Gay Rights

Lee, you're right.  Pam's House Blend is one of the best blogs out there that deals with the mixing and meshing of homophobia and racism.  Everyone should check them out. - www.pamshouseblend.com.

Hi Lee -

Thanks for the heads up on PHB some time ago. Yes, I believe that the majority of black men are homophobic, and it matters not if the men are "black brothers" or not.

Yes, I caught C-SPAN and noticed that even Michael Steele was there to spew his rhetoric. The men there were not going to touch the LGBT issues either generally, or specifically within their racial community.

Decades ago, when I began my activism with Stonewall....the Desmond Morris sociological treatise suggested a hierarchy of inferiority......and a black lesbian Jewish Republican ....was considered the actual bottom of the heap. ROFL this is 1969 and I was 23 years old and in divinity graduate school seminary, and 7 years away from meeting the soulmate of my life.

It is a radical overgeneralization to say that the majority of black men are homophobic.  I completely disagree with that statement.

Here today: From John Lewis.
U.S. Congressman and civil rights legend John Lewis (D-GA) makes it look so easy and logical. He is an ally who has not only shed blood for the black civil rights movement, but speaks as a man of faith -- he graduated from the American Baptist Theological Seminary. John Lewis believes in full civil equality. As with the great Coretta Scott King, John Lewis sees all discrimination as wrong, and that our committed relationships deserve the same legal rights and respect as heterosexual marriage. We are all part of the same American quilt. (GayAgenda):
  "It is unfortunate that a segment of our society fails to see that we all should be treated like human beings, that we all are citizens of the United States of America. I've taken the position and I've long held this position that I fought too long and too hard against discrimination base on race and color not to stand up and speak out against discrimination based on sexual orientation. It doesn't matter if someone is gay or straight or whether someone believes in a different philosophy or different religion. We're one people, we're one family, and we're one house. There is not any room in American society for discrimination based on sexual orientation. It doesn't matter whether someone is gay or happens to be lesbian or transsexual. We're one people; we're one family, the American family. 
  You call it what you want, discrimination is discrimination and we have to speak up and speak out against discrimination. You have too many people in this society saying they're against same-sex marriage. If people fall in love and want to get married, it is their business. Martin Luther King Jr. used to say races don't fall in love in love and get married; individuals fall in love and get married. So if two men or two women want to fall in love and get married it's their business.Some people say it is a threat to the institution of marriage, and some of these people who go around saying that same sex marriage is a threat to the institution of marriage, which marriage or what marriage are they talking about? Some of these same individuals have had several marriages and I don't think individuals that happen to be gay are a threat to anybody's marriage. Love is love. It is better to love than to hate, it is better to be together than to be divided."

It makes me (Pam S.) mist up just thinking of the power and simplicity of these words. The message is so clear -- this isn't a zero sum game; we do not accrue civil rights at the expense of anyone else. Why are so many people, in the religious black community for example, so filled with religion-based fear and ignorance that they refuse to even try to work their way past it? John Lewis has never wavered in his commitment, or feels threatened by this new round in the battle for civil equality. 
  You can read more of Congressman Lewis's comments and hear the entire interview atGayAgenda.com.

I think it's interesting that this survey showed that there's more prejudice against lesbians compared to gay men. As a lesbian, I certainly know there's prejudice out there, but always thought I had it better than gay men, since many consider it cool or trendy to be a lesbian--or at least trendy and cool for straight girls to make out with one another in front of their boyfriends, I should say.

Anyway, to your point about comparing racism and homophobia, I'd agree it's not necessarily a helpful comparison. This isn't because I think we need to pay deference to the struggle of black Americans, but because if we are going to effectively fight either, we must understand their driving forces and their impact on various populations.

LGBT rights is part of the ever evolving concept of civil rights and is why LGBT rights is so important. Although the survey was taken in the United Kingdom, unfortunately homophobia continues to supress the rights that LGBT people deserve which include same-sex marriage and workplace anti-discrimination protection. Finally, spreading tolerance towards ethnic groups and LGBT people is important so that equal treatment may result.

