Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...LGBT site names supporters of Ark. gay adoption ban
04.29.2009 2:22pm EDT
(Little Rock, Arkansas) Backers of a ballot inititiative banning gays from adopting children in Arkansas are livid after an LGBT rights group posted the names and zip codes of those who signed petitions that led to the question appearing on the ballot.
KnowThyNeighbor.org has posted the names of 83,000 Arkansas citizens who signed the anti-gay adoption and foster care petition in 2008.“This is about responsibility and dialogue,” said Tom Lang, the director of the Massachusetts-based KnowThyNeighbor.
“These petition signers need to stand behind their signatures and be responsible for this dehumanizing attack on the gay community. It’s disgraceful that they have chosen to exercise their prejudice at the expense of children who are now being denied access to loving adoptive and foster parents. Such activity must be challenged and cannot be allowed to pass under the cover of darkness.”
The group previously has posted online the names of over a half million anti-gay petition signers in Massachusetts and Florida.
The group behind the amendment said Wednesday that it will ask the Arkansas Legislature to pass a law prohibiting the release of petition signers’ “personal information.”
“If Arkansas doesn’t have a law prohibiting the release of petitionsigners’ personal information, we will ask the Arkansas Legislature to pass such a law next session,” said Jerry Cox, president of the Family Council Action Committee in a press release.
“This would provide equal protection to any voters who sign a ballot petition, regardless of the cause.”
But Lang defends the publication of the names saying it will lead to a dialogue between gays and opponents of gay rights.
“These conversations can be uncomfortable for both parties,” said Lang, “but they are desperately needed.
“The more that gays and lesbians talk about the importance of their relationships and their love for their children, the faster stereotypes break down and both sides begin to realize how much they have in common.”
Although the law bans both unmarried opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples from adopting or fostering LGBT rights advocates argue the law is particularly harsh for same-sex couples who are banned from marrying in Arkansas.
The link to knowthyneighbor seems to be messed up.
If you recall, the haters did the same thing in CA … they tried to get the names of donors to Prop 8 removed from the Secretary of State’s website … a judge told them to go pound sand.
I hope the same thing happens here. If they don’t have the courage of their bigoted convictions, tough!
83,000 who put their names right out there as HATING Arkansas Children… and not wanting happy homes for them.
Print that list BIG guys. Post in supermarkets!
As Oliver Wendal Holmes said, “The best way to deal with a bad idea is to let it see the light of day.” Hate and bigotry should have a the persons name. If they are unwilling for others to know their views, they are utter and total cowards.
If I signed a petition to make gay adoption legal, I would have no problem having my name and ZIP code published. Hey Arkansans, quit hiding behind your hoods and sheets and OWN your bigotry.
GayGuyinAR – Your reasons may be true enough, but in the end, that doesn’t amount to very much because it doesn’t change a damn thing. These “Conservative Christians” are the biggest bunch of freaking NUT JOBS in this country and they are sending it to hell in a handbasket because of their fucking idiotic MYTHOLOGIES! The time for Mr. and Ms. Nice is OVER! Wea re tired of having to justify our very existence to a bunch of brainwashed, hypocritical, ignorant MORONS!
JoyceinCT:
Why use such ignorant language to portray people from Arkansas?
I’m from Arkansas and was dismayed by the names I saw on this petition. The vast majority of people from my community are as far removed as possible from the “hillbilly” stereotype you are trying to perpetuate. I saw the names of my elementary and high school teachers, my principals, business owners, etc. In other words, highly educated and successful people who should know better. All of them share one thing in common however, they all faithfully attend Southern Baptist Churches where hate and ignorance are preached on a weekly basis. They panic when they see the words “gay” and “children” in the same sentence. They are not hateful people, but they are faithful to what they have been taught, and what they read (literally) in the Bible. Yes, they do “pick and choose.”
I think a lot of them would change their minds, though, if exposed to GLBT people and families. But GLBT people stay in the closet in this very religious region out of fear and internalized homophobia.
One of the most sad observations about this petition is that many of these “Christians” have a LOT of “family values” skeletons in their closets–sex outside of marriage, illegitimate children, affairs, divorce. Of course, those things pale in comparison to the awful sin of homosexuality, and are entirely overlooked by the churches. The hypocrisy boggles the mind.
I said all this because we need to know our enemies–they are not just simple-minded rednecks, they come from every conceivable group of people.
I tried my last name (Bush) in Florida and was dismayed but most certainly not surprised to find EIGHT pages of homophobic and hate-filled Bush’s in that State. How embarrasing to have your last name be so cool as a lesbian in Canada but so synonymous with hate and bigotry in the States!! Okay but i did get a laugh out of the list,,there is a Harry Bush (I kid you not) and I’m thinkin’ perhaps it’s a closet-dyke who has not learned the fine art of a decent trim! Cheers kids!!
Ha…this is interesting. I never knew this existed.
So I go to Mass and look up family…who I thought were total A-holes…turned out they aen’t that bad. But I did check Florida and My Mothers In-laws have signed it…I always knew I didn’t like them for some reason.
I personally think this is a great thing. Let these names be published. Pedophiles names are published online with addresses in order to protect the rights of a community comprised of children and even some adults…the prey.
Let these names be published as a protection to the GLBT community. I’m sure many of the people named in these lists are bigots that have 3 teeth, wear overalls, drive their lawn mower to work, and hump their pet goat Biiiilly…obviously people we all need to be protected from.
God, 4 pages of people with the last name “Sullivan” – I am embarassed for those people whom I share my last name with. Truly sad. Of course, it doesn’t surprise me, as so many of us were brainwashed into catholicism.
Great move! If they are so “proud” of their decisions and views, they should have absolutely no problem with that information being made available. Fear of a backlash – seem well justfied to me, and deservedly so. F*ck ‘em! They wanted a fight – they got one!
I don’t know if talking is important. However, if they sign it they should be willing to have the information be public. If they can’t support it in public, then they shouldn’t sign it.
Jerry Cox wants to cover up who supports what. Seems to me that, if God is on your side, covering stuff up is questioning your God’s power. Just sayin’.
RIGHT ON !! Go Tom GO!!
Maybe in another 50 years or so, when our current gay “leaders” finally realize the ass-kissing approach doesn’t get us anywhere, then maybe we will finally make some significant advances in terms of human rights. I could care less tho because I will be dead by then.