Into the light, yet darkness still threatens
By William Butte
June 20, 2005
As millions of gay men and lesbians march down Main Street, U.S.A., to celebrate June as Gay Pride Month, the opening of Charles Dickens' classic novel A Tale of Two Cities comes to mind: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness ..."
When Dickens wrote these words in 1859, he was trying to capture the tumultuous times during the French Revolution. But if Dickens were alive now, he could easily express the same sentiment describing the political landscape of gay rights in America in 2005.
Today we are a nation seemingly divided into a tale of two countries, with the rights of gay Americans caught in the crossfire of our country's current revolution, the culture war.
These are arguably the best of times, so far, for America's gay community. In the 36 years since gays first fought against the pervasive homophobia of the times, millions of Americans have reached an age of wisdom about gays and lesbians. We're no longer seen as monsters and deviants, but as mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, siblings, relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers, who are naturally attracted to people of the same sex.
In a relatively short time we have achieved a level of acceptance and equality in society -- from the corporate world to mainstream media to the ability of Massachusetts' gay couples to marry -- undreamed of by the gay men and lesbians who lived closeted lives during the Stonewall era.
But today's gay-friendlier climate still infuriates millions of religious conservatives who believe same-sex attraction is immoral and that the second term of George W. Bush's presidency is a mandate from God.
Inflamed by a presidential campaign that supported a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay couples from marrying, Bush's re-election was, in effect, like a boil being lanced on the neck of the religious right, causing an eruption of homophobic bigotry that's spread far beyond "protecting marriage from fringe groups," and is now evident from coast to coast in a revolutionary, determined effort to drag the gay community back to the worst of times.
Call it not the Age of Foolishness but the Age of Fundamentalism.
For example, when the Washington state Senate recently debated a bill prohibiting discrimination in employment, Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church, threatened Microsoft, the state's third largest employer, with a boycott by "values voters" if the company didn't pull its support for the bill. Microsoft acquiesced, and the measure failed by one vote.
Then there's the Rev. Donald Wildmon's American Family Association, threatening boycotts against gay-friendly corporate giants like Ford, Kraft Foods and Proctor & Gamble. P&G capitulated and pulled its ads from Will and Grace and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Bill Banuchi, executive director of the New York Christian Coalition, showed a keen regard for history recently when he said that gays should be required to wear warning labels. Perhaps he was thinking of pink triangles.
And don't forget Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who signed his state's new constitutional amendment prohibiting gays from marrying in the auditorium of a church school in Fort Worth. Afterward, a reporter asked Perry what he had to say "to gays and lesbians who are serving in the military right now in Iraq who are going to come back to Texas and may not be entitled to the same rights as the rest of us." Perry responded by saying, "If there is some other state that has a more lenient view than Texas, then maybe that's a better place for them to live." As a Washington Post editorial noted, his unworthy message was simple: If you don't like it, leave.
But perhaps the real message from the religious right to the gay community can be found on the fliers that flooded Southern Oregon University for two weeks. The fliers' hateful message stated: "And the Bible says that homosexual offenders should be put to death. So help eradicate homophobia now. Kill the Queer."
Again Dickens: "It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness ..."
William Butte resides in Deerfield Beach. E-mail him at wmbutte@bellsouth.net.
Copyright (c) 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Visit Sun-Sentinel.com
June 20, 2005
As millions of gay men and lesbians march down Main Street, U.S.A., to celebrate June as Gay Pride Month, the opening of Charles Dickens' classic novel A Tale of Two Cities comes to mind: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness ..."
When Dickens wrote these words in 1859, he was trying to capture the tumultuous times during the French Revolution. But if Dickens were alive now, he could easily express the same sentiment describing the political landscape of gay rights in America in 2005.
Today we are a nation seemingly divided into a tale of two countries, with the rights of gay Americans caught in the crossfire of our country's current revolution, the culture war.
These are arguably the best of times, so far, for America's gay community. In the 36 years since gays first fought against the pervasive homophobia of the times, millions of Americans have reached an age of wisdom about gays and lesbians. We're no longer seen as monsters and deviants, but as mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, siblings, relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers, who are naturally attracted to people of the same sex.
In a relatively short time we have achieved a level of acceptance and equality in society -- from the corporate world to mainstream media to the ability of Massachusetts' gay couples to marry -- undreamed of by the gay men and lesbians who lived closeted lives during the Stonewall era.
But today's gay-friendlier climate still infuriates millions of religious conservatives who believe same-sex attraction is immoral and that the second term of George W. Bush's presidency is a mandate from God.
Inflamed by a presidential campaign that supported a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay couples from marrying, Bush's re-election was, in effect, like a boil being lanced on the neck of the religious right, causing an eruption of homophobic bigotry that's spread far beyond "protecting marriage from fringe groups," and is now evident from coast to coast in a revolutionary, determined effort to drag the gay community back to the worst of times.
Call it not the Age of Foolishness but the Age of Fundamentalism.
For example, when the Washington state Senate recently debated a bill prohibiting discrimination in employment, Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church, threatened Microsoft, the state's third largest employer, with a boycott by "values voters" if the company didn't pull its support for the bill. Microsoft acquiesced, and the measure failed by one vote.
Then there's the Rev. Donald Wildmon's American Family Association, threatening boycotts against gay-friendly corporate giants like Ford, Kraft Foods and Proctor & Gamble. P&G capitulated and pulled its ads from Will and Grace and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Bill Banuchi, executive director of the New York Christian Coalition, showed a keen regard for history recently when he said that gays should be required to wear warning labels. Perhaps he was thinking of pink triangles.
And don't forget Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who signed his state's new constitutional amendment prohibiting gays from marrying in the auditorium of a church school in Fort Worth. Afterward, a reporter asked Perry what he had to say "to gays and lesbians who are serving in the military right now in Iraq who are going to come back to Texas and may not be entitled to the same rights as the rest of us." Perry responded by saying, "If there is some other state that has a more lenient view than Texas, then maybe that's a better place for them to live." As a Washington Post editorial noted, his unworthy message was simple: If you don't like it, leave.
But perhaps the real message from the religious right to the gay community can be found on the fliers that flooded Southern Oregon University for two weeks. The fliers' hateful message stated: "And the Bible says that homosexual offenders should be put to death. So help eradicate homophobia now. Kill the Queer."
Again Dickens: "It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness ..."
William Butte resides in Deerfield Beach. E-mail him at wmbutte@bellsouth.net.
Copyright (c) 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Visit Sun-Sentinel.com
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