Thursday, October 30, 2003
I got a house call from the Massachusetts Family Institute today... MFI is one of many lobbyist groups that float in and out of legislators' offices propagating their agendas to all who will listen. What an interesting meeting THAT was said the sassy 40-something-liberal who had no idea what MFI was all about. i.e. Anna comes face-to-face with a little-old-lady-clad (even so she wasn't a little old lady) fundamentalist extremist adamantly opposed to the homosexual lifestyle. So eager to get to her pitch, she makes no inquiries about me – where I live, where I’m from -- all the clues that might have given her vital information in terms of who she was up against.
Things started out innocuously enough. MFI's advocacy work in helping unwed mothers care for their children and their out-reach program that encourages unwed fathers to get more involved with parenting sounds good to me. Then ka-bam-out-of-the-blue she blurts out what turns out to be the crux of their agenda: to enlist support for the upcoming vote on a house bill that would affirm and protect marriage as being a unique union between one man and one woman.
"We cannot affirm the homosexual lifestyle because, among other reasons, it is likely to kill those who practice it..." Then, "Any other type of sexual relationships outside of marriage between a man and a woman may look in some respects like a marriage, but they are simply counterfeits."
The woman from the organization kept referring to homosexuals and lesbians as people with "same-sex-attraction-disorder" -- something I presume she thinks one can drug back to heterosexuality. She also proposed (as does the MFI website) that homosexual marriage would jeopardize 'traditional' marriages (man/woman) and furthermore invite polygamy and incest.... (????). She pulled out 'statistic' after 'statistic' showing that children brought up in same-sex relationships display behavior and traits opposite to their actual gender; in other words a boy brought up in a same-sex relationship exhibited more feminine traits. She says this derogatorily, as if feminine traits were a very, very bad thing.
There is a long, long, long pause before Anna decides how far out on a limb she wants to go. After all, my colleague is out getting a sandwich and my boss isn't around to witness first-hand what is said....
"Well I'm sorry that the Representative is not in right now to hear your views. I really don't know at the moment how he plans to vote on this issue but I can assure you that I will pass along our conversation today so that he fully understands your position. Now would you mind if I asked you just a few questions and express a few of my personal thoughts on this? Do you have a few minutes?"
"You read the newspapers right? (and I can imagine just what those newspapers are too). You’ve studied history? Would you not agree that the most aggressive acts and violent atrocities against man and beast over the course of mankind's recorded history have been perpetuated by men? Men whose masculine traits you so resoundingly endorse? What exactly would be so wrong with an effeminate planet other than a little PMS bitchiness on occasion? This issue you seem to have with feminine traits... can you tell me a little about that? Did it have something to do with your mother?"
I then debunk the procreation angle (based on a 1965 court ruling that husband and wife have the right to use contraception), remind her that this wouldn't be the first time the institution of marraige was challenged (inter-racial marraiges were against the law up until the late forties in many states), and asked her what gave her the right to try and shove her Judeo-Christian edicts into my constitutionally secularly-based government. The woman is clearly growing more and more flustered by the babbling minute. And then the bombshell...
You know I am originally from San Francisco. My partner and I moved out here in 1989 so we've been here fourteen years together. You said you had a few minutes didn't you? .... Heh can I help it that the poor woman leapt to 'certain conclusions?' "Thank you so much for coming by. I appreciate your listening to my views, which of course are not necessarily reflective of the Representative."
DO NAIL CLIPPERS COUNT? In yesterday's blog, I forgot to mention the nail clippers I carry around in my Coach survival bag which at least by airline standards, should be counted as a weapon. Some might argue that my knobby knees count as weapons too. In fact they should probably be registered with the police as very dangerous weapons. And I would hope that they would have dangerous consequences should the need arise (this is meant as reassurance to the person who wrote she is worried about me walking in the parking lot alone... thanks btw).
Things started out innocuously enough. MFI's advocacy work in helping unwed mothers care for their children and their out-reach program that encourages unwed fathers to get more involved with parenting sounds good to me. Then ka-bam-out-of-the-blue she blurts out what turns out to be the crux of their agenda: to enlist support for the upcoming vote on a house bill that would affirm and protect marriage as being a unique union between one man and one woman.
"We cannot affirm the homosexual lifestyle because, among other reasons, it is likely to kill those who practice it..." Then, "Any other type of sexual relationships outside of marriage between a man and a woman may look in some respects like a marriage, but they are simply counterfeits."
The woman from the organization kept referring to homosexuals and lesbians as people with "same-sex-attraction-disorder" -- something I presume she thinks one can drug back to heterosexuality. She also proposed (as does the MFI website) that homosexual marriage would jeopardize 'traditional' marriages (man/woman) and furthermore invite polygamy and incest.... (????). She pulled out 'statistic' after 'statistic' showing that children brought up in same-sex relationships display behavior and traits opposite to their actual gender; in other words a boy brought up in a same-sex relationship exhibited more feminine traits. She says this derogatorily, as if feminine traits were a very, very bad thing.
There is a long, long, long pause before Anna decides how far out on a limb she wants to go. After all, my colleague is out getting a sandwich and my boss isn't around to witness first-hand what is said....
"Well I'm sorry that the Representative is not in right now to hear your views. I really don't know at the moment how he plans to vote on this issue but I can assure you that I will pass along our conversation today so that he fully understands your position. Now would you mind if I asked you just a few questions and express a few of my personal thoughts on this? Do you have a few minutes?"
"You read the newspapers right? (and I can imagine just what those newspapers are too). You’ve studied history? Would you not agree that the most aggressive acts and violent atrocities against man and beast over the course of mankind's recorded history have been perpetuated by men? Men whose masculine traits you so resoundingly endorse? What exactly would be so wrong with an effeminate planet other than a little PMS bitchiness on occasion? This issue you seem to have with feminine traits... can you tell me a little about that? Did it have something to do with your mother?"
I then debunk the procreation angle (based on a 1965 court ruling that husband and wife have the right to use contraception), remind her that this wouldn't be the first time the institution of marraige was challenged (inter-racial marraiges were against the law up until the late forties in many states), and asked her what gave her the right to try and shove her Judeo-Christian edicts into my constitutionally secularly-based government. The woman is clearly growing more and more flustered by the babbling minute. And then the bombshell...
You know I am originally from San Francisco. My partner and I moved out here in 1989 so we've been here fourteen years together. You said you had a few minutes didn't you? .... Heh can I help it that the poor woman leapt to 'certain conclusions?' "Thank you so much for coming by. I appreciate your listening to my views, which of course are not necessarily reflective of the Representative."
DO NAIL CLIPPERS COUNT? In yesterday's blog, I forgot to mention the nail clippers I carry around in my Coach survival bag which at least by airline standards, should be counted as a weapon. Some might argue that my knobby knees count as weapons too. In fact they should probably be registered with the police as very dangerous weapons. And I would hope that they would have dangerous consequences should the need arise (this is meant as reassurance to the person who wrote she is worried about me walking in the parking lot alone... thanks btw).
Comments:
Post a Comment