Yes, it is the most prevalent bigotry in the nation. From the evil Christian-Coalition to the equally evil BCP (Black Clergy of Philadelphia), the perpretrators is prejudice continue to use hate as a means of building up their personal little empires. But then again, Sen. Larry Craig (mens' room strangers) and Pastor Ted Haggard (meth and male prostitutes) were the loudest homophobes before their scandals became famous. So the bigotry is also a sign of mental illness, and internal conflicts...as if they heard of voice from the mirror saying IF YOU HATE IT YOU MUST HAVE TASTED IT! Rev. Bookburn - Radio Volta

Surveys don't speak to underlying issues and often parse things out in manner that does a disservice to whatever issue is being discussed. What probably doesnt come up is how certain forms of bias are still considered acceptable and how those "acceptable biases" frame what a person is willing to admit to, or even capable if viewing within themself. Using denigrating language in regards to LGBT is still considered acceptable, which is deplorable. Denigrating language in regards to race has become taboo. It doesnt mean those ideas have disappeared, just that the way race is coded in at least the American context has changed. The focus should be the way biases inform one another, and work in concert to divide and maintain status quo. The underlying issue is always about power, and which identities or narratives are given legitimacy. 

Either is Wrong. In Maine the Gay Issue is slipped about 50/50 So we are trying to get 5% on the side of the Gay marriage. But who if you are of color and gay also. Then which half is discriminated against Do I say WRONG.
It is wrong to be against the the underpaid and gay, what about the lesbain who is income poor? 

I think we (those of us who are passionate about rights for all people) can get caught up in a cycle of spinning our wheels when we ask the wrong question.  In this case, I run away from the question of comparing homophobia to racism.  It's just a sociological attempt to put round pegs in square holes.  As a white gay male, I know that my whiteness has afforded me privileges.  But, as a gay man with HIV, I can say that my HIV has put me in a second-class status among gay men - the segregation of that is more egregious than my sexual orientation (Just try to get a date and be honest about your status). 

So, for me, the real question is what do we do to move forward?  I think we need to look internally at our movements as well as externally to the larger cultures. Many of the gay-rights institutions actually thrive on the victimization - it helps their funding.  Look at HRC headlines, and you see bad news, but read beyond the headlines and you see a very different story (for example, a recent headline about Conservatives gearing up to target gays, but in the story, many Republicans saying it just won't work anymore).  In our short-attention, sensationalist society, people rarely read beyond the headline.  So, the "divide and conquer" mentality is very much a part of the gay movement as well.  It is also one of the reasons the gay establishment is not always welcoming of gay Christians, gay moderates, gay replublicans.  

So, I prefer to put all of this in a time continuum.  The fact is that things are changing for the better. Yes, there are still major challenges (ie. gay adoption in Florida, gays in the military).  Many of these are mostly political.  The question for me is: what do we need to do to continue the progress?  Who do we need to be establishing relationships with to continue the evolution?  I have found that, where I draw the line in the sand, it is the person just on the other side of that line (as opposed to the person at the far extreme) that is my greatest ally.  So I am passionate about talking with people who are for gay rights but not gay marriage.  We have so much common ground, that I believe we can work form there to make a difference.  Of course my ultimate hope is that gay marriage will be a reality in the country.  My experience has been that when we find the common ground, people do change.  I have many friends in the evangelical community who have drastically changed their opinions of gay people because we have become friends.  They are not yet for gay marriage, but they are much more open to talking about it, and doubt their own traditional beliefs about gays.  It's a huge difference.  

At the same time, I think the gay community has some growing up to do as part of the evolution.  As I mentioned, being HIV in the gay community is harsh.  And I think the gay community has really dropped the ball on AIDS.  It's time to step up again, with compassion for all people.  This really makes a difference.  I have found that when I go to evangelical churches and say I am a gay man and I want to help their HIV/AIDS work and not be demanding for my rights and respect, attitudes change for the better and my rights are advanced anyway.  

I'm sorry but this is a very, very silly argument, in spite of the gravity with which sides invest their points. The survey on which it's based was in Britain, where attitudes toward race, particularly, but also about homosexuality, are many times very, very different. One might project a defensive posture, but it's really quite a different matter of class, of assimilated race, of what was once the largest empire on the planet, that makes things British hardly equivalent to Brooklyn or Decatur, Miami or Seattle. Particularly regarding high profile, but low incidence issues like marriage or the military, such differences are far more substantial than any similarities.

