Round 'em up, cowgirl
a special (personal) gay edition
“I’m not interested in politics,” said the woman. Or the man. Or a thousand people every day who aren’t following what’s happening in this country.
Yes, politics can be boring. It’s hard to read or listen to stories about budgets, taxes, building projects, economics - without the MEGO effect. My Eyes Glaze Over. Old journalism term, still relevant.
But political issues can also involve human rights. Then, it’s not only interesting - it’s life-altering.
For many of us, the issues become personal. People of color have known this for centuries during their seemingly never-ending fight against government-sanctioned oppression. So have women, and the poor.
So has the LGBTQ community. And here I am, the mother of a gay son, suddenly electrified by the gradual marginalization of people like him. My beautiful, smart, creative son - my 18-year-old college freshman who loves Beyonce and NutterButter cookies and fashion - lives in a state where it is increasingly legal to discriminate
against him because of the sexual identity with which he was born. BC, I say to him every time he leaves the house. Be Careful. I used to worry about traffic accidents, but that’s no longer the case. Now I have to bite my tongue from adding context - there’s danger out there. There are people who don’t like the fact that you exist - and not just in Florida.
A week ago, at a gas station in Brooklyn, NY, a handsome Black gay man named O’Shae Sibley heard a Beyonce song and started dancing. He was, in fact, a professional dancer, and was partaking in an activity known as voguing - improvisational movement inspired by fashion modeling. Some men didn’t like it, and told him to stop while yelling anti-gay expletives at him. The incident ended in Sibley being stabbed to death. He was 28 years old. A 17-year-old suspect has been charged with murder as a hate crime.
You may have heard by now that the Advanced Placement Psychology class, taught in high schools nationwide and commonly referred to as AP Psych, was banned and then un-banned in Florida over the course of about 36 hours. A quick summary: The College Board, which regulates AP classes, and the Florida Department of Education have been in tense negotiations for months over AP Psych’s section on sexual identity and gender issues - a section that has been included in the course since its inception 30 years ago. Finally, the College Board issued a statement saying the course will not be allowed if the contested portions are removed. The Florida DOE quickly issued its own statement insisting that AP Psych can and will be taught in its entirety. My local high school emailed parents immediately assuring them that the course will be offered as usual in the fall. Problem solved, right? Not exactly. Although the course will be taught, the educators who teach the course will do so with understandable trepidation. Remember, teachers in Florida who introduce LGBTQ issues in their classes are subject to dismissal. Furthermore, they are required to inform administration if any students confide in them about LGBTQ issues, and are not required to use students’ preferred pronouns. All of these rules will cause a chilling effect - teachers will be technically allowed to teach the course, but will they chance teaching it as designed, if it means risking their jobs? Some will, some won’t.
This past Saturday, the national United Methodist Church organization held a special meeting to discuss the disaffiliation of more than 6,000 congregations. All of the requested disaffiliations were approved. The reason the churches, representing hundreds of thousands of Methodists, want to leave the UMC: the UMC has begun to relax its traditional condemnation of LGBTQ people. Many of the newly disaffiliated churches will join the Global Methodist Church, a newly formed ultra conservative umbrella organization promising to maintain a stance against LGBTQ people being included in church privileges. Church law forbids the marriage or ordination of “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals.” But many UMC churches have been allowing gay people to participate openly in their communities. One of the defecting churches is in my own neighborhood - the Ponte Vedra Methodist Church. It will pay a $171,730 ‘exit obligation’ fee to disaffiliate. Down the road, the Southside Methodist Church in Jacksonville will pay $410,039. To be clear: people with whom I converse, people I see in the grocery store, people I encounter every day - are willing to worship in a congregation that will pay $171,730 to ensure that LGBTQ people - people like my son - will know they are sinners in the eyes of their “god.”
Photo by Samuel Lopes on Unsplash Starting last month, it is a crime in Florida for transgender persons to use restrooms that match their gender identity. In addition, gender-inclusive restrooms are forbidden in schools, public shelters, healthcare facilities, and jails. So a transgender male - a man with a deep voice, impressive pecs, and a full beard - will be required by law to use a women’s restroom.
In addition, Florida law now makes it legal for healthcare providers to deny a patient care on the basis of the provider’s religious, moral or ethical beliefs.
So yeah, son, there’s danger out there. It’s coming from every direction.
So when are ya moving down here? It's a bit more tolerant at the beach. This beach anyway.
My brother-in-law was recently ordained as a deacon in the Episcopal church up in Pittsburgh. We used to call the Episcopalians 'Catholic Light'. I think they should now be known as 'Catholic Right', as in they got it right!
This is so chilling. So much has started to stack against the push towards equal rights.