Friday, January 20. 2006Queer Conservative? What the Fuck?!
If you're a queer conservative I don't get it. What have they done for you lately, those conservatives? Nada. Sure, there are fiscal conservatives and religious conservatives, bla bla bla. You wanna be conservative, great. Happy for you. Really. Enjoy the environmental degradation, the social injustice, the letting the meek rot because after all they shall inherit the earth, the anti-queer propaganda. Or just ignore those issues. Ignore them and accept conservatism on the basis of the issues you DON'T want to ignore. But really, when the day is over, YOU are able to publicly announce your queerness NOT because of conervatives' efforts, but because of the efforts of the open-minded liberals who've fought to make homophobia a stigma.
I get that being queer and conservative challenges norms, and that my attitude towards conservatives (and moderates, for that matter) is intollerant and partakes of the same kinds of "us/them" discourses that I think are fucked up for a democracy to have. To what do I owe this rant, then? Domestic spying's on a roll at the federal level, and here's how it manifests locally:  A University of California Los Angeles alumni group has been offering students up to $100 to "supply tape recordings and notes from classes to expose professors suspected of pushing liberal political views on their students." Several prominent members of the group, including US Congressman James Rogan (R), have resigned their membership. So wait, what's a liberal again? And what's a dangerous liberal? Are they two different things? Ah...the trickle down effect. I've always had LOTS of faith in it. See, Bush authorizes domestic spying, and this makes it okay for smaller entities to spy also. "If Big B does it, we should too." Rest assured, the trickle goes back up, too. Who is analyzing the information gathered by the aforementioned alumni group? Probably conservative politicians higher up the chain of command. It's a web of spying. Lucky for us, the web strings are coming into clear view. Bear in mind, a spy-prone group may be watching a queer group why? Because they'll reason that most queers are liberal and therefore a threat to our nation. Check out the brief version of the UCLA spy story at guardian.co.uk. Or the more thorough (yes, longer) version of the story by the LA Times. Trackbacks
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Thanks, JoH. Yeah, I don't get it. I mean, queer conservatives aren't gonna go away, and maybe in a farflung universe they'll actually effect change within the conservative party (um, republicans mostly)--but that's so unlikely. SO SO UNLIKELY. It's more likely that I'll shit out an elephant tusk than that a queer conservative will effect that kind of change. My policy is: find the groups that support you and support them in return. And by "you" I mean everything you stand for, INCLUDING your sexual orientation and your gender biological, assigned, or chosen....unless of course you don't stand for your own sexual orientation. Then by all means, vote on the conservative ballot.
#1.1
on
2006-01-20 16:34
You're welcome.
#2.1
on
2006-01-23 09:15
So what have the liberals done for you?
That's right. Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Defense of Marriage Act, Virginia's passing a gay marriage ban as well as Tennessee. Those "Democrat" governors are opposed to gay marriage and don't seem to have the slightest bit of interest in stopping the legislation. BTW, is it "spying" if you record your notes in class?
Good points about the Democrats. I don't think all Democrats are liberals.
Recording your notes in class isn't spying until an individual or group is paying you for the recording so s/he/it can build a covert case against the voices on the tape. I'm no legal expert, but it seems intent is the key issue. And we have yet to learn whether there is/was a larger game being played (i.e. the students were working for the alumni association; who was the alumni association working for?). And finally, the group that was doing the spying happens to be of the same political affiliations as the group that is in power in the White House and in Congress.
#3.1
on
2006-01-23 09:24
I think a bigger conspiracy would be the use of the IRS to screw your opponents a la lord BJ, but that's just me.
Then again, I suppose the DSCC pulling the credit report of a black Republican is no big deal either. You're right. Tape recording douchebag liberal professors is soooo criminal. We should have a nice, expensive Congressional hearing immediately. We haven't had one of those, which make fools of the liberals, in a while.
P.S.
I don't think all Democrats are liberals. These days, there's not a whole lot of difference. At least not as long as Soros foots the bill.
I was talking about liberals, not Democrats. You brought up individual democrats that have made decisions that have negative impacts on queers. Ergo, it seemed you were linking liberals with democrats.
Also, I don't mind supporting the Democratic party as a whole in spite of a few individuals within it who are against us because the Democratic Party does not condone homophobia or support hate organizations (i.e., "family values" groups), even though democrats as individuals might.
#5.1
on
2006-01-27 14:24
"Also, I don't mind supporting the Democratic party as a whole in spite of a few individuals within it who are against us because the Democratic Party does not condone homophobia or support hate organizations (i.e., "family values" groups), even though democrats as individuals might."
