News & Politics - Gays accused of discrimnation

Clash181 · 07-20-2006, 05:51 PM

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PROVINCETOWN, Massachusetts (Reuters)

- Provincetown, New England's summer gay capital, is facing a rise in harassment and discrimination. But this time it's straight people who say they are being ridiculed as "breeders" and "baby makers."

Less than a decade after a successful campaign to end violent paroxysms of "gay bashing" in the beach town at the tip of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, police and town officials report a resurgence in tension between gays and straight people.

Police Chief Ted Meyer said straight people complained of being called "breeders" over the July Fourth holiday weekend, and that in one serious incident a man was charged with assaulting a woman who signed a petition to ban same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, the only state where it is legal.

Equally troubling, he said, Jamaican workers in Provincetown say they have been the target of racial slurs.

"It's been a series of issues," Meyer said.

The flare-ups in a town that overflows in summer with a colorful mix of gay couples often openly holding hands or kissing, cross-dressers and flocks of curious tourists coincide with a planned vote this year in the state Legislature on an amendment to ban gay marriage -- a measure that has rallied activists on both sides of the issue.

Gay-marriage advocates have set up a Web site -- KnowThyNeighbor.org - Protect marriage for ALL families! -- that publishes the names of people who have signed the petition, including at least two locals in Provincetown who say they have been singled out and verbally abused by gays since their names appeared on the Web site.

Town officials said the town is struggling to strike a balance between protecting the right to freedom of expression for petition signers, and ensuring its gay majority contain their anger at what many see as an assault on their hard-won right to marriage.

Police would not classify the slurs and name-calling as "hate crimes." But a town meeting was called last Friday to discuss whether social attitudes were changing in the gay resort village with a population of 3,431 that swells to 60,000 in summer and includes a large number of Jamaicans.

'HELLO, YOU'RE IN OUR TOWN'

"We have business that we haven't talked about as a family," Town Manager Keith Bergman said. "The impact of the same sex marriage petition is high on that list."

Some gays expressed shock at being accused of discrimination after years of suffering harassment.

"There are still a lot of straight people who treat gays badly," said Steve Bowersock, 35, an artist who owns the Bowersock Gallery on the town's main Commercial Street.

Bowersock, who was once married to a woman, said he moved to Provincetown in 2004 with his partner because it gives gays a political voice. He admits he sometimes discriminates against straight people he finds offensive

"If there's a straight couple and I hear them in the background going 'oh fags', I'm like 'hello, where the hell do you think you are?' So in turn I get mad," he said.

"If I see someone nervous like a big butch guy, and you can just tell he's a redneck, I'll grab my partner and I'll kiss him. It's not being mean, but 'hello you're in our town'."

The Rev. Henry J. Dahl, pastor at St. Peter's Church, said several of his parishioners had complained to him of being singled out and verbally abused after signing the petition.

"I don't think it's totally unexpected that there would be some reaction to people who signed the petition," he said. "Let's just hope we can have civil discourse."

Joe Solmonese, president of gay rights group Human Rights Campaign, said the petition signers invited trouble by taking a position that says "loud and clear that you believe that gays and lesbians should be treated as second class citizens."

Okay, I decided to post this because I wanted to know what you guys consider discrimination. Can gay people discriminate against strait people and call them "breeders" and not be predjudice? Can they harrass people on the street who have signed gay marriage ban petitions? I personally believe that if you're a human being and want to get married, you ought to be able to, but there are, obviously, people who don't believe that. Shouldn't their opions be as respected as anyone elses?

I would really like to hear what you guys think.

Jedisakora · 07-20-2006, 06:42 PM

I'm actually glad you brought that article and posted it here. You hear all the time of Gays getting discriminated but you never hear when they discriminate against other people becasue the media usally doesn't print it. The only time i've ever read articles of Gays discriminating people is in small newspapers like when a bunch of Gay men in San Fransico rallied up and started banging and screaming on a church in the area screaming "We want your children." and other things scaring the kids inside.