My concern is that marriage and the military (the M's) have displaced many issues that are both more serious and more critical to more people. Ultimately, they are both constitutional issues which will work themselves out in courts, more or less the way constitutional desegregation occurs for many other people (including those with disabilities, incidentally, who are often ignored in these discussions). Much more critical, I think, are the more personal and more common kinds of integration and liberation involved in working across groups, in bringing oddly experienced and isolated people together in activities of mutual concern, and in focusing on success rather than the fringes of failure.

For example, my local school system created a timely high school dropout prevention program, referring kids who missed 10 or more classes in 7th or 8th grade to a special study hall staffed by a teacher, a guidance teacher, and two or more senior volunteer teechers. Itself a nice idea, with remarkably successful outcomes, what was left un-noticed is that most of the over-achieving seniors who tutored were quite visibly gay, and most of the under-achieving freshmen were bilingual who had inadequate preparation and networking. The new friends scaffolded their mutual success by working together. THAT is the kind of positive collaboration that this thread lacks. And that's remarkably simple - if you go outside the lines of typical communities. Kids do it lots better than adults, so it's about time we watched, listened, and learned.

As an American I applaud our Nation and the freedoms, that are left, that we are "allowed." With that said though I am in opposition to ANY gay couple from adopting ANY child. This is not based any phobia, it is based on personal experience. No child needs to be abducted legally from their REAL family to suppliment a gay couples life style and the dysfunction it comes with. I lived as a child in a lesbian home and birth mother. As a male in a hate filled home against anything "Male" I was constantly abused emotionally because of my "maleness". The gay community wants to spout about being born gay, well I was born a wood worker and desired to practice my talents yet I was forbidden to have any tools. As a child I smuggled and hid tools like a druggy would hid their stash. I was forbidden to close the bathroom door to assure the "women" in my life that I was not standing up to pee. I was not allowed to have a girlfriend. Of course I was embarassed of my life and home so I refused to have friends at all for fear I would be condemned because of my "Family" I was forbidden to practice any religions because my Mother disagreed with any churches. The activist Gay community is bias and want to force their opinions on us but refuse to accept that we have our own opinions and how dare we voice those. Stop trying to force your opinions on me and I will be more enclined to be acceptable of yours. I don't have to agree with you to accept your Constitutional Rights, just stop trying to FORCE me to agree with your opinions!

There is a whole concept in 'modern theories of racism' I learned a few years ago at multi-cultural and diversity training, about 'internalized oppressions' . These are the violent reactions we have to people who symbolize people in our lives we perceive have oppressed us. 
This is one explanation for the kind of anger Red may feel, but also the anger his birth mother and surrogate mother also may have felt living in the world they lived in. 
We tend to extend it to individuals who had nothing to do with those bad experiences, but nevertheless fit into a particular people group. We even work to develop our identities in opposition to those groups we feel oppress us. Most of us probably do it in some form, and the social scientists who developed the models say it is predictable based on evidence. I found I did it myself in unexpected ways. I see it all around me in the city where I live and the politics of the US, even exported far away to troubled lands. 
I can feel the anger in Red's writing. Perhaps some of the behaviors he witnessed in the adults in his life were result of internalized oppressions in the lives of those two women and the oppression they experienced or perceived in their own lives, in a world probably pretty aggressively against them. 
It would be great if we could all develop self-awareness about our own internalized oppressions, recognize these reactions as such, and stop the cycle of violence and mistrust. 

all hatred and violence is a result of xenophobia.  if a person or creature isn't "like" us, we hate, fear, degrade and belittle it.

that is why people dislike gays and minorities, and also why we kill the unborn, and do not care about the plight of billions of farmed animals that live and die in abject misery.  that is why world hunger is at an all time high of about a  billion...  they aren't like us, they aren't one of us, they aren't our own.

although i am a religious person myself, i believe that we could settle all arguments about values and morals if we only start teaching children the simple concept of... empathy. 

I am a lesbian, who was harmed at the hand of some males. I was beaten by my own father. And molested by a stranger. When I tell someone that I just do not feel right making love to a male, they might understand a little bit more about my being of a different nature than they.

But I have to understand until recently their were not many outlets where one could learn about Gayness.  And not even the semi good stories, as the L word paint's a realistic light of being a Lesbian of poverty.  In the L word a homeless lesbian ends up owning a home. That does not often happen.

