From: max@hilbert.cyprs.rain.com (Max Webb)
Subject: Re: BofA and UW can now support discrimination against blacks and Jews
Summary: the hypocrisy of 'family values'.
Organization: Cypress Semiconductor Northwest, Beaverton Oregon
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 19:58:09 GMT

In article <hill.715462676@galena12> hill@rtsg.mot.com (Karen Hill) writes:
>>This whole thing could be solved if the individual who is prejudiced
>>would find out why they harbor those feelings with regards to
>>something that is really nobody's business.  Then nobody would have
>>to leave.
>
>If it's nobody's business, then why is there such a huge gay/lesbian movement
>and why is there a gay rights agenda and why are their "rights" to behave as
>they please being forced on society. If it's nobody's business, then 
>it should not even be an issue. 

I have a friend Bil who was beaten with a *lead*pipe* just for being seen
leaving a gay bar.  Here in Oregon, the OCA is trying to amend the
constitution to explicitly allow discrimination against gays.

Another incident: A gay's attackers shatter his glasses, and use
the fragments to gouge his eyes. Another: A lesbians car is firebombed.
34 of 249 cases of hate crimes reported to the Oregon State Police were
motivated by the sexual orientation of the victim. And of course, the vast
majority of such crimes are never reported _because_ _nothing_ _gets_ _done_
_about_ _it_ (Bil certainly didn't report his incident) [Source: the Oregonian
10/25/91, pg A25]

So, Karen, how about it? If you and your nice christian clique were beaten
with a lead pipe, your eyes gouged, your cars firebombed, and you
were fired from your job, and evicted from your residence for being straight,
and saw the Cops doing exactly *zip* about it over and over again, what would
you do? I'll bet you would try to organize a straight-rights movement.

The OCA has been passing out literature claiming that pedophilia is a problem
because of homosexuals, when in fact most pedophiles are straight - but it
is a convenient way to whip up fear and hate. Portland Foursquare Church, a
power-base for the OCA, is being sued by a parent of a child who was abused
by Raymond Milas, a former volunteer at the church. It seems that the pastors
Thomas Baker and Allen Hamilton allowed Milas to continue to volunteer in
church activities even though they had been told about previous incidents
of abuse. [Source: Willamette Week, Aug 6th issue, pg 5].

If I was still Christian, I'd say:
WOE UNTO YOU ALL WHO USE _FAMILY_VALUES_ AS A FLAG TO RALLY FORCES
OF HATE, FEAR, AND IGNORANCE. THE JUDGEMENT YOU LAY ON OTHERS NOW
FALLS UPON YOU. THE CUP OF SHAME YOU FORCED ON OTHERS, NOW SWINGS ROUND
TO YOU -- DRINK DEEP YOUR DAMNATION, FOOL.

But I'm not. So I just say - who is next? Once you have driven all of
the gays into hiding, or other states, who will you single out for
'correction' next? A political movement that swells it's ranks by
selecting a target group and whipping up hatred against it is a threat to
everyone on the planet - anyone who knows the history of the 20th century
and can't see that is a moron.

The chief of police here, Tom Potter, a man I hold in high esteem has a
gay daughter. In order to show his love and support for her, he marched
with her in a gay rights march. Ever since, the OCA has been pressing for
his resignation. The fundamentalist idea of family values is that if you
don't f*ck, walk, think, and talk just like they do -- you aren't in their
family any more. [Source: Oregonian 07/10/91, pg 14c, column 1]

>
>>Whether it's racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, or homophobia,
>>bigotry is bigotry no matter how you slice it.  It is a
>>learned behavior and it can be unlearned.
>
>Certainly true. Any behavior can be learned or unlearned. Homosexuality is
>a behavior and can be unlearned as well as learned. 

The American Psychiatric Association disagrees with you. They do not
even classify it as a disease any more. Attempts to change  homosexuality
have been utter failures.

>Let us not forget that what the gay/lesbian movement is asking is for
>rights based on their behavior and not their humanity.
>-Karen Hill

WRONG! they are asking for rights, based on *YOUR* behavior. The 
fundamentalist persecution of gays makes them the moral equivalent of
a minority all by itself.

Regards,
	Max G. Webb

If I'm gay and imply so in my .sig quote, you shall dismiss my remarks.
If I'm straight and imply so, I implicitly appeal to my orientation
as a reason for you to believe me. I reject both options. Guess, if
you feel you must.
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc