A Common Misconception

I hate cauliflower. I mean I really hate cauliflower. I like most other veggies. Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, even brussell sprouts when cooked right. But I cannot imagine any scenario where I see cauliflower as anything other than an ugly blight on the vegetable world.

But other people like it. I can't imagine why they do, but it happens. It happens often enough that it is always for sale at my grocery store. Always. And yet I keep shopping at that store. I don't boycott the store. I haven't written to my congressman asking him to pass a resolution that cauliflower is the root (or veg) of all evil. I simply refrain from buying or eating cauliflower myself. And I can still sneer at cauliflower eaters and snarkily ask them why they would put such and ugly, nasty thing in their mouths.

Human rights work the same way. I don't like most of the Christian religion. I won't go to their churches or share their beliefs. But I also am not writing my congressman to tell him that Christianity is the root of all evil and should be outlawed. But I still raise an eyebrow at the fundies and make fun of their belief in the magical sky fairy.

So when the fundies, of whatever religious flavor - Christian, Mormon, Muslim, whatever, pull out their "You're mere existence steps on my rights" crap. I want to tie them down and force feed them cauliflower. They are wrong.

That gay people exist and should have the same human rights to marry and be parents is not infringing on anyones rights to believe that gays are the root of all evil. You can believe that till until the magical sky fairy returns for all I care. But you don't get to legislate their rights away. Just like I, as a reasonable human being in the world, will not legislate the cauliflower away. Gays exist, cauliflowers exist, women who want control of their own bodies exist. And their right to exist trumps your desire to not feel uncomfortable.

No one will ever force a fundy to have hot gay sex. Or prevent a hetero couple from marrying because a smoking lesbian wants the bride. But on a daily basis, gay couples are kept from marrying the people they love and kept from providing stable homes to foster kids while fundies scream cause it makes them feel icky inside to imagine the "wrong" body parts lining up in a dark bedroom somewhere.

Inspired by this clip from 30 days posted at Jezebel (Sorry OD, it's a habit i'm trying to break) that I can't find an embeddable link for.