Newt, Bill, and Chuck: The Trifecta of Ridiculousness.

Today I was sitting at work, trying to pay attention and stay engaged in the editing and re-editing of the group report we are writing. It's about as fun as it sounds.

Inevitably, my mind wandered and I succumbed to the temptations of the Internet in front of me. I took advantage of the fact that I'm hidden beind the monitor and navigated away momentarily from our net-meeting and onto the Internet. Don't judge, I know I'm not the only one doing this!

I hit the usual places: CNN.com, huffingtonpost.com, MSNBC.com..... scanning the headlines. As of late, I've become very interested in anything Prop 8 themed, so a couple of things caught my eye.

This morning on Morning Joe there was a snippet of Newt Gingrich saying something ridiculous, so I had to read about it.

Listen, I'm not going to pretend and say I really know anything about Newt Gingrich and his beliefs or political history up until this point. I don't. All I know about this man is that I used to hear his name on the news a lot several years ago. And now I know he's a hate sputtering, fear mongering idiot..

Sorry, was that harsh?

This man, in a conversation with Bill O'Riley (naturally) was quoted as saying: "I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think that it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion."

Fascism? What is with people thinking it's okay to throw around words like "fascist," "socialist," and "Nazi" lately, just because they disagree with someone? So...let me get this straight (pun!), if I'm gay and I want to be treated like an equal human being and be given the same rights and as any other person, and refuse to send this country back to the 1960s and settle for "separate but equal", that would make me a fascist?

*Shakes head*

Of course Bill O'Riley starts listing off all the examples he has of how "out of control" all those darned gay people are over this darned Proposition 8. Listen. There are violent, crazy people on both sides of this thing. You will have that no matter what group of people you are talking about, regardless of the topic. It's not the right thing to do on either side, obviously. And though there may be some isolated incidents of these unfortunate cases, that's not the majority, and it's not right that Fox News can spread lies leading people to believe the GLBT community is a violent, crazed, immoral group of....I can't even say citizens, because they don't even see GLBT people as equal citizens of this country. Homosexuals. I can just picture the contempt in these peoples faces as they utter the word homosexual. You can practically feel the shutter going through their bodies.

Gingrich also said "you have to confront the reality that these secular extremists are determined to impose on you acceptance of a series of values that are antithetical, they're the opposite, of what you're taught in Sunday school."

Wait a minute... didn't they teach "love thy neighbor" and "do unto others what you would have done unto you" in Sunday School? Along with tolerance, forgiveness, and "judge not lest ye be judged"? Couldn't the bible-thumper ideology he just spouted off be thrown right back in his face and the face of all those right wing Christians who preach hate masked behind a thin veil of Christian righteousness? Does he not see the irony in those words? What does he think Focus on the Family does?? But wait, I'm the one that's "antiethical" right? Right. My new favorite person Keith Olbermann got it SO RIGHT on this very topic in his Special Comment (grab the Kleenex if you haven't seen this yet)

THEN. Then. Then I read....of all people..... Chuck Norris's article on Prop 8. First of all, who the hell does Chuck Norris think he is, and why on EARTH is he now writing a column? Please. Go back to making terrible television shows about Texas Rangers.

So of course I'm already a little peeved after reading about my good friends Newt and Bill and their little convo about things that directly affect MY life, and NOT THEIRS. But anyway, on to Chuck.

So now, according to Chuck Norris, gay-rights supporters have gone from being called fascists to being called anarchists. Better....I guess.....?

Chuck spouts off more examples of how scary and violent these "anarchist" anti-prop 8 people are... shoving old ladies and spitting on them. Also he talks about "A pro-homosexual, pro-anarchy organization named Bash Back marched into the middle of a church service and flung fliers and condoms to the congregants. They also hung a banner from the balcony that featured two lesbians in provocative positions at the pulpit."

Well that'll get their attention! Agreed probably not the best way to go about it...but really, do we have to lump "pro-homosexual" and "pro-anarchy" in the same description, like they're one in the same? Come on.

Chuck also writes: "the tolerance-preaching activists also have taken their anger to the blogosphere, where posts have planted ideas ranging from burning churches to storming the citadels of government until our society is forced to overturn Prop. 8. You even can find donor blacklists online. The lists include everyone who financially backed Prop. 8 -- even those who gave as little as $46 -- with the obvious objective that these individuals will be bantered and boycotted for doing so.

*Gasp!* You mean gay people are planning on boycotting organizations and individuals that donated money to take away their civil rights? The audacity! The outrage! The...effing genius!

If you know what a DINK is (Double Income No Kids for those of you that don't), then you know the vast amount of wealth the GLBT market holds, and how stupid you would be not to market directly to them or not to protect your hold on their spending power.

I spent the next several minutes finding the biggest list I could of Prop 8 donors. The Knights of Columbus donated $8,889.00. My dad is a part of that organization...and I can't help but wonder if this was a measure that was on the Illinois ballot and not just CA, if he would have donated to the cause? That makes me really uncomfortable. Most of these supporters are, of course, CA based, so I can't boycott them since I don't live in CA. But I will urge anyone I know that does live in CA to refrain from giving their hard earned money to these people. I will also be doing more research on gay-friendly companies, and focusing more on making sure that companies that are not gay-friendly do not get my money. I should have done that a long time ago. And if that makes me a "bitter activist" then so be it. I am bitter.

I have to say, after reading those two articles and digesting the smears and lies and hate... I really was angry. I was angry enough to have to momentarily close my eyes and breathe until the lump in my throat went down and the anxiety building up in my chest subsided. In the middle of work. I closed my browser, I couldn't think about it anymore. Had to focus on work again.

Gay people are not violent. They are not fascists. They are not immoral. They are the same as you, they love, they hurt, they pay taxes. I participated in the anti-prop 8 protest this weekend in Chicago, and I am proud to say I was a part of it. It was inspiring to see all the supporters line the street as we marched by, all the people up in the windows cheering us on, all the people who were stuck in their cars on the street, surrounded by gay people marching and chanting for equal rights, but not angry they were stuck. They were honking in support. And I am proud to say not one person was arrested. Not one incident of violence was reported.

I am also proud to say that our new President has a plan to support the GLBT community, and strengthen Civil Rights for ALL citizens of this country. And though it's becoming cliche, I just can't help but say.... Yes We Can!


"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Gandhi