Matters Gay

As I sit at the keyboard this day has dawned sparkling clear, cool, crisp and calm. It is a Friday morn. The sun washes through freshly mown grass pixilating the greens only imagined in dreams. Dew drops lazily fall from overhead leaves building rainbows only seen by birds and insects. Blue skies offset by tree silhouettes, their branches tipped with gold from the early morning sun.

Enjoying the scene; appreciation opens another day of possibility and value. Allowing our senses to receive such stimuli is a joy. Simple. Deep breaths. Serenity.

So why the title of today’s blog? Maybe because serenity is disturbed by comments continually uttered by malcontents who refuse to understand realities of Nature. The Anthony Perkins of the world roils opinions because that brings him attention; the Family Research Council spews its hate and discontent because there is a political center of votes drawn into battles that win congressional seats. Power comes from these ill-formed urges and twists of logic. So vitriol spills over the land as wild as a river roaring down a narrow mountain chasm. The too-clever comments hurled before TV cameras hit the mark of immature souls who feel good hearing their bias’ aired in public.

And yet the FRC gets away with this because it attaches Christianity to its missives, the hallowedness of patriotism to its message and garners support from unwitting conservative republicans; or just plain ignorant people. Those who do not question the speaker or author as to the credibility of their words. Saying it is so doesn’t make it so. We all know that, or do we?

As politicians continue to damage their own credibility by spewing nonsensical bleats during campaigns, they damage also our ability to pay attention to the things that matter. Along with that come boredom, ennui and a ceding of discussion. Those left on the battlefield let stand the untruths; and upon that scrabbled foundation a creed begins to form.

Only if we let it. It takes courage to recognize the need to fight on, to set the record straight; to maintain truthful standards as foundations of beliefs.

Let me put forth a few comments regarding gay culture in America.

James Carville has said, “I was against gay marriage until I realized I didn’t have to get one.” Right on Mr. Carville! It doesn’t apply to you, only to those who are gay and desire equal treatment under the law. But first those who hold the votes have to allow equal treatment under the law to be granted to all of its citizens.

Dan Savage, noted humorist, author, reporter and gay ‘tilter at windmills’ shared this story with his public:

“The clerk called over her manager, a nice older white man, who explained that Amy and Sonia couldn’t have a marriage license. So I asked if Amy and I could have one – even though I’m gay and live with my boyfriend, and Amy’s a lesbian and lives with her girlfriend. We emphasized to the clerk and her manager that Amy and I don’t live together, we don’t love each other, we don’t plan to have kids together, and we’re going to go on living and sleeping with our same-sex partners after we get married. So could we still get a marriage license? “Sure,” the license-department manager said, “if you’ve got $54, you can have a marriage license.””

Now isn’t that just special? It’s not about right or wrong, up or down; it’s about process. Words meaning nothing but process holding mathematical certainty.

Yet, Focus on Family, Family Research Council and the Boy Scouts of America are obsessed about homosexuality and what they think it means. No research have they done; nor thoughtful interrogation or discussion. Just empty statements forming vacuous conclusions. Oh, and some drivel about the US Constitution and religious freedom, and of course that leads to accusations that religious freedom is under attack. No, folks, that isn’t what is under attack.

What is being attacked is fairness and logic. Assertions don’t count. Facts do.

There is no Gay Agenda; I’ve never found any coherent remnant of it, or read a cogent summary of it. I’ve not encountered one organized clan of gay persons who agree with each other! They are willo-the-wisps. Misty creations of conservative minds willing into being enemies who are not there.

What are there are American citizens living their lives in honesty. They live in fairness and respect toward others. They expect the same in return. They don’t always get it, but expect it, yes. That is our Constitution.

If gays cause some people consternation, then that’s their problem. Trying to make this a religious issue so they can make it a political issue is sheer bosh.

But last I check bosh does sway voters. Unless we can collectively laugh loud enough and long enough to sway them back to logic or silence.

Which will it be? Today it is the ‘gay agenda’. Perhaps tomorrow it will be national parks? Or smaller government? Or Social Security? Or Medicare? Which fight do you prefer to fight?

Or do we realize this is really all of them, all of the time. Being a woman, or a poor person, or a Muslim, or African American, or immigrant, or….. This is our full-time being so it is our full-time job to protect and defend. Or am I a hopeless ideologue who believes in the American Promise and its Constitution? I hope I am that. I hope you are my blood sibling in this as well.

August 18, 2012