Commentary

More messages of divisiveness, as backlash from NY marriage equality vote continues

More messages of divisiveness, as backlash from NY marriage equality vote continues

The lead story in the LGBT media this past weekend has been the tremendous impact that the political maneuvering and legislation — culminating with the law that legalizes same-sex marriage in New York state — will have on equality for LGBTQ citizens across the United States.

Troublesome though, has been the outrage from so-called Christians and their politically aligned organizations and allies that not only decry the courage of the lawmakers in New York, but so completely demonize LGBT persons so as to make mockery of the word “humanity.”

Here’s Rev. Pat Robertson, predicting that God will destroy America because of marriage equality:

New York State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., the lone Democrat to vote against marriage equality, is now hailed as a “hate crimes victim” by Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association:

Ruben Diaz

“For taking a principled, religiously-rooted stand for the institution that undergirds all of human civilization, Diaz has become the latest in a long, sad string of victims of the true hatemongers in America, homosexuals activists. [sic] Their hate crime against him is motivated by prejudice against his religion, which teaches that God designed marriage exclusively as the union of one man and one woman. […]

“Homosexuals are rapidly cementing their position as the number one perpetrators of hate crimes in American today.”

Linda Harvey, founder of Mission American Director, writes that marriage equality will lead to a “perpetual pansexual pagan party.”

Linda Harvey

“Welcome to entitlement sex. The New York crowd was on board with this concept, too, erupting into applause for Obama at all the appropriate moments. And why not? They live in a city that has already earned its Good Sodomizing Seal of Approval. More than 36,000 men who have sex with men in New York City are currently living with HIV/AIDS. This bleak prognosis casts a shadow on these ‘marriages,’ but no one wants to think about that.”

And then there’s the anti-gay Family Research Council, getting to the heart of “The Problem with Gay Marriage:”

There absolutely does not seem to be any call for reasonable discussion from the far-right on issues of equality pertaining to LGBTQ Americans.

There also has been a lack of a measured voice coming from the administration as President Obama has proven himself to be ineffectual on this issue, with little display of true leadership, by directly countering the message that somehow LGBTQ Americans are evil, sin filled, sexually depraved and obsessed beings who are incapable of being human.

While he may direct his Justice Department to cease defending DOMA, while he may have pushed hard for ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” while he says that he supports the rights of states to legislate marriage in such a manner as to benefit all of their citizens including the LGBTQ community, what is truly missing is his standing up and saying that the unceasing messages of divisiveness are truly enough.

There is absolutely nothing to be gained from these tirades, Mr. President. The Constitution was written guaranteeing that Americans will have the religious freedoms to worship as they please without fear of retribution, government interference or regulation or suppression.

This is very simple sir, the time has come that you must use the bully pulpit that is your office and tell persons like those I have illustrated above, that their messages are not only far removed from Christianity, but indeed reflect very un-American values that frankly mirror the repressive theocratic regimes in Iran or Saudi Arabia, which ironically, many of these same persons or groups also demonize in terms of citizens who have fled those regimes and now live in the United States.

Mr. President, it’s time to “grow a pair” politically on this topic. When are enough messages of divisiveness, enough?

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Linda Harvey: Marriage equality will lead to ‘a perpetual pansexual pagan party’

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