An attack on bigots! (lets turn the tables for a minute)

*disclamer: this is a rant in the truest sense but it is important to me and that makes it emotional!*


I read an article in The Stranger on my train ride home today that made me force back tears. For those of you who are not Washingtonians, here is a little back story before I explain the article. Our state presented a law (ref 71) giving domestic partners almost equal rights, basically "everything but marriage." A religious group formed a petition to get enough signitures to be able to put it (ref 71) on the ballot in November. Basically this is a repeat of prop 8 in California but with a domestic partnership law rather than actual marriage.


Ok, now for this article. It was ruled that the contributors of this referendum had to remain public, so The Stranger decided to utilize that. The author called up some of the backers of the ref 71 vote and asked them why they were against the domestic partnership law, here is a sampling of what they said. Im calling them by their names as well just because the comments are too stupid to be hidden behind anonymity!


James McFadden stated that although he is backing it, it is really a lost cause because "gay marriage is going to happen" in "pro-gay and very liberal" Seattle. Ok, gotta love an optimist (sense the sarcasm please)! He then stated that he is against gay marriage though because he has "seen people with perferated anuses and they end up with a colostomy bag." Ok James, you lost me there. For starters, anal sex is not a direct synonym to domestic partnership! There are pleanty of straight couples who have anal sex, plus even if us gays are not allowed a stitch of civil rights, there is still going to be anal sex going on in all forms of relationships, legal or not! Why is this guy worried about anyone's anus but his own?...odd


Carrie Vasko had some very weird ramblings that I didn't follow. She did pull out the gay teacher card though saying that "school is there to push math and science, not to push these personal agendas." Because yes Carrie, our entire life mission is to convert as many young vulnerable children as possible...bring on the toaster ovens!! (again, sarcasm please!)


Esther Mayoh (hows that for a name?!) said her main reason for being against ref 71 was that she "didnt want our state to leagalize sodomy." Here we go with the anal sex again! Yeesh people, is that the only thing you can come up with?! She passed the petition around to what sounds like quite a few people, but admited that she didn't read it! How very responsible of her. She also referenced a few family members who were "involved in that lifestyle" but are not anymore. Here is a hint Esther; they are very likely still gay, they are just lying to your bigitrous ass about it!!


And on to my personal favorite, Paul Henry, the biggest misinformed, judgemental idiot of them all! His entire belief system on this issue seems to be built on his idea of gays being basically comprable to rats. He stated that gays (I hate the use of the term "gays" by the way, its just a way to distance yourself from someone you are uncomfortable with!) are "even more than gross. I think they are major incubators of a lot of the bacteria. It is common for homosexuals to have hundreds of different sexual experiences with people...There are bacteria that are called 'gay-related syndrom' or something, but it is not healthy. And by using lots of antibiotics against them, the antibiotics are no longer usable because they don't work." What the fuck?! (excuse my language, but that deserves the F word!) Seriously, where does this stuff come from? I was unaware that my monogomous, loving, respectful relationship was crawling with bacteria simply because it is with a girl! They really should have put that in the manual when we joined this cult!


Why did this article make me cry, you ask? I have so much invested in gaining equal rights. It potentially affects my right to see my girlfriend in the hospital, our ability to raise children someday, our financial stability within our relationship, insurance, wills, and the list goes on and on...

I am being told that these basic human rights are being taken away from me on the basis of "sodomy" and some odd bacteria that dosen't even exist?! This is my life, stay the hell out of it! Giving us the right to legally be in our relationship does not affect anyone outside of it! I am appaled that anyone outside of my commited relationship finds it to be their right to take away any of ours. We are not "incubators of bacteria" who all sleep with hundreds of people. We are simply 2 people in love who have commited themselves to eachother in a very normal relationship.


Shame on you Paul, Esther, James and Carrie for placing your assumptions on my life! Keep your bigotry to yourself, talk about how horrible we are with your equally ignorant friends if that makes you feel superior, but do not impose it on a society that is working to include us. We are not asking for you to be gay or even to be accepting of us. I could not care less if you liked me, I do my best to exclude bigotry from my life. We are simply asking that you just stay out of an issue that does not affect you in the slightest way. We only want the basic human rights that you are allowed. And you are given these rights no matter the status of your marital relationship. Nobody comes into your bedroom to inspect for "sodomy" or "bacteria" because that is ridiculous, it has no merit on the ability to legally be in your relationship, so why are you placing it on mine?

"My love is just as real as yours..."

Ok, I am done...I am stepping off of my soap box that should not have to exist.