I spend time on Facebook, and get frustrated at the rhetoric there by other activists. The issue of full equality for LGBT seems like such a no brainer, and they are always frustrated that progress is so slow. When you counter their complaints, they frequently suggest you arer expecting them to accept things “as they are,” when that really isn’t the case at all. So when I see things like this, it brings the whole thing back into perspective. Saw this on Joe.My.God: (bold is added as my emphasis)
“We can harken back to our American revolution. The Declaration of Independence has a long list of sayings that the colonists were lobbying King George III about, but King George III just kept coming back with more and more taxes, he didn’t listen. So they said, well, you know what, it’s our right to alter or dissolve the government. And that’s what we’re doing, we’re declaring independence. We’re not there yet but I tell you what if we don’t start voting different and telling people how to vote and if pastors don’t repent and teach people how to vote Christianly, then we’re heading to toward a real civil war I’m afraid.” – Randy Thomasson, head of the hate group Save California.
The Far Right, which is driven entirely by a ultra-conservative social agenda, is pretty extreme in their thinking. At the same time however, it provides a real glimpse into just how drastic they are ready to go to try and stop progress towards full equality. This isn’t just about LGBT issues. It is about a woman’s right to choose. It is about true freedom of religion which includes non-christian faiths.
…we don’t start voting differently…
People who think like Randy Thomasson believe there is a right and a wrong way to vote. This isn’t the basis of democracy where everyone votes as they see fit and the majority wins and gets to govern. We are currently voting “wrong.” This is not the same thing as disagreeing with the other side’s approach to governing. I’m not thrilled that my state government is being run by the GOP, but I accept it and I’ll keep working to pass legislation I feel is important.
…we…
The most startling part of this quote may be to think about who Thomasson is considering as “we.” Is he taking about all voters? Is he talking about the radical religious right? Fortunately for reality, there are many, and even many within Christianity who do not see things as Thomasson does.
…telling people how to vote…
People like Thomasson seek a dictatorial theocracy. Democracy has to be about providing people with information and allowing them to cast a vote as they see fit. There is no place within this scheme for people to tell others how to vote.
…pastors teach people how to vote Christianly…
Thomasson’s ideas place pastors at the heart of the political system. Christianly voting = theocracy.
…civil war…
Thomasson warns of a coming civil war. I take him seriously, however, it isn’t civil in any way. It is a religious-based desire to remove our democracy and replace it with a theocracy. This goes beyond the thinking prevalent before the actual Civil War. Yes, the Bible was used to support the right to own slaves, but the war wasn’t about Christian values.
How do we respond to this?
LGBTQ activists talk as if Equality is common sense and any reasonable person can come to see that and support that. This is partly true, and the majority of the work of activists is to educate those moderate individuals about the reasoned and logic behind equality. At the same time however, we must see and acknowledge the extreme element far from the middle. If we fail to see that for them, there is no compromise, and there is no place for full equality, we miss so much is at the heart of our obstacles.
We must also not back down to the Far Right, but if we fail to see the extent they feel they will go to get their way, we will constantly be frustrated by slow progress.