We honestly need to get our maturity level out of Junior High, we are no longer 12 and shouldn't act like it.
What brought this up? While reading over at Towleroad today I came across this ENDA article. To think!! An honest to goodness trans man is going to testify! Yes! Can you believe it? They are actually going to question someone who has experienced LGBT discrimination. Wow, what a concept, boggles the mind yeah? To place a cherry upon this great sundae of delights, Mr. Broadus is African American. This man knows about discrimination, in heaping dump truck loads, and these Senate sorts are going to listen to him. Mr. Broadus comments will be entered into the record for all to read, forever.
But then, like a stupid head, I read the comments.....sigh.
And over on Joemygod, was this piece about the Netroots convention and this sign.
While I know that whenever humans are discriminated against, they feel the need to fight for every extra crumb they can get, because who knows where the next tidbit will arrive, if ever, it doesn't make it right to hurt others while getting your "fair" share.
So, we come to the idea of Proportional Envy-free Allocation. Which simply is the idea that if two people are warring over something allow one to cut and the other to choose. If the LGB cut the cake into two pieces that are wildly unequal then not much is left for the T's, right? But if the T's get to choose from these vastly unequal slices, which slice would you expect them to pick? However, if the cake is cut into a close as possible halves, then everyone leaves the table full and happy, and no one is a loser.
See? That's the deal here, a win for any of us, is a win for all of us. Any step whatsoever in the direction of LGBT civil rights is a win for all of us.
A WIN FOR ALL OF US.
If you have no interest in marriage? Fine, dandy, fan-freaking-tastic. But dont piss on the rest of us who want with every molecule in their being to marry their partner. All you can think about is LGBT homeless teens and how the religious ran shelters who wont accept us? Good for you! Protect the weak, the young and the elderly, a society is judged on how it treats its weakest members. But stop and give a think for a moment please.......and I want you to be completely honest here, yeah? If LGBT were 'given' the right to marry, in many ways it would legitimize us as a people. And if we are deserving to sit at the big people table and order marriage, how many other rights, would flow from that one single right? In states where we are allowed to marry, adoption is easier than an the non-marriage states. We can adopt our spouses children, we can adopt as a couple, like them straight type beings. If 'gay' marriage has no effect on 'straight' marriages, how do you think it will negatively impact your life? Is it because now your family can harass you to 'finally settle down and get married"? Does it not fall into line with your views of being a class/gender/sexuality warrior, I mean how edgy can being gay be if we are 'allowed' to marry? Get over your bad self and stand for a moment in a life not yours, ok? If our very own federal government would grant us full marriage rights, what else just might follow?
My grandmother was right, be nice to everyone.
*** for more info on the proportional envy free allocation, look here.
I don't get it.
ReplyDeletePeople are people.
Some L, some G, some B, and, yes, some T. Oh, and some straight ones, too.
If you don't understand any of those letters and what they mean, and to whom they refer, simply ask an L, G, B, or T.
I don't know it all, the etiquette or the protocols, but, hey, ask.
And learn.
And treat people with respect and a little common decency.
And your grandmother--like most grandmothers--had the right idea.
I ranted on this subject, too. Seems to be a lot of us who just can't get over this whole EQUALITY thing. Even the Bible says God created "man" (as in mankind - humans) in His own image. Just drives me crazy. Here's a side note to the whole pronoun thing: A friend from high school who was a guy sent me a friend request - with a girl's name! I suspected (thanks you your education of me) that she might be trans, so I asked. She told me her story, and then told me I was about the only person she'd met who tried to get it right. Anyway, great post!
ReplyDeletePeace <3
Jay