For some reason its thought all gays makes over 70,000 a year. Guess what-NOT. That is another group of people who are discriminated against, those paid less than what it cost to keep a slave.   The Poor, or the underpaid who happen to be gay are also doubly discriminated against.

I just do not wish to fear being beaten or worst, I do not care what you think of me, as long as you do not try to rob me of my constitutional rights. 

It is time to make this a better world..empathy is one path.  I do not understandstands bigots-but I prayer for them. Prayer go both ways.
Jan

Call us bigots if you like, we have our own reasons.

First of all, just because you were abused by the opposite sex at any given age, doesn't cause anyone (or everyone) else who had similar experiences, make the same "adaptation" as you.

Second, empathy has it's place, and that is, subservant to Truth. Certain behaviours that violate or try to circumvent natural law, tend to kill the participants; and buggery would kill most people fairly quickly had man not invented condoms.
I  may have been raised among any brand of perverts: cannibals, child molestors, vampires, necromancers, etc., so
such behavior might "feel" normal, even pleasurable to me, but that wouldn't take away from my perverted status. If "pervert" has lost it's meaning, it's only because those who enjoy such behaviour, want to erase the stigma. What I object to is the wholesale slaughter of language to perverts. Take the word "gay." A perfectly good and useful word, meant happy, until homosexuals hijacked it for their own purposes. Now the rest of us can't use it anymore without being "missunderstood." Spin the truth, if you're confused, export it.
It's what you do.

Call me unenlightened, I really don't care. In the Old Testament Leviticus God said "Kill them, lest ye learn their ways." It's not heterosexual who are prejudiced against you, but YOU who are prejudiced against the Truth. It's your sin and your punishment, gay parades, millstones and all.

I have the cure for that.
You just start carrying a gun. Then if someone messes with you or starts swinging at you you just pull it out and stick it in their f**** eye.
You can't just take a beating and not do anything can you?
Yeah, I'd pray for someone too that did that to me while I was watching the gray matter oozing out of their head from a gunshot wound that I just gave them!
You gays and lesbians need to start getting militant and standing up for yourselves. If you don't want to carry a gun just carry a ball peen hammer with you.
You can do a tremendous amount of damage with just one blow to the attackers head. Or carry an ice pick!

And for goodness sake don't hang around to make out a "police report."
And as for "homophobia" and racism I don't see a connection, apples and oranges.

Thomas Jefferson said, "Those who would deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and will not long retain it."  Those who would restrict the rights of minorities would do well to contemplate his words.
If he is correct in the last part of his statement, we may expect to see the Mormon religion outlawed, after their overwhelming support for banning gay marriage in California. I, for one, would see this as a tragedy, because it would mean that freedom of religion is gone from this country.  I cannot rejoice in the prospect of any group loosing their freedom, even those working actively to take away mine.  If anyone is not free, none of us are free.

It is a personal belief that the hate directed towards LGBT stems from the pulpit of mostly fundamental, evangelical type congregations and ministers. Having been a Southern Baptist since 9 months before I was born, I was often subjected to sermons whose message was to hate the God-less Communist. This was drilled into our little heads from early youth until I left the church in 1989, the year the Wall fell. Through contacts and study, I saw the hatred of the God-less Communist quickly fell off as there were no more Communist left to hate. Preaching was left in a bit of a void for sins to preach against. However, the pulpit hates a void, and into that void came sexual issues, reproductive issues, and very little else. Now the pastors had a new sin topic to preach against. I began to see and feel a growing hated against abortion and LGBT. All of our country problems are now the result of God's judgement condemning Pro-Choice and Gay's. Never mind abortion and homosexuality have been around since mankind started, it just now came to the forefront as the greatest of sins. Remember Pat Robinson once said that the wildfires choking the highways of Florida travelers, was a judgement sent from God because of Disney having a "Gay Day" at the park... Disney?; which is known to be atheist or religion neutral corporation.

What is my proof? Do a Google using Sermons on race relations and there are 122,000 return hits with topics between positive and negative. Google Sermons on LGBT and you should see 281,000 returns. 2-1 against LGBT. Sermons on abortion, 497,000. Why? It is the teaching and belief of the fundamentalist that the gay life style and abortion is a choice to "sin" and the person has the free will to have an abortion or to be straight. For the church goer, to sin, is to make a choice against what they as a moral church  person believes. Funny thing is church membership is falling at a fast rate in the USA. More and more people do not believe is an omnipotent God. But, they believe themselves to be moral people, and honor or respect or keep what they believe were the  Puritan values that was supposed to have been used in founding this country. Too bad they get their history wrong. This country was founded to stop taxation, an economic situation, not morality situation. 