I believe that the Gay community ought to really follow their own words and not discriminate and accept people who are straight or has a different way of thinking than they do. I'm a Christian and i've lost count of how many times i've been made fun of and been called prejudice by Pro Gay rights people because of that reason. Christianity teaches that your supposed to love one another just as much as you love yourself and to hate the Sin but not the sinner so i don't hate Gay people, i just disappove of their sin.

And now i'm ready for the backlash and this time i'm ready. I've been reading up on the Scriptures so i'm all set.

blue4815162342 · 07-20-2006, 06:43 PM

there is definitely descrimination against them. i think if they want to get married let them get married, this is more important issues like what are we going to do about iran and n. korea.

TokyoNiGHTS · 07-20-2006, 06:51 PM

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Originally Posted by Clash181

Okay, I decided to post this because I wanted to know what you guys consider discrimination. Can gay people discriminate against strait people and call them "breeders" and not be predjudice?

No its not right for them to do that. Prejudice can happen even when you're the one who's on the receiving end of that prejudice the majority of the time. I know why they do it, and its in large part to show people how it feels to be wrongfully discriminated against but there are better ways of going about it. You don't really need to stoop to their low level.

elisheva · 07-20-2006, 10:49 PM

Man, I hate it when people call straight people/non-childfree people "breeders." Or mock "vanilla" couples. Yeah, we get it, you're edgy and not erotophobic! Go you! Now stop being a jerk.

No one is free of prejudice, not gay people and not any other group that has suffered from discrimination. It's understandable how it happens, though.

People against gay marriage shouldn't be harassed. You may disagree with them (and I certainly do) but they have the right to their opinion, just as you have the right to yours. That said, people against gay marriage shouldn't go about telling gay people that they are sinning etc (I'm sure there are some people who do do that..I was reading some Chick tracts my brother sent me as a joke and while they were funny, they were also freaking terrifying). Why can't people just live and let live, dammit?

Ms. Fiction · 07-21-2006, 03:03 AM

This article makes me want to start up a Straight Pride Parade, but of course I along with anyone participating would be bashed for doing so, how dare we not be gay and/or not love gays in everyway. I’m opposed to gay marriage, I’m not opposed to gays, there is a difference. Guess what, I’m not going around calling them sinners either, mainly because I am in no way religious.

I’ve never heard of someone being called a breeder for the sole reason of being straight. I think it’s hilarious, but I don’t know how it’s supposed to be a bad thing.

Lexis · 07-21-2006, 05:55 AM

Well, to address the main point, prejudice is not correct and the attitudes of these people are wrong. It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, harressing people like that is not right.

Ms Fiction, I'm not sure who would be asking you how dare you not be gay if you had a straight pride parade. I for one, wouldn't really care and I guess that would go for almost all other straight people and probably most gays.

elisheva · 07-21-2006, 07:55 AM

Frankly I think the whole "HURR HURR WE SHOULD HAVE A STRAIGHT PRIDE PARADE HURR" (in general..I hear it a lot) is petty and obnoxious and would only be a tool for homophobia, as opposed to gay pride parades and events such as the Outgames which are events created to show pride and celebrate a group of people that have suffered from a tremendous amount of discrimination.

Ms Fiction, I doubt anyone would tell you "how dare you not be gay?" The whole point of equal rights is that no one cares what your orientation is and you should be able to live your life without anyone curtailing your rights because they disagree with you.

(Out of curiosity [this is not an attack, I promise!] - if you're not religious, what are your reasons for opposing gay marriage? I've only once heard a non-religious argument and that was kind of an obscure corner of the net.)

TokyoNiGHTS · 07-21-2006, 08:14 AM

If you look around there's probably already been Straight Pride Parades, I know one college did a "Straight Pride Week", in other words, a week like every other week in the year. Which is why such "Straight Pride" events are a waste of everyones time.

clone · 07-21-2006, 08:19 AM

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

"breeders" and "baby makers."

