From: elf@halcyon.com (Elf Sternberg)
Subject: extremism
Originator: elf@halcyon.com
Reply-To: elf@halcyon.com (Elf Sternberg)
Organization: Pendor, UnLtd.
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 23:37:22 GMT

In article <farenebt.720996705@craft.camp.clarkson.edu>
     farenebt@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Bri Farenell ("Droopy")) writes:

>Do extremists hurt the credibility of the gay rights movement?

>I say, "yes". You see, the bigots are much more subtle. They
>make their "logical" arguments and point to the few extermists
>on the other side and say, "Look at what they want." (ie:
>Clayton Cramer with NAMBLA) and try to convince everyone that
>all gay rights proponents want the same thing.

   [ Elf hums a few bars of 'And the Band Played On.' ]

   I'm going to explain this once, Bri, and I'm going to try to do it
using small words, okay?  What you've just done is say 'Group 'X' hurts
the recognition of diversity by being "too diverse."  We have to
sacrifice them for the greater good.'

   Where are you going to draw the line?  Do you want gays and lesbians
to ditch bisexuals over because they're "too diverse," loving both
genders and being damned secure about.  Do you want the G/L/B movement
to ditch the Leather community?

   Where do you start saying "You're not one of us?"

   Eventually, a segment of the oppressed minority is going to be
inculcated into the mainstream, leaving an _even more oppressed_
microcosm of "unacceptable minorities" in the cold and unforgiving eye.
"Even the misfits reject YOU," society will say to us.

>Most may not expect heterosexuals
>to agree with their lifestyle or to promote it, but they DO
>want to be left alone. All they want is to be treated like
>human beings, just like everyone else. Most bigots ignore the
>mainstream viewpoint and focus in on those who want to sanction
>this and that and apply that to everyone.

   Clue to this: There's only one thing you have to understand, Bri.
And that's that I don't expect you to understand.  All _I_ want is to
be left alone.  At the same time, I want equal rights for my brothers
and sisters and friends; I want gay youth to feel safe walking the
halls of high schools.  I want outreaches into every ninth grade in the
fucking country!  If saving The Ten Percent from the ravages of
opression and suicide is extremism, then so be it!

>Bigots also assume that if you support gay rights you must be gay. I
>just get so frustrated listening to those people who want to give
>different sets of rights to different sets of people.

   That's very nice, Bri.  So why are you suddenly saying "Ditch
NAMBLA, they hurt ``The cause?''"  Look, NAMBLA is being scapegoated
because it's position is unpopular.  The members of NAMBLA beleive in
their cause, however.  And, at least in print, NAMBLA draws a distinct
and clear line between consensual behavior and _rape_, and they're not
afraid to call the second the second.  From a political standpoint, I
see nothing wrong with NAMBLA _as an ideal_.  The reality of NAMBLA,
that many of its members use it as a clearinghouse for illegal
activities, that sickens me.  But a political organization dedicated to
a reexamination of child sexuality laws strikes me as perfectly
acceptible.

   Remember that from the Mattachine on down, every gay-rights
organization in the country at one time harbored criminals.  That's
right, think about it.  A dozen gay men organizing anywhere, from San
Francisco, California to Bumfuck, Kansas, was filled with men who had
probably violated their state's anti-sodomy law at some time or other.

         Elf !!!
-- 
      __        | The post you have just read is real, but it could
      \/        | have been avoided.  Inbreeding is every-one's
Elf Sternberg   | problem.  Contact your local Mormon church to be
elf@halcyon.com | sure you aren't marrying a close relative.
Newsgroups: alt.politics.homosexuality