"This is what we're up against."

[truthspeaker]

Yesterday I went down to the Minnesota Democratic party headquarters to help put addresses labels on their quarterly newsletter. One of the other volunteers was a lesbian woman in her mid 50s. She was originally from Texas and mentioned her sister works on the Bush re-election campaign staff down there. She mentioned a couple things her family had said to her regarding her homosexuality:

Sister: "If you believed in God you wouldn't be gay."

Father: "You deserve to burn in Hell." "Until you come to me on your knees and beg forgiveness you will still be a lesbian as far as I'm concerned."

She said "This is what we're up against." She's right. I think many people underestimate the level of hatred, bigotry, and religious intolerance in the modern Republican party. These are not well-intentioned freedom-loving Americans with a slightly different point of view with whom we can find common ground. These people hate freedom and they will never compromise. They want the whole country to be subject to their hateful, primitive "values".

It is important that the rest of American knows what the GOP really stands for. They are trying to appeal to "regular Americans" with "traditional values", but the real Republican agenda is neither American nor traditional. Publicizing the Republican party platform and Jerry Falwell's invocation are two ways we can try to get the word out on their true agenda.

[veteran_for_peace]

1. It is true

But I think that biogtry goes beyond simply the Republicans. There are a good deal of Catholic Democrats who feel that way as well. My big brother, who passed away New Years Eve, from complications from AIDS was constantly looked down upon by our family. Why? Because he was gay.

[Lemonwurst]

4. But the difference is...

We can be, and are, ashamed of our bigotry, and as a whole want it to change.

They exploit and encourange theirs. Big difference there.

[veteran_for_peace]

6. You are right about that

:cry:

[newyawker99]

12. Hi Lemonwurst!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kazak]

2. Yeah, sometimes I think...

our tolerance for intolerance will be our undoing.

[rucky]

13. too right n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Parts of the party platform were in my morning paper...

they are openly calling for an amendment to 'define' marriage and to bar any type of civil recognition of 'unions' between gays and they want an amendment to abolish all abortions. If you can't live by their rules and 'values', then you don't belong in the country!

[Ripley]

5. So what they are saying is...

1. By denying any kind of legal "union" of gays they are encouraging promiscuity and co-habitation and pre-marital sex. (All things they are against for straights. So they must still be condemning them to Hell.)

2. Abolishing all abortions will lead to 2 sure outcomes: Women dying from back-alley abortions and more unwanted children in the country and we all know what happens to a lot of them...abuse, neglect, poverty, violence and on an on.

Ain't their world grand?

[truthspeaker]

8. you misunderstand

If everyone lived as good Christians (or possibly Jews, as long as they vote right and stay in their own neighborhoods) then no one would be gay or have out-of-wedlock pregnancies.

And yes, that makes sense to them.

[Ripley]

9. Oh, I don't misunderstand.

I live around lots of them in Dixie.

I was just trying to inject some reality into their abstract platform. Of course their answer to Gay Marriage is: "Don't Be Gay! It's against the Bible!" They can't seem to grasp reality...and they can't give you a real answer when you ask them.

Q: What do you want the two 70 year old lesbians in San Francisco to do? They've lived together for decades, love each other and have a committed relationship that can only be described as "happily married."

A: They....well...It's the hippy Commies in the 60's fault!....they're still going to hell unless they repent and go marry a man.

They babble like a brook.

[truthspeaker]

10. yeah, I was being sarcastic

I compared it to believing there were WMDs in Iraq. Virtually all of the intelligence indicated otherwise, but they just kept believing it.

The model in their heads does not conform to reality very well at all, and they can't seem to change it.

[Jokinomx]

7. It is a sad commentary of attitudes in this country

My heart goes out to all those that are shunned because of how they feel. The evolution of the consciousness of man is a slow one. Those of us that have evolved beyond this immature behavior can get very frustrated at the lack of understanding of those that haven't. Each day... more people DO evolve beyond the hatred... however it takes courage and intelligence to stand up for what is wrong.


:dem:

[coalition_unwilling]

11. Republican party hijacked by fundamentalist kooks

I had a friend who subsequently went over to the dark side (Christian fundamentalist); at one point, he said to me "I think they should put all the homosexuals in a pile and burn them" and then chuckled. This was back in 1980 (24 years ago). It was really creepy, even though he later tried to dis-avow his remarks by saying "I was joking." If these people could, they would put all gays and lesbians into concentration camps and make them wear pink triangles (a la Nazi Germany).

See Cheney squirm, squirm Cheney squirm. Is he so craven that he's willing to sacrifice his own (lesbian) daughter?