By Desmond Rutherford (Adelaide, Australia) OCT 11 | Bringing attention to the wrongs of homophobia is a good idea. Making it clear that the segregation of a minority based on sexuality, marriage equality etc., is unjust, is also well worthwhile.
But I think I am inclined to go for the jugular and expose the right wing fundamentalist religious indoctrination of children, for the evil that it is; demand the removal of tax exemption for religions on the grounds of corruption of, the freedom of the individual, and the public good, and lobby for the enforcement of the separation of church and state.
The religious are entitled to their belief in sin, but they are not entitled to force us to agree to their belief, no matter how they interpret their sacred texts. Their missionaries of conversion must be restricted to an invitation without coercion or threat about this life or some other life.
While we're at it, how about removing "In God We Trust." and "One Nation Under God."
Just think what the effect would be if we carried signs like, "In Life We Trust," and "One Nation Sharing Love, “ "One World of Compassion."
If that means we have to remove the concept of greed from the economic system, then do it, it won’t be too soon.
As for our LGBT cause, our demands, our inalienable rights, we have that covered in the right to pursue happiness. That pursuit, that equality, is our birthright, and those who would deny them to us must be reminded that it is not their prerogative to bully us, to ridicule us, to denigrate us, ever again, ever!
And if they see our demands for a world of love and peace as the homosexual agenda, then let them succumb to their own sin of bigoted, hypocritical homophobia.
After all they are the ones denying the evolution of the goodness of humanity.
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To graphically illustrate the point Des makes in the proceeding Op-Ed comes this news item published today from Norman, Oklahoma...
Zach Harrington Family Photo
By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) OCT 10 | One week after attending a Norman, Oklahoma City Council meeting September 28th when the city's council passed a proclamation declaring October to be Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender History Month, 19 year old Zach Harrington committed suicide at his family’s home in Norman seven days after the meeting, yet another apparent victim of anti-gay hate. His parents say they hope the story of his death will make people think twice before they say certain things about their friends and neighbors in public. "We’re hoping it will also prompt them to reflect upon the hatred in their hearts."
Staff writer Andrew Knittie reports in the Norman Transcript:
Norman Council voted 7-1 acknowledging the proclamation, but only after three hours of allotted support for and opposition against was heard. Among those in opposition, a man who said he moved to Norman because he thought it the kind of place that would never accept the GLBT community “with open arms.” A woman who referred to herself as being “bi-racial” said she was tired of the GLBT struggle for equality constantly compared to Civil Rights. A number of those in attendance expressed fear that passing such a proclamation would permit the members of the GLBT community to “infiltrate” the public school system, advancing an agenda of adding the teaching of the “gay lifestyle” to the curriculum.
Council members also told reporters that several had been receiving threatening e-mail and phone calls after the proclamation was made.
The family of Zach Harrington, who describe him as a young man who “internalized his feelings and emotions,” said the “toxic” environment at that council session September 28th might have precipitated Zach taking his own life, his sister Nikki saying:
“When he was sitting there, I’m sure he was internalizing everything and analyzing everything ... that’s the kind of person he was. I’m sure he took it personally. Everything that was said.”
Zach Harrington, like Tyler Clementi, was a talented musician, who graduated from Norman High School in 2009 after years of struggling with acceptance, his father Van saying that his son asked to leave school early during his senior year and complete his diploma in a separate program.
“He feared for his own safety on many occasion at (Norman High), and other people like him,” said his father. “Even though he was 6-4, he was passive and I’m sure being gay in that environment didn’t help.” His son was a member of the band, orchestra, and “the first-ever male captain of the colour guard,” Van saying “He could have done whatever he wanted to do.”
His father said he was not sure why Zach attended the city council meeting, especially after his experiences in high school.
“I don’t think it was a place where he would hear something to make him feel more accepted by the community,” he said. “For somebody like Zach, it was probably very hard to sit through.” Zach’s family say that they do not resent the community that so savagely spoke against their son and others like him, Van saying “I don’t have any anger ... I just hope those people look inside themselves and put themselves in somebody else’s shoes before saying things like that. Maybe if more of us did that, well, maybe things would’ve turned out different.”
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