Who are the real bigots?

[Quantum Windbag]

I came across this blog earlier today, and it got me to thinking about bigotry. I suggest that everyone who thinks that the bigots are the people that vote against same sex marriage are small minded read the whole thing.

After last night’s vote, I heard a disturbingly large number of my friends, national commentators, and others suggesting that this vote just proves that North Carolinians (or at least a giant percentage of us) are bigoted, homophobic, backwards people who are so filled with hate that we oppose equality for certain groups just because we can. And see, that’s just not the case. Yes, I voted against the amendment, as did many of my friends and hundreds of thousands of other NC residents. But I also know people who voted for it, and I know that they are not simply bigoted, homophobic, backwards people. It’s way more complicated than that.
Is there a lot of prejudice in North Carolina against LGBT people? Absolutely there is. But it’s not, as some have imagined, just a matter of “bigoted homophobes.” By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding. Many of the folks I’ve talked to honestly believe that people choose to be gay and could choose not to be. They think that giving legal recognition to same-sex partnerships would increase the number of people choosing to be gay, and would therefore encourage more people to turn away from God’s plan for their lives. When they talk about homosexuality as a “perversion,” they’re not trying to be bigoted or mean; they’re being quite literal about it.
Those folks aren’t the only ones who supported the amendment, but in my experience, they make up the lion’s share of those who were most vocally in support. My Christian friends who understand what my life has been like as a gay Christian may not support same-sex marriage, but they tend to be way more thoughtful and careful about these questions, and they are the ones who felt most torn about this amendment and all the legal and moral issues it raised.
That’s why I posted to Facebook: “Yes, my state’s vote tonight saddens me. But it is not, as some have imagined, about intentional bigotry. It is about a lack of understanding, pure and simple—of who we are, what we want, and why it matters. Education is needed, and that is what I will keep dedicating myself to, every single day of my life.”

Crumbs from the Communion Table • A challenge to both sides of the Amendment One debate.


Next time somebody wants to dismiss everyone who disagrees with their views about same sex marriage as a bigot they should remember what the word actually means and take a step to end the intolerance.


Bigot [big-uht] (noun) a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.

 

[g5000]

By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on ignorance.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on ignorance.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on fear. The problem with common knowledge is that is commonly wrong.

 

[ABikerSailor]

By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on ignorance.

True. What you fear most is that which you know the least about.

I wonder how many homophobes actually know a gay couple?

 

[Lakhota]

By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on ignorance.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on fear. The problem with common knowledge is that is commonly wrong.

That's funny, and makes absolutely no sense.

 

[Luissa]

Is this kind of like Pale Rider calling me a racist because I don't like the fact he is a racist and a bigot?

You might not be a bigot if you have no problem with the person, just with their life style. But I can still find fault in the fact you feel someone is beneath you and should be denied a certain right due to the fact a book told you so, or any other reason for that matter. And thinking you are wrong does not make me a bigot.

 

[Cowman]

As conservatives would have people believe, black people are the real racists and homosexuals are the real bigots.

 

[LoneLaugher]

The blog's author has lots of stupid friends. That proves that they are not bigots. They are too stupid to be bigots.

So please......don't insult the good people of NC by telling them that they have too many bigots!

 

[California Girl]

By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on ignorance.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on fear. The problem with common knowledge is that is commonly wrong.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I came across this blog earlier today, and it got me to thinking about bigotry. I suggest that everyone who thinks that the bigots are the people that vote against same sex marriage are small minded read the whole thing.

After last night’s vote, I heard a disturbingly large number of my friends, national commentators, and others suggesting that this vote just proves that North Carolinians (or at least a giant percentage of us) are bigoted, homophobic, backwards people who are so filled with hate that we oppose equality for certain groups just because we can. And see, that’s just not the case. Yes, I voted against the amendment, as did many of my friends and hundreds of thousands of other NC residents. But I also know people who voted for it, and I know that they are not simply bigoted, homophobic, backwards people. It’s way more complicated than that.
Is there a lot of prejudice in North Carolina against LGBT people? Absolutely there is. But it’s not, as some have imagined, just a matter of “bigoted homophobes.” By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding. Many of the folks I’ve talked to honestly believe that people choose to be gay and could choose not to be. They think that giving legal recognition to same-sex partnerships would increase the number of people choosing to be gay, and would therefore encourage more people to turn away from God’s plan for their lives. When they talk about homosexuality as a “perversion,” they’re not trying to be bigoted or mean; they’re being quite literal about it.
Those folks aren’t the only ones who supported the amendment, but in my experience, they make up the lion’s share of those who were most vocally in support. My Christian friends who understand what my life has been like as a gay Christian may not support same-sex marriage, but they tend to be way more thoughtful and careful about these questions, and they are the ones who felt most torn about this amendment and all the legal and moral issues it raised.
That’s why I posted to Facebook: “Yes, my state’s vote tonight saddens me. But it is not, as some have imagined, about intentional bigotry. It is about a lack of understanding, pure and simple—of who we are, what we want, and why it matters. Education is needed, and that is what I will keep dedicating myself to, every single day of my life.”

