Almost every morning I crawl out of bed around 5. I grab a cup of coffee and hop on my beach cruiser to ride to the gym. Under a mile, .82 to be exact, I ride down the dark foggy streets. The last street before I enter on to the college campus I pass 3 Yes On Prop 8 signs. When I first saw them, about 2 weeks ago, I was crushed. My own neighborhood, the street that I walk Homer down every night, the street I ride my bike down to go to the Women’s Volleyball and Basketball games the same street I drive down to go to the beach. The people that live on this street know me. They smile and say “Hi” as I cruise by. There is one guy on this particular street that I thought of as a friend. Three nights out of the week, he would be out watering his lawn and I would stop and chit chat. He knows Homer by name, and rubs his head as Homer wiggles his little butt. He and I always talk about how the college sports were going. He knew I went to every game and he would read the local sports section so we had great little conversations. We never spoke of politics; he never asked me about who I was sleeping with…I never thought once to say…”hey, I am a gay!”
I was crushed when he posted his Yes On Prop 8 sign. How could he? We have such great little conversations, we laugh together…How could he stab me like this? Over the last few weeks, I have gone from being crushed, to pissed off. How can these people have the right to vote on my rights? I am the one that will suffer, if they get their way. They will not suffer in any way. Seeing these signs pisses me off bad. I could careless about the McCain/Palin signs. Once the election is over, I won’t even remember who had those signs. But I will always remember the people with the Yes On 8 signs. They hate me; they hate who I choose to love. They don’t know they hate me, I am just a chick that walks down their street, but I know they hate me. Would it change their minds if they knew who I was? I think their hate runs deep…so deep they don’t mind sticking a sign in their yard expressing their hate. I will no longer speak or acknowledge the people who think they have the right to vote on my rights. I have too much respect in myself…and if they try to say something to me I will explain my position…but I have no need for people like this.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
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29 comments:
Do you have a 'No on 8' sign posted?
Maybe it might start some meaningful dialogue...Maybe your neighbor will think 'Wait a minute!..perhaps I'm wrong'..
Maybe not.
Sling- I do have a No on Prop 8 but my street isnt a street people drive down ..just the people who live here. The Yes people all live on a different street and probably don't know where I live.
Sage....dear girl.....if you were to ask these idiots why....it still would not make it OK. Sadly, they are narrow minded, think of a person only in terms of who they sleep with not who they are as an individual and expect everyone to conform to their thinking. it is called being conservative right leaning to the point of almost falling over. Almost every Obama sign in our county has been vandalized or taken....I did not get a sample ballot and when I called to ask why the woman asked me why I needed one......idiots.
I'm sorry you have to go through this..but I'm so fecking proud of you for taking your stand and voicing your opinion. kick ass girl
Okay, I'm straight so maybe I should shut up, but that's really not how I roll, so here goes.
If it were me, and it's not so it might be easy for me to say this, but I would knock on the door of this neighbor person and I would say something like this:
"Um, I was walking Homer here and I happened to notice your sign. I was just wondering, since I'm gay, if you could perhaps share your feelings about why you think I don't deserve the same rights that you do?" Say it sweetly. Say it like you were asking him about the weather or how to plant a hydrangea. Then watch him swallow his tongue because he would never expect you to be so bold yet sweet.
It's easy to hate behind closed doors. It's easy to hate if no one ever confronts you about it. Be bold, Sage! They'll never expect it! And who knows, if the jerk knew that he knew a real-live Lesbian, he might have to change his stupid opinion.
okay, I've been pondering on my comment to this post and I still don't know what to say....or maybe I just have too much to say...
I don't even know what to say. I find the fact that we are not allowed the same rights, so painful that if I lived in CA I think I would become violent.
no offense, but did you just fall off the turnip truck?
these assholes have been around for thousand of years. stopping the killing and torture and replacing it with lawn signs shows progress.
I like roxrocks idea. And I was going to mention something about Homer's droppings in a lighted paper bag on the doorstep, but thought better of it.
I will take revenge for you...as I type I am also vandalizing those people's Yon8 signs with my mind... Dumbasses. (and Sara and I were just talking about how we don't use that word near enough!)
i'll go with you... to talk to these people. oh and we can bring wine on election night as well.
o wait... i keep forgetting about that 3000 mile travel time.
