BARBARA WEICKSEL
This is a crazy world we live in. People are quick to judge and quick to tell you exactly what is wrong with your life.
The gay community has fought for decades for fair and equal treatment under the law. We want to be treated with respect and have our voices be heard in a world that somehow seems to only hear what it considers to be normal — although what is normal is really up for debate.
After years of struggling, we are finally having our gay voices being heard and our civil rights are ever so slowly coming to pass. Why then must the voices who seem to speak for the gay community believe that it’s perfectly okay to start telling people where they can and cannot speak?
If Tim Tebow wants to speak at Liberty University who are we to tell him otherwise?
Do I agree with the anti-gay stance of Liberty University? Of course I don’t. But it’s a private University, and who am I to tell kids not to go there for an education, or Tim Tebow not to speak there? It’s not for me to say, and certainly not for me to attack him for his faith.
If Tim Tebow is homophobic, well that’s on Tim Tebow — not me, or you, or any of the folks who write and publish and speak about gay rights. Do they have a right to write and publish and speak how they feel about him speaking at Liberty University? Absolutely. They have as much right as Tim Tebow has to speak there, or any other place he wants to speak.
Not everyone is going to like us and just accept us for who we are. The more we tell people how they are supposed to act and vote and where they can speak and what they can write, the more they are going to think we are just radicals standing on corners preaching and holding placards about equal rights.
They aren’t going to care – they are simply going to want us to shut up and go away.
Honestly, sometimes I just want us to shut up. So Tim Tebow is speaking at Liberty University… who cares? The man is the second string quarterback for the New York Jets – I see that as his own little bit of karma.We (the gay community) want to be treated as equals. We want respect and dignity. We want our voices to be heard, and mainly we just want to live our lives in peace with the people we love. We can’t want anything less for every other person of every other gender and religion, now can we? Wouldn’t that be just a bit hypocritical on our part?
The people who hate us will never change their hearts and minds by simply because we yell at them or tell them where they can speak or what they can say or how they should feel. People are who they are. The bigger and better path is to simply live your life with dignity, know who you are, and know your life matters. Voting is essential – donate time and money when you can to people who can help, and never be less than who you are.
Tim Tebow can’t take anything away from you that you aren’t willing to part with. Know that in all things, it’s not so much about what you say as it is about how you say it.
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awesome article, very well written. And here in Denver we’re are all glad to see Tim with New York and a 2nd string quarter back
well said
I’m sure the Uncle Marys all approve of this article. Some of us are still yelling because we’ve been fighting for Equal Rights for 40 or more years and little ground has truly been gained.
Celebrities admired by kids like my nephew (a Gator fan) it does matter where you speak.
Good point made.
i think in the past year or so more progress has been made then has been dreamed of and faster then was ever though possible i mean ever since obama voiced his opinion so much has changed
sure it matters, but denying them the rights we use for ourselves is hypocritical. Tell them they CAN’T speak there, is telling us we can’t hold our own speachs where we want. It fuels the rant they have going, we are taking their rights away. it does US no good.
No one has any right to suppress the opinions of others. If you don’t like that opinion, don’t listen. However, if a business or institution receives one penny of Federal or local funds and that locality or the Feds have included gays in their anti-discrimination policies, then they do not have the right to discriminate or create a hostile environment for any protected minority. And aside from all that, there is such a thing as public morality: demonizing and speaking of bigotry and hatred is offensive to those who are being spoken against, and is a dangerous occurence for the entire population of this nation.. Would this university dare to say negative things about African-Americans, for example? I doubt it. The gay community is assailed and rabidly attacked by those who will do us harm because it is allowed, by social policies and legislation. The American gay community is told where we can or cannot live and be regarded and treated as fully equal American citizens, we are told where we can and can not be married…that is unjust, but OK,right?
Except take out “anti-gay” and put in “racist” or “sexist”, and we wouldn’t even be having the conversation.
The point isn’t that Tebow is speaking at a church. The point is that we cannot allow our sexual identities to be fair game to ANYONE. My being gay is part of who I am as a person, as important as the fact that I’m male, Italian, and a New Yorker.
