Not comparing circumstances, emulating focus
In drawing attention to the "Gay rights are not civil rights" sign in Gatesville ("Instant Tea," July 24), you reported that the sign’s funder claimed he "merely wanted to point out" to African-Americans that "now everything they fought for is being hijacked."
While it is certainly possible to question the sign funder’s and owner’s assumptions, it may be more useful to learn from the civil rights battles.
When JFK said equality, but "not yet," black leaders pushed forward. When LBJ sought equality, but not "too soon," black activists pushed on. Finally, neither the administration nor the Congress nor the courts could find excuses sufficient to deny African-Americans full equality under the law.
Most in the LGBT community do not seek to compare circumstances. We do seek to emulate the powerful focus of the African-American community.
Phyllis Guest
Dallas
Phyllis:
I don’t think you can imply that gays and lesbians simply need to “push on.” If you study Martin Luther Kings approach he wasn’t demanding or even pushing – he knew what the real problem was. It was in the Bible. During one of his speeches he referenced it by saying “somebody told a lie.” Religion made black wrong and slavery okay – and yeah it was a lie. He encouraged people to “reject that lie.”
Religion tells a lie about homosexuals, too. We need to reject that lie and, if necessary, religion, too. Religion is the single source of gay hatred and discrimination because of how they defined “homosexual.” That must change.
Our plights is different from the civil rights struggles of African Americans because we are “hated” more than being “oppressed.” We need to end the hate by ending the lie about homosexuals.
It’s time to put Equality BEFORE Religion.
brian
please stop talking about religion
that is all you ever talk about ever
this post had nothing to do with religion and you somehow managed to find a way to complain about religion anyways
just stop