In the African-American community, there is a comical phrase which denotes extreme anger. It is called "being pissed off to the highest levels of pissivity."
That is how I feel right now and there is nothing funny about it. What angers me are the words from Log Cabin Republican head R. Clarke Cooper over the gay community's anger at Chick-Fil-A. He didn't exactly defend us. Instead he attacked us in a piece.
Part of it reads a follow:
In the past, while I may have disagreed with the Log Cabin Republicans (a group of gay Republicans for those who are not aware), I have always respected the organization, even to the point of defending it when others in the community have attacked it as an "Uncle Tom" organization.
But right now, I simply can't. And I will tell you why.
Last week, I received a letter from a young man thanking me for this blog. He told me that what he reads here is the first piece of positive information he has read about the gay community. All other times, he said, he has been bombarded by negative information; information such as gays are evil, gays are sinners or things like us being called vile, intolerant, and pawns of the Devil:
or folks expressing wishes that our "behavior" be criminalized:
What's significant about these two statements is that both are coming from the Family Research Council, a group which has received donations from Chick-Fil-A. That is the main reason why so many of us are angry.
And it leads me to ask is Mr. Cooper clueless or does he just not give a damn. The above tripe from the Family Research is what he is defending. The destruction of the self-esteem of our lgbtq youth is what he is defending.
I could see if he voiced a problem with the way some of us in the community may express our anger but he didn't do that.
Cooper seems to think that gays shouldn't express anger at all over any of Chick-Fil-A's actions. That somehow if we are slapped and don't respond in any form or fashion, the so-called movable middle will respect us.
Well for one thing, I have no idea what this movable middle is and if the gay community should sacrifice our dignity and self-respect to get their approval, then maybe they are not a group we need to reach.
I'm serious about how Cooper's words bother me. He has been given a platform which many in our community don't have, especially our children. And he is using this platform in a hideous manner
He does not call out the folks who seek to hinder gay equality and positive self esteem (especially the self-esteem of our gay children) through lies but rather those of us who seek to put a stop to these lies.
It is a very sad entity - be it a singular person or an organization - who attacks their own people for demanding dignity and respect.
That is how I feel right now and there is nothing funny about it. What angers me are the words from Log Cabin Republican head R. Clarke Cooper over the gay community's anger at Chick-Fil-A. He didn't exactly defend us. Instead he attacked us in a piece.
Part of it reads a follow:
Turning a chicken sandwich into Public Gay Enemy Number One makes LGBT people look superficial, vindictive and juvenile — everything that we as a community have worked hard to overcome. Remember, employers don’t want drama queens on the payroll, military service is serious business, and marriage is not a right society grants to spoiled children. While in a perfect world our equality should not depend on our good behavior, in a world where our rights too often hinge on political reality, the way our movement conducts itself matters.
In the past, while I may have disagreed with the Log Cabin Republicans (a group of gay Republicans for those who are not aware), I have always respected the organization, even to the point of defending it when others in the community have attacked it as an "Uncle Tom" organization.
But right now, I simply can't. And I will tell you why.
Last week, I received a letter from a young man thanking me for this blog. He told me that what he reads here is the first piece of positive information he has read about the gay community. All other times, he said, he has been bombarded by negative information; information such as gays are evil, gays are sinners or things like us being called vile, intolerant, and pawns of the Devil:
or folks expressing wishes that our "behavior" be criminalized:
What's significant about these two statements is that both are coming from the Family Research Council, a group which has received donations from Chick-Fil-A. That is the main reason why so many of us are angry.
And it leads me to ask is Mr. Cooper clueless or does he just not give a damn. The above tripe from the Family Research is what he is defending. The destruction of the self-esteem of our lgbtq youth is what he is defending.
I could see if he voiced a problem with the way some of us in the community may express our anger but he didn't do that.
Cooper seems to think that gays shouldn't express anger at all over any of Chick-Fil-A's actions. That somehow if we are slapped and don't respond in any form or fashion, the so-called movable middle will respect us.
Well for one thing, I have no idea what this movable middle is and if the gay community should sacrifice our dignity and self-respect to get their approval, then maybe they are not a group we need to reach.
I'm serious about how Cooper's words bother me. He has been given a platform which many in our community don't have, especially our children. And he is using this platform in a hideous manner
He does not call out the folks who seek to hinder gay equality and positive self esteem (especially the self-esteem of our gay children) through lies but rather those of us who seek to put a stop to these lies.
It is a very sad entity - be it a singular person or an organization - who attacks their own people for demanding dignity and respect.
I love you
ReplyDeletewow, so if homophobic religious right wing gets to stamp their foot whenever some business says, "We support equality!" it's ok with them, but if we stamp our foot for their bigoted lies and their desire to take away our rights, we're some whiny spoilt children? Seriously? Double standard much?
ReplyDeleteWell gee, if it's impolitic to express anger at being oppressed and treated as second-class citizens, being vilified with vicious lies, and demonized and dehumanized by some people, maybe we should just crawl back into our closets and gratefully accept whatever scraps we are fed from the master's table.
ReplyDeleteOr not.
Cooper seems to think that gays shouldn't express anger at all over any of Chick-Fil-A's actions. That somehow if we are slapped and don't respond in any form or fashion, the so-called movable middle will respect us.
ReplyDeleteThis is a standard game of oppressors. Whether you're talking about "uppity blacks," "shrill feminists," or "militant homosexual activists." It's old, it's tiresome, and it's sad when someone like Mr. Cooper falls for it and even tries to push the rest of us into falling for it.
My question is, why isn't Mr. Cooper pushing for this to become a more perfect world in which our equality doesn't depend on our good behavior? Justice that must be begged for "nicely" is not justice at all.
Hi and welcome to the blackhole that is affectionately referrered to as "gay conservatism." A cute notion that, as a member of LGBT community, right now you totally deserve to be treated like crap, should help the common whole by supporting their attacks on you and other groups, and through support of the whole you will eventually earn the right to not be treated like crap. Basically pay your dues as a sub-human for a few centuries and we will consider treating you as a human eventually.
ReplyDeleteMaybe. We'll see how it goes. Never really tried it, but it sounds like a plan doesn't it?
R Clark Cooper and The Log Cabin Republicans are cut from the same cloth as GOProud and should be looked at with the same disdain.
ReplyDeleteThe highest point of pistivity, I guess you could say it's also a Southern thing.
ReplyDeleteEven tho I live in Weho,CA. but from Anderson,SC. I still say it. When I read it it made me giggle.
Here is the bottom line. The log cabiners, like GOProud, are nothing but a bunch of self loathing auntie Toms gays, It's that simple. fighting for equality is not superficial, vindictive or juvenile. Actually those are the terms i would use for those two groups. It is actually quite sad that we are still fighting for this in 2012.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that the Log Cabinners feel they have to act like GOProud types so that straight GOPers won't totally hate them. Or maybe pathetic is a better word for it....
ReplyDelete