Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Where are the optimistic warriors?
Yesterday we had two stories. The first was about a gay rights resolution passed by the National Education Association and the other covered some nuttiness spouted by Oklahoma lawmaker Sally Kern. The responses to both were disappointing and make me wonder if it’s time to stop reading our comment section.
Kern’s ramblings are silly. Few will dispute that; however, too many of the responses to Kern were sexist. Why people feel a need to call Kern out with language that only middle school boys use (or a certain gay gossip columnist) is beyond reason. Please spare me any lines about how the revolution won’t be televised or whatever radical keyboard phrase people use now. It is possible to point out the large holes of logic in Kern’s diatribe without calling her names no one would ever call his/her grandmother. We gain nothing by taking down an opponent with sexist rhetoric. If you cannot be critical of Kern minus bigoted language, you and her are part of the problem. Both of you drink from the same well of ignorance.
As for the NEA resolution, the nation’s largest professional employee organization comes out for gay rights and says the marriage debate should be handled by the states. I guess if marriage rights is the only goal then the NEA is wobbly, but the organization’s resolution also asked for “passage of a federal statute prohibiting federal discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.” That’s a huge get for gays and lesbians and we should hold it up proudly to our enemies. I’m sure it makes them gnash their teeth.
If you spent your day looking at the comments left here and other gay political sites, you would think our lives were pre-Stonewall . Should we be singing songs of jubilation? No. The stories of August Provost and Chad Gibson should remind us of the work that needs to be done; however, like columnist Dan Savage said after the California Supreme Court’s Prop 8 decision: we are winning. Sure it’s a long slog and there are setbacks, but we are winning. And if you know anything about this country’s history, people respond best to optimistic warriors.
You know, i agree with you completely. I’ll also say, though, that it’s hard to maintain a positive attitude when we turn out and work and vote to elect progressive leaders and then they stick a fork in us the first chance they get. We are making great strides but we’re still everybody’s favorite national pariah and it is really demoralizing.
We were optimistic going into the last election here in California and look how that worked out for us. I think most people are frustrated and it’s just coming out in their posts.
It is important to remain eternally optimistic, faithful and maintain a positive mental attitude, no matter what. However, the anger level among LGBT Americans is at an all time high, as well as the feeling of betrayal by the Obama administration and other politicians. Extreme anger, properly channeled, and tempered with optimism and faith is probably the only way we will ever achieve equality. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that President Obama is intentionally inciting a revolution in order to give his administration and congress the excuse they need to act now. That way, he gets to throw us under the bus in exchange for other concessions from those who hate us more than paying higher taxes, and later, be forced to fulfill his campaign promises to LGBT Americans. So here’s to forcing them with every means possible, including economic and political boycott, raising more hell than ever, and digging our collective heels in and saying enough is enough.
Dear James- at 55- I’m tired of the bullshit. So I call bullshit- bullshit. If it’s your bullshit that I’m commenting on I’m gonna be calling it bullshit. You want us to be respectable when some ignorant bitch is using her religious perspective to call me a degenerate pervert- she’s gonna get it right back from me exactly as she’s putting it out. We may be winning but I’m done waiting. And as a much older homosexual who’s been in the middle of this fight for decades- well- you get what you get.
After reading alot of people’s comments on here, I started to lose faith in President Obama. I had realized that it was from all of the people commenting about how awful he is that made me think that way. I decided to not read everyone’s bs about Obama. I stopped hating him, and I realized that I voted for him, because I believed in him. He has only been in office for almost 6 months. I know everyone wants their rights, right now, but you just can’t snap your fingers and get results.
So far, Prsident Obama has had a wall full of shit fall on him from the previous 8 years of disaster. I know it’s going to take time, and hard work from everyone in the United States government, and even us. Don’t put down Obama, because most of you voted for him. I believe he will keep his promises, but it’s going to take time. I don’t like republicans, and after reading most of the comments on this site, I’m starting to feel the same way about Democrats.
If you voted for Obama, give him the chance to prove you wrong. Although you may feel like he’s stabbing you in the back, what are most of you doing? Obama is not God, he’s a man that makes mistakes, nobody is perfect. I still have to believe in him, because I voted for him. He’s got 4 years as president, if he doesn’t keep his promises, fine, vote for another person, but a republican as president?!? I’m sorry I just can’t turn my back on my party.
I’m with you on the disgusting use of sexist comments re: Sally Kern, James. It never ceases to amaze me how quick people are to jump on “The Menstruator” for her “man-hating,” but the repeated use of words that degrade women often go unnoticed on this site. It has bothered me for some time and I am glad someone had the guts to call us on it. Thanks!
J. Bruce,
Fine. You are 55 and tired of bs. Why must you call Kern an “ignorant bitch”? I’m sure if she called you a ” stupid faggot” you, and everyone else here, would be howling about her bigotry.
Want to mock her? Go at it but once you use “bitch”, you are no different from her.
Sincerely,
James
Actually James- you don’t know me at all- really.
What I’ve learned over the years is that folks don’t want to change their views on my sexuality- PERIOD. So although my getting in their god-damned faces about it may not get them to happily change their ignorant belief structures- it so totally shocks the shit out of them that any god-damned faggot would get up in their stupid faces- that over time they have to deal with that fact! They espoused their bigotry/stupidity and some asshole cocksucker that’s bigger than they are SPIRITUALLY challenged them!!! How dare the motherfucker!