Oh. I get it. So as long as they lie to your face and conceal their homophobia then everything is fine and dandy. When they stick you in the back with a rusty shiv, that's just their way of saying "I love you and value your vote". Got it.
Thanks for your comments. I'm flattered that you are so interested in figuring me out. But I feel I know so little about you. Let me ask you, since I would hate to make assumptions about you:
What are the best aspects of conservative politics? Do you go to church? What denomination? Do you feel that conservative politicians support queers? Did YOU choose to be gay or were you born that way? Did you vote for Bush? If not, who did you vote for? Have you tried being straight? What issues were most important to you during the last election? Does your family know you're gay? Do you support the war in Iraq? Do you believe Jesus loves queers? Have you ever read the Q'uran? Have you ever served in the military? Are you white?
#6.1
on
2006-01-28 13:11
What are the best aspects of conservative politics?
Gotta go with the standards of smaller governement, less government intrusion, lower taxes, self-reliance instead of reliance on the state, the firm belief in idividual excellence etc. For example: If we are to believe what the liberals preach, New Orleans should have been a shining example of how the world ought to be since it and the state have been run by liberals for so long. There should not have been any poverty, classes, racism etc. and hurricane Katrina exposed the failure of liberalism. Do you go to church? What denomination? I used to. Presbyterian (PCA) Do you feel that conservative politicians support queers? Some do, just as some liberals do. Did YOU choose to be gay or were you born that way? I don't know and frankly, I don't care. I just know that I am. Did you vote for Bush? Yes. Both times. Have you tried being straight? Long story short, yes I did and I was miserable the whole time. What issues were most important to you during the last election? National security, tax cuts, preservation of the Patriot Act, reigning in spending, etc. Does your family know you're gay? Yes. They love my partner of 9 years too. Do you support the war in Iraq? Heck yeah. Do you believe Jesus loves queers? God loves all of His children. I was taught pre-destination and I don't think we'd be gay if that wasn't part of His plan. Have you ever read the Q'uran? Bits and pieces. Have not had any desire to read the whole thing. Sorry, there's just some books I'm not interested in reading. Have you ever served in the military? No. Are you white? Yes.
Well, yes, it's true, the Democrats have been a disappointment when it comes to gay rights, on the whole, and particularly on the marriage issue. Where I get lost is how that then leads a gay person to conclude that the solution is to vote for the Republican. You're saying you'd rather vote for the people who get their funding and support from the likes of Pat Robertson?
Where I get lost is how that then leads a gay person to conclude that the solution is to vote for the Republican.
Sorry to say that gay rights is not the paramount issue on my mind when it comes to voting. You're saying you'd rather vote for the people who get their funding and support from the likes of Pat Robertson? You know as well as I that that is not where all the funding comes from. If you want to put it that way, I'd rather vote for someone who gets funding from Pat Robertson than George Soros. But that's just me. Further, I don't pay much attention to Robertson, but I seriously don't see him as the Bogeyman the liberals, gay liberals especially, want me to think he is. I'm of the opinion that he's mostly reviled because he's a Christian and it would seem that the left can't have any of that.
"I'm of the opinion that he's mostly reviled because he's a Christian "
Funny, most of the people I know that don't like Robertson are actually Christians who feel his actions and words are very un-Christian.
#7.1.1
on
2006-01-31 17:59
Amen to that Belledame222! I think That Conservative Guy is saying that when you have a choice between two evils you should pick the most evil of the two.
I guess if given a choice between having a fraction of the rights of other humans in your country and no rights (and being burned at the stake and blamed for causing all sorts of natural disasters) Mr. Conservative would choose the later.
#8
on
2006-01-29 21:57
I think That Conservative Guy is saying that when you have a choice between two evils you should pick the most evil of the two.
Actually, if I had meant to say that, I would have (with all due respect). My point is that there are more important things than me. I guess if given a choice between having a fraction of the rights of other humans in your country and no rights (and being burned at the stake and blamed for causing all sorts of natural disasters) Mr. Conservative would choose the later. My contention is that rights don't mean a damn if you've been blasted to hell by the Islamo-fascists. Those folks on 9/11 were denied ALL of their rights in a heartbeat. You know that we have rights and nobody's being burned at the stake. You also know that nobody was really hurt by "being blamed for causing all sorts of natural disasters". Bush is blamed for all that and more and doesn't give a damn. Why should you? Is your skin that thin? I just recognize that Conservative values are closer to my own than the liberals. I used to think I was a Democrat. Even voted for lord BJ twice. Then I grew up. |
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