Monday, October 11, 2010

Slime And Punishment

There's been a lot of deserved frustration with the Obama administration and Democrats in general by LGBT activists, as 21 months after the President took office, the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and the federal Defense of Marriage Act still exist, thanks in no small part to what some believe is Obama's reticence to take executive action on equality.  There are definitely those who wish to punish the President and the Democrats in a few weeks as a result of less than speedy action on the issue, particularly in reversing Bush's executive orders.

To those who wish to do so, allow me to interject some perspective this morning on what the alternative to the Democrats will be.

The Republican candidate for governor, Carl P. Paladino, told a gathering in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Sunday that children should not be “brainwashed” into thinking that homosexuality was acceptable, and criticized his opponent, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, for marching in a gay pride parade earlier this year.

Addressing Orthodox Jewish leaders, Mr. Paladino described his opposition to same-sex marriage.

“I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don’t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option — it isn’t,” he said, reading from a prepared address, according to a video of the event.

And then, to applause at Congregation Shaarei Chaim, he said: “I didn’t march in the gay parade this year — the gay pride parade this year. My opponent did, and that’s not the example we should be showing our children.” Newsday.com reported that Mr. Paladino’s prepared text had included the sentence: “There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual.” But Mr. Paladino omitted the sentence in his speech. 

As slow as the Democrats may be proceeding forward on equality and civil rights, they are proceeding forwards.   The Republicans will most certainly not.  Something to keep in mind for those who wish to withhold their votes this year to punish the Democrats over their lack of winning the battle yet.

5 comments:

  1. This from the jackass who thinks it's perfectly fine to send people vile racist and sexist shit. This from the jackass who told his wife about the affair he had and the 10 year old child it produced while she was picking pictures for their recently deceased son's wake. And then forced her to recount the story multiple times to the press.

    To which I say: If you think being gay makes you dysfunctional, GO LOOK IN A MIRROR AND GO FUCK YOURSELF, PALADINO.

    But yeah, this is a good reminder. Things aren't going as fast as they should be, but they're going, or at least holding. This fucker wants to turn things BACK.

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  2. PS. Today is National Coming Out Day, too.

    Paladino's timing = exquisite.

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  3. I won't argue that the Repugs are worse when it comes to LGBT equality. But let's not whitewash what the Dems have (not) done. The fact that the GOP is worse doesn't excuse the Dems. Frankly, the Dems have done nothing but use this excuse for years to win the gay vote. Then they follow through with nothing, either because they're scared or inept. We need to stop excusing the Dems by focusing on how much worse the GOP is.

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  4. That is true. This isn't to commend the Dems on their lackluster performance in this particular area.

    But honestly, we can't afford to be punishing them for said lackluster performance, when the only other real option thinks that stoning gays is a perfectly dandy idea.

    Long story short, we're past the chance to punish the lackluster and put people we need in the election (the primary). Right now we may be lucky just to hold the goddamn line.

    It sucks, but... welcome to pragmatic politics.

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  5. No. And I haven't whitewashed Obama's shortcomings on civil rights or civil liberties.

    But I haven't whitewashed the fact that the Republicans will be guaranteed worse.

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