Don't let the tears of a Maine loss blind us from seeing our victories or the entire struggle

I won't do it. I refuse to do it.

No matter how sad folks are over the loss in Maine, I will not give in to the malaise of anger and bitterness.

I understand the anger and bitterness over Maine, the need to spell out portents of doom and to seek inner meanings into the defeat.

But it was a defeat amongst a crop of victories.

In Kalamazoo, Michigan, voters rejected the phony notion that giving lgbts non-discrimination rights would somehow lead to a legion of predators invading women's restrooms.

What is that? Two victories in the face of an ugly lie (I say two victories because earlier this year, Gainesville, FL rejected the lie also.)

We are still leading in Washington state as far as I know.

And along with the openly lgbt mayor in Chapel Hill, NC comes this news from Houston, TX:

Houston City Controller Annise Parker was the top vote-getter Tuesday in the race for mayor, garnering more than 30% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates. Parker will now face former city attorney Gene Locke, who finished second, in a runoff election in mid-December.

Furthermore, lgbts were elected on city councils in Detroit, MI; Atlanta, GA; Akron, OH; and St. Petersburg, FL.

And last but not least, the House of  Representatives will start debate on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act today.

While we cry over Maine, let's not forget our other victories or battles. The fight for lgbt equality is an eternal struggle on many fronts. The opposition knows that.

We should too.

So let's cry as much as we need to over Maine, fix our faces, and come out swinging.

You want pity because of Maine? You won't be getting it from me

We lost in Maine but I don't view it as a total defeat.

I know that we have a reason to be angry. The opposition lied, they stooped to underhanded tactics. They used the time honored false implication of "the gays are after America's children."

But in 2004, we lost a multitude of anti-gay marriage votes by double digits and the momentum was totally against us.

Last night, while we did not get all that we wanted in Maine, it was very close.

In these votes over marriage equality, the opposition may have crossed the finishing line before we did 31 times but every time we get just a little closer.

And let's not forget that we won in basic non-discrimination rights in Kalamazoo (despite the lies about the transgendered community and bathrooms) and continue to hold the lead in Washington state, which expands the rights of same-sex couples.

Not to mention that we now have an openly gay mayor in Chapel Hill, NC.

Unfortunately, all of the sadness and hyperbole will be directed towards Maine, which like a sponge will soak up all of the attention; some of it totally undeserved.

Sorry if I sound too pragmatic for some but I live in South Carolina, the state that is never on the radar regarding lgbt rights.

The lgbt community here have had the wolf at our door so many times that we could sue him for non-support.

I know the lesson not giving up when things look down and everyone has written you off.

So basically, I break it down to the following:

Forget the crap about Maine being supposedly independent and progressive because the fact of the matter is that marriage equality is still a murky issue which confuses and scares a lot of people, lgbts included.

And there is still enough uneasiness about what it could mean for the schools and children for religious right groups to exploit.

That is the reality and no amount of hand wringing or grousing about how we are "second class citizens" (and I really hate the tendency of my community to grab a catchphrase and use it to death) is going to change this fact.

But the landscape is changing. The more America sees lgbt couples, the more America sees lgbt families, and the more open and out we are, the more opportunistic charlatans like Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, and the rest of the "we need to protect marriage" crowd will be seen for what they are - silly clowns repeating silly catchphrases rooted in scare tactics and phony victimology of being called a "bigot."

The momentum still remains with us.

So I'm truly sorry for the folks who feel that last night was a total loss, who feel that last night is another excuse to sit in front of their computers, engage in pity parties, bring up fond memories of past street protests, or go so far as to make ignorant comments about the physical features of the opponents of equality.

Because I refuse to view last night as a loss. Any time that we can stand up and fight and educate people about our rights is never a loss.

A good fight was fought by many people and instead of contemplating about what we didn't get, why don't we take time out of our day to commend those who devoted time and effort to the cause.

The campaign workers, the volunteers, the bloggers - everyone who worked their tail off in pursuit of our equality deserve our praise and our thanks instead of the self-cannibalization that's sure to come. They deserve a big thank you instead of "see, I told you so," or "if I had run the campaign, I would have . . ."

So what do we do now that this election is over?

We continue to work for our rights and not just the right of marriage equality.

Despite the tendency of our opponents to make grand prognostications, our spirits may be diminished just a little but our backs aren't broken.

The round may have been lost, but the fight isn't over yet.

View last night as a teaching lesson.

Lgbts gaining full equality, including marriage equality, will probably be at times slow and tedious, tiring and time consuming.

There is no place for slackers or armchair warriors or those who get easily tired and discouraged.

If lgbt equality is to be achieved, it's going to have to be via sweat and toil.

There is no other choice.

