Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Have you been tossing and turning like I have these last few months as yet another state in Homophobiamerica predictably crazy-glues its bigotry once and for all into its constitution. Needless to say, I was not shocked in the least over the simulacrum that was yet another overwhelming homophobic goober vote, this one in favor of Amendment 1, guaranteeing that there is a segment of the population that doesn’t have the same rights as heterosexuals enjoy. Of course North Carolina had already done that statutorily, but that’s a simple majority override. Inserting it in the state constitution mandates a 3/5th’s legislative vote. There is also a possibility that unmarried domestic partners, straight and gay could lose health care coverage as well as their children. Right-wingers don’t care. Just a little collateral damage.
As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, North Carolina, the Tar Heel state, has managed to tar its reputation as a rare moderately progressive island in the sea of gooberville. That’s out the window now as the state hops aboard the state constitution hatemobile and joins its homophobic sheep (1 of roughly 1,500 species that engage in homosexual relations) in both the south and most of America with Tuesday’s ringing 61-39% endorsement of Amendment 1.
Here again is the wording: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.” There are a few other lines, but the damage has been done.
God and I had a chat the night before the election. You know how we religious types are always talking to God. He didn’t say I couldn’t write about the talk, so here goes. Here was God’s response to my question about Amendment 1. “Dennis S. he proclaimed in that thunderous voice of his (man, you ought to hear it); you worry too much. The great God-fearing people of the Tar Heel state know better than to extend the same rights to everybody in spite of their constitutional preamble invoking my name. Being God of course, I’ve memorized the whole paragraph. It goes like this…
“We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God (that’s me), the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him (heh, heh – guess who?) for the continuance of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish the constitution.”
“I get a kick out of the civil liberties part. I’d better not hear that those liberties extend to gays. Like my BFF, Pat Robertson once said “Many of those people involved with Hitler were Satanists, many were homosexuals – the two things seem to go together.” High five! And Dennis S. just look at some of the dangerous crap still IN that NC constitution. Take Article 1 The equality and rights of persons for instance. We hold it to be self-evident that all persons are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, the enjoyment of the fruits of their own labor, and the pursuit of happiness.
“They better vote in an exception for gays or I’m taking that ‘Creator’ part out.”
And check this out Dennis S. in Article 13 under Religious Liberty…All persons have a natural and inalienable right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience. Thank God (‘er myself) the North Carolina holy electorate ignored the part about no human authority can interfere with the rights of conscience. Those good people realize that rights of conscience don’t extend to same-sex marriage. It certainly doesn’t apply to homosexual Christians being able to marry in a church, that’s for sure!
God continued our one-sided conversation. “Oh, and finally there’s Article 36: Other rights of the people. It says the enumeration of rights in this Article shall not be construed to impair or deny others retained by the people. It clearly says BY THE PEOPLE; not BY THE GAYS. We all know they’re not people. I couldn’t be prouder of my North Carolina flock and it gives me great comfort to know that if some pushy gays try to get married in a church anyway, we’ve always got my wonderful servant, Pastor Harris to come over and ‘punch’ them until they give up on the idea. Maybe he can even beat the hell out of them. Did I create a great universe or what?”
After debating who might win ‘Dancing with the Stars’, which God was eager to talk about even though judge Bruno Tonioli is openly gay and was once reportedly married to a male partner, we ceased talking and I wished God luck. He thought that was hilarious. Post conversation, there was no question where God stood on Amendment 1. Smack dab where Tar Heel voters stood Tuesday and where the majority of America’s Christian haters stand. Gay marriage would be the next 9/11, Pearl Harbor, Katrina and WW 2 all rolled into one.
While the ever-evolving Obama has been scared back into his political closet on the subject of Gay Marriage, his VP, Joe Biden has shown some spine in saying he would support same-sex unions. Update; The president has finally seen the light. Later on the very day this piece first appeared, he declared his ‘unequivocal’ support for gay marriage. Kudos! Now the right has to figure out a way to get a bunch of gay initiatives on the November 6th ballot.
There’s an option for the gay population. It’s been suggested before back in the late 60’s by a very interesting black leader little known outside African-American circles. His name was Milton Henry, a former Tuskegee Airman and Harvard educated lawyer- activist who was one of the founders of The Republic of New Africa. His African name was Brother Gaidi Obadele. He died early last year. One of his platforms was that his followers move en masse into five southern states all with a sizable black population. Maybe the gays could adopt the same approach. Claim a few states as their own. Almost like a country within a country. Become a territory or protectorate or some such thing and run your own affairs with little interaction with America, the country of right-wing hate.
Before making such a radical move, you might want to keep this in mind. In the event of a successful emptying of state legislatures, the halls of congress and the Supreme Court of their current psychopathic republican occupants, get state constitutions reviewed judicially by the U.S. Supreme Court to see if the stripping of gay rights conflicts with the U.S. constitution. You’ll have to wait until at least Scalia leaves the bench, but it might be worth it.
Right-wingers are obsessed with nullification. Give them a taste of their own medicine.
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