Don’t be an apologist for the oppresors! F them and f their magical deities.
The article does make an interesting point in regards to how fighting too much can make us look worse. We need to pick battles that will have an impact. Making Tebow a big issue doesn’t change his stance, nor does it do anything to further causes that we’re currently fighting for. It makes our cause look petty when we go after things that don’t really matter in the bigger picture.
To Partida: If not Tebow, which issue would you say is the most important at this time?
No one it forcing Tebow to speak or not to speak. We may suggest in strong terms that there will be consequences to his actions, but ultimately that’s his decision to make.
Every battle needs to be fought. If we let these sorts of things go, they get bigger.
While I am a firm believer in 1st Amendment Rights, I agree with Gregory P. Gallien and a few others who describe what is heterosexism and discrimination within a society that sanctions antigay violence, whether in words or with a fist. Groups cross over into hate speech, albeit protected speech in most cases, when they voice their views that are prejudicial and rally against others deemed as less human, undesirable, or immoral, and when these groups or persons fund antigay attitudes and campaigns to deny civil rights (Think Chic-Fil-A) so they can dictate and legislate how others will live; it becomes very clear when replacing “homosexual” with “Black” that bigotry and some form of -ism, or -ist are at play. This doesn’t mean the LGBT community should cease challenging said bigotry, heterosexism, and sexual prejudice, or voicing their rights to equal protections under the law. Let Tebow speak, and all the others who feel their prejudicial views on homosexuality are valid. They live in denial, IMHO, and are casualties of heterosexual gender construction dutifully performing their straight gender roles as dictated by society. We should not limit speech, but we must confront and challenge ignorance and hate by pointing it out.
Okay, how about is: Most of us can agree that Tim Tebow is antigay, but mildly so compared to the hundreds of other heteronormists we’ve confronted in the past few years. So, I propose that we should wait until Tebow speaks, then we’ll see how nasty his speech can really get we call Tebow out. If your consensi are any indication, we can’t put Tebow that high up on our bad list until we can positively link him to instigating or inspiring antigay abuses. Under the assumption that there are far worse straight supremacists who make Tim Tebow look tame, I’ll agree to let him speak first, then call him out later.
He is a non factor. His 15 minutes are up. 2nd string QB for the jets for god’s sake…can’t get much lower than that!
People , (especially some people in our GLBT community) need to stop worrying about what people think and say and be true to themselves , accept and love themselves and stop whining and demanding that everyone love us and accept us and thinking just because some “celebrity” (that I bet half of the whiners are drooling over) that they must be homophobic. Just because he is speaking at a university that unfriendly to the GLBT community does not mean that Tim is homophobic. He is passionate about Christ and comes from a very close knit family, seems like a genuinely sweet guy , is a healthy hard working athlete and is in my opinion stunningly good looking. Whats not to like about him? I am an out , proud gay male (been out 18 years now) with a partner and we are both active and proud Christians as well. I also love sports, NFL football being one of them. So lets collectively quit the whining and get over ourselves!!
People , (especially some people in our GLBT community) need to stop worrying about what people think and say and be true to themselves , accept and love themselves and stop whining and demanding that everyone love us and accept us and thinking just because some “celebrity” (that I bet half of the whiners are drooling over) is not voicing their love and support for us that they must be homophobic. Just because he spoke at a university convocation for a university like Liberty that is unfriendly to the GLBT community does not mean that Tim is homophobic. From clips I have listened to ….from his speech he was speaking about doing your best, follow your dreams, work hard and honor your family and God. Hardly a bad thing to address with new grads and young people !! Heck if Tim came out and said he was gay people would still find fault in that too I am sure here in the GLBT community. Tim Tebow is passionate about Christ and life , comes from a very close knit christian family, seems like a genuinely sweet guy , is a healthy , hard working athlete and is in my opinion stunningly good looking. Whats not to like about him? I myself am an out , proud gay male (been out 18 years now) and am an open and proud Christian (active in my church , where I am warmly accepted, respected supported and loved) as well. I also love some sports, NFL football being one of them. So lets collectively quit the whining and get over ourselves!!