Straight Dude. Gay News. Episode 10: Louis J. Marinelli Reveals the Truth About NOM

The illusion that makes up NOM’s base of support, by Louis J. Marinelli

Straight Dude. Gay News. Episode 9: Louis J. Marinelli's Change of Heart

Louis J. Martinelli's statement

Straight Dude. Gay News. Episode 8: Sweetwater Housing Authority

OneNewsNow article "Homosexual influence = 'tyranny of the minority'"

Williams Institute study: "How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?"

City-Data.com page for Sweetwater with 2009 population count

Queerty article with an image of the letter

Sweetwater boards and commissions meeting locations

A Perfect Microcosm

I try not to waste my time deconstructing idiocy, but this morning I just can't help myself. The Italian newspaper Il Giornale recently critized the IKEA furniture company for its Italian billboards showing two men holding hands. In a very few sentences, Il Giornale managed to achieve such a high density of puerile self-contradiction that they managed to touch on every reason why I'm a straight ally.

Here are the statements from Il Giornale, as reported by the UK Daily Mail.

Il Giornale, the newspaper owned by ruling prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has promoted himself as a defender of family values despite his involvement in a series of sex scandals has condemned the advert.

It labelled it as 'provocative' and added: ’What's behind all this? It's not awareness of gay rights for gay couples. It's just a brazen marketing strategy.’

The paper went on to say that it was 'not an isolated incident' but a clear attempt at 'Swedish Imperialism' that tried to make everyone equal by having the same 'cheap furniture.'

Il Giornale added:’One has to ask what is the point of such a campaign by IKEA in Catania - it's obvious that they are just trying to get themselves talked about.’

Berlusconi and his ruling People of Freedom Party have long championed family values and aligned themselves with the all-powerful Catholic Church which condemns homosexuality and same-sex relationships.

Il Giornale's website was inundated with outraged comments protesting at what they called a 'shock campaign' but gay rights campaigners in Italy welcomed the advert.

For me, the most obvious and galling fallacy is that the billboards constitute an attack, and that the people viewing them are victims. Il Giornale calls them "provocative", a "shock campaign," and... oh, this is wonderful... "Swedish Imperialism"!

When I think of imperialism, I think of Cromwell, whose heart filled with a Puritanical fire that cleansed Ireland of half its population. I think of the genocidal relocation of native Americans. I think of redcoats bayoneting Indians in that inimitably British way that gave Kipling such a manifest boner. I think of tank treads rolling over village greens, and over dissidents. And I think of IKEA, who erected a vertical piece of paper bearing the image of two men holding hands.

Those bastards!

Ahem. Yes. So, just to be clear: disagreement with me does not constitute an attack on me. Please, everyone, learn this simple rule. Because you will be tested on it. Oh, not by me; don't be silly. No, you'll be tested by your God. Or your gods. Or your lack thereof. We all have it comin', kid.

Now let's move on to the assertions of IKEA's "real" motivations, because they are revealing. Il Giornale says "What's behind all this? It's not awareness of gay rights for gay couples. It's just a brazen marketing strategy... One has to ask what is the point of such a campaign by IKEA in Catania - it's obvious that they are just trying to get themselves talked about."

Wait, what?

Il Giornale, you just said that IKEA was a bunch of "Swedish Imperialists". I imagined their hideously powerful invasion force carrying brown boxes full of ingeniously packed tank parts across the Alps for easy assembly in Italy. And now you're telling me that they're... they're businessmen who are so desperate for revenue that they've resorted to hollow sensationalism? Wait... so who's the victim here? Get your story straight, Il Giornale!

Now, consider the accusation that IKEA does not care about gay couples, but is simply trying to get attention. Do you see the implication? Il Giornale is saying that any "normal" person could not genuinely care about gay couples! In fact, the very fact that IKEA purports to care about gay couples is, to them, proof of their insincerity!

And now we've arrived at the core of why I'm a straight ally.

A while back I talked about my unselfish motivation: GLBT folks represent about ten percent of the human population, and no force in human history ever won out against nine-to-one odds. Therefore GLBT folks need help. They need straight people to stand up and say "I'm no more of a human being than they are."

