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Loving the Hater While Hating the Hate

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:32:47 -0700

Loving the Hater
While Hating the Hate
by James Nimmo

(OKLAHOMA CITY) I found a link recently to a blog (www.bilerico.com) that contains a comment (http://tinyurl.com/4qdbph) written in reaction to reading the main story about the Oklahoma City chapter of PFLAG and their recording of Rep Sally Kern (http://tinyurl.com/2zbpgn) that catches Kern in her spider web of hubris and cant.

Like the author, I too, am very disappointed with the approach of "loving the hater while hating the hate."

Of course, I respect our supporters who use their close relationship with Jesus to try and gain support for LGBT citizens and other minorities who are used for verbal target practice in the war for suppression of civil rights.

I'm delighted the Oklahoma City PFLAG chapter was able to document the duplicity of Sally Kern and record with her permission the lies she later reported as irresponsibility on the part of PFLAG. This single incident should show you the arrogance and madness that is being passed off as legislative Republican leadership. Not one elected official in Oklahoma from either major party has come strongly to the defense and support of the LGBT taxpayers living in Oklahoma.

Had Kern used race, skin color, or ethnic origin as her subject I bet the rent she would be renewing her teaching certificate today and looking for a school that would hire her.

The First Amendment guarantees both sides the freedom to practice their respective religious viewpoints and the market place in which to talk about them.

However, this same First Amendment does NOT give either side permission to encode their religious viewpoints into CIVIL law. I feel this is where we miss the boat in establishing our birthright to equal treatment under judicial law, and not the ten laws of Deuteronomy.

There will always be a bible verse to trump the opposing bible verse resulting in a version of ping-pong skirmishes with Jesus as the referee.

The writer gives some specific examples of public, peaceful protest that we can engage in to show that LGBTs are neither the doormats nor the monsters our enemies make us to be.

It's odd that our suppressors are either afraid to be in the same room with us, fearing for their own bodily integrity, keeping their knees close together; or they dismiss us as dippy airheads, frivolous and irresponsible. How can we be both at the same time?

Their response shows more about the fiction in their minds then about the truth of our lives.

Until we get out of the religious justification business the more we'll be dragged into its historical quagmire. Look at the present wars being fought around the world and you'll see religious intolerance at the root.

Our LGBT equality will have to be established in the legislatures and the courthouses in all fifty states without religious prejudice tipping the scales of justice.

Living this. . .

Brwn.Skn — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:48:19 -0700

My mother is a Black ex-military, Republican Preacher. . .so needless to say my being a lesbian is a HUGE no-no and EVERY conversation that she can squeeze it in to that I am "being deceived by the Devil" and not living the life God intended for me. . .it hurts. . .to no end to know that my own mother, my once best friend thinks that I am ignorant or that I choose to live my life as a lesbian. I have recently started the process of AI and I'm terrified to tell my mother about it. . .when I was in a relationship and I discussed with her that my then partner and I were going to have children together she said "Why would you bring a child into that?" and followed that statement with "I don't know if I could ever accept that child as my grandchild." WOW. Because of my experience with my family and my "church" back home I have shyed away from "Religion" and have become more spiritual. I have come to the realization that My Creator made me exactly how I was to be made and it is my responsibility to live my life the way My Creator was meant for me to live it.

It saddens me to know that the hate and judgement spewed from the pulpit is the reason why we are losing our "family" one by one. . .We all know that this country and its beliefs are rooted "In God We Trust" from George Washington on down. . .and even those that do not subscribe to a religion still accept the belief that different is not okay.

I pray that when My Creator blesses me with a child that s/he will grow into a world that is more tolerant. And if that day does not come, then s/he will have a mother that will instill in her/him that it's okay to be different and it's never okay to hate.

And on another note. . .I too work for Child Protective Services and it breaks my heart to see LGBT youth coming into foster care because their parents do not want them. . .and it is even more disappointing that we can't find a placement because Foster Parents don't want "our" LGBT children. . .or if they do accept them. . .they preach at them and force them to "fit the mold." My heart is so heavy.

The State of Things

po1008 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:02:17 -0700

In recent news we have seen the murders of two different members of the LGBT community. For those of you unfamiliar with the acronym, LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. It is heart rending to read about these slain youths; people should not have to face violence and hatred for simple expression of their gender and sexuality. People have become complacent about gay rights and have pushed harder to dehumanize us as of late.