By Kristin Maun
State Senator Gary George (R-Oregon) has one thing to say to gay people – shut up.
In a March issue of Just Out magazine, the senator spoke about co-sponsoring an initiative to repeal the Oregon Equality Act. The Oregon Equality Act bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Passed in April 2007, the bill amends existing laws to protect the gay community from being discriminated against in housing and employment.
But that has not stopped Senator George and State Representative Kim Thatcher from trying to turn back the clock on civil rights.
Senator George told Just Out, “My advice to the gay community is shut up, just don’t talk about it. If you walk around talking about what you do in the bedroom, you should be on the pervert channel.”
When I first saw the interview, I could not believe what I was reading. At first I sat at my computer with a lump of anger and indignation in my throat, resisting the urge to yell at the screen, “No, you shut up!”
After I regained my composure, I started thinking about fear and silence. It takes a lot of courage to speak up and be who you are. In today’s world of violence and discrimination, it takes bravery to be out and proud. Everyday there are news reports as members of our community are killed by violent hate-mongers. We can not be quiet just because one homophobic politician doesn’t like what goes on in our beds.
George admonition tries to shame us into silence. He wants us to hide in the closet so he can take away everything we’ve worked so hard for.
More than that, Senator George even went so far as to say the gay community deserves the discrimination against them. Apparently, he is under the impression he is a straight white male being oppressed by our pursuit of equality and justice.
He told the magazine, “Gays will tend to react violently if people are oppressive toward them. If gays are oppressive toward straights, then you’ll see a violent backlash.”
When asked if gay people incite violence by being out, Senator George replied, “You have to recognize for every action there’s a reaction…we’re obviously not gonna tolerate anyone who beats up any other person.”
This is the most dangerous type of ignorance and homophobia. Rather than try to protect the homosexual and transgender communities from violence, he accuses us of being the creators of our victimization. He treats us as aggressors and even suggests we are the violent perpetrators creating the hate crimes that destroy our community.
How dare he suggest we are attacking the straight community! How dare he suggest we deserve to be attacked!
A gay man does not deserve to be assaulted or killed because he’s openly gay. To say so is like saying a woman deserved to be raped for being a woman. This logic gives a free pass to violent criminals armed with hate and intolerance.
What’s worse, he is not looking for a solution to violence. He is actually suggesting that hate crimes and murder are natural. No one deserves to be hurt for who they are – no matter your race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or gender identity. We supposedly live in a country that values the freedom of individuality. And no politician should have the right or the power to take that away.
So I won’t shut up and I hope you won’t either. Every time Sally Kern or Gary George tries to tear us down with their words, I’m going to shout louder for my right to be treated like a human being and an American.
Kristin Maun is a senior at Northwestern University.
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Sen. George and Ms. Kern may well prove beneficial in getting the GLBT community to reunite after the Democratic nominee is determined. They paint a very bright image of what the Republican Party stands for (or at least is more than willing to tolerate).
I don't support Obama over Clinton - but there is little doubt that the Republican Party should NOT be in the White House next year.
(I almost wish the Democratic Convention could withhold their support of either Obama or Clinton unless the winner agrees to take on the other as Vice President - thereby accepting the reality that those people who supported the loser may well in fact not vote or even vote for McCain).
Contrary to popular opinion these days, criticism of Obama does not equate to support for Clinton (or vice versa).
They both suck and I'm not going to participate in the silly back and forth bickering that is going on regarding which is better/worse/dirty/wrong.
I'd rather pay attention to what the candidates say and do - just like Obama suggested we do in his speech on race last week - and hold them accountable.
You may be right in your interpretation of Obama's remarks in Oregon, but you could be wrong too. He never makes it very clear what he is trying to say...and isn't that disappointing?
It is to me. Why are we always having to read between the lines of politicians that supposedly are on our side, yet the ones that are opposed to the recognition of our citizenship (like Senator George in this post) are extremely unambiguous in their contempt.
Obama should not be given a pass for advocating a states' rights solution or for having a laissez faire attitude toward my citizenship. He of all people should know better.
Obama is right but not for the reasons you suggest.
Obama was stating that with all the problems in the world the religious right should have better things to worry about than whether gays and lesbians get married to celebrate their love. You fail to appreciate that he was slamming the folks who are working to ban gay marriage, and he's telling them that there are more important issues to which the religious right should direct its attention than expending so much time, money and effort to interfere with our private lives.
By the way: Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, and he was against -- unlike Bill & Hill Clinton -- the Defense of Marriage Act.
"We argue about gay marriage. You know, in the meantime the planet is, you know, potentially being destroyed. We’ve got a war that is bankrupting us. And we’re going to argue about gay marriage? I mean, that doesn’t make any sense.”
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obama_on_gay_marriage
Isn't this just another version of "shut up" or should we sift through Obama's words and draw a more positive conclusion?
It seems a bit coincidental that Obama would make this dismissive remark following the offensive statement made by Senator George.
Aren't LGBT Americans worthy of being the topic of a lecture on fairness, inclusion and social justice like the one he gave on race last week?
Was it just an enormous coincidence that Obama would make this vague statement in a state that is caught up in months of anti-gay legislative actions?