To stem the hatred of Gays, we need to find a new sin to preach against.

That is what I believe.

Keep Clear

Spartan Caver

For me it all boils down to live and let live; we all live in a control world where we want to control everyones thoughts and actions. There is nothing we can control but the way we think and act. That is out main responsibility; we were born the way we are and we have a responsibility with ourselves to survive and to make it through without harming. Acceptance is the biggest task that humanity has to learn, as easy as it might seem it has not been enough to stop  huge conflicts all over the world that exist for religion differences. It is all because of out Ego minds and lack of allowing others to be. So we all have at some point some Karma boiling in the area. I believe that only those having the suitable for being parents should be parents, same that I think not every one is suitable to be married. It is all about our willingness to commit to be a parent and a husband or wife regardless of our race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. I feel for that men who was abused by lesbian mothers but I was also abused by a straight mother and it only made me a better Gay Father. I promised myself that I would be a totally different parent and I did, being a parent is one of the best things I have done in my life and my kids are the best thing that ever happened to me. They are not Gay because of me and I never imposed any views on them. It was all about respect and letting be.
We also need to stop our own anger and hatred for those that don't agree with us. The more we continue to focus on opposition the more opposition will manifest. Let us all bring our minds to visualize the United States  embracing  differences and creating laws that give rights to all of us. Yes it is possible, Obama just proved it. And he did it believing that he could make it, that is all it takes.
And last but not least I would like to call on CNN and all media to also act responsibly. It is sickening to see how they manipulate the news and how opinionated they have become, . they should be more careful on becoming platforms for their opinions and limit to bring the news and let people have their own point of view. It is about time to star focusing on the good and helping people to be better people instead of supporting platforms such a Lou Daubs to inject hatred against immigrants. As a Gay immigrants I am not sure when I have felt worse for being Gay or for being ethnic. But I have to keep thinking that it would be better and believe that one day I will be able to marry my partner and bring him into this country. There are long roads ahead and only our right thoughts will make it happen. And for all of us, we also need to stop the prejudice against those that are different to us, because it is only making it worse. 

I'm sorry but I've just had about enough of this.

For the record,  I am a white male, 52, never married practicing Catholic.

One of my friends is Gay and one first cousin is also Gay too.

To me, we are born male and female and each cell in our bodies has that genetic blueprint and that's it period. I firmly believe that sexual orientation is a very private affair and I have no idea why anyone would want to try to make it public or to want to be labeled in such a way even though most folks don't care to know.

To me, everyone is equal until they want to "come out of the closet"  It's then and only then, strangers (if you make it public) will know and I resent the entire idea of it because it hurts people.

Why tell someone at all?

Sorry, but Gays don't deserve to be any more special than anyone else.

You may not be able to change your skin color but no one can possibly know what your sexual orientation is.

Before I bow out and cancel my subscription here, let me relate to you something that happened to me a few years ago....

Now I was the President of a very small 501 (c) 3 Non Profit volunteer organizaton for almost 3 years....
One day, I heard that rumor was being spread about a person who was either going to be a member or was a new member.
As rumor had it, the friend that he brought with him to a meeting was no friend, it somehow meant he was gay.
That made me so angry that anyone would say something like that about anyone true or false because I felt it had no place in an organization like mine. And I should know because I had been picked on terribly in elementary school because I was short and from  different part of the country. Believe me, if I ever hear of that again, even though I am not in the leadership of the org. now, so help me I will scream at them!

It is a shame that there is so much hatred towards us.Hopefully we can eventually change peoples perceptions towards us.

Surely everyone understands that homophobia is a misnomer.  The correct term  is homophilia, a preference for one's own kind.

Let me start by saying I am a conservative, Christian, heterosexual man.

I think the problems that exist with both racism and sexuality bias are not purely the result of hatred coming at the target, but moreso, in the identification with one dimension of a person's character.

I believe in equal rights and equal responsibility. Every man and woman regardless of color or sexual preference should enjoy the right to the pursuit of happiness, the right to own property and pass that property to significant others of their choosing, the right to tax credits/exemptions, etc.

