I feel the same about the church. I remind people who supposedly love & support me that attends that when they put money in the basket, that supports all that the church does, including working towards my oppression, not just the things you like.
I also say often that it's the people who say they support us who are holding back our progress more than our foes are. If every straight person who tells me they support gay rights and think we should be able to marry, etc. would actually make a call to their congressperson, we'd have had rights long ago. But they don't. For some inexplicable reason, they nod and agree that we should be treated this way, but they sit back and let us be treated this way when they're the ones with the power to change it.
I sent an e-mail to Mark Grisanti when he was on the fence about voting for gay marriage in NY.
I remember that, Stock. I don't mean to imply that ALL of our allies are passive allies. I know you're part of the solution!! <3
I try to do what I can! I wish I could do more!
I understand your train of thought, artscallion, but I can't find it in my heart to question or criticize another person's level of political activism. I don't feel a sense of resentment for "passive" support.
When someone goes outside of their sphere of interest in order to work on my behalf, of course, I'm touched and grateful. When such a person comes out of left field and has a bully pulpit like Chris Kluwe, I'm just speechless with admiration and respect.
It is the willful dis-regard for the very real, tangible damage TO ME that is the direct result of someone's pro-active choice--in this case, to Vote for the Republican candidate for President of the U.S.--that I cannot forgive or accept. And to suggest that my sense of personal betrayal is "idiotic" and "narrow-minded" is just not acceptable.
As for the Church--Oy. Religious belief is such a grab-bag of blind faith, hypocrisy (big and small, accidental and intentional), noble ideals, grotesque compromise. Yes--it hurt me when my (up to that moment) best friend in College looked me in the eye and said that She loved me with all her heart and it made her so sad that I was going to Hell. But those wonderful moments of easy clarity are rare in life. I used to think that I could never have a True Friendship with a deeply Religious person, but that has proven not to be the case. There are True Believers who are also thoughtful, deeply caring people who work for Justice and Freedom throughout the world. Again, I can't find it in my heart to condemn them.
But Romney supporters? Fuggedaboutit.
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