Monday, June 23, 2014

Yes Jeff Jacoby, you are a homophobe

Where to start? Jeff Jacoby, the Boston Globe's leading conservative right wing wacko homophobe wrote an article on the so-called "March for Marriage" in Washington DC last week:

THOUSANDS OF Americans will rally in Washington, D.C., at a March for Marriage on Thursday in support of “the simple and beautiful message,” to quote Brian Brown, that “marriage between one man and one woman is unique and critical for our society.” Brown is president of the National Organization for Marriage, the event’s lead sponsor.
Don’t he and his supporters know that they’re on the Wrong Side of History?
First off, there probably wasn't even a thousand people at the rally.  Secondly, to answer his question: No, they don't know that they're on the wrong side of History.  This was evident when Mike Huckabee was quoting Dr. Martin Luther King at the rally which is ironic since Huckabee is from Arkansas not to mention that Huckabee doesn't even know American civics.
I watched the so-called "March for Marriage" which was anything but.  It was a rally against gay people getting married.  There was no talk about ending divorce or strengthening marriages, no, it was all gay all day or rather anti-gay, all day.  They even had role models like the Cardinal from San Francisco who was convicted of a DUI to speak but has never lead a rally against the abuse of children by the Catholic Church.
Many times during the program Brian Brown, the leader of the National Organization for Marriage, tried to get the small crowd to chant and he even tried to come up with chants for them, but to no avail.   It reminded me of the crowds at the Massachusetts Constitutional Conventions, immigrants who were promised a meal at MacDonald's just for holding a sign. I know this because my husband and I overheard the anti-gay side while we were at the convention.

I'm still wondering which traditional marriage Jeff Jacoby is advocating for:  The one where one man had many wives or the one in which the wife became the property of her husband when he bought her from her family?  Let's pick and chose which part of the Bible we want to obey this week.


Monday, June 9, 2014

Gay Marriage Debate...in 1974!

A PBS series "The Advocates" conducted a debate in 1974 on "Should Marriage Between Homosexuals be Permitted".  Most of the arguments haven't changed with the exception of the heavy handed religious tilt nowadays by most anti-gay groups.

The above screenshot is of Elaine Noble, a professor at Emerson College on "The Advocates".  She was an out lesbian on TV which was unheard of in those days.  She makes possibly the only argument about how gay marriage would change the instituion of marriage when she is asked the question about who will be the head of the household in a homosexual union:

Simon:
Well, I wanted to ask you some questions about the incidence of marriage because it seems to me that marriage is designed primarily for the heterosexual couple and is inappropriate for the homosexual couple. I would like to ask you whether you plan to modify or change the marriage relationship. For example, in the homosexual marriage, will there be an identifiable head of the family?
Noble:
Well, I think that's probably ... I think that's sort of a dated question, don't you think . . . I assumed . . .
Simon:
Well, are you telling me, then, that there will not be an identifiable head and that both parties to the homosexual marriage will always be equal?
Noble:
I would assume that that's probably what the women's movement is trying to say about heterosexual marriages.