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sorting through line-drawing
Dec. 27th, 2008 05:07 pmI finally went and saw *Milk* today (gave up on a group gathering; today or never I suspected!). It was just as fabulous as everyone has said. I kept tearing up. Small memories popping up too of course, though I was a baby in the gayverse at the time. One painful thing, utterly personal, was the framing: 'I'll never make it to 50'. A young lover my spouse and I had: 'I'll never make it to 30'. And he didn't (AIDS, of course).
Anyhow, the movie so speaks to our times and our fights. The rejection of a non-gay showing flyer reminded me of the pathetic no-on-8 promos, that did not feature gay people. Amazing how directly the events parallel.
And speaking of... Obama's choice of Warren to be the opening speaker at his inauguration. I've struggled with that. First: I was angry. Then, I listened to the 'if we just say "no", we're as bad as they are," and 'everyone must have a place at the table.'
To 'If Warren were racist<insert bigotry of choice here>, would he have a "place at the table"?'
Where does the line get drawn? Does accepting diversity mean accepting hate speech?
I don't think so. Where does one make an ethical stand?
Yeah, I'm glad a more inclusive preacher is doing the closing invocation. Myself, I'd be happy if the inauguration could skip the whole religious invocation thing. Separation of church and state and all that (either that, or give 50 other religous figures time to speak. Preferably somewhere I'm not). I am a very accepting guy. Yet I think stands must be taken now and then, even if one can argue rationally the other way (just a little). The world is a muddy place.
This also reminds me of the invisibility of transgendered people; the words from people who work in DC, saying the mass of legislators they spoke with had *never* met a transgendered person. Two issues, closely related. We must be seen so the fear diminishes. Not a new concept, and the usual caution (if you're not physically/financially at risk) applies. We are so few. And another transgendered woman was murdered today.
Anyhow, the movie so speaks to our times and our fights. The rejection of a non-gay showing flyer reminded me of the pathetic no-on-8 promos, that did not feature gay people. Amazing how directly the events parallel.
And speaking of... Obama's choice of Warren to be the opening speaker at his inauguration. I've struggled with that. First: I was angry. Then, I listened to the 'if we just say "no", we're as bad as they are," and 'everyone must have a place at the table.'
To 'If Warren were racist<insert bigotry of choice here>, would he have a "place at the table"?'
Where does the line get drawn? Does accepting diversity mean accepting hate speech?
I don't think so. Where does one make an ethical stand?
Yeah, I'm glad a more inclusive preacher is doing the closing invocation. Myself, I'd be happy if the inauguration could skip the whole religious invocation thing. Separation of church and state and all that (either that, or give 50 other religous figures time to speak. Preferably somewhere I'm not). I am a very accepting guy. Yet I think stands must be taken now and then, even if one can argue rationally the other way (just a little). The world is a muddy place.
This also reminds me of the invisibility of transgendered people; the words from people who work in DC, saying the mass of legislators they spoke with had *never* met a transgendered person. Two issues, closely related. We must be seen so the fear diminishes. Not a new concept, and the usual caution (if you're not physically/financially at risk) applies. We are so few. And another transgendered woman was murdered today.