Crumbs from the Communion Table • A challenge to both sides of the Amendment One debate.


Next time somebody wants to dismiss everyone who disagrees with their views about same sex marriage as a bigot they should remember what the word actually means and take a step to end the intolerance.


Bigot [big-uht] (noun) a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.

So they're not simply bigots, they are simple ignorant bigots.

One more reason not to allow ourselves to succumb to mob rule.

 

[JoeB131]

By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on ignorance.

True. What you fear most is that which you know the least about.

I wonder how many homophobes actually know a gay couple?

Actually, it's been established that most homophobes are themselves fighting down gay tendencies...

They did an expirament where they tested guys for their levels of homophobic attitudes and then divided them up into homophobic and non-homophobic groups.

Then they put a sensor on their weiners and showed them gay porn.

The Homophobic group was more likely to get a chubby watching that sort of thing.

Which is kind of funny when you see some hater describing gay sex with lurid terms like bad slash-fiction.

 

[Saigon]

As conservatives would have people believe, black people are the real racists and homosexuals are the real bigots.

And in one sense they would also be right - why do we believe that black people are less racist than white, or gay people less bigoted than straight?

I suspect bigotry and hatred exist around the world, across all ages, races and religions. It just may not always be directed in the way that we would expect.

 

[Ravi]

Is this kind of like Pale Rider calling me a racist because I don't like the fact he is a racist and a bigot?

You might not be a bigot if you have no problem with the person, just with their life style. But I can still find fault in the fact you feel someone is beneath you and should be denied a certain right due to the fact a book told you so, or any other reason for that matter. And thinking you are wrong does not make me a bigot.

Yep.

 

[code1211]

As conservatives would have people believe, black people are the real racists and homosexuals are the real bigots.

Ah! slinging mud? What of the open minded who suspend a student for wearing a shirt with a Christian symbol, but allow the head dressing of the Moslems?

How about denying the option to say grace over lunch in a public school cafeteria?

There's plenty of fear and bigotry to go around and if we could all just let others do their own thing, the world would be a better place.

 

[code1211]

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on ignorance.

True. What you fear most is that which you know the least about.

I wonder how many homophobes actually know a gay couple?

Actually, it's been established that most homophobes are themselves fighting down gay tendencies...

They did an expirament where they tested guys for their levels of homophobic attitudes and then divided them up into homophobic and non-homophobic groups.

Then they put a sensor on their weiners and showed them gay porn.

The Homophobic group was more likely to get a chubby watching that sort of thing.

Which is kind of funny when you see some hater describing gay sex with lurid terms like bad slash-fiction.

You gotta supply a link for this kind of thing.

 

[Mac1958]

.

Ignorance does not have to be a permanent condition. People can change their minds with new information -- okay, except for partisan ideologues, who avoid and ignore all information contrary to their position, but they're a small minority -- so over time I suspect only the pure bigots will remain. And they too are a small minority.

.

 

[WillowTree]

Left wingers hate white Republicans and fox news just because they can. they act like immature teen age locker room queens over at msnbc. it's 24/7

 

[editec]

Is bigotry always a bad thing?

I am rather bigoted against sexual predators.

My bigotry against those folks doesn't keep me awake at night from guilt.

 

[Mac1958]

Is bigotry always a bad thing?

I am rather bigoted against sexual predators.

My bigotry against those folks doesn't keep me awake at night from guilt.

Are you equating gays with sexual predators?

.

 

[koshergrl]

By and large, the prejudice that exists is a matter of a lack of understanding.

It has long been common knowledge that much discrimination is based on ignorance.

True. What you fear most is that which you know the least about.

I wonder how many homophobes actually know a gay couple?

See, that's bigotry right there.

Not everybody who disagrees with you about gay marriage is a homophobe.

And not everybody who is against changing the laws based on studies compiled by sex offenders and rapists (aka The Kinsey Institute, author of the meme "all sex is good sex! There are no rapists, just bad laws!") lives in a vacuum where there are no gay people. Not only is that bigotry on your part, it goes against the other meme "10 percent of the population is gay" (which was also established by Kinsey and is a lie).

So what lie do you stand by? The lie that homosexuality is common place, or the lie that everybody who disagrees with law changes aimed at destruction of the nuclear family ala Kinsey is an ignorant, isolated homophobe?