James Bopp Jr., the lead lawyer for the group [Protect Marriage Washington], filed affidavits from people who said they felt threatened for taking their position on the issue. Larry Stickney, the campaign manager of Protect Marriage Washington, has also complained of feeling threatened, he said.
“He has his children sleep in the hall of the middle of the house so they won’t be exposed to the street,” Mr. Bopp said.
This is an absolute joke. Consider the history: how prevalent has anti-gay violence been compared to anti-anti-gay violence in the US? Attempting to claim the status of marginalization here (see: everybody who thinks being called out on homophobia is unfair or "bigoted" itself) is patently absurd. Such a tactic also serves to conceal the real violence that LGBT people in the US continue to face.
Stephen Colbert talked about this last Tuesday. Here's one of my favourite lines, when Colbert concludes what needs to done to protect those who signed the petition:
COLBERT: Folks, we need to protect this persecuted minority. And the only way I can see to do that is for Washington residents to vote in favour of gay domestic partnerships. Because then, no one will care who signed the petition, and these people can stay in the closet that the gay people have abandoned.
Full clip here.
It is also a sign of how this debate has turned.
ReplyDeleteStill it is a long way to go to eventually reverse the awful constitutional amendments legislating discrimination.
But this is hardly new, more in the long line of "they want special rights" arguments. More hegemony, more white privilege.
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