There is no other alternative.

There will be no deux ex machina descending from the sky making everything right.

There will be no addendums or loopholes.

It's a job that will have to accomplished the hard way because there is no other way.

Religious right worries about 'proper' use of the anus and other Tuesday midday news briefs

To my brothers and sisters fighting the good fight today:


Get the people out and get them voting.


Despite the outcome never give up on yourself or the community. If you win, be gracious in victory. If by chance there are any losses, don't get discouraged. But keep pressing on.


Those with power never give up that power without a fight. The barriers of ignorance and fear can't hold back the rushing tide of enlightenment, equality, and righteousness.

Now onto news briefs:

Anus Designed for Exit: Doctor tells DC Council no gay marriage ... because black men spread AIDS via ''down-low'' anal sex?! - This is just so incredibly ignorant that I could't let it go by without comment. Apparently religious right figures are so concerned with the anus not being "properly used" that their mouths are taking up the slack.



Transcript:

''The immediate action of passing the same-sex marriage bill, 18 40 82, is to normalize predominantly homosexual activity such as anal sex and require the promotion in the schools as a legal, normal activity and part of the sex education.... Who will protect the children? There are more HIV infections among young black men who have sex with men, aged 13-29, than among any other age group.... I am aware that students are terrified to be taken out of sex ed. They get on their knees and beg to their parents to be included. Because, to be outside is to be labeled the conservative. To go to the library while everyone else is in class having sex ed, means that you then --. When you refuse to go to sex ed, you then become the group that is discriminated against.... The anus was designed for exit, not entrance.... [Lesbian marriages] are not my argument.''

From Metro Weekly in DC:

Conservative activist Dr. Ruth Jacobs presenting ridiculous testimony as a public witness during the DC City Council's hearing about a pending same-sex marriage equality bill. It's not clear why Jacobs was there since she appears to have traveled down from Rockville, MD, and that she knew nothing about existing District law. In 2007, Jacobs led an effort against a transgender equality bill in Montgomery County claiming that men would expose their genitalia to women and girls, and testifying that the bill would discriminate against ''ex-transgenders.'' During a questioning period, she admitted to Council chair Phil Mendelson that she had no evidence of her claims of a connection between same-sex marriage and HIV infection. Councilman David Catania asked her what gay male sex had to do with lesbians and marriage, especially since lesbians have the lowest rate of HIV infection. Jacobs became flustered and said she wasn't there to talk about that fact. (City Council via Office of Cable Television)

Ken Hutcherson's 'Minority Thought Pattern' as he defends Rush, slavery - You COULD go onto the link to see what exactly is Hutherson is talking about but if you don't have time and want a condensed version of his words, then check this out:

Traditional Values Coalition distorts marketing statistics to attack ENDA

In the midst of the hoopla about ballot initiatives that we have to put up with today, it's "touching" that religious right groups take time out of their busy schedule of trying to deny us marriage equality and non-discrimination rights to make the case that we are so rich that we don't deserve any employment protection at all.

Take the case of Lou Sheldon and the Traditional Values Coalition's push against upcoming ENDA hearings:

ENDA is designed to get homosexuals, bisexuals, cross-dressers, and transsexuals added to the list of federally-protected minorities. If this is accomplished, the LGBT agenda will be imposed on businesses, local, state and federal governments, including public schools K-12, Christian day care centers and camps, plus religious broadcasters with more than 15 employees.

This legislation is based on the false premise that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals are victims of widespread and systematic discrimination in the workplace.

Marketing statistics from gay marketing companies indicate that the average income for a gay or lesbian is $80,000 a year. The U.S. Census notes that the median income in 2008 for blacks was $34,218; for Hispanics it was $37,913; for Asians it was $65,637. Median income for non-Hispanic white households was $55,530.

In addition, gay marketers say that gays and lesbians spend an estimated $45 to $65 billion a year on travel!


The first part of this statement is a mishmash of bad talking points, distortions, and aggressive semantical words.

We've heard it all before.  And what else should we expect from a man who has no shame in referring to lgbts as "sodomites."

But that claim regarding lgbt income is sure to come up again.

It's a huge distortion but an old strategy used by religious right groups to make the case against non-discrimination protection for lgbts.

In looking at lgbt income, Sheldon cites research done by "marketing companies," but in looking at African-American, Asian, and Hispanic income, he cites the U.S. Census.

The problem with this is that work done by marketing companies is totally different from the work done by the U.S. Census. Marketing companies are generally hired by businesses in order to find where the appeal would be for their product. Of course their work is geared to folks with money, whether they be lgbt or not.

The U.S. Census is mainly an objective way to count numbers and income to gain an idea of how large a population is and what their needs are.

Let me put it this way.

