 
|
LIKE BREATHING WITH A RESPIRATOR God hates fags, apparently. This isn't a meticulously researched thesis with a thousand clever arguments - frankly, I'm not as good at that sort of thing as I really should be. However, I AM the only person I know of to ever be kicked out of Campus Crusade for Christ, Which I think is worth currency in this discussion. Fun fact: Matthew Shepherd would be my age now - if he hadn't been crucified and beaten to death by some good loving Christian folk. There are quite a few groups dedicated to straightening out those poor deluded fairies, all of which are like some kind of amusing nightmare (do you laugh or scream? A common question in my life recently). Let's check out perennial favourite www.godhatesfags.com. Worth viewing for the sheer disbelief factor would have to be the sad letters that honest fags sent to WBC (Westboro Baptist Church - GHF's parent church) "What I want people to know at this point is that the gay lifestyle is not some kind of mirror image of the heterosexual lifestyle. It involves multiple partners, anonymous sex, and many perversions." Y'know, that actually does sum up more than one of the gay guys I know. Two, to be precise. How many breeders do I know with those self same habits? Well, I haven't counted, but it's a touch more than two. Then, he points out that his faggotry included pedophilia and bestiality - now sure, none of my straight friends are into such things (except for that unhealthily pederastic interest they all seem to have with Brittney Spears), but, and sit down, this might come as a shock - neither are any of the benders I know. Being gay doesn't make you a screaming pervert any more than being straight does. "The media tries to portray faggots as being entertaining, funny, and just like everyone else. But that could not be further from the truth. I know because I have been there." Well, there are two options - either no gay people are entertaining, funny and like "everyone else", or... it's just you. A) Your life isn't fun because you are gay, or B) Your life isn't fun because you're a child molesting animal raping drug addicted rent boy. Let's do the maths... Fortunately, we don't need to take this lot particularly seriously. Sure, they're quite high profile, and they engage in activities of staggeringly bad taste, but most sources put their membership at no more than founder Fred Phelps and his extended family. A claim denied by the Reverend Phelps, but rather supported by the fact that their demonstrations are never attended by more than a dozen protestors. And anyway, they're insane. I've known enough extremists over the years to know that such fanatics are blinded by their dogma and lose all sight of common sense. They alienate people, lose all sympathies, and inbreed themselves out of existence. The real problem are the "moderates" - those with just as much hate, but who can come across as being reasonable, friendly and down to earth. You know - the hypocrites. You see, most people don't take things like godhatesfags.com seriously. Freddy Phelps is a lunatic, and doesn't go to great lengths to hide it - he admits his is a ministry of hatred. But pleasant, personable types who can talk to you like a human being, and then pleasantly and personably inform you that all homosexuals rape small children. They need to be scrutinised a little more closely. Ever hear of Exodus? A large international group for straightened-out born agains which has had it's credibility slightly scuffed by such events as its co-founders leaving their wives for each other, and the more recent discovery of it's current chairman/poster girl John Paulk cavorting in gay bar. Exodus grudgingly admit that AIDS may not actually be God's bitch-slapping of the evil sodomites. Good on them. Of course, they do see it as God's punishment for ungodly behavior. They don't go into specifics, but give this some thought; Over and above clearly meaning homosexuality, they obviously refer to deadly sins such as premarital or nonmonogomous sex (alright, it's in the Bible) or getting blood transfusions (er, someone's against that aren't they? The Jehovah's Witnesses?) or being a nurse and having an accident with a needle (um...where's the verse that says being a healthcare professional is bad? It's obviously in there somewhere...). But do you see the important distinction? Person X hears Freddy Phelps screaming that AIDS is God's punishment of gays. Then he sees the respectable Miss Paulk saying "Of course it isn't" - which looks pretty damned sane in light of the very Reverend Phelps. But then sane ol' John Paulk continues "But, you know..." Same message, but one is a lot more subversive. We've got to pay attention to the messages we're being sent. Analyse everything. People like the good folk of my old church. People who refuse to admit that they're hate mongers. People who refuse to call what they're doing homophobia. I had a discussion with a couple of my congregation once who tried to claim that the only reason they were against homosexuals was that they had sex outside of marriage, which was a sin. I told them I had a the solution to that problem, and asked them if they'd be willing to sign a petition calling for the government to legalise same sex marriages. The blood drained from their faces as suddenly their bluff was called and they could no longer find a sweet smelling excuse for their homophobia. These are the people who say they love everyone, but don't want a faggot teaching their kids. Another congrie once outlined why he thought queer folk shouldn't be made leaders in the church. He gave the compelling argument that once, when he was young, there had been a case of a gay leader putting the moves on a member of the youth group. A good point. I asked him what he thought should be done in the case of a hetro male leader putting the moves on a female youth groupie. He immediately replied that the leader would have to have a meeting with the elders and the minister, and would probably be asked to step down. But wait, I asked confused - Surely using the logic you were using before, this incident should lead to a ban on all heterosexual youth leaders? Well, apparently not. The only argument he could give me was that it was different, but he couldn't tell me how. My church was big on the "Being a poof is no greater a sin than any other, we're as sinful as they are ('ceptin' o'course, we've repented)". Fair enough - gay folk are no more or less sinful than my preacher. So let them become Ministers. When the national presbytery took a vote on doing just that, my "No, really, it's not an issue" congregation made it very clear that they would leave the church to found a splinter sect with all of the other outraged Presbyterians. No one from my middle of the road church wanted to admit to being homophobic - they all had to find excuses. Now these excuses were all pretty flimsy when held up to even the smallest examination, but they gave a pretty face, a more acceptable appearance to "Fuck we hate sissys" The very reverend Henry Rollins once pointed something out; What is the prime mover of straight men? They have dreams, goals, fears, ambitions. But underneath all that, their prime motivation is simple - they want to put their penis somewhere warm, move it around a little, ejaculate, and pass out. Now, the prime mover of gay men? They have dreams, goals, fears, ambitions. But underneath all that, their prime motivation is simple - they want to put their penis somewhere warm, move it around a little, ejaculate, and pass out. Where is the difference? No, seriously? I don't get how it's different. Sex is sex is sex. It has precious little to do with love, or the making thereof. You can be attracted to someone without being in love with them, that's just an influx of blood to a gender specific organ. Does it matter why the blood is flowing? Then there's love. Love feels good. I know a lot of angry, pissed off folk who have suddenly become very happy and lost all urges to punch people upon falling in love. I give up. Maybe it all comes down to breasts. Either you're attracted to them - thusly you like women, or you're not, ergo - guys. Get off, and don't hurt anyone in the process, unless they've asked you politely before hand. Right, that's my rant - I'm of to the local filth shop to pick up this months copy of "Non Gender Specific Things In Leather and Marmalade" --Apathy Jack |
|
