The Homophobia Whisperer

I saw his on Larry King the other day and, as most things do, it got me thinking. About gay marriage and these SuperPastors and what they say and how they say it. So I watched with interest as Osteen talked around the idea of gay marriage. Now, i don't wish to denigrate Mr. Osteen, he and his wife are entitled to their opinions, but, so help me goddess, as he spoke I couldn't help but think that he reminded me of someone......and then it hit me.

He sounds like the Dustin Hoffman character, Dorothy Michaels, in Tootsie. YouTube it and see what i mean; close your eyes and listen.

But I digress.

I love Osteen's "aw shucks, I don't understand" quality. I mean, this is an educated man, I suppose, and a powerful man, at least in the eyes of his followers, but seriously, he doesn't understand? I think that's a mask for Let-Me-Try-To-Come-Up-With-An-Answer-That-Doesn't-Make-Me-Sound-Anti-Gay. He says he isn't 100 % clear on the issue, then whips out that whole "God's best is a man and a woman" mantra. You're sure, Joel, you just don't want to admit it, because even you know, the tide is changing, and you don't want to be left on the shore as the rest of us move forward into equality.

And I love his comments that gays are "good people." Yes, we are Joel, as long as we don't rock the boat and demand our rights to marry one another and adopt a child if we so choose. We're good people if we'd just keep quiet for goodness sakes. isn't that it, Joel?

Then you listen to his wife, blond and Stepford-ish. Her flippant response that same-sex couple can have "their" relationships, but call it something else. Hmmmmmm, something else? Like, oh, I don't know: It doesn't matter? It's not real? You are equal?

Do those sound okay Mrs. Osteen?

Then she proceeds to say that there will be people who have their relationships and what "they call their families." I guess that's okay as long as the Osteen's don't have to acknowledge those families.

I love listening to these holier than thou, noncommittal types, who smile and talk softly while they whisper anti-gay comments about "their' relationships and what "they" call their family. You can couch it however you want, Mr. and Mrs. Osteen, but when you talk about "God's best" you are denying other people their rights.

I, for one, don't think that's best.