Gospel message.
?Thousands of former homosexuals have been freed from the homosexual lifestyle through acts of love. Hardaway?s comments only serve to foment misperceptions of widespread homosexual ?victimhood? which the homosexual lobby has craftily manufactured.?
I can't make this shit up.
This is the kind of Christian-flavored bigotry that makes me puke. As I was trying to explain to H's Mom in an earlier post, hate is a slippery slope. H's Mom and her fear of lesbian-association for her daughter might seem a far cry from "I hate gay people," but if you interject the intermediary step described above ... its not so crazy a leap is it?
Congratulations on raising spunky, articulate and polite daughter. As you know, she took the time to post a comment on this blog several months ago, sharing her thoughts on the Upper St. Clair performance of "The Importance of Being Earnest" and the potential for homophobia. Unlike most of those who comment here, she had the guts to post her real name and stand up for that which she believes. That's commendable and I'm sure you are very proud of her.
But you aren't happy that googling her name brings up a lesbian website. Out of deference to your sensibilities, your daughter has very politely asked me to take her comment down.
Given that your daughter seems to rock, it is quite discouraging, H's Mom, that you are a homophobe. Oh, I know you probably don't think that way of yourself and would never be the kind of person who says "I hate gay people." And you probably think we deserve some civil rights and disagreed with Rick Santorum's man-on-dog slurs.
But let me be clear, H's Mom, that being "freaked out" because your daughter's name is associated with lesbians is nothing but homophobic. And you freaking out sent a very clear message to your daughter that if she is gay, it's not okay with you. And that, H's Mom, makes you a very real threat to myself and my community. And your daughter, too.
If being mistaken for a lesbian or perceived to be lesbian-friendly is the worst assumption people make about your daughter, is that so bad? If you are worried how people might treat her or what they might think about her, you might want to consider why people do that. Perhaps you might use the opportunity to teach your daughter some lessons about tolerance, rather than capitulating to gay panic.
I'm honoring your daughter's request to take down her comment because she asked me politely and was very respectful and straightforward with me about her reasons. She seems like a great ally for my community and has her head on straight when it comes to your being freaked out over this whole thing. I doubt she's going to develop a sudden fear of lesbians over this.
I do hope you take a moment to consider the lesson you've taught her.