But I have another motivation -- a selfish one. The folks at Il Giornale are not uncommon. There's a lot of people like them on this planet: people who have been steeped in their religion for so long that the free exchange of ideas is anathema to them. And if they ever get their way, then here's what will happen: they will get rid of the Muslims; they will get rid of the fags; and then I will be the next one up against the fucking wall. Because I have made it publicly known that I do not believe in God. And remember how, to many minds, disagreement constitutes an attack? Yeah. That's the mindset that puts bullets in skulls just like mine.

Straight Dude. Gay News. Episode 7: Confusion Over Same-Sex Marriage Laws

Original text of SB5

SB5 as passed

Ohioans protest SB 5 to save unions, domestic partner benefits

FYI: Senate Bill 5 DOES NOT redefine marriage in Ohio

Ohio’s Radical Anti-Union Bill Also Has A Hidden Provision To Deny Equal Rights To Same-Sex Couples

Ohio Antilabor Bill Goes Antigay

The Rachel Maddow Show, March 3

Wikipedia article: Same-sex marriage law in the United States by state

Straight Dude. Gay News. Episode 6: Maryland Marriage Equality

Sources:

Baltimore Sun: Gay marriage legislation filed in General Assembly

Text of SB116

WBAL TV: Some Christians Give OK To Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Equality Maryland: Marriage Equality - One Step Closer!

Baltimore Sun: Gay marriage has the votes to pass state Senate

Baltimore Sun: Gay marriage has the votes to clear Md. Senate

Straight Dude. Gay News. Episode 5: Amber Yust

Sources:

"Transgender" article from Wikipedia

San Francisco Chronicle article

Meet Stephanie

I’m Stephanie. A mother of two, a massage therapist, and I try really hard to be vegetarian, but sushi is my downfall. I have a couple of chickens in my garden, so I fancy myself a farmer sometimes. I like reading, blogging, watching repeats of Criminal Minds, and I’m bisexual, an avid walker, a sci-fi & fantasy novel buff, and I have a poster of The Nerve and Blood Supply to the Foot next to my computer while I type… no idea why. And that’s a bit about me.

Bio: Dr. Stephanie Smith-Browne is the author of “Gothic and the Pacific Voyage.” She studied 18th-century British literature at Princeton and holds degrees in politics and the arts from Columbia. Her work has appeared in the Literature of Travel and Exploration; The Times, London; BBC Radio Arts and Drama; and various poetry and literary journals. A poem from her Cannibal God series was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She currently writes on bisexuality and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human and civil rights.

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Stephanie saw my previous post on Evelyn, and asked to be a face of the day. I was all too happy to oblige. Thanks Stephanie!

Meet Evelyn

The year 2010 was a remarkable time in my life to witness an historic event in our American History. On December 22, 2010, I witnessed President Barack Obama sign the most important bill since the Voting Rights Act of 1964. It has been a few weeks, since President Obama repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. This is the beginning a new social transformation of the U.S. Military. My holiday season began with an overwhelming experience. I had the life-changing opportunity to personally shake the president’s hand and hug him-to thank him for supporting “The Forgotten Ones” The Women of Color; the largest population impacted by Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. In the past 8 months, twice I handcuffed myself to the White House fence to bring awareness and attention to the plight of “The Forgotten Ones” The Women of Color. My act of civil disobedience was a fight for equality for the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people that suffered in silence. It was worth risking losing my teaching license-and I would do it all again. I am a servant in God’s Army. I follow the steps of the purest social activist, his name is Jesus Christ and that is to show and demonstrate love for our brothers and sisters. I am honored for this recognition. It comes on the heels of being named one of “The Education Heroes of 2010” and being selected as one of the pictures for “2010 The New York Times 100 Pictures of The Year (Photo 82)”. All I can say is thank you for returning the love.

