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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joan, Why is it that if I were to walk up to Dick,
smack him in the gob and berate him for being a good for nothing, lazy, ugly,
stinking, white, male, heterosexual, I would only be guilty of battery? If I
committed a similar assault on you it would be battery and a hate crime. Doesn't
sound like equals before the law to me. If I refuse to hire Dick to work in my
shop 'cause he's so straight he wouldn't be able to turn corners (hawr, hawr,
hawr) his recourse would be to seek work elsewhere. If I refuse to hire you for
being gay (insert favorite ignorant dumb ass comment followed by
guffaws here) a discrimination suit would be sure to follow. The same if I
refuse to rent to you, sell to you, or provide you service. If equality before
the law is your goal, I trust you are lobbying, agitating, and vote, vote,
voting hard to change these blatant injustices. I think that most folks
would agree that who you elect to slip twixt the sheets with
is none of our concern but, same rights, privileges, and
responsibilities? Forgive me if I'm skeptical since it doesn't seem to be the
case currently.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>G. Crabtree</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=joanopyr@moscow.com href="mailto:joanopyr@moscow.com">Joan Opyr</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020 Moscow</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 17, 2006 12:33
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] My gay agenda
(again)</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Dear Visionaries:<BR><BR>It's kind of Joe to offer such an
eloquent defense of my responding in kind to Dick, Ed, and Tony, et al, but
really, I shouldn't allow myself to be provoked. It's bad for my blood
pressure, and we have better things to talk about as a community than whether
or not residents of Othello or Lewiston find me and my life vile. Joe's right
on target with his ugly wife analogy. I'll offer another one. Imagine that
I've founded a religion based on "Logan's Run." Life should end when you turn
21. The Sandman says so, and besides, it'll save us a fortune on wrinkle
cream, Viagra, and Social Security payments to retiring baby boomers. Plus, I
find the whole idea of Anna Nicole Smith having sex with J. Howard Marshall
vile. Let's make that illegal. <BR><BR>Want to talk about this? No? Me
neither. And so let's not. This isn't to say that I believe all community
discourse can or should be constructive -- some debate must of necessity be
destructive because some ideas and beliefs have got to be thoroughly
dismantled before we can move ahead. We have to knock down racism, sexism, and
homophobia; we have to raze this bigotry to the ground and build a better
society above the rubble. <BR><BR>Do Dick, Ed, and Tony have reason to fear
me, to fear women, and to fear equal rights for gays and lesbians? Absolutely.
Equality is not a zero sum game, but acknowledging my fundamental right to
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will mean that their straight
white world of privilege, certainty, and unquestioned assumptions will vanish
forever. They will always have the right to believe whatever they like. The
big lie is that they're going to lose that.<BR><BR>My gay agenda? It sure as
hell isn't to make Dick like who I am or accept that my gay life is both
healthy and happy. For heaven's sake, who does he think I am? Albus
Dumbledore? I have no intention of sprinkling him with fairy dust -- any kind
of fairy dust. Why would I waste good fairy on Dick? My gay agenda is very
simple: I intend to lobby, to agitate, and to vote, vote, vote until Dick and
I enjoy the exact same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as U. S.
citizens. That's it. I will not be invading his church. I will not be burning
his Bible. I will, however, insist that we be treated as equals before the
law. The secular law.<BR><BR>Joan Opyr/Auntie
Establishment<BR>www.joanopyr.com<?fontfamily><?param Helvetica><?smaller><BR><?/smaller><?/fontfamily>
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