Today, I held up a sign…
I took my kids downtown to Claires to get some things for Halloween. On the way, we noticed a rally meant to drum up support to vote down Referendum 74, and thing that would allow same-sex marriage in Washington state.
I joined the protesters holding up signs, all in favor of Ref 74 and the right for everyone to marry. The upside, lots of passersby said, “Thank you.” The downside, I had to hear these speakers spouting the most fucking idiotic shit I’ve ever heard.
To hear them speak, allowing same sex unions would be tantamount to castration. Or at least, the repudiation of their manhood. Ref74 would define marriage as being an agreement between two “persons”, not a “man” and a “woman”. Apparently the speakers—all male—didn’t want to be persons. They wanted to be men.
It made me wonder how many women would object to being called a “person” and being seen as equal to men in the eye of the law. But that’s another topic.
No, what made me sick to my stomach was how every speaker, again and again, repeated that gays *already* have equal rights. They did so while in the next sentence saying something blatantly homophobic. Or perhaps I should say “straight-privileged.” The nudge-nudge, wink-wink kind of crap that made me want to stomp up on stage and smack a bitch.
After the rally, I caught up with my kids at Claire’s, and laughed with them as we tried on gag sunglasses and ogled 1-Direction messenger bags.
There was a boy there—about my older daughter’s age. He had a sweet face and a hat pulled down to right above his eyes. He was trying to look through the scarves and costumes and various trinkets. He and his dad looked like they were from Seattle—one of the most gay friendly cities around.
And his dad told him they should leave because the store was “for girls.”
The kid pouted as he left. He went to sit on the bench down the way and cross his arms. He threw one of those rebellious mini-tantrums ten and eleven year olds favor. And all the while his dad was like, “What’s the problem??”
Was the kid gay? I don’t know. But I could tell by the way his father talked to him and steered him toward a Mariners store, that his dad hoped he wasn’t.
How is it equality when being one way is “better” than being another? How can gay kids possibly think they’re getting an even deal when every step of their lives they’re being herded toward straight behavior? And sure, some parents accept their kids for who they are. But there’s a huge fucking difference between “accepting” and encouraging your kids.
Being gay is tolerated. Acting “like a boy” is celebrated.
That’s not equality.
And anyone who thinks it is can kiss my ass.