According to religioustolerance.org:

A number of surveys promoted by conservative Christian organizations claim that gays and lesbians have higher incomes than heterosexuals, and thus have no need of civil rights protection in employment.


Perhaps the most famous survey is the one conducted by the Simmons Market Research Bureau in 1988-OCT. It is commonly promoted by the American Family Association, Focus on the Family, Freedom Heritage Forum and other conservative Christian groups. The conclusions were reported in The Wall Street Journal in 1991-JUL. The raw data looks impressive:


Average household Income: Homosexuals: $55,430; National Average: $32,286/yr


Percent College Graduates: Homosexuals: 60%; National Average: 18%


Workers in Professional or Management Jobs: Homosexuals: 49%; National Average: 16%


Taking overseas vacations: Homosexuals: 66%; national average: 14%


The problem with the data is that the values quoted for "homosexuals" are in no way representative of the average gay and lesbian. the survey was taken among homosexuals who subscribe to one of 8 leading gay newspapers; they thus belong to a select group within the les/gay community.

Media Matters.org puts it this way:

The survey's findings, however, did not reflect a representative sample of the national gay population. The Simmons survey polled only readers of popular gay-oriented magazines and those who filled out sign-up sheets for the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. As the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Inc. (NOGLSTP) noted, "People who buy and read newspapers and magazines tend to have more education and higher incomes. Gay events attract people who can afford to travel or pay an entrance fee."

Media Matters goes on to bring up a fact that is sure to put a kink in Sheldon's obvious attempt to play the lgbt and African-American community against each other:

Indeed, as NOGLSTP also noted, a 1989 study by Simmons found that readers of African-American-oriented magazines like Jet, Ebony, and Essence earned 41 to 82 percent more than the average African-American.

So Sheldon and the Traditional Values Coalition are misappropriating "marketing research" to make a false case against ENDA.

Why that's almost as bad as distorting studies that looked at non-married gay couples to make a case against marriage equality.

Wait a minute. TVC was already beaten to the punch on that one by the Family Research Council.

In all honesty though, truncating credible studies, i.e. distorting their conclusions, the information included in the study, or the purpose of the study, is a religious right hallmark.

So much so that it obviously must be approved Christian behavior according to that new Conservapedia version of the Bible I keep hearing about.

One of these days, I'm going to have to read that thing.

Related posts and articles:

Passive Aggressive

Another flawed piece of work courtesy of the Family Research Council

What are the top religious right lies about the gay community?

Researchers complain about religious right distortion of their work

Family Research Council head misrepresents credible information to hurt ENDA

Bathrooms, Church Exemptions, and Lies: Five ways the religious right misrepresents ENDA

Catholic writer unsuccessfully tries to refute my ENDA post

A collection of articles about tomorrow's ballot initiatives

Tomorrow will be a busy day with ballot initiatives against marriage equality and lgbt non-discrimination rights in several states states.

I thought it would be best to link up to a collection of pieces done by those in the middle of these fights.

Keep praying that we come out on top:

Religious Right Very Much Alive in Tomorrow's Elections

It's time for people in Maine to see 86-year-old Philip Spooner again

Video: Twas the night before [another day where gay lives are put to offensive vote]  

Six Tests for Equality and Fairness

In Maine, turnout is the key to success

The eyes of the nation is on tomorrow and the New York Times breaks it down

Six Tests for Equality and Fairness - The New York Times breaks it down for us about tomorrow.

Don, we now are gays in peril: And we're the one's getting decked in the halls - It never fails. In almost every ballot initiative, the religious right truncates an incident to create a phony martyr.

Guess Who Just Played the Gay Card? - Speaking of something that never fails.

Maine to vote on gay marriage - An important battle that must have a good ending. The Washington Post wages in on the battle.

CNN reports on being black and gay in America

The above clip is from a recent CNN Report on "Blacks and Gay Equality."

While I'm not happy about the name - I don't like the subtle way it pushes the idea that gays and blacks are two separate entities - the clip is awesome.

One thing though - can anyone tell me what exactly is the "gay lifestyle."

I'm not trying to attack my heterosexual brothers and sisters but so many of them have things mixed up.

Homosexuality is not a "lifestyle." Putting on a skin tight dress or wearing your pants down past your ass, drinking and hitting on each other in a club, and then having wild sex that leads to illegitimate births is a lifestyle.

Having four children from three different women, now that is a lifestyle.

Like I said, I am not trying to downplay heterosexual African-Americans but this self-righteous duplicity, the hypocrisy that many invoke in an attempt to justify their ignorance about their lgbt brothers and sisters is stifling.

And when people continue to be stifled, they either die or rebel:

Big hat tip to Pam's House Blend.