After a scare this week with my mother spending a few days in the hospital, I reflected upon how lucky I am to have her in my life and her love, acceptance, and support. Despite my complaints at times, she’s been a very good mother, and although I may not be perfect, I’ve tried to be a loving and supportive son. That’s what family is about after all, being there for each other with love and support. Or at least that’s what it means to me. Some others, however, seem to have a different view.
There are groups out there using the word “family” in their names and their mission statements, yet their actions seem to have no real regard for families. They are thinly-veiled hate groups out to eradicate homosexuals, homosexuality, and the dreaded “homosexual agenda” (which I have yet to see as I must not rank high enough in the homosexual organization to which we all supposedly belong with the apparent goal of world domination). They often assault companies with threats of boycotts if they do something even slightly gay-friendly because they are supposedly anti-family by doing so. Last time I checked, a lot of homosexuals were family members and others were members of families of homosexuals, which means (gasp!) that homosexuals must be a part of many families. To produce rhetoric encouraging people to reject those that might be a part of their families, these organizations are essentially espousing views that could tear families apart. Encouraging views that could lead to families casting out their own or to family members doing something drastic like committing suicide seems very anti-family to me.
Frankly, the fact that these people hate gays is actually much less offensive to me than their use of the word “family” as some sort of defense for their actions and as a weapon for attacking others. If I were a heterosexual with a family, I would be offended that these people would presume to speak for me and offended by the notion that hate is a family value that I should embrace. They also like to spout off about “family values” a lot, which I find to be absolutely ridiculous. Show me a hundred different families and I’ll show you a hundred different sets of values. The very suggestion that all families have or should have the same set of values is frighteningly Orwellian in nature. These people often claim to be patriots as well, but their views that everyone should live their lives within their strict boundaries and believe what they do is antithetical to the freedoms about which Americans are often quick to boast.
You’ll notice that I haven’t named any of these groups, and I won’t. They get far too much publicity as it is. Reputable companies have figured out that these groups are, to borrow a phrase from Shakespeare, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. To actually entertain thoughts of bowing to their pressure is to risk credibility. Yet, we still hear about these groups in the media and from their opponents. The media just likes to stir the pot to make it appear that there is some controversy worth watching or reading about. Many opponents think that we have to counteract their efforts. Frankly, I think these groups are worthy of nothing but being ignored. As for counteracting them, that would imply that we are somehow on the same level, just on different sides of an issue. I NEVER want to be considered to be on the same level as these people. I won’t lower myself to that.
I am gay. I am family. I am a son, a grandson, a cousin, and a nephew. Other gays are sons, grandsons, cousins, and nephews, as well as daughters, granddaughters, nieces, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and even grandmothers and grandfathers. To be told that we are anti-family is an insult of the highest degree as well as completely erroneous. We ARE family! These groups’ efforts to tear our families apart through hateful propaganda betray their pro-family façade and reveal them to be the ones who are anti-family. Family is not about hate and rejection. Family is about love and acceptance. Those are the family values that I learned.
After the click: Luke and Noah and Madonna's new album.
There are groups out there using the word “family” in their names and their mission statements, yet their actions seem to have no real regard for families. They are thinly-veiled hate groups out to eradicate homosexuals, homosexuality, and the dreaded “homosexual agenda” (which I have yet to see as I must not rank high enough in the homosexual organization to which we all supposedly belong with the apparent goal of world domination). They often assault companies with threats of boycotts if they do something even slightly gay-friendly because they are supposedly anti-family by doing so. Last time I checked, a lot of homosexuals were family members and others were members of families of homosexuals, which means (gasp!) that homosexuals must be a part of many families. To produce rhetoric encouraging people to reject those that might be a part of their families, these organizations are essentially espousing views that could tear families apart. Encouraging views that could lead to families casting out their own or to family members doing something drastic like committing suicide seems very anti-family to me.
Frankly, the fact that these people hate gays is actually much less offensive to me than their use of the word “family” as some sort of defense for their actions and as a weapon for attacking others. If I were a heterosexual with a family, I would be offended that these people would presume to speak for me and offended by the notion that hate is a family value that I should embrace. They also like to spout off about “family values” a lot, which I find to be absolutely ridiculous. Show me a hundred different families and I’ll show you a hundred different sets of values. The very suggestion that all families have or should have the same set of values is frighteningly Orwellian in nature. These people often claim to be patriots as well, but their views that everyone should live their lives within their strict boundaries and believe what they do is antithetical to the freedoms about which Americans are often quick to boast.
You’ll notice that I haven’t named any of these groups, and I won’t. They get far too much publicity as it is. Reputable companies have figured out that these groups are, to borrow a phrase from Shakespeare, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. To actually entertain thoughts of bowing to their pressure is to risk credibility. Yet, we still hear about these groups in the media and from their opponents. The media just likes to stir the pot to make it appear that there is some controversy worth watching or reading about. Many opponents think that we have to counteract their efforts. Frankly, I think these groups are worthy of nothing but being ignored. As for counteracting them, that would imply that we are somehow on the same level, just on different sides of an issue. I NEVER want to be considered to be on the same level as these people. I won’t lower myself to that.
I am gay. I am family. I am a son, a grandson, a cousin, and a nephew. Other gays are sons, grandsons, cousins, and nephews, as well as daughters, granddaughters, nieces, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and even grandmothers and grandfathers. To be told that we are anti-family is an insult of the highest degree as well as completely erroneous. We ARE family! These groups’ efforts to tear our families apart through hateful propaganda betray their pro-family façade and reveal them to be the ones who are anti-family. Family is not about hate and rejection. Family is about love and acceptance. Those are the family values that I learned.
After the click: Luke and Noah and Madonna's new album.
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On a somewhat related note, Luke and Noah on As the World Turns were allowed to kiss this week after not being allowed to do so for seven months. (You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd9xCntVqc4.) They engaged in a big, wet, sloppy one one day and had an affectionate peck the next. Now, I have actually stopped watching the show because I was tired of the insulting way that the show was handling these guys. I have not returned to watching the show, however, because I need to know that they will be handled better CONSISTENTLY. I'm keeping my ear to the ground, and if it appears that the show is indeed consistent in its improved treatment of the couple, then I will gladly return. I'm just a little gun shy after being betrayed by the show far too often. Recent statements from a producer and publicists for the show do not instill confidence in me, however, since their complete lack of honesty and/or an ability to grasp the reality of the way that they've been handling the couple are about as insulting as anything that I've seen on the show.
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For any Madonna fans out there, her new album, Hard Candy, drops April 29. It includes the infectious first single, "4 Minutes," which features Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. I actually didn't want to like this song as I felt that she was sort of selling out by putting JT and Tim on there, but damn if it isn't catchy! You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9ciR9qR1dU. It's fun AND disturbing, but I wouldn't expect anything less.
Recommended song download: You Should Be Dancing (Jason Bentley/Philip Steir Remix) - Bee Gees