Jeez that's freakin' classic!!!

Hey.... they can discrimate against me if they want to. I love girls..... a lot..... and if that's wrong in thier view then I want to be soooooo so wrong.

mh67511 · 07-21-2006, 08:33 AM

Everyone is capable of discrimination.

Erin · 07-21-2006, 08:05 PM

wow....so gay people are capable of discrimination? I am shocked.

I don't understand the surprise here. We are all human, nobody is perfect.

RugarTheGreat · 07-22-2006, 03:42 PM

Hmm...when it comes to discrimination, society tents to have a double standard in my opinion.

Ms. Fiction · 07-23-2006, 12:14 AM

The “how dare we not be gay” thing I put in my first reply was supposed to be an exaggeration, but I guess no one picked up on that fact.

When is comes to sexual orientations, I just don’t want to know. I don’t want to know if you're gay, I don’t want to know if you're straight, I don’t want to know if you're both, I just plain out don’t want to know. I’m annoyed by people who feel that when they are introducing themselves they also need to add in what their sexual orientation is, it’s just not something I think is acceptable in polite conversation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by elisheva

(Out of curiosity [this is not an attack, I promise!] - if you're not religious, what are your reasons for opposing gay marriage? I've only once heard a non-religious argument and that was kind of an obscure corner of the net.)

I just believe that marriage is between a man and a women. I have no problem giving gay couples the same rights as a married couple, I just can’t give them the title of “married”. There are some other reasons I oppose gay marriage but I would briefer not to get into them right now, but I can assure you they aren’t religious and according to those of my gay friends I have told my beliefs to, they are not what they consider homophobic.

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Originally Posted by Erin

wow....so gay people are capable of discrimination? I am shocked.

I don't understand the surprise here. We are all human, nobody is perfect.

I don’t think there is any real shock; I just think some people are in denial.

- annuscka - · 07-23-2006, 03:03 AM

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When is comes to sexual orientations, I just don’t want to know. I don’t want to know if you're gay, I don’t want to know if you're straight, I don’t want to know if you're both, I just plain out don’t want to know. I’m annoyed by people who feel that when they are introducing themselves they also need to add in what there sexual orientation is, it’s just not something I think is acceptable in polite conversation.

Oh, WORD. I am so sick of this constant sexualisation of society - just, let it stay in the bedroom, for Pete's sake. I don't care, and I don't want to know! Regardless of what you're into, as long as it's not hurting anyone else - just, no need to tell me unless I ask! Gah.

But anyway - yes, I think this is discrimination. Not to get into even touchier areas, but there are a lot of groups of people in this world who seem to have gotten a "free card" on behaving prejudiced themselves, "only" because they have a long history of being subjects of hatred. Which obviously is tragic and not correct but complete insanity, but doesn't give them the right to a) behave obnoxiously and prejudiced themselves, and b) get away with it because people are so afraid of being labeled if they speak up against it. Equal means equal in every sense, people. Both the good and bad. And most people realise this, but the people behind that website mentioned obviously seem to have issues with it. You can't go on and crucify people like that, regardless of what they think, of you or anything else. Period.

Not to mention, by a few people doing this, the gay community might take a serious blow - people might twist it to mean that they were right in being anti-gay rights in the first place. And since this is still such a touchy issue, they might gain a lot of press with that, and a lot of people who were uncomfortable with the legislation in the first place might decide to be anti-gay in their turn. So, they're only really hurting themselves by stooping to this level - they still have a lot to figth for, and need to stay on the highroad for now, in order to not get any backlashes. It might seem unfair, and I guess it kind of is, too - afterall, bigots don't need to think like that. But that's because, unfortunately, bigots are larger in support numbers, and when you're fighting from a minority position, you can't afford anyone finding anything to blame you for.


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