Coming Out
The Anti-LGBT Moments of the Sarah Palin Tornado
Published July 04, 2009 @ 06:53AM PT
Sarah Palin's announcement yesterday that "I'm a celebrity, get me off this oil field," have sent a handful of shockwaves through the political chattering class. Was it a good move? Was it a bad move? Did she mean to say "I'm taking a vacation," but accidentally said "resigning," and now it's too late? Has she decided to run for the Evangelical Christian GOP nomination for President in 2012? Or is she just really looking for a change of scenery (one can only look at Russia from your house for so long...).
Well, whatever the case, it's clear that all of the papers that Sarah Palin reads will certainly be covering her abrupt resignation, and what it means for the future of a politician who thinks that the commitment between and a man and a woman is sacred above anything, but the commitment between a governor and a state's population is disposable.
Whether this turns out to be a political funeral or the beginnings of a political surge, we've got some of the more infamous moments of the tornado that is Sarah Palin's political career, when it comes to LGBT rights. For what it's worth, Alaska is not only losing their governor, but they're also losing one of the more anti-LGBT leaders in the country.
National Coming Out Day Stay in the Closet Day: Despite being urged by civil rights groups like Alaskans Together to officially recognize National Coming Out Day, Governor Sarah Palin refused to acknowledge a day that fosters acceptance of LGBT people. Sure, during her time as Governor she made official proclamations to recognize "Alaska Taiwan Friendship Week," "Christian Heritage Week," and "Biomedical Technician Week," but giving the gays one day where tolerance and understanding are the norm was a bit too much for the Alaska Governor.
Support of Ex-Gay Ministries?: Sarah Palin's hometown church in Wasilla actively promoted the ex-gay ministry "Love Won Out" by posting their ads in weekly church bulletins. These ex-gay therapy groups have been roundly criticized by science, religious leaders and politicians of all stripes, but nonetheless, Palin's own church seemed to preach that homosexuality could be overcome.
Alaska and Traditional Marriage: Though she was just a few years removed from the Bachelor's Degree that took her seven years and four colleges to get, Sarah Palin was a strong proponent of Alaska's 1998 statewide constitutional amendment which banned same-sex marriage. Additionally, Palin told the Anchorage News in 2005 that she supported repealing many domestic partner benefits given to same-sex couples in Alaska, because DP benefits were anti-family.
The Three Amigos - Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, and Phyllis Schlafly: They're three of the most anti-LGBT people in the country, and the connection? Michelle Bachmann (who has called global warming a "hoax" and "voodoo," and said that God is blessing the Iraq War) stepped in for Sarah Palin during a anti-choice award ceremony at the Republican National Convention this year. Phyllis Schlafly, the denmother of radical conservatives 'round the country, said that McCain's selection of Palin as a running mate was "terribly smart," at the time. Hmm...wonder what she was saying on November 5, 2008?
Let's Define Marriage Federally: In a break with her running mate John McCain, Palin told the Christian Broadcasting Network in October 2008 that she wished the federal government would follow the lead of states like Alaska and work to ban same-sex marriage. Because fighting two wars and solving an economic crisis deserves to be side-stepped by knocking down marriage equality.....
A "Perversion and Degenerates" Ally: In March of this year, Sarah Palin had the task of choosing an Attorney General for Alaska. Her preferred candidate? Wayne Anthony Ross, a radical right-wing lawyer who has referred to LGBT people as "perverts," "degenerates," and "immoral." Ross also had a resume filled with other star attributes, like defending a KKK art project, and representing nutjobs that harass anti-war protestors.
Sheesh! We could go on and on here about the Governor. But for now her time in the political spotlight is up. Now the question becomes whether this rash decision to leave office bolsters her credentials among the radical right in this country, or shows to even the most diehard conservatives that this is not a stable politician. And the jury is still out on that one.
How Social Networking Makes Coming Out Easier
Published June 02, 2009 @ 08:26AM PT
Remember that girl in high school who sat next to you in homeroom, who you used to joke with during morning announcements? Or that guy in physics class who sat in front of you, who despite the Pantera stickers all over his notebook, was still kind of cool? Or your next-door neighbor when you were seven, who you were kind of best friends with at the time, but lost touch with as you grew older?
So maybe it's been years since you've seen these people (or people like them), and you're wondering...do these people know that I'm gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender?
Whether or not it matters whether people from your past know your sexual orientation is perhaps a separate question. But as this Time magazine article points out, there's one thing that social networking sites have done that many might not have imagined: it's made coming out to long-lost friends, acquaintances, classmates and others virtually as easy as clicking a button.
The article, "How to Come Out on Facebook," is a good, quick read that points out that coming out ain't what it used to be. I can remember sitting down almost all of my friends the summer after my senior year in high school, and telling each of them individually, over lots of coffee and dinners. And while that still happens for some, the vast majority are starting to let their "friends" know their sexual orientation simply thru Facebook, MySpace, or perhaps even change.org :) Hell, it's probably just a matter of time before someone comes up with the perfect 140-character coming out line for Twitter. (Maybe we should start a contest?)
As one person is quoted in the Time article about his coming out process via Facebook, "I didn't have to have the same conversation a thousand times. Plus, there's a radical empowerment that comes from declaring your identity in the public sphere."
The Internet really does make everything faster. But is this a good thing?
I'm mixed. I remember my coming out process being funny, messy, emotional, stressful, heart-breaking, joyous, and eventually, celebratory. Do those same set of emotions come just by updating your "I'm interested in" status on Facebook? It's hard to say. To me it's also a question of what changes hearts and minds faster: having your friends on Facebook see that you're LGBT, or having your friends hear over the phone or over a beer that you're LGBT?
As Ramon Johnson wrote over at About.com, "Your sexuality should be revealed when you are ready and under your own circumstances if possible, not when Google updates its algorithm." That definitely remains true no matter which way people are coming out. From where I stand, it just seems to be that the personal nature of coming out deserves a little more face time, and a little less Facebook.
(Photo from cliffardo2001's photostream at Flickr.)