The biggest attractor to bigotry though is in the defining of one's character with a single dimension of who you are.

We don't see White Entertainment Network, Heterosexual Today or any other programming of that sort.

My message is simple. Quit labeling yourself from one dimension and watch a huge amount of the problem disappear. You are not a gay man or a gay woman, a black man or a black woman, a white man or a white woman. You are a human being with an abundance of traits that make you unique.

I've had close friends across all of the "minority" traits over the years, because I simply don't distinguish a person on their race or sexual preference, or religion for that matter.

Every "gay" friend I've had, has had a unique personality with different passions, interests, beliefs and talents that I've liked/loved them for. I have never liked or disliked someone because they were gay or straight or bi.

Sexual preference is only an issue when you want to sleep with someone.

The key to ending bias is to quit distinguishing the differences and by focusing on the likenesses.

We are all born into this world hopefully to contribute something that adds value to it that didn't exist before we did. Life is just too short to wage wars over such simple things.

To quote my God, "Love thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus didn't say love thy gay, straight, bi, white, black, jew, arab, rich, poor or any other particular neighbor. He simply said "Love thy neighbor..."

May everyone who reads this be blessed, find happiness, and live a long and fruitful life.

I also feel that homophobia is more prevalent than racism largely because many of a "conservative" religious bent look at any non "missionary position" sex or out of wedlock sex to be a moral offense, with some of the common sexual practices of gays on the top of the list of most "morally offensive."

I also feel that religious prejudice is alive and well and that many of the above "conservative" religious practicioners look upon non-believers as even worse than the "infidels" and "heathens" of other faiths, regardless of what good works these non-beleivers may have done.

 As this planet continues to become more interconnected and "small," it's time to leave all the prejudices of the past behind us. This will be difficult for even the most liberal, as we all feel most comfortable with people with similar ehtnicity, beliefs, and behaviors, and we all have been conditioned to react negatively to certain behaviors and beliefs.

But, as we move forward, hopefully one day to the stars, we must become aware of this conditioning and learn to celebrate diversity of all kinds as diversity in all its colors and flavors is the spice of life and learning to live with each others' diverse views is a necessity, if we wish to survive as a species.

When did some man get the right to tell me how I can adapt to my pain? I am surprised Dean didn't say two wrongs make a right. If he is so willing to forgive the hetersexual men who harmed me? Why not forgive me my reaction to it?

I do not usually Post the harm done me. And I do not expect to be slapped for It. I will pray for you. As I said I do not think of people as Bigots, because nothing about a closed mind is big. I think of them as being Closed Minded.  And that is so much a loss for them. Their world is limited. They let Nothing in, they see not the great beauty.

Homophobia is definately more prevelant than explicit racism, but these statistics often deny that nationalism and 'nativism' are forms of racism, so in reality its probably pretty close.

Red Writer: "...I am willing to debate these issues with logic and the only way less intelligent people can win is to accuse, discriminate, attack or to make false accusations."

On that level then, me:

Sir, your logic is flawed as it is invalid.

"Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and inference; reasoning using probability and arguments involving causality" (Wikipedia: Logic).

Limiting your ‘probability' to just your experience and family group limits your causality reasoning.  All gay relationships involving children are not equal to your own; therefore, not all gay relationships are bad, evil, or should otherwise be avoided, at all costs.

This is NOT to say, however, that your family experiences and feelings about such are invalid.  What occurred in your family and your feelings about what was done should be honored and validated by everyone, however, those feelings and experiences should not be placed on the thousands of other same-sex families that have differing experiences and feelings, which dishonors them. 

It is your logic then that is invalidated by the majority of experiences and feelings of those in healthy same-sex families (a larger probability group).  Scientific studies do show that children raised by same-sex couples are not better or worse off than those children raised by opposite-sex couples.

It is fascinating over the years to observe which threads break records in commentaries. Many are left without comment, while the majority get five or less.

However, when the Right Wing Religionist talking points are palpated, the screams of pain and protest deafen all others.
The RWR believe that psychosexuality is chosen. This is the theological sequitur to choice for sin.

You must be able to choose "sin". The word "abomination" is correctly translated as " cultural taboos" by the intellectuals but the BuyBull thumper translates it as "sin" - no unforgivable grievious sin. Forget the hypocrisy of other verses disregarded, such as the stoning deaths of inerrant kids, or adulterous brides, it is all about US.