In fact- challenging bullshit does work.
Ya wanna argue with me about it? Go ahead. It’ll take 3 to 6 months- and in the end I’ll win and you’ll be a whole new person.
Thanks!
jbwilcox@jbrucewilcox.com
I hate to say this, but it’s not just this site that seems to be a haven for negative commentary. I generally visit about 8 news sites each morning, most of which have comment sections. A good 85-93% of posts on any of those sites are patently negative. The internet was invented as a tool for communication; what so many people are communicating aren’t facts or pieces of information, but opinions and beliefs disguised as facts and information. But this is what happens when you have a country that has sanctified the freedom of speech: you get the good AND the bad. It isn’t time to stop reading the commentary sections, it’s time to advocate for something else. For that, I applaud this column, Withers. It has to start somewhere, right?
And…
James- I’m a person who challenges belief structures. I do this because I CAN do this. I can do this because of the many years of spiritual self-work I did in the late 1980s.
As not-heterosexuals during this planetary time of very great change (in my opinion) we came here in mass and found ways to come out and be who we are. Yet still- RELIGIONS (in a secular society) continue to harass to the point of murder we not-heterosexuals. And it happens all over the world and this free country we live in isn’t immune from it. I’ve personally been abused since I was 8 years old. And I’m tired of it and over it.
So you’re looking for optimism?
I lived through the 80s and I lost a thousand friends- at least.
But it is true- things have changed for us- over time and precisely because people like me came out in the 1960s/70s. But all these years later- so much hasn’t changed- so much so that I still regularly get referred to as an ABOMINATION. Well- I just decided that if an abomination is what ‘they’ wanted from me- an abomination is exactly what they’re going to get. It does kinda surprise them- though!!!
Back to optimism…
Kiss my ass.
Culturally- I’ve been somewhat pessimistic. Personally- I’m very very optimistic. After 30 years pursuing my art as my reason for existence- through some very dark times- I’m doing quite well and was just handed on a plate a very big show late next year. That is of course after having my work juried into many shows all over the country/world- getting published and winning awards. It’s called hard work- dedication and unswerving perseverance against impossible odds- including climbing out of more than one suicidal depression over time.
So please- just because you think we should all be happy and optimistic campers and just love all these idiots till we get our equal rights- I think a little hard-wired rage expression might actually do you some good. It’s done me a world of good.
You see- you’re still basing your conjecture on a society that I don’t even believe in. I don’t have to be liked. You do. So I am free to be NOT NICE. And it is a profound freedom.
Have a great day!
I am.
J. Bruce,
So what does all of this have to do with calling Sally Kern a female dog? And why is staying away from the lanaguge of bigotry a need to be liked?
Sincerely,
James
James, I do agree with you, however I think you only scratched the surface of this subject. I too become tired of the sexist comments that are too frequently used here and at other sights; referring to males, females and other minorities—it really shows the ignorance of the poster/blogger—a blazing attempt to rouster the anger in “the troops” and the community as a whole; in fact, the words do neither: rouster nor mobilize “the troops”. I look at as: posters and bloggers are effectively–lazy. Now, before I get deriled for what I’m about to say in Bloggerville, think of it this way: English, over the last 1,000 years has evolved to where there are so many well-fitted adjectives that would better describe, for example, Sally Kern, than would typing the “c-word” or “b-word”. I personally think that the “c-word” is never appropriate in any context; in any situation. The “b-word” is appropriate if you’re at a dog show. My suggestion is a simple one: before one types a sexist remark (ladies and gentlemen), consult a Thesaurus prior to a sexist rant—I guarantee you, there are much better, and more powerful adjectives that won’t make your rant fall flat and inevitably on deaf ears.
I have to say that I agree with Mr. Withers. I used to read every comment to the articles which interested me, but, over time, I’ve learned that many are simply better to skip.
Racist and mysogynistic language are easy targets to dismiss someone. A surprising amount of the LGB population is transphoic. A surprising amount of the LGT community is biphobic. Ts who hate LGBs. Etc, etc. Then they are the constant comments by people in cities they think are progressive dismissing whole states along with any LGBTs who choose to live in them. And on and on.
Worse is that after reading any article I can predict what a large portion of the comments are going to say. “It’s time to fight back with violence. All this time since Stonewall and we’ve gotten nowhere. All religions are evil. No politician (including gay ones) has ever helped us.” Etc, etc. I want to give people room to be upset, and I certainly understanding the impulse to engage in cheerleading, but sometimes a little nuance is a very good thing.
I wonder (and will never know, of course) what my (dyke) mother would have to say about all of this considering one of her favorite pharase when referring to a female that bugged that hell out of her as a “dumb ‘C’” or just a “DC?” I think she would probably use one of her other favorite phrases: “oh, do me a favor and stick it up your ass.” Having spent the WWII years working in the shipyards in San Pedro CA she learned a lot of interesting phrases and being a butch les was not afraid to use any of them. Her reasoning was that if you were insulted or hurt or offended then you had the problem, she didn’t. I suspect if she could (may be doing so from up there some where) read these comments she might say “what a bunch of pissy fruits.” I think I would agree with her!
Absolutely right! One step at a time and one battle at a time. We will win the war although we may suffer a few defeats along the way. That is how ever civil right has been won. The movement is too strong not to win. We have political movement and a growing grassroots movement to keep it on a high profile. Time is on our side. Keep the faith my friends. Victory is around corner.