Sunday, March 27, 2011

Holding on to the hatefulness


The Texas government has
embarrassed me many many many times with it's anti-women, anti-gay, and anti-any-kind-of-common-sense decisions....So I'm not even sure why this latest blatantly homophobic move came as a surprise to me. It really shouldn't have, considering that the Texas government has a long record of reacting in the most ridiculous ways when the federal govt. comes in and tells them that they need to shape up....Who remember's Rick Perry's threats of succession?

Anyway, so back in 2003 there was this little case called Lawrence v. Texas, which some of us may remember quite well for the hilarious and brilliant circumstances that led up to it. After a vicious fight by the Texas attorney general, the Supreme Court ruled that the states cannot enforce laws against sodomy......and then the sky started falling and our society became nothing but a bunch of homosexual sex crazed sinners who corrupt our future generations and degrade our country's moral fabric......right? No? Wait, what? That didn't happen? Are you sure?

Then why the heck is Texas insisting on keeping it's anti-sodomy laws on the books?

The last time I checked, this was 2011......not 1811. These laws are unenforceable (and rightly so). But Texas is insisting on keeping them around anyway.....just because they can? To send the message, incase we hadn't gotten it already, that LGBTQ people are (or should be) criminals in the eyes of this state?

When I read this article about it by Darryl Morris on LGBTQNation.com, I was shocked at the immaturity and clearly obvious motives of lawmakers who insist on fighting to keep the homophobic laws of our state around.

For one thing, the term "sodomy" <----click there for an overview of it's history, has multiple problems with it's working definition. It's been used to mean many different things at different times.....everything from oral and anal sex to sexual acts with animals.

So, for me anyway, the fact that these laws remain purposefully on the books sends a message loud and clear that Texan lawmakers think gay sex is bad....and not JUST gay sex, but also pretty much every other kind of "un-natural" sex.....bad bad bad and deserving of finger shakes and frowny faces.....

According to the LGBTQ Nation article, Rep. Wayne Christian (R-Center), said he would be hesitant to change the law, because it “better reflects the views of a lot of citizens” as it is.

Wow!......and yep, that's seriously his last name.

Maybe what his quote really should have said was "I'm not going to speak up in favor of legitimizing any kind of sex other than heterosexual intercourse within marriage because to do so would mean losing the support of my ultra religious conservative backers."

Did you notice how he didn't admit that the laws reflect HIS views? Oh no, just the views of "a lot of citizens." Typical politician.

Well, Mr. Christian, there are "a lot" of LGBTQ people in Texas that you represent as well....are we not citizens?

The article also includes this quote: “By leaving it on the books, you create the potential for abuse,” - Jim Harrington, director of the Texas Civil Rights Project , which is representing two gay men who were kicked out of an El Paso restaurant in 2009 for kissing in public.

Abuse? In Texas??? You're kidding right?








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