Evelyn Thomas, a veteran of The U. S. Army and U. S. Marine Corps, she is the founder and Executive Director of The Sanctuary Project (www.sanctuaryproject.org). The activist ministry is headquartered at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, California. This past fall, Post 2 of The Sanctuary Project opened in Texas. She formed the ministry out of the desperate need and failure of The Department of Defense to protect its service members under the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. Ms. Thomas is a licensed secondary educator. Ms. Thomas conducts research in the field of social transformation as the catalyst for legislative reform spearheaded by marginalized populations and the Critical Race Theory as a lens to study homophobia and racism in the public education system. In 2007, she mentored 10 Oceanside High School students to establish the 1st Gay Straight Alliance in the school’s 100 year history. Which was not an easy feat for the students, the school is located outside the gates of Camp Pendleton, California [the largest U.S. Marine Corps base on the west coast] and within North County [which is the “Bible Belt and Conservatism] of San Diego County. In 2009, Ms. Thomas collaborated with the EEO Manager of Human Resources for The City of Oceanside to develop a mandatory Diversity Training Program for all city employees about LGBT issues that may manifest in the work environment. It was the first human resource training to deal with LGBT issues. In 2010, Ms. Thomas developed and implemented the Breaking the Silence training for the Oceanside Unified School District Leadership Team-to guide administrators and teachers to develop the foundation, knowledge, skills, and strategies to better serve the LGBT students, parents, staff and faculty. Her book, Does Butch Nappy Hair Offend You? One Teacher’s Struggle for Acceptance in the Professional World of Education was published in May 2006 by the California State University, San Marcos Press, The Road to the White House [a short essay] was published in May 2010 by the San Diego Gay & Lesbian News, authored curriculum for Civics Education Voices of Change: The American Creed: Freedom of Expression, The Color of My World, etc... and in November 2010, Ms. Thomas participated in the U.S. Marine Corps Writer’s Forum in New York City presenting “The Red Scarf”: a short story of a African-American Transgender Servicemember.

Education: California State University San Marcose
Master of Arts in Education: Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, 2006
Social Science Credential, Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development February 2003
Bachelor of Science: Business Administration: Service Sector, 1999

Professional
74th Assembly District San Diego County Central Committee Representative
Social Science Educator
Founder and Executive Director, The Sanctuary Project AKA The Sanctuary Project Veterans
Chief Executive Officer, The Thomas Systems Associates
GetEqual Provisional Board Member
North County Women’s Democratic Club Treasurer
Professional Writer

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I know Evelyn through Facebook, and when she asked to be a face of the day I was happy to oblige. Thanks Evelyn!

The Metaphor Trap

Lately I've been running into a lot of metaphors relating to LGBT rights. I tend to think in metaphor, so when I see someone using one to support a point with which I disagree, I can't resist deconstructing it and turning it back on itself. I find it satisfying -- so satisfying that I'm coming to see it as counterproductive. Please bear with me as I explain why. I promise to come out the other side of this with something useful to all of us as activists.

I few weeks ago, Johanna Maria Rose posted the following.

So let me get this straight... Larry King is on his 8th divorce, Elizabeth Taylor is possibly getting married for a 9th time, Britney Spears had a 55-hour marriage, Jesse James and Tiger Woods, while married, were having sex with everyone; and yet the idea of same-sex marriage is still going to destroy the institution of marriage? Really? Repost to your page if you agree - Proud to!

Gary Sibio disagreed.

Your argument is flawed. It's akin to arguing that the piano isn't a musical instrument because it sounds awful when a three-year-old bangs on it or a cat walks across it. Marriage, by definition, involves a man and a woman. It is not a relationship created by the government so the government has no authority to redefine it.

Here's my reply.

Gary I love the idea of new pairs of hands playing piano duets. It's an apt analogy because marriage, like the long line of instruments from which the piano arose, is an evolving concept. A piano bears as much resemblance to a harpsichord as the twentieth century notion of marriage does to its eighteenth century incarnation.

After failing to respond to me, and arguing with a few other people, Gary said

And after the government establishes "gay marriage" it can start to work on the square circle.

Again I turned Gary's metaphor on itself.

Well Gary, as straw men go, it ain't bad for a first try. It smells like sour grapes, which is good, 'cause ain't no crow gonna come near it. But it's awful flimsy lookin'. If a crow with no sense of smell comes along, or hell, a good stiff breeze, then that sucker's gonna be in the dirt! Speakin' o' which, here comes one now.

There is no circle. A circle has never existed and will never exist. A circle is an imaginary concept -- what Plato called a "form". In our "sensible world" we can draw circles, but these will never be more than imperfect reflections of that perfect and eternal circle.

Societies have been drawing their imperfect circles since there have been societies, and each society's circle has looked a little different from all the others. But I'd bet that wherever and whenever a circle has been drawn, there's been someone squawkin' about his circle bein' the only circle.

Then, last week, Laura Kanter posted a link to the Washington Post article Gay marriage isn't revolutionary. It's just the next step in marriage's evolution. Dennis Leight asked what I thought was a very important, and irresistible, question.

I've heard some people say "why does a peanut butter and jelly sandwich need to evolve?" What can you say to those people?

