The intolerant attacking the insincere

This past weekend, I posted another of my Internet Wading posts, and the second item mentioned US House of Representatives Republican Leader Eric Cantor calling for more tolerance in his party, particularly for Muslims and gay people. To put it nicely, I obviously didn’t believe him.

Cantor’s insincere sermon was published on July 19 (US time) and the very next day, the “Family” Research [sic] Council, one of the leaders of the anti-gay industry, and one of the country’s most powerful anti-gay hate groups, attacked Cantor’s call for tolerance (source: http://tinyurl.com/dynb8gp).

They began by lying about Michele Bachmann’s bizarre, dangerous attack on a prominent Muslim American, before getting to what really got their knickers in a twist: Tolerance of gay people:

“…tolerance should not mean acceptance. The ‘politically correct tolerance’ attitude that is followed by to [sic] many in our establishment society allows for embracing of individuals who attack Christians with vile and, in the case of the left’s poster boy for tolerance Dan Savage, with literal spit and bile. This same tolerance then seeks to demonize those who embrace that marriage is between one man and one woman—such as the attacks on [a fastfood chicken chain] President Dan Cathy.”

I think it’s safe to say that the US anti-gay industry hates Dan Savage more than any other gay person in the country. While Savage’s rhetoric is sometimes ill-advised, which is what the radical right tries to focus everyone’s attention on, in the main he is relentless in an articulate, fact-based, reason-infused debunking of rightwing bullshit. He dares to stand up to their hatred, and does so far more eloquently than any of them can manage, so they hate him: He could help rational and reasonable mainstream Americans see how irrational and unreasonable the radical right anti-gay industry is, and they fear the effect that would have on their power—and their bank balances, of course.

The chicken shack thing is another matter entirely, and of course, hypocrites that they are, they ignore their own behaviour: THEY demonise anyone who supports marriage equality—how many companies are they boycotting now? I’ve lost count, but it includes Starbucks, General Mills, Google, Oreo cookies, Microsoft, etc., etc., etc. When their side does it, it’s standing up for principle, but when our side does it, we’re “demonising”.

The spokesbigot continued:

“This misguided tolerance leads both political parties to embrace H.R. 6019, legislation introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (R-Texas) [sic] (ironically one of the biggest bullies in Congress) that seeks to continue a slush fund at the Justice Department by federalizing “bullying.” This bill would very likely fund the Dan Savages of the world to go after the Dan Cathy’s of the world. That isn’t tolerance—that is taxpayer-funded culturcide.”

Apart from calling US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee a Republican when she emphatically is not, their “misstatements” include the fact that the legislation they reference will NOT set up a “slush fund” and absolutely does not “federalise” bullying (what does that even mean?). What it actually does, in the reality-based world, is it would modify the Omnibus Crime Control Act to include "establishing and maintaining accountability-based programs that are designed to enhance school safety, which programs may include research based bullying prevention, cyberbullying prevention, and gang prevention programs, as well as intervention programs regarding bullying." Nothing in that would “fund” Dan Savage, nor would it “go after” morons like Dan Cathy. FRC is lying. But, then, as professional bullies, they’re rather sensitive on this topic.

I don’t for one minute believe that Eric Cantor was sincere in calling for more tolerance within his party, not when his job is to manage his party’s anti-gay agenda (among it's other radical issues) in the US House. I also don’t think that the folks in the anti-gay industry believe him, either, but they’re worried that some people might, and that moderates might become active in the party. That fear is pretty obvious from the “F”RC’s attack on Cantor, beginning with their praise for three of the most batshit crazy Republicans in Congress (three among so many…).

One thing is certain: The anti-gay industry knows nothing about tolerance, so they’re in no position to lecture others about who has it or shows it, or who should or shouldn’t embrace it. They’d best stick to what they know best: Promoting hatred and intolerance, because that’s what they’re good at.