oh, homos!
I didn’t know what to blog about today. Partly it’s because I read so much that made me angry; today I saw this bit on the Human Rights Campaign announcing their list of Senate endorsements for 2008, and I remembered: THIS is why single-issue politics, and why mainstream gay activism in general, is so totally fucked up. HRC endorsed, in her re-election race for Senate, Republican Susan Collins from Maine. Collins is in the political fight for her life, and the reason is simple: She has been a constant, consistent enabler for the war — specifically voting to authorize it and continually voting to fund and continue the U.S. occupation in Iraq.
As a bonus, she also voted to confirm the two Bush Supreme Court justice nominees … no friend to the Human Rights Campaign, I’m sure, OR to “human rights” in terms of issues like torture and voting rights etc etc etc (and I could go on.)
Maybe I’m crazy, but as an LGBT I kind of feel like voting to support the war and for some of the most offensive legislation in decades makes her not as much of the “good friend to the LGBT” community as the Human Rights Campaign says she is. Sure, she supports civil unions and partnership benefits; that’s great. But so does her opponent. I realize they are “rewarding” her for her good behavior towards LGBT’s … but is someone with the same record and positions as her opponent on gay rights in any way worth having her around so she can continue to enable the war?
Like so many other issues, the idea that as a gay person we should look at politics from this monolithic, single-framed perspective is preposterous. So she’s good for gay people? Is war? Are tax cuts? Is Chief Justice John Roberts? Boo, I hate them and their stupid equal sign. This made me so mad that I entirely forgot what else I’m mad about, AND I almost forgot that I was going to avoid being mad and instead write about this wild company that makes recycled and sustainable sporting goods. I ordered a kickball today! And now I have to go so I can’t tell you about my awesome kickball until tomorrow. Dam you, Human Rights Campaign and Susan Collins!
[Also, are those guys in that photo I stole from Human Rights Campaign in a SHOWER already? Jesus christ they can't wait? This is not good.]
About The Author - Ben Wyskida is a writer, activist, conscientious hedonist and political communications strategist living in Brooklyn. - Visit Ben's site.
Fuck HRC. As far as I’m concerned, they stand for “Homosexuals Requiring Cash,” although I’m sure we can think of more potent epithets for them.
[...] That’s a lot to take, but if you still have a little room left to make a better world in the waning moments of April, there is still time to buy these totes awse reusable sandwich baggies, get a Credo Mobile cellphone, fuck a picnic table, tell the Human Rights Campaign to stop supporting war-mongering Republicans. [...]