The opening of MilkMilkLemonade went really, really well last night. We had a packed house and lots of laughs and some people even seemed really moved by the end. I also think some people were offended by the crass humor, but I suppose that's too be expected. This is good old fashioned queer theater, and a comedy about cruelty to gay kids in America, so it's certaint o not fit all tastes. I'm finally to a point where I've let go of my insecurities. I'm proud as hell of the play and the work that this group of artists have done.
Speaking of cruelty to gay people: a federal judge just ruled that citizens who donated money to Washington State's Referendum 71 are to remain anonymous. From The Seattle Times:
"A federal judge has continued to keep private the names and addresses
of those who signed Referendum 71, saying they likely are protected
under the First Amendment and that the state failed to prove a
compelling public interest in their release. U.S. District Judge
Benjamin Settle in Tacoma granted a preliminary
injunction today, blocking the state from making the petitions
public...The Secretary of State's Office — the defendant in the case —
has
said it is obligated under the state Public Records Act to release the
petitions to those who request them.
"But Protect Marriage
argued that the law 'chills free speech ...
particularly when it is reasonably probable that those exercising their
First Amendment rights would be subjected to threats and harassment.'
Stephen Pidgeon, attorney with Protect Marriage, said: 'We think
this is a good decision. It protects Washington voters' right to speak
freely even in impassioned debate.' But Brian Zylstra, spokesman for
Secretary of State Sam Reed, said the judge's decision 'is a step away
from open government...When people sign a referendum or initiative
petition, they are
trying to change state law,' he said. "We believe that changing state
law should be open to public view.'"
As a proud Washingtonian, I have to say this is discouraging to say the least. To catch anybody up who might not know, Washington State recently got an "everything but marriage" law giving gay couples all the same rights as heterosexual couples, save the word "marriage". Referendum 71 effectively pushed pause on that law and gives voters the opportunity to approve or reject it. It's similar to Prop 8 in California, except voters who aren't retard will want to vote "yes" of Referendum 71. Do you got that? Vote "yes". It's "yes" to approve gay marriage in Washington, unlike in California when it was "no" to vote "yes' on gay marriage. The bigots operate in double speak to confuse you, so DON'T BE HAD. Washington State, in addition to being the most beautiful part of America, is wonderful and progressive, so I pray that the voters decide not to be hateful bigots there.
It goes without saying that this judge has missed the mark by a billion miles. It is a reaction to the boycotts and protests private citizens and their businesses faced after donating to Prop 8. Protect the identities of people who are looking to enshrine discrimination and bigotry into law? If they give their money to this hateful cause, then they deserve to have their buisinesses boycotted. Gay people have every right to know which of their neighbors is seeking to keep them second class citizens. In fact, that is the very reason these are ususlaly made public. Everybody citizen gets a vote, but each citizen is also responsible for that vote.
Let this be another lesson, to you gays. The people that seek to remove rights from others maintain that this is not about hate, that this is simply about "protecting" marriage, as if my marrying The Boyfriend would somehow make Ozzy and Harriet explode. To say this is not about hate is a bald face lie. Gay couple in Washington didn't even have the right to marry. They had a seperate but equal domestic partnership bill, and even that was too much for the "Christ loving" anti-gays. Additionally, these same bigots have sought to over turn any shred of equality the LGBT community has achieved, whether it's in employment or housing or marriage. Do not let them tell you this is about "protecting" marriage. Do not let them tell you that they don't hate you.
They hate you.
Remove all the rhetoric, remove all the buzz phrases like "prtoecting families" or "saving marriage", strip away all the "love the sinner hate the sin" garbage and you will find the simple truth. They hate you and they want you to have nothing. After all, getting punched in the gut hurts, even when the person punching you is smiling while they do. The truth, in spite of all their reassurances that this isn't personal, is that they don't feel you're deserving of equality because they don't believe you should exist. PERIOD.