So, the RWR homophobes and bigots are out in great numbers spewing their hatred in this liberal part of the blogosphere. They prefer the word "homophilia" because they believe in choice and preference for "sin". I know that homophobia defines "fear" but homohatred is equally, or more, valid.....

This is NOT a hatred born of ignorance or lack of awareness that can be corrected with information and compassion. This is based on ideological hatred...subjective interpretation and theocratic denial of secular civil rights.

The ONLY answer is to fight in the courts, both judicial and public opinion, and NEVER to "moderate" a discussion on our rights as if they have a legitimate point of view. SILENCE =DEATH. If the forum forbids the confrontation of hatred, then you should rethink much.

To answer the original question, I don't think it is destructive, in the slightest, to compare the two (racism and homophobia).  To the author this may seem "dismissive of the racist attitudes and behavior that people of color face in a myriad of ways" and that it "suggests that racism is a bit easier than homophobia."  I surmise that this is a current fear of African-American community who is now just coming to discuss these two issues and others connected to it.

What I would like my African-American brothers and sisters, my fellow citizens, to understand is that this comparison is never intended to diminish their struggles, past, present, or future, but is intended to be used as an allegory for which most Americans have some knowledge of, the struggles of African-Americans, for something similar for which they may not, the civil rights struggles of the queer communities.  To call suppression of gays and lesbians the ‘new black' may not be advantageous, but you certainly have a touchstone from which you can relate and that will hopefully spark positive debate.

African-Americans, other minorities, and the queer communities have much in common in their struggles for freedom and equality here in the United States and abroad.  We face some of the same challenges and some that are unique to our own experiences.  Working together would get us all there sooner, but first we must forge those alliances and breakdown those walls of fear and mistrust.  The author's statements would only help to keep those obstacles in place if such pronouncements do not lead to healthy dialog.  I found some of the comments here to be a distraction to that goal, rather than assistance.

I have read the article and all the posted comments to this article about homophobia and rascism and all are valid,but....I have also noticed that there is one thing missing from these arguments,and it seems to always be missing from discussions about LGBT rights and rascism,the rascism that exsists in the LGBT community itself. It is real easy to turn the mirror on others or to put it another way,to "spotlight" others bigotry and rascism,but it is quite another when the mirror is trained on yourself. We have leaders in the LGBT community that are always beating the same drum of "love and respect for all" or "equal rights for all",but for all the drivel spouted those statements seem to stop at the local gay bar's door if you're african american,asian,hispanic,"insert any other minority not mentioned here_______". I've seen it far too many times in bars from San Fransisco to New York,seeing blacks,asians,and hispanics being relegated to corners of the bars with their own kind and when they have tried to mingle with other groups they are told "your people are over there". And also there are the other issues which I will not go into that ARE discussed in the gay community such as "youth culture of the gay community versus age,fat/skinny/muscle body image,all those revolve around bigotry as well in our community. Before we in the gay community try cleaning others houses and setting them straight,let's try cleaning our own house and make sure tht we are not just "talking the talk" but also walking the walk. And as for the "survey" of people who harbour negative feelings for LGBT people??? well i guess it sucks to be you because I am not defined by my sexuality alone and if that is all anybody sees in me then they are pretty near-sighted and narrow-minded and won't be in my circle of close friends. Your true friends can name 10 things they like about you and sexuality won't even figure in that top 10,and i'd even bet it wouldn't figure in the top 20. So much for survey's.......

Wow, flame on!  
Comparing discrimination is never helpful. Discrimination is bad period! The causes of all types of discrimination is are similar feelings of fear and intimidation.
I'm many things- female, queer, disabled, white, jewish ...., but the most important is that I'm a human being.
I frankly couldn't work and live in the Bronx, New York City if I was overly identified with any one aspect of myself. I let my own life and compassion speak back to prejudice and power. That's real 'soft power'. 

Being into etymology, I like Daniel Glenn's response that homophobia is "literally" fear (phobia) of things being the same (homo, as in homogenous).

Under this definition, I'm a homophobe. I'd hate to live in a world of clones where everyone was the same.

Let's celebrate diversity in all its many aspects!

I completely agree!
They both deserve to be condemned equally!!

