We Are Not Even Hostages.

[David Zephyr]

In the second of the three brilliant comedic French "La Cage aux Folles" films, there is a stand-off between a French SWAT team of police and some criminals who have kidnapped poor Albin, the long-time "domestic partner" of Renato. And there, in that very funny film, is a poignant moment filled with pain and stark truth.

As the tension builds, one of the criminals grabs sweet old Albin and places his gun squarely up to Albin's head so that the police outside can see his actions.

"This fag will be the first to die!" shouts the kidnapper to the French police who are lined up outside with their high powered rifles ready to fire.

The police laugh out loud at this threat: a threat to "kill the fag."

And then, Albin, played so well by the late Michel Serrault, realizes the hard truth: his life doesn't matter.

"I am not even a hostage, not even a hostage," Albin sighs to himself sadly before casting all his remaining fears aside and begins his brave walk toward the police line of fire calling out, "Renato, I'm coming to you."

Brothers and sisters, we are not even hostages.

We are the only minority in America that it is OK to hate and kill.

We do not rise to the level of meriting the protection of hate crime statutes.

We expect judges to tell those that have killed our loved ones, "they probably had it coming."

We are the only class of Americans who can be murdered because of "gay panic" as a plausible legal defense.

We are the only group of Americans who can lose our limbs in combat and be discharged with "dishonor" from the Armed Forces without any benefits. We are the only Americans who can die in combat for this country and have our spouses denied any recognition whatsoever.

There is no way on earth that the State of California would ever subject any other minority's civil rights to a ballot measure, to the rule of the mob. It would never even get past the Secretary of State. No way...unless you are homosexual.

Albin had it right: We are not even "hostages".

[msongs]

1. religion is the last refuge of haters now that jews can't be gassed or blacks enslaved anymore nt

[David Zephyr]

2. How sad and how true.

I just posted this at the General Discussion Forum. What the hell?

Thanks, msongs. :(

[RufusTFirefly]

3. When I try to make sense of this, my head starts to explode

Apparently the comforting American cocoon of denial is more extensive than even I realized. Horrifying. And depressing.

[David Zephyr]

4. Depressing indeed.

At least we know how hated we truly are. How sad is that?

[RufusTFirefly]

7. But it's not even hatred, it seems

It's utter irrelevance. Horrifying.

It's the same mechanism that allows Americans to brush aside the incineration of tens of thousands of Iraqis who did absolutely nothing wrong.

[David Zephyr]

8. Irrelevance is the heart of it.

"Not even a hostage."

[Ellen Forradalom]

9. Exactly it.

In my view, gays are now irrelevant to the Party. Women are. The working class is. That is why I am not rejoicing. A calculated decision was made to throw gays overboard. This led to my friend's marriage, and many more, being broken up forcibly, an act of political violence. I am beyond enraged.

[bluedawg12]

11. We are going to have to pull ourselves

together. No one is going to give us anything.

We must respect ourselves, respect each other, unite, and then, take the rights in a smart way.

If we want to be relevant we have to make ourselves relevant.

[Ellen Forradalom]

5. The "oh-shit moment"

the blog Oooh, nuance! had an eloquent post on the "oh shit moment" for women which defined it as follows:

The “Oh, Shit!” moment is that pause before a woman realizes she is outnumbered by men who can do her physical or professional harm, and that there’s no way to fight them on equal ground.

It's the exact same thing for gays as for women. It's the moment of danger where the real nature of the situation is revealed in all its horror.

We are not even hostages when our lives are theirs to throw away.

[David Zephyr]

6. "Oh, Shit".

How perfectly said. That is an appropriate metaphor. I'd never heard that before.

Ellen, now we know, don't we?

[bluedawg12]

10. Ellen Revolution- forradalom- so true

we're not even 15 sec's of the nightly news. We have been over come by history -for the moment.

[Chovexani]

12. We're subject to the Tyranny of the Majority

It's a scary, sad, and sickening thing. This kind of bullshit is precisely what the Constitution was made to prevent.

Of course, no one's subject to that moldy old thing anymore, least of all us. :(

[bluedawg12]

13. I think I've grown to hate State initiatives

and we don't even have one in my St.

[David Zephyr]

14. Tyranny of the majority, a nicer way of saying mob rule.

Equal Protection for everyone...except homosexuals.

[Chovexani]

16. I'm just waiting for the torches and pitchforks ballot measure

At this rate, I just know it's coming.

[Ellen Forradalom]

19. Angry Mob Fun Run

:-(

[RetiredTrotskyite]

15. I Urge Those Who Can...

to go Canada to be married. If you really want a legal marriage, then go someplace where there is little threat of a fundie backlash taking away our rights. This is why my spouse and I went to Canada. We know we are married and don't have to worry about this unending shit of "Now you have the right to marry. Now you don't"

[Zuiderelle]

18. It's useful if your intention is to bring a lawsuit, but otherwise, it's not reconized by...

our government, so why bother? I want to marry to protect my spouse and child. I don't care about the actual marriage, but the contract and the federal recognition of it.

How sick is that, that a couple in Canada or Holland can marry there legally, then immigrate to the US and be no longer married in the eyes of our government?

[Omnibus]

17. You are not the last minority.

Try being "out" as an atheist. America will have its first openly gay president before it has its first openly atheist one.

[David Zephyr]

20. Respectfully, atheists can legally marry each other, can serve openly in the Armed Forces...

Atheists are not denied their military pensions, their veteran benefits, their healthcare for life.

Atheism is an intellectual choice, a brave one, no doubt, but a choice nonetheless.

Homosexuality has nothing to do with choice, it is who we are. It is a permanent state of being.