The Neighbors Aren't So Gay Friendly

I was trading emails with fellow blogger Buck [I Laugh, Therefore I Am and Channeling Julia Child] and we were sort of sharing our coming out stories, and the different ways, whys and hows of coming out. I told him that, after living in liberal California, and tres gay Miami, I was a wee bit concerned with moving to South Carolina. I didn't know from the LGBT community here, especially in Smallville, so i was worried. But I shouldn't have been; Smallville actually has a fairly decent gay community, both men and women, and most of the people Carlos and i have met are very lovely and accepting of another gay couple in their midst.

But then, there are the surrounding areas, and I have two stories of them today.

The first comes from up in North Carolina, where state Representative Larry Brown announced that one of his legislative goals for the new year would be that the government not spend money to treat adults with HIV or AIDS because they "caused it by the way they live."

Oh yes he did.

Of course, he prefaced his insensitive remarks by proclaiming his support for a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality, naturally, so his hatred and bigotry is quite well-known. But the he went on to say that government shouldn't spend money to treat HIV among people "living in perverted lifestyles," saying, "I'm not opposed to helping a child born with HIV or something, but I don't condone spending taxpayers' money to help people living in perverted lifestyles."

You know, you have gay sex, you some deserve HIV. Now, Larry Brown wouldn't say exactly what he considers perverted--though I'm sure he has a pretty good idea, and keeps it in his bedroom, in the bottom drawer of his bureau, to take out and play with when he's all alone--but he does say that adults who get HIV through sexual behavior or drugs would be among those who should not be treated at government expense.

To be fair, he is an equal opportunity asshole. He also thinks that if you smoke and get cancer, then the government shouldn't pay for any of your treatment because smokers "choose to do that on their own." And Brown has no comment on how to treat, oh, say women, who contract HIV through monogamous relationships.

He just wants the gays to be cut off from medical treatment because they deserve to die.

And then we move a little further north to Virginia, where the Virginia Department of Health will stop enrolling people into its $21.6 million AIDS Drug Assistance Program [ADAP] in the hopes that drug companies will step up to offer medication to clients. 

Hmmm, we'll stop helping sick people, and hope someone else will take over.

And the interesting part is that the state of Virginia funds just 10%, or about $2 million, of the program, leaving the rest of the tab for the federal government, which pays the remaining 90% through the Ryan White CARE Act. 

The Virginia Department of Health predicts that those people living with HIV, on the waiting list, will be covered by Medicaid or drug companies' assistance programs.

Nice prediction. I wonder if it'll come true, or if Virginia will just let those people try to survive without medications and treatment.

As I said, I was pleased with how Carlos and I were accepted into the Smallville community, but now I worry about the neighboring states.

Larry Brown: Cut Off AIDS Funding
Virginia Freezes ADAP

Larry Brown: Bigot, Homophobe, Bully

North Carolina State Representative, Larry Brown, like South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, bears responsibility in the recent spate of LGBT youth suicides because of his blatant homophobia and hate speech. See, it seems that Brown has sent his fellow House Republicans an email last week in which he referred to gays as "queers" and "fruitloops."

How representative.

Apparently, Brown's moronic response was to an email sent by House Minority Leader Paul Stam in which Stam told of House Speaker Joe Hackney getting an award from the Equality NC Foundation, a gay-rights group.

Well, since a gay advocacy group was praising Joe Hackney, Brown decided to take a completely different route.

He sent his email to some sixty addresses:

"I hope all the queers are thrilled to see him. I am sure there will be a couple legislative fruitloops there in the audience."

Equality North Carolina executive director, Ian Palmquist, is demanding an apology from Larry Brown: "I think it's disgusting to see a member of the legislature talking about his own constituents and fellow North Carolinians that way," Palmquist said. "I would hope that he would apologize and his colleagues would speak out about that kind of bigotry."

Brown, of course, did not return telephone calls. But Paul Stam is defending his homophobic colleague by saying that the email was intended to be private and the only people Brown should apologize to are those who got the e-mail and were offended.

Yes, let's not apologize to the people he called queers and fruitloops, I mean, we're gay. We don't deserve apologies. Or marriage. or equal rights.

But Brown should apologize to the LGBT community, and to the families of every single LGBT youth that has killed himself rather than endure one more day of bullying. With people like Larry Brown, so casually tossing around words like "queer" and "fruitloops to describe the gay community, how can we expect our young people to do better?

With Larry Brown's example, how many young kids will go to school today and call another kid "queer" or "fruitloops"? And how long before the name-calling escalates to pushing and shoving and breaking bones and culminating in yet another suicide.

Larry Brown should apologize to the people he offended and the families of all of those dead boys. And if you agree, then let him know:

His office phone number is 919-733-5607.
His email is: Larry.Brown@ncleg.net

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