Who will Stand for You?

The days of “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” have long past, but it still feels like being a member of the LGBTQ community is something new. Especially if you listen to the right wing nut bags that want to run for President. The truth of the matter is that being gay have be around for millennia and it is not about to stop, so we as a culture need to fighting it and start embracing it. Now I know that for some people they feel that their religious beliefs prevent them from embracing the LGBTQ community and I have spoken about what we can do with those people. As the LBGTQ community stands up and fights for equality I am reminded of Pastor Martin Niemöller famous poem:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

The fight for LGBTQ equality is just another is a long line of equality battles that have been fought in this country and it is time for everyone to take up arms in the battle, because you never know who is going to be the next group targeted to have their rights diminished.

Now I know this might sound counterintuitive from someone who wants anti-gay businesses to put up signs that say “no gays allowed.” I’m not advocating that we force everyone to fly a pride flag in their front lawns, what I am advocating is that every person that believes that all people are created equal stand up and fight. Open your mouth when you see discrimination, stand against companies that have poor records when it comes to LGBTQ issues, and finally get out and vote, it may only seem like one vote, but your vote is one in many and it makes a stand against hate, bigotry, and discrimination.

Martin Luther King Jr. said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” I have a similar dream to Mr. King, it just adds a few things like sexual preference and gender identity. If someone has to hate me I want them to do so because they think I’m an asshole, not because of who I choose to love.

Being gay is not a sin, nor is it a choice it is just who you are. Pride is not a dirty word, nor is it something just for the LGBTQ community. Pride is for everyone, because it is for everyone to take a stand when some someone’s rights are being diminished. The road to equality is a long one, and it will have many twist, and turns, but is a journey we all must take. It is however a journey that we should not take alone because just think when your time comes who will stand for you?

Give ‘em a Square State

The following post is for entertainment purposes only, I only hope this will sound as ridiculous as it is supposed to.

I read this article and I laughed, and when I stopped laughing I cried a little, because where I saw the humor in it they were being serious. So I thought to myself maybe this isn’t a bad idea, I mean it wouldn’t be the first time America has herded off a subset of the population in to their own little area. I’m not saying that we have to herd all Christians off, no, just those special few that don’t know how to play well with others. We can start with a few of our Republican presidential hopefuls, I’m looking at you Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee; Bill O’Reilly you can go ahead and come down to the front of the class, anyone associated with Pat Robertson and the 700 club, and we can’t forget everyone’s favorite County Clerk Kim Davis just to name a few.

Now that we know who we’re dealing with we need a place to put them, a place where they can start over, and forge their happy little bigoted communities from scratch. Now a friend of mine suggested West Virginia, and he made some pretty valid selling points, but I think we should give them a square state it makes it easier to put the fence up. Kansas or Wyoming would work, Utah’s already filled with Mormons so we could just mix them in with them, the Dakotas could work in a pinch. Regardless of which location we settle on we just need to make sure it’s got adequate square mileage to support its new population. As for the existing population of the state we would just relocate them into new states of their choosing.

Now in order to roundup our denizens we simply need to run a media campaign, probably just run some advertisements during Duck Dynasty or pretty much anything on the Fox News Channel. Now just to show this isn’t punishment no expense would be spared, we would fly them first class into their newly fenced off sanctuary, and once they landed would give them a Bible and a copy of Bill O’Reilly’s latest book. From that point on they are on their own, no government intrusion, no pesky Supreme Court rulings, and no silly Bill of Rights to get in the way of their religious views. Now this also means they will receive no help from our government, no funding, no loans, or subsidies of any type. Let them live off the land, and build a biblical economy. Hell let them start swapping their daughters for goats, they want to live by the Bible.

Should by some strange chance someone find living in a biblical sanctuary to strict we here in the grand old United States of America would be happy to accept them with open arms guaranteeing they pass the test. Due to the special nature of this sanctuary anyone requesting reentry into the great United States would be required to pass a re-entrance exam just so we can weed out any potential espionage situations, make sure there’s no double agents trying to pass through our doors. Once they pass the exam they are welcome back.

              

          So now that we have solved the problem of what to do with those who can’t embrace the changes that are happening in the 21^st century now on to solving the federal deficit.

The Ongoing Saga of Kim Davis

Kentucky’s Rowan County clerk Kim Davis is still refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples citing the fact that it violates her religious beliefs. After the Appeals Court ordered her to issue licenses she has gone on to petition the Supreme Court. After the Supreme Court denied her she still continued to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Now she has been taken into custody for defying the court order and continuing to refuse to issue marriage licenses.  Yes my dear readers she has gone to jail over issuing a piece of paper.  My original two questions were, does a county employee have the right to impose her religious beliefs on others, and should she be allowed to keep her job based on her refusal to follow her job description? The first question is easy to answer, the second I learned is a little harder since as I discovered that Kim Davis is an elected official.

Now I’m all for freedom of religion, and I understand that some people hold very strongly to their religious beliefs, but they must also understand that not everyone else shares their religious beliefs. When you go to work you are in an environment where you will encounter people of many races, religions, and orientations so one must learn to be tolerant, and to respect diversity. This is especially true when you work as a civil servant, as a civil servant you must truly leave your beliefs at the door, because it is almost a guarantee that at some point during your tenure those beliefs will be challenged. In this generation the challenge is same-sex marriage, but imagine if you will 50 years ago when the first interracial couples attempted to get married in the South, I’m sure the beliefs of many a civil servant were put to the test on those days.

The Constitution offers us two guarantees when it comes to religion: the prevention of the establishment of religion, and the free exercise of religion. In this situation these two guarantees clash with each other, because Kim Davis’ free exercise of religion and her work as a civil servant promotes the establishment of a religious belief. This marks another reason why as an employee, especially a civil servant that we must check our beliefs at the door. Obtaining a marriage license is not a religious ceremony it is a business transaction, and thus should not be subject to anyone’s religious beliefs. So the simple answer is no, as a County employee she does not have the right to impose her religious beliefs on others.

With Kim Davis being an elected official it is not as easy as she is not doing her job, fire her. The county has to prove some form of misconduct or other such inappropriate actions in order to remove her from her post. Thou refusing to do one’s job may sound like misconduct, it is not always that easy. Several times during this ordeal Kim Davis has claimed religious persecution and if she is terminated from her position that can come back into play, since equal opportunity employment prevents termination based on religious beliefs. Kim Davis has put herself in an interesting position, she has set herself up to be a martyr for her cause, but I think this article more accurately sums it up.   

In the long run this comes down to choice, Kim Davis chose a job in the secular world. A job where imposing her personal religious beliefs is not part of her job description. If she wanted to she could have chosen a job in the religious world. In her role as a civil servant she is bound by the federal and state laws, and must abide by the edicts of those laws. If she cannot abide by those laws maybe it’s time to consider another line of work.