Here are the various responses I made.

• Ain't nothin' illegal about eatin' a big thick peanut butter sandwich.
  
  
• Should people who don't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches be forced to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
  
  
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches don't have to evolve. But they will evolve. It's only the people here, now, who assume that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will never evolve. Just like people from every historical epoch assumed that their favorite food was the pinnacle of something or other. It's normal, human, chronological myopia: the demonstrably false assumption that if I did it this way, and my father did it this way, and my grandfather did it this way, then by golly that's the way it's always been done. It's not true. It's never been true. But people have always believed it to be true.
  
  
• A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is an evolving construct. The thing that comes to mind when you say "peanut butter and jelly sandwich" bears little resemblance to what someone just a few generations ago would have thought of upon hearing those same words. You think that an amalgamation of partially hydrogenated corn oil, bleached flour, cane sugar and added salt is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because that's what the intersection of our particular culture and economic forces have settled on. But someone from fifty years ago would take one bite and spit it into the trash can.
  
  The things with which we choose to fill our lives are constructs. Constructs evolve. Inevitably. Children take comfort from sameness. Can't we, as adults, take comfort from the consistency of unsameness?

Then, just a few days ago, Pam Spaulding linked to the Windy City Times article Cardinal George on gay marriage, in which Cardinal George was quoted.

While it is one thing "creating laws so that people don't feel persecuted," the cardinal explained, "don't create a law that says apples are oranges." For a lawmaker to do so, George added, he "betrays his vocation to pass good law," especially problematic for a "Catholic lawmaker."

This prompted the following from me.

Again with the food metaphors. He says "don't pass a law saying that apples are oranges". Fine, we won't. But what does that have to do with the issue at hand? I'll tell you what: apples and oranges were each made by this universe's tendency to spawn complex, self-replicating systems... or by God, if that's what you believe. Whatever. The point is that apples are as they should be, and oranges are as they should be. Likewise, straight people and gay people are as they should be. Would you try to make orange juice from apples? No? Fine. Then don't pretend that gay people don't exist, and don't deny them the right to marry the people whom they love. Simple.

It seems to me like Cardinal George wasn't being honest in his metaphors. If he was, he would've said "don't pass a law saying that rotten apples are apples". If he believes that gay people are defective, he should be clear about that and deal with the consequences.

I love playing with language. I love the challenge not only of taking apart the metaphor and revealing its flaws, but of making from the pieces a more robust machine that serves my own purposes. I love the idea of smiling in the face of the person from whom I took the metaphor, and thanking them for helping me make my point.

I love it too much.

Reducing political arguments to attractive metaphors may make people on my side smile and agree with me, but it's almost certainly not going to help me convert anyone. More importantly, it plays into the hands of my opponents. People who are against LGBT rights win by reducing people to one of two abstract concepts: a joke or a threat. And what is metaphor but abstraction?

So from now on I think I'm going to resist the pull of the metaphorical argument. From now on I'm going to refuse to talk in terms of abstractions. When someone starts talking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I'm going to cut them off, saying "We're not talking about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We're talking about people." The same goes for apples and oranges, or circles. We must refuse to allow the abstraction of a human being.

Not convinced? Don't think it's reasonable to dismiss those cute, punchy metaphors? Well, don't believe me. Just ask Plato. He was all up in that metaphor shit. Here's a summary of the Platonic conception of the elements from a page about da Vinci's Platonic solids.

Plato conceived the four classical elements as atoms with the geometrical shapes of four of the five platonic solids... This concept linked fire with the tetrahedron, earth with the cube, air with the octahedron and water with the icosahedron. There was intuitive justification for these associations: the heat of fire feels sharp and stabbing (like little tetrahedra). Air is made of the octahedron; its minuscule components are so smooth that one can barely feel it. Water, the icosahedron, flows out of one's hand when picked up, as if it is made of tiny little balls. By contrast, a highly un-spherical solid, the hexahedron (cube) represents earth. These clumsy little solids cause dirt to crumble and breaks when picked up, in stark difference to the smooth flow of water.

Yeah. Uh huh. We all know how well that "pointy fire particles" theory withstood the test of time.

Folks, just because the metaphor seems to fit perfectly... it's still just a metaphor. People are people. Nothing more, nothing less. So don't get sucked in. If anyone tries to reduce a person to an apple or an orange, let them know the error of their ways. Tell 'em they fail as hard as Plato.