Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A favorable comment by mistake?

If a stopped watch is right twice a day, could an anti-gay organization be right, oh, maybe twice a year? The American Family Association (I've campaigned against AFA nonsense in Michigan) has a suggestion for the upcoming Day of Silence. This is a day that gay and ally youth vow to say nothing during the school day in protest of the bullying and harassment of gay kids. This year it will be on April 25. The AFA thinks its members should keep their kids home that day. A good idea because it will keep the bullies out of school and the gay kids can conduct their protest feeling a bit more safe.

Alas, in their justification for their counter-protest the AFA says that Day of Silence "leads students to believe that every person who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual or cross-dresser is a victim of ongoing unrelenting harassment and hate." Does that mean we can't have anti-bullying laws until *all* gay kids are harassed? Does that mean we shouldn't bother protecting kids if a few escape the torture? What is the threshold? Since gays probably make up only 5% of the population (that's still 15 million) does that mean we'll never reach the threshold? How is it Jews get a lower threshold? They're only 1% of the population yet anti-Semitic remarks are now strongly discouraged. And you can even choose to be Jewish! Sigh.

A responder tells the story of a straight friend who is uncomfortable with gay guys coming on to him and wants permission to kick butt. So if a straight guy comes on to a lesbian she has permission to kick his butt?

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