It’s completely acceptable to be a bigot in America as long as your hate is pointed in the right direction.
A public figure couldn’t toss out derogatory remarks about blacks, Jews or women without suffering some major warranted repercussions. So why should off-color remarks about homosexuals be tolerated? Could it be because many people see homosexuality as a defect or a weakness, and those who aren’t capable of thinking that deeply into it base their intolerance on the bible? Either way, it’s socially acceptable to ostracize homosexuals in this great country of ours.
And if you’re doubting that for two seconds, ask yourself why a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy exists for our military. It’s completely absurd that there is an executive order in place to protect federal employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation, yet our military can boot people for the same reasons.
It’s an old argument that was recently brought back to life by Staff Sgt. Eric Alva. According to CNN, Alva was possibly the first soldier wounded in our current war in Iraq, and he’s also gay. He lost a leg and was awarded a medal for his trouble, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the military is ready to loosen its discriminating policy. Alva recently held a news conference on Capitol Hill to promote a new bill that would negate the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. The bill currently has 109 co-sponsors, but making further progress will be comparable to pulling teeth. So don’t hold your breath waiting for Pentagon or White House to recognize the bill.
According to the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, one in every 2,000 soldiers gets discharged on the basis of homosexuality, and according to CNN, 700 were discharged in 2005 alone. As much as the issue feels like it should be left in the past with segregation and witch burnings, the idiocy is still here and as strong as ever.
That mean-spirited thing known as Ann Coulter recently called John Edwards a “faggot” in a roundabout way while giving a speech at a Conservative Political Action Conference. At least you can’t say she doesn’t know her audience. The crowd ripped with laughter, and what’s not to laugh at. The word “faggot” is funny, or at least it was when I was 10 years old. Coulter might want to watch what she’s wishes for, because if her party truly had its way with our country she’d spend the rest of her days in the kitchen and nights making reptilian children. Although there have been athletes and celebrities who’ve caught a bit of grief for expressing their homophobia, Coulter isn’t likely to lose a dime or a fan over her remark. She’ll keep her permanent guest spot somewhere along the Fox Quasi-News channel and keep selling books. And the people who buy into that wax skeleton’s nonsense will have purchased a truckload of pointless hate.
During the 2000 census, roughly 4.3 million Americans identified themselves as being homosexuals. That’s 4.3 million Americans who catch hell every day from pop culture and politics. A fair shake with less hate doesn’t seem like too much to ask for in this great country of ours.
