Anti-Same Sex Marriage Groups Call For Dialogue to Be More "Civil"
Kris Mineau, President of the Massachusetts Family Institute and board member of its ballot question committee VoteOnMarriage.org is calling for a more civil dialogue, "not on the debate of same-sex marriage" but on the way that "both sides need to conduct themselves." This press release by MFI and the subsequent BayWindows interview with Mineau came at the same time that Pro Equality Leaders including KnowThyNeighbor.org, The Anti-Violence Project and The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry sponsored a Candlelight Vigil To End the Violence and Hate which is being spewed at the Gay Community.
Mineau claims to have a great relationship with the RCFTM and MassEquality and actually calls Marc Solomon, MEQ's Director out as a gentleman. His problem seems to be with KnowThyNeighbor and its "stormtroopers" as he calls the pro-equality supporters which were present at Mineau's Democracy Rallies last month. The same rallies that anti-gay Catholic Citizenship's Larry Cirignano assaulted Sarah Loy while she held a sign against discrimination--all within clear sight of Kris Mineau and other MFI leaders.
I find Mineau's use of Nazi terminology to describe gay people and equality supporters deplorable however typical when trying to make the victims appear to be the aggressors. This tactic was often employed, yes by the Nazis, to turn a nation and its people against the Jews. The Jews were blamed for everything including The War itself as this propaganda poster from Hitler's Germany shows (translation, Jews, the inciters of war the prolongers of war). I want you all to look at a series of historical essays at this link also. Strategies have not seemed to change much. Today, Mineau likes to further denegrade gays by using tactics such as claiming that "gays control the legislature," "gays control the courts," "gays have more money than straights," and "gay money is coming in from around the country" to peg us as the "evil ones."
But Mineau's logic right now if one reads into his "cry for dialogue" is even more calculated. Mineau is calling for the gay leaders, Arline Isaacson and Marc Solomon to join in some sort of future forum to call for civility. Even Solomon sees this as a ploy to take the public's eye off of the anti-gay side. But I hope that Marc and Arline understand what Mineau is doing. By segregating KnowThyNeighbor and the voices of the empassioned equality supporters from "the gay leadership", Mineau is trying to clean up his playing field--making this a battle between the gay lobby, MassEquality (and its messaging) and the anti-gay lobby. The last thing Mineau wants is real people crying fowl, real gays and lesbians and their families coming out and protesting and advocating. Mineau wants the "human" element removed and to make this a play of press conferences, post cards, emails and photo ops. The anti-gay side is losing support as we have seem in MFI's "Democracy Rallies." And the only ones left seem to be the most desparate, the most angry and the most offended when we hold a mirror to thier faces.
There will be more to this to come but right now the call for gays, lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals is to be visible. This is not right what they are doing to us and you MUST BE OUTRAGED. Kris Mineau cannot be allowed to silence us nor should any fear (from our gay leadership) be allowed to silence us either.
Take a good look at the graphics in Ethan Jacob's BayWindows column which show the quotes coming from "the clergy" who support Kris Mineau's organization. This is just the tip of the iceburg of thier hate and bigotry and insidious rhetoric. And take a step back and understand the reality...
We say, "We Want Equal Rights." They say, "Gays Destroy Families." We say, "Don't Amend the Constitution with Discrimination." They say, "Same-Sex Marriage is the 9-11 of Modern Society." We say, "We Love Our Husbands and Our Wives or Our Boyfriends or Girlfriends." They say, " Gays Relationships are Likened to That of Spinster Aunts or a Brother and a Sister Who Live Together." We say, " We Want Marriage Equality." They say, "If We Let Gays Marry, What Is To Keep People From Marrying Thier Dogs."
We should be outraged. NO, WE MUST BE OUTRAGED!!!
Tom Lang, Director