On my way home from work tonight I heard a quick sound bite from the NPR host that disturbed me. Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, WA, has announced that a nationwide boycott of Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard will begin this Thursday, in response to both company's support of a gay rights bill currently before the Washington State Legislature. As I understand it, the bill would provide job and housing protection for all sexual minorities in the state. It has also been introduced every year for the past 30 years here in Washington, and has lost every time.
For those who don't know the story, the bill was defeated last year by one vote in the State Senate, after Hutcherson threatened Microsoft with a boycott and they pulled their support for the bill. That prompted the last wavering state senator to change his vote from yes to no, and the bill was dead for another year. The outcry at Microsoft was swift and loud, not unlike the recent fiasco with Ford Motor Company, and Microsoft back peddled and said they would support the bill if it arose again. Perhaps the most telling article about this event is from the Focus on the Family website. While I hate to even link to them, the article illuminates their insanity far better than I could ever do. Read and do not throw things at your screen, it will only hurt you and not them.
So here we are again, the bill is working its way through the legislature for yet another year, and the Ken Hutchersons of the world are starting to come out of the closet. The rhetoric is not worth repeating here, and there are plenty of places to read exactly what is going on out there, but I do want to repeat one thing that Dr. Hutcherson has said. He repeatedly claims that companies like Microsoft "underestimate the power of the American Christian public", and seems quite convinced that their boycott will do enough harm to these companies that they will change their positions.
First of all, I know a lot of gays (many of them work for Microsoft) and they own TONS of Microsoft and Microsoft related products. TONS. I also know a lot of Christians, and they do not hold a cross to the consumer electronics consumption of the homos. We can't get enough of the shit, it is our crack if your not on crack. I know I certainly can't get enough. Microsoft that is, not crack. Do not read too much into that statement, dirty minded little..... And we have large disposable incomes, because we can't breed and couples command two male salaries (the lesbians do too since they're usually more man than we are). So if we're looking for one-up-manship on amarket place power basis, I think the homos and their supporters win.
But more important than this slightly silly observation is the fact that Ken is just flat wrong. We DON'T underestimate the Christian Right's power, we understand that they have gotten all sorts of crazy things done because they threaten people behind closed doors and, until recently, not many people said anything in protest. But the Ford case has proved that we gays have a strong voice too, made all the stronger by the majority of the American public who support us and are tired of the hate mongering coming out of the religious right.
Dr. Hutcherson so clearly overestimates himself and his tribe of Christian Crusaders. I am actually looking forward to him hopefully making as much noise as humanly possible, drawing as much attention to this debate as can be drawn, and watching him go down in flames as this bill finally passes. I want him to rant and rave after the fact about the moral decline of this country, about how it's going to Hell in a Tasteful Designer Clutch, and witness everyone laugh a little bit at how silly he looks and turn away and ignore him. Let him stew in his own hateful juices. Perhaps he will leave us all alone after a good, sound, and righteous defeat.
To that end, anyone who can write to Microsoft and/or Hewlett-Packard, or your State Senator here in Washington to make sure they know we have a voice too. Seeing as one Senator has already said he will reverse his no vote from last year to a yes this year, things are looking good for the passing of this bill. After 30 years it will be about time.
2 comments:
While I think the Hutcherson's of the world are increasingly rare (and therefore more vociferous) I'm still not convinced that public sentiment has shifted enough to make this a clear case. It *is* shifting, of course, and will continue to shift, but I'm just not sure it has to a great enough degree to make this a clear win in 2006.
In Oregon, the constitutional amendment to create a legal caste system based on sexuality passed by a reasonable margin. This despite the fact that Oregon's own Hutcherson, Lon Mabon, was disgraced, arrested, and near bankruptcy by the time the issue had come up.
I don't necessarily believe I'll see equality in my lifetime, but you know that. I do expect civil partnership - maybe even at the Federal level. Possibly even "separate but equal." But not true equality.
Still, it's interesting to watch.
Have some hope there Chef, the buzz is that it will pass this year, and while it may not be much in the end it's yet another step in the right direction.
Equality is something few enjoy in reality, but a couple key steps would be nice, and I think they will happen in our lifetime. It's going to be another 10-15 years at least, but I certainly plan on being around at that point, and I'm sure you will be too. Then drag that other Chef down to where ever one will need to go and make a real man out of him, even if he kicks and screams :)
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