Speaking Out

Unless you speak up and tell the world that gays, lesbians and other sexual and gender minorities are due the same protection of their human rights under the law that the rest of us have, this is what you're supporting.

United Nations -- African and Arab nations succeeded by a whisker in deleting three words from a resolution that would have included gays in a denunciation of arbitrary killings. Europeans protested in vain.

...

The reference in the three-page draft came in the sixth of 22 paragraphs and urged investigations of all killings "committed for any discriminatory reason, including sexual orientation." The provision was among many that had been proposed and analyzed by a "special rapporteur" (investigator) on the subject.

Benin, the chair of the African group of nations, proposed the amendment and Morocco, on behalf of the Islamic Conference, argued that there was no foundation for gays in international human rights instruments as there was in cases of race, gender and religious discrimination.

Whether by your voice, your vote, or your silence, you lend support to the idea that it's okay to kill gays. Sometimes it really is just that simple.

"Oh, but wait," I hear, "I don't support killing anyone. I just don't want them to get married."

That doesn't matter. These people, they understand that you're weak, that you don't like getting your hands dirty, that you settle for marginalizing "them" and their relationships. They think less of you for it, sure, but they're still happy to do your work for you. After all, you and them? You're on the same page.

That's what you've told them.