Quantum Windbag
Gold Member
- May 9, 2010
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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.
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.
After last nights 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, thats 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. Its way more complicated than that.
Is there a lot of prejudice in North Carolina against LGBT people? Absolutely there is. But its 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 Ive 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 Gods plan for their lives. When they talk about homosexuality as a perversion, theyre not trying to be bigoted or mean; theyre being quite literal about it.
Those folks arent the only ones who supported the amendment, but in my experience, they make up the lions 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.
Thats why I posted to Facebook: Yes, my states vote tonight saddens me. But it is not, as some have imagined, about intentional bigotry. It is about a lack of understanding, pure and simpleof 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.