As a follow up on Ember's Rage post, I have to say that I do understand why portions of the Religious Right believe that there is a homosexual agenda and that part of that agenda is to criminalize criticism of homosexuality. Why do I say this? Oh, I don't know, maybe it's things like a Christian preacher being arrested for saying that homosexuality is a sin.  Yes, I know that's the UK and the UK doesn't even pretend to have freedom of speech.  But I also know that there are those in the US who claims to speak for All Gays who would like to see the same thing happen here.  There is a de facto if not de jure ban on any type of criticism of homosexuality in the academic setting.  There is legitimate concern that if gay marriage is passed then religious organizations will be brought up on discrimination charges.  There is legitimate concern that religious organizations will be facing financial penalties for not performing gay marriage.  See re Catholic Charities and adoption in Massachusetts.  This is a legitimate concern and one that I share.  I think that there are some on the Right who support gay marriage who do not give those concerns the credit they are due.

I wish I didn't have to say this but I do.  I  think what happened in the UK is an abomination.  I think that those who believe that I am going to hell have every right to tell me so.  The only "gay right" that I want is the right to not have people try to send me to hell for being queer.  Telling me I'm going to hell.  Fair game.  Yelling at me?  Fair game.  Preaching to me?  Fair game.  Because, you see, I want the right to yell back.  And I will be damned if anyone is going to take away my right to state exactly what I think about, oh, say the Westboro freaks.

I do believe that a great deal of the urge to throw me and others like me out of the conservative movement stems from a belief that we're lying when we say that we don't want to impose these kinds of speech restrictions.  The reason I've become more and more outspoken about being queer is to try to counteract those impressions.  I also believe this is part of what's behind the huge fight about GOProud being a stealth leftist organization.  I do not blame the Religious Right for thinking that what I really want is to take away their religious freedom.  There is ample support for such an opinion.  It's disheartening to me to have to stand up and state that I don't believe any such thing over and over and over again when I've tried to make my position clear.  But I'll do it because someone has to stand athwart saying "no". 

So, yeah, I get filled with The Rage at times about the attempts to heave me out of the movement.  But I am even more furious at those who actually are trying to criminalize criticism of homosexuality.  Stop.  Making.  Me.  Look.  Like.  A.  Fascist.  Stop it.  You don't speak for me.  You are wrong.  What you are doing is vile.  Stop.  It. 

Posted by: alexthechick at 08:56 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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