That is some deep, deep shit. It's like Miss J's neighbor with his Prop H8 sign... he calls himself a Christian and plants that thing for all the world to see? WTF? Has he thought about this at ALL?
I am just hoping that CA will decide at the ballot box as MA did that the job of the state is to ensure peoples rights, not take them away.
Oh, BTW, I donated to No on 8. Even if I do live on the other side of the country.
Rosemary- I am shocked at how pissy the right wing christianist have gotten. I am sorta scared of them all now.
YDG-Thanks..I am keeping my fingers crossed till Tuesday.
Roxita-You actually make it sound so easy. I might say something to him..
Lost- keep Pondering
otter- It isnt worth it. Then they will feel as though they have won.
Billy- no I hate turnips..I know they have been around..it is just when you think people don't care who you are..it catches you by surprise.
Greg- Ha that is going to be my second option.,
Jen- with that powerful mind of yours ...there are sure to be less yes signs tomorrow morning.
Weese- bummer about the travel, really tho, it would be nice to bring along a bunch of lesbians..might scare him tho.
Miss Janey- I think these people are so brainwashed they dont even realize they are haters.
Evil- right on..thanks for supporting...we need all the help. Now lets all keep our fingers crossed.
I must have missed the chance to vote on Prop 7... whether or not ignorant idiots should be allowed to marry.
Or prop 6... whether or not Jennifer Lopez should be allowed to marry for a 4th time.
You poor girl!! I am so pissed off at your neighbor, too!!
I would love to see you take Roxrocks' suggestion...but I understand if you don't. It can't be an easy thing.
I am praying really hard that Prop 8 won't pass...my friend Buck and I will be paying as much attention to that as to the presidential election that night. They are both very important in my mind!
Prop 8 is evil. Prop 8 is on the wrong side of history and freedom.
Prop 8 will fail.
Grrrrrrr.
Heartless bastids. (((Sage)))
If it is any small consolation, MV and I sent off a contribution to No on 8. I hope a lot of us are doing the same, and that the prop goes down to defeat.
Oh. I'm so sorry. I don't know how I feel about a 'dialogue.' Really, I don't. Every once in awhile, there's such an issue that it ought to be less about 'oh, can we find a way to get on the same page?' and more about. OH FUCK YOU. YOU get on MY PAGE for once, you fucking imbecile.
Lesbian RIOT!!!!
I honestly don't understand the level of hate out there. How is it possible that people have come to this - or am I just being incredibly naive?
I don't suppose you could encourage Homer to bite him on the ass?
It makes so mad I go insane when I think about the usual folk, the plain and ordinary, who talk to us and laugh with us, yet stab us in the back.
I'm hurting for you on this. I worked elbow to elbow with a nurse for about a year (I cannot be out at work. I work in a Catholic hospital.) and one evening she says to me in disgust, "Rachel thought I was gay! Can you believe that?! And on and on and on..." Like I should be horrified with her. About once every other week some such comment is made. It always hurts. Everyone says I'm "so nice" and "so sweet" and "such a good nurse" and they always say I'm "quiet." I guess they never think about why. I guess if they all found out that I live with and love a woman somehow I'd no longer be nice, sweet and a good nurse? People can be so insensitive and hateful. I think they think we are not like real humans or something, like they don't have to care about our feelings.
I am completely with booda baby. Completely.
The whole California situation is tragic. I am feeling rather disillusioned that this great, historic election featured a tremendous step backward for the LGBT population... since apparently our rights can be put up to a popular vote.
I was so disappointed to hear about prop 8, on the tail of the presidential election too. Two steps forward, one back. I feel very disheartened that so many people believe the "right" thing is to force their way of living on everyone else, to deny rights to others, and they cloak it in religion and - ironically - back it in hate. I just don't get it. I don't get how people are allowed to vote on other people's rights.
I'm sorry about your neighbor. It's sad and maddening, both. I hope Homer pisses on his shoes.
PS: I'm just now watching on the news that here in Seattle people protested in front of the Mormon temple over Prop 8.
Hell yes they should ante up with the taxes --- i really hate when religious groups try to shove their beliefs down people's throats.
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