Beyond Same Sex Marriage

Marriage equality is a no brainer and all of us should pitch in at some point to join the fight against the insidious upcoming constitutional amendment to prohibit it in FLA. Donate, but better yet, plan to spend one day (at least) helping out with the canvassing. Trust me it’ll be a hoot. I’ve done it. And you heteros, if you’re lucky, you’ll get called a faggot and other things.
But I’m ready to move beyond gay marriage on two key issues. First, we need statewide curriculum reform that includes objective, science based, ongoing education about affectional orientation and gender in every high school. And secondly, we need local governments to provide a body guard to every gay person who can demonstrate an imminent threat to their safety. Imagine this: a gay couple walking down a Jacksonville street holding hands and so in love that they’re smooching, just like head-over-heels-in-love heteros are known to do. Protected by a body guard with law enforcement powers who will arrest anyone who spits at them, hits them or throws something at them, maybe even tase them in a pinch. And issues them a citation for verbal harrassment or non physical intimidation, which upon conviction requires them to attend 10 hours of scientific education on affectional orientation, INCLUDING ATTENDANCE in group therapy sessions with lots of homosexuals. Tee hee.
You think I’m kidding? Just wear a T-shirt that says “PROUD TO BE HOMO” in giant block print on the front and go for an evening walk on almost any efffin’ street in this state. You can watch the sun set. And then get scared out of your fucking mind. (Email me, I’ll put you on my order list. I’m going to get these silk screened.) I was filling my gas tank at a gas station next to a gay bar one night. A young black man had the cutest puppy, but he was abusing it, kicking it a bit, as if the puppy could understand English when the guy told the dog to stop wandering away. I was already on edge at the stupidity, ignorance and cruelty of this youth who should not have had a pet. But the puppy melted my heart and I spoke to it: “What a cute puppy.” I am not overtly gay, but he yelled out, “That dog hates faggots.” I mention this to illustrate how heteros are often caught in the attacks against homosexuals. This incident called for some sort of intervention.
You may have heard of the Ft. Lauderdale airport incident earlier this year. A skycap got on the airport P.A. system at 1am and announced, “A man who lies with a man as he would a woman will be subject to death.” Apparently the skycap had seen a gay couple arriving from a trip to Chicago. Fortunately for all of us, the two guys fought back. Real American Heros. Let’s put them on a stamp. Waymon Hudson and Anthony Niedwiecki had been apolitical. Now they went public, were all over the TV news and newspapers, started lobbying and everything else we’re all doing. Niedwiecki may run for Oakland Park city commission. Talk to him, you might want to join his campaign. Just make sure he opposes Cluster-Bomb Hillary and Bill Nelson too. Human rights are all linked.
But here’s the kicker: After the TV coverage, Hudson was at the supermarket and a woman asked him if she’d seen him on the news. He said maybe. “She looked me right in the face,” Hudson says, “and said ‘You two deserve what that man said to you.’”
Now isn’t that a death threat? Shouldn’t that beast be hauled in for police questioning at the very least to determine if she is a threat to these two men and anyone else she may mistake for being gay, including you? Just like the police often do when someone threatens someone else? Shouldn’t society send her a signal, a warning, ‘you crossed the line’, you’re on our watch list now.
The next day Hudson was at his gym. When he got back to his car there was a giant note on the windshield scrawled with “fag”. Hudson said he started taking side roads home so nobody could follow him and learn where he lived.
Several days later another woman came up to him at the grocery store and spit in his face. She had a six year old in hand. Why wasn’t she arrested? Isn’t there a law against this?
One thing in particular I find interesting about all this is what thugs, beasts, worse-than-animals some of these anti-gay people are, who are emboldened by their effin’ churches and the cynical Republican Party. It all goes together.
So now dear Progressive. Let’s get to work, organize, lobby, demand our candidates enact curriculum reform and a body guard requirement.
And you right wingers out there, don’t ever call me soft on crime. I’m a tough guy too!