Gay Rights

[sparkindarkness]

Ok, I am not going to cut and past the meme that is going round because I strongly disagree with the premise that anyone who doesn't copy it doesn't support gay rights. That's just silly and unfair - there are numerous reasons why people wouldn't want to spam a meme on their own journal - lack of support for gay rights is just one among many. To word it the way iot has the meme is effectively blackmailing people with guilt and accusation - yeah, that's going to win us sipport.

Besides, spamming your journal with a gay rights message hardly makes you a paragon for the cause, 'kay?

Rev Phelps will not silence himself for a meme (actually let him talk because he makes 'phobes look so bad). Pat Robertson will not deck himself in a rainbow flag because a few dozen people on the net were guilted into posting on their journals.

I am glad, thrilled, ecstatic that there are so many people out there who believe in equality for homosexuals (I doubt ther eis a single person on my friends' list who doesn't) - making them all announce the fact won't achieve anything but annoy them.

there is a lot of work that CAN be done to support gay rights. Spam your representatives. Spam the homophobe organisations. Send messages of support to all of the groups supporting gay rights - post their linmks and banners - these can all help. Guilting friend's lists doesn't.


[EDIT To ADD: reminded by KLGAFFNEY - in no way do I blame or otherwise snarl at the people who followed this meme - I appreciate the very sincere and good intentions these people had in posting it and it does warm my heart to see people standing up against homophobia - I am more snapping at the opriginal author (asusming said author was trying to drum up gay support and doesn't have another motive)]

Comments

[being-here.livejournal.com]

This is one of my ranting subjects - the use of electronic means of campaigning.

I get really wound up at how stupid normally intelligent people can be if they are faced with an electronic campaign and how they assume that somehow normal standards of behaviour, research and common sense just don't count.

*represses rant for the good of your comments page*

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

my comment elsewhere If you care about equal rights, get off your ass and do something effective about it, as well as living your life by those ideals. If you don't care about equal rights, fuck off - you are, as always, more errudite and elegent in your approach.

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

thank you. you have spared my brain a serious amount of breakage.

[arnaion.livejournal.com]

I'd say this goes for all the "if you don't post this you don't love Jesus" memes, as well.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

rants are ALWAYS good. It is known.

But i do wonder at the foolishness of it. If someone presented you with a poll question worded in a similar fashion you would laugh at them.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

thank you. yes, my sentement exactly - writing a meme is not effective or useful action

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

hee, my brain broke first when I read it and started the growling

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

yep, because guilting people into posting something somehow manages to show actual real dedication. They're silly things - chainletters

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

i was in the process of full scale snarl, then i caught your post and took a deep breath [and made some edits!] before i posted mine. *innocent*

[being-here.livejournal.com]

Exactly - no one would phrase a request for support or similar thing like that in any other format than electronic and it's ridiculous.

I wish I had the time to rant properly :D

[jrho.livejournal.com]

It really bothered me when I saw it this morning. It still bothers me. Dammit, now I'm wearing my scowly face.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

At least we are all sensible in our outrage

[phurie-dae.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I just posted something very similar. That meme pissed me off the second I saw it.

I found your journal a good while ago through customers_suck and I really enjoy your posts - would you mind if I friended you?

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Thank you,.

sure, feel free. the more the merrier

[ladydyani.livejournal.com]

AND IF YOU DON'T FORWARD THE SEVENTY-SIX JESUS EMAILS, YOU WILL SURELY GO TO HELL AND A BIRD WILL CRAP ON YOUR FRESHLY WASHED CAR AND YOU'LL BE CONSTIPATED FOR SIX YEARS.

Reminds me of my mother-in-law. To quote myself (Narcissism? What's that?): "My mother-in-law is the queen of the Jesus emails. I've received four of them today. I'm apparently going to hell because I didn't forward them to everyone in my address book. She's tricky. She sends the ones that tell you to send them back to whoever sent it to you. This is so she can keep track of who loves Jesus. She's probably praying for me right now. One a.m.? So what? She'll mumble the prayer in her sleep."