Who coined the term homophobia? How does phobia and homo work together. If someone is a racist is that person phobic? Are there no other options. I once dated a therapist who told me that the same indications that suggested gays are born gay applied to criminals. Would a person be criminal-phobic if s/he will not offer criminals rights to express their predilictions? 

F racism and F homophobia.

Ok, I have not read everything up here, but I'd love to share this.  I live in a rural, very conservative, southern Baptist community.  White folks here, especially the lower socioeconomic class, often loath both non-whites and the LGBT community.  Ex. My next door neighbor called me a n*****lover for having an Obama sign in my yard during the election season.  This ignorant behavior, unfortunately, is reality here where I live.  I strongly hope President Obama will help this community learn to respect racial and cultural differences.

Now, an interesting thing has occurred at a local high school in the last two years.  It now has a rather noticible LGBT community among the student population.  While the older generation cannot fathom it, the students have accepted it.  I do not keep up with pop culture enough to know who made bisexuality popular, but that is how it started.  And those kids will grow up and have kids of their own, who hopefully will be even more accepting of those who are different from them.

Children are born without hate and without discrimination.  These things are taught to them by adults.  Break that cycle and you ease the problem.

My purpose for this post is to give members of the LGBT community uplifting news.  If youth in small, right wing, religious town USA can accept the LGBT community, then everyone else has the same capacity.

Yes you rapped that nail on its nogginn. "White folks here, especially the lower socioeconomic class, often loath both non-whites and the LGBT community " Up North the badly bad workers are treated worst then some animals.  Imagine being Indian, Lesbian, and of low-income. You are 3 times discriminated.
I love your way of saying the hate is all the same, also love the polar Bears.

I agree we should be more tolerant of gays.  I am a hetrosexual man.  However, some people think I'm gay because I don't date women much or play sports.

Assuming all those for the traditional marriage definition are also against gays is inaccurate, insulting, and counterproductive.  I expand this aspect of the conversation in my sermon "Marriage, Gay Marriage and the Human Family" posted at earthlyreligion.org.  

I'm straight but not narrow.  THIS NOTION ENRAGES ME!  1st it assumes that all gays & lesbians are WHITE!! It's NOT the NEW BLACK but the OLD HOMOPHOBIA and the OLD RACISM.  I am still so victimized by racism and sexism as an African Americans woman by whites who view themselves as liberal.  A BETTER STUDY would be to have Blacks who know these people rate whether these people (all white it seems from the way it's reported?) have negative attitudes toward blacks, gays about gays, lesbians about lesbians, etc.

we all have to be something.

From a science fiction perpspective, I was thinking about how the continued prejudice against and even persecution of people based on their color, ethnicy, religion, disability, or sexual preference would be viewed by a (presumably intelligent) extraterrestrial culture? My guess is that our species would be viewed as hopefully parochail and primitive, and possibly dangerous, if we had sharp objects, and that they'd choose to not make contact.

I agree with Alan Stevenson's comment and science fiction has plenty of stories where it's the Earthlings, not the extraterrestrials who are the evil doers. And, then there are such twists as Star Trek IV where an intelligent civilization of humpback whales returns to Earth to find that humankind have rendered their species extinct.

We have a long way to go regarding such speciesism and to become good stewards of this once pristine planet...

And, ever notice how such behaviors as racism and homophobia correlate with such behaviors as raping the environment, war mongering, rampant greed and generally embracing an unsustainable supersized lifestyle?

"LGBT rights should certainly be considered part of the civil rights struggle.  But homophobia and racism shouldn't be in a competition to outdo the other.  Both deserved to be condemned equally."
Precisely. And sexism. And classism. And ableism. And ageism. And all the other reasons one group of humanity finds for oppressing another.

The first step towards real change is the change inside of us, if we continue judging and criticizing we will only see more of the same manifesting in front of us. I recommend the book the law of attraction, our path in this world is much bigger that we can imagine. When we understand the magnitude of our souls we will only trust that we are in good hands and that all our need will be taken care of. 
Obama became president because he believed and knew he could do it, he did not stop to think about racism or prejudice he just kept walking towards his goal. 
It is in embracing our differences and accepting them that we will come together. But if we also become a token of differentiate and distant even more then nothing but chaos and separation will show up.
We have come a long way, lets unite together and continue co-creating a new reality for us and those to come. Lets visualize things evolving and they will and let us stay away from ego battles.