It's June, Gay Pride month, and in honor of gay pride month, infoMania's Bryan Safi gives politicians a crisis plan in case they find themselves in a "sticky" situation (think about it...).
While hilarious, Safi evokes an important facet of America's roadblock on the way to progress: hubris.
I'm currently reading "Living in the End Times" by Slavoj Žižek (had to break out the character map for that one); the book is his treatise against Capitalism, detailing the downfall of the liberal government (read: totalitarian, detached, self-serving, not as in Democrats), and arguing that such a downfall allows us to find a new beginning through the failure. To open the discussion, he argues that admitting to one's own identity in all it's glory and tragedy is the first step to finding this new beginning.
Legislators facing such a "gay crisis" as Safi describes need take note of this. It would appear that they've gone so far down the path of hatred and discrimination that they deny what they are. It can largely be argued that they hate because they are unable to come to terms with who they are.
This hubris, this denial of what is right for the advancement of what you've constructed, affects more than just gay/bisexual/transgender legislators and legislation: this same kind of hubris has stalled health care legislation, climate change legislation, gay rights legislation, immigration reform, foreign policy, and the dreams of ordinary citizens in the process. The truth is, if legislators are to represent our wishes, they cannot do so if they are so cornered by fear as to prevent them from taking action at all.
Let this be a lesson to all of us. Be who you are and admit it to yourself, or start shipping Dawn to the Gulf.
UPDATE:
This story gives an example of the same activity in the church. It's nothing new, but it is still very important to acknowledge the toll this backwards discrimination takes, not only on the subjects of such prejudice, but on those who tout it.
2 comments:
Has anyone ever really thought about the men who make these "horrific mistakes"? They've made it to a prominent position well within the public eye so therefore they must have worked tirelessly on their reputation for most of their adult lives. Their time was not spent taking it easy or understanding themselves. No, it was far more important to make all the right moves in all the right places and network with anyone and everyone. So they did it. They made it to their destination, the honor of a United States Senator, most with a beautiful wife and children to boot. Now what? What do you do when you have everything you wanted? When you've attained your goal but still feel like something is missing? For those who don't hold public office we'd call this a midlife crisis. Usually a nice sports car, boat or vacation will sooth the void. However, for the man who is used to these nice perks sometimes a little something extra is desired. The taboo feels exhilarating after performing each necessary step under a spotlight. We all know that the ambiguity can not last forever and, as everything else in their lives, what went on behind closed doors is dragged into the open. Not just to be dealt with privately, but to be exploited across every single television set in America. Can you really blame them for reacting the way they do? Well yes... But on the other hand they're trapped, cornered and probably a little sexually confused.
I guess the point I'm trying to reach is perhaps they don't feel hatred so much as fear of being judged. Like you said, they hate because they're unable to come to terms with who they are.
I do believe that our culture has grown a lot over the past few years and, not all, but some of the animosity that comes with misunderstanding is ebbing away. Let's hope sooner or later a similar mindset will reach the members who are able to flex their influence and reach a better level of acceptance.
*applauds* Well said ma'am!
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