Republican Blames Gay Man For Being Gay Bashed: He ‘Kind Of Asks For It’

There’s an old saying, well, it’s actually an old song from South pacific, that says ‘you have to be taught to hate,’ and last week, out there in Wyoming, Republican ... because, of course ... Senator Mike Enzi gave a Master Class in hate; and stupidity.

Speaking to a group of high school and middle school students, Enzi started off saying that it was just fine to be a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer community, but if you’re open about it, well, don’t be surprised if you get picked on, beat up, or worse.

It all began when a student at Greybull High School and Middle School asked Enzi what he was doing to support LGBTQ people in Wyoming:

“What work are you and your comrades doing to improve the life of the LGBT community in Wyoming? How do you plan to help Wyoming live up to its name as ‘The Equality State?’”

And Enzi did the Side-Step:

“There are a lot of problems that don’t have a federal, one-size-fits-all solution. Everything can’t be done by law; that’s one of the problems we have in this country, thinking that everything could be done by law. What we need to have is a little civility between people.”

Huh. He started to answer a question about LGBTQ people without ever mentioning LGBTQ people; but he wasn’t finished:

“We always say that in Wyoming you can be just about anything you want to be, as long as you don’t push it in somebody’s face. I know a guy who wears a tutu and goes to bars on Friday night and is always surprised that he gets in fights. Well, he kind of asks for it. That’s the way that he winds up with that kind of problem. I’d be interested in any solutions that you have for how we can make that work better.”

Wait, so a guy wears a tutu to a bar, gets beat up, and it’s his fault? Isn’t that a little like saying a woman who dresses provocatively is asking to get raped? And aren’t we beyond that kind of thought?

Apparently not ... for Republicans ... in Wyoming.

Enzi, after being told that his comments were offensive, and could be seen as kind of approving of gay bashing—because the guy asked for it, you know, dressing like that—released an apology:

“I believe all individuals should be treated with respect. I do not believe that anyone should be bullied, intimidated or attacked because of their beliefs. Wyoming’s population is made so great by its mixture—and tolerance—of differing value and belief systems. Our live and let live approach is one of the great aspects of our state. It is important that our students learn that the importance of respecting all people and how it is incumbent on those in the communities we live in to treat others as you would want to be treated. It is such a simple lesson ― it is never permissible to hurt another. Hatred in any form is destructive to the very foundation upon which our society is built. 

No person, including LGBT individuals, should feel unsafe in their community. My message was intended specifically to be about promoting respect and tolerance toward each other. I hope if people look at the entirety of my speech, they will understand that. I regret a poor choice of words during part of my presentation. None of us is infallible and I apologize to anyone who has taken offense. No offense was intended. Quite the opposite in fact, and so I ask for your understanding as well.”

Okay, I’ll give him props for such a speedy apology, and for actually mentioning LGBT people, but it wasn’t a poor choice of words; it was clearly stated that if a man dresses a certain way, and by extrapolation, acts a certain way, then he’s asking for trouble. And no one should be bullied, beaten, or murdered because of the way they look, dress or act, or whom they love.

It isn’t lost on me, or possibly anyone, that it was in Wyoming where Mathew Shepard was beaten and left for dead, tied to a fence in the middle of nowhere, but I had hoped times would have changed.

Huffington Post

The GOP Hates Children, Too

It’s fairly clear that the GOP doesn’t like The Gays because, many of them, most of the party, is working against marriage equality everywhere; hell, they’re against any and all legislation that might be deemed gay-friendly.

And we know the GOP is anti-women because this party, of mostly old men, wants to poke their noses into women’s vaginas — and not in the way a woman might enjoy — and wants to tells women what they can, and cannot, do with their own bodies, their own healthcare, and, well, doesn’t think women should earn as much as men even if doing the same job.

The GOP is also anti-immigrant, and uses fear-based rhetoric to spread their message; how many times have we heard the wingnuts like Michele Bachmann and Louie Gohmert suggest that these children, children, coming across the borders are only coming here to rape “our” women. Man, that’s anti-women — suggesting that we, I assume, men, own women — and anti-immigrant. And let’s be queer, it’s only the brown-skinned undocumented immigrants the GOP has trouble with, because you never hear them rant and rail against the white ones coming here illegally from Europe.

But now it appears that some in the GOP are anti-children, working to pass legislation to restrict who can adopt a child in this country.

There’s a new bit of federal legislation — S. 2706/H.R. 5285 — introduced this week by co-authors, and Republicans, of course, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, that would allow adoption or foster care providers to refuse service on the basis of their own personal religious objections.

And it affects everyone.

See, this new law, if passed, would allow a religious adoption agency from a non-Christian faith to refuse adoption services to a straight, Christian couple; a single parent seeking to foster a child could be denied; and, of course, let us not forget the gay and lesbian couples who would be told ‘No’ when asked if they might adopt a child.

Children, in need of a loving parent, adoptive or foster, would sit in orphanages or group homes because an adoption providers own personal religious beliefs will not allow that child to be adopted out to a loving home because, well, gay … or single … or of a different, i.e. bad, faith.

That’s the GOP people; working against LGBT rights, women’s rights, the brown-skinned, Hispanic speaking immigrants, and now children.

Is that the kind of party we want in an elected office? In any elected office?

via Human Rights Campaign