What was she thinking?

As promised, here's the non-kitty post… and while it's not exactly breaking news, you'd better have a seat, this is going to be a long one anyway.

What year is it? Oh that's right, it's 1958. Which is why the following is presented as fact rather than misguided opinion:

"Studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades. So it’s the death knell of this country. I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam - which I think is a big threat, OK?"

Wha??? Was I in a coma for the better part of a century when a gay civilization came to power and then disintegrated?! I sorry I missed out on hearing about those gay-friendly countries that have gone the way of the dinosaur. Death knell?! Really? Really?? Wait a minute, in 1958 politicians weren't throwing around words like "terrorism" and "Islam" so it can't be 1958. The way those words are being thrown around, I'm tempted to say it feels like sometime in the early 2000s, when those FUD words were being thrown around to scare people into believing what was being said. Maybe this next quote will clear up the confusion.

"Cause what's happening now is they are going after, in schools, two-year olds...And this stuff is deadly, and it’s spreading, and it will destroy our young people, it will destroy this nation."

Hold on a second, let me check a calendar. Holy cow! It's 2008! I'm sorry I was thrown off by Oklahoma Republican House Representative Sally Kern's horrific candid remarks to a small audience earlier this year that I didn't believe she, or anyone, could possibly have said that in this day and age. Her vile words were recorded by someone who is not gay, lesbian, bi, or trans—in other words they're straight—but who is supportive of the LGBT community. Have a listen.



I know what you're thinking…maybe what she said has been taken out of context. Apparently not. As an openly gay man who just celebrated being 10 years of being "out" last year, hearing this kind of talk from our elected officials doesn't just worry me. It's chills me to the core. (She's not apologizing for what she said, either.) I've had to deal with teasing, insults, threats, and rejection before and after coming out. But that was just family and friends, and they only have a limited impact on my ability to live a good and happy life. Hearing this from a stranger, a stranger in a position of power, now that grabs my attention. And listening to her spread untruths, misinformation, and what basically amounts to fear mongering, well now I'm not sleeping well at night.

Now, I've never understood why a pretty large segment of the population that identify as heterosexual are so frightened by any who does not identify as hetero. So frightened that they engage in hate speech, aggressive behavior, and violence. And what really boggles my mind is that so many of them also call themselves Christians. Excuse me, but I was raised Christian, I read the same Bible as everyone else, and I don't seem to recall Jesus ever killing someone because they were gay. Or for any other reason, actually. I don't remember Jesus ever preaching that violence was ever the answer. If I'm missed a chapter or a verse, please let me know. Instead people apply their own interpretations to the Bible (which, by the way was written by men and not God) to serve their own purpose and agenda. As far as I know, we gays do not have an agenda. Like other groups of people seeking equality in the past, we just want to be allowed to live on the same terms as straight people can.

Wow! This might be one of the deepest and most depressing posts in the history of this blog. On the bright side, if you look hard enough, you can find humor hidden in just about any sad story. And in this situation, I found Ellen Degeneres' response to Ms. Kern to be just that little bit of funny I needed. Thank you, Ellen, for helping keep it all in perspective and positive.



I have such an amazing group of friends right now (mostly straight believe it or now), and a family that is, more or less, accepting that I sometimes take for granted that there are still a lot of people out there in the world that hate gay people. I'm just glad that I still live in a country that doesn't imprison or kill you for being gay. But if Ms. Kern had her way, that might be the case for long. Why should straight people care? Because even though you are straight, there's a good chance you belong to another segment of the population that could be singled out for being "different." Just pray that society doesn't wake up one day and realize how much money could be saved in not having to make products for left-handed people. Or overweight people. Or female people. Um, oh yeah, been there, done that last one already. Thank goodness history never repeats itself, right? Right?

*Sigh*