DEAR ALL THE GLBT PEOPLE I KNOW,
I’m writing to remind you about three things.
First, please note that in ten states, tomorrow is the last day you can register to vote before this November’s election. In fourteen additional states, you’ve got to do it within the next four days. Find out how to register in your state by visiting http://www.michaelmoore.com/takeaction/vote/register.php.
Second, remember the political power you have as a GLBT person. A December 2003 HRC poll found that while 77 percent of respondents consider themselves “out” as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, only 32 percent talk to their parents about public policy issues, and only 46 percent talk to their brothers and sisters about such topics. In contrast, respondents were much more likely to speak frankly on these topics with casual acquaintances (57 percent) or co-workers (54 percent). More of us than ever before have family members who accept and welcome us, but this year, we need more than just acceptance.
Third, I want to remind you what a flip-flopper George W. Bush is on the question of our rights. Less than two years ago one of the nation’s largest-circulation gay magazines, Out, featured a cover story on “Straight Allies and the Hall of Shame.” Heading up the hall of list of shame was President George W. Bush:
For a second year, Bush refused to sign a proclamation declaring June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, leaving the ‘compassionate’ conservative in the dust. What’s the big deal? It’s not like we’re asking him to issue Rainbow Pride money or proclaim that Abe Lincoln was gay just because he slept in the same bed with a cute guy for four years, which he did.
Back in December of 2002, we thought Bush was against us because he wouldn’t sign a gay pride month proclamation (something that no president besides Bill Clinton had ever done). Now, he’s declared that he thinks the nation’s founding document should be altered so as to exclude us permanently from one of society’s major institutions, and most of the states either are voting on their own state constitutional amendments or they’re in the works. This represents a major flip-flop—because during the 2000 campaign, when George W. Bush was asked about same-sex marriage, he said that it was “going to be up for cities and states to make those decisions,” a position he stated on more than one occasion.
Fourth, Bush tries to hide his extremism and call himself a plain-old traditionalist, but here’s the real story. Bush has actually flip-flopped on sodomy laws, too, in the other direction. As Governor of Texas, he solemnly promised to veto any attempt to repeal an unusually harsh law, which was actually called the Texas Homosexual Conduct Law. Since the Supreme Court has now struck down that law, Bush has tried to soften his marriage flip-flop by declaring, as he did in July 2004, “What they do in the privacy of their house, consenting adults should be able to do. This is America. It’s a free society, but it doesn’t mean we have to redefine traditional marriage.” In other words, he’s defended his second flip-flop with his first, now that we’ve finally won the decades-long struggle to get those laws repealed. Meanwhile, he’s permitted Christian conservatives had been permitted to dictate a more extremist anti-gay section in the Republican party platform than ever before.
In short, George W. Bush is not like most straight Americans, who aren’t totally comfortable with homosexuality but don’t think the gay people in their lives should be discriminated against. Bush is much, much more dangerous than that.
If you’re not registered, go do it.
Sincerely,
Timothy ***
(Please feel free to forward freely)
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