If not for his other accomplishments, you probably remember George Takei from the Star Trek shows. Today he is an advocate for many things, among them, gay marriage. He is also a regular on The Howard Stern Show.
George Takei and his partner-in-marriage have put up this video showing how a gay couple should complete their census for. Done in a humorous way but gut-wrenching that it has to be done at all.
The following article shows that this type of thinking belongs to the dinosaur age, or the 60's. When they talk of Family Values they mean their family's values to the exclusion of anyone who thinks differently. I want the right to live my own values, not those imposed by conservative thinkers. I want the right to see controversial films and read any book I choose.
Mayberry, Florida? No Gays Allowed
http://open.salon.com/...
Precourt is co-sponsor of Florida CS/HB 697, a bill introduced as a revision of the current Entertainment Entertainment Industry Economic Development which currently gives family friendly films a 2% tax break. The heart of the bill is a revision clarifying what makes a film family friendly, which up until now was not specific.
The special provision is spelled out here:
"A certified production determined by the Commissioner of Film and Entertainment, with the advice of the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council, to be family-friendly...Family-friendly productions are those that have cross-generational appeal; would be considered suitable for viewing by children age 5 or older...and do not exhibit or imply any act of smoking, sex, nudity, nontraditional family values, gratuitous violence, or vulgar or profane language. Under the current incentive program, review of the final release version is not required and nontraditional family values, gratuitous violence, and implied acts do not exclude a film from receiving this additional credit."
When asked for specificity, Precourt is quick to fill in the giant gaps. He says that when he thinks of family friendly films, he thinks back to the 1960's.
"Think of it as like Mayberry," Precourt told the Palm Beach Post News. "That’s when I grew up — the ’60s. That’s what life was like. I want Florida to be known for making those kinds of movies: Disney movies for kids and all that stuff. Like it used to be, you know?"
Gee, Mr. Precourt. We don't know. Most of us remember Mayberry as being a little bit white, a little bit sexist, and little bit like no one's life we knew. Perhaps there were no book lending services where Mr. Precourt grew up?
When asked if this provision would exclude gays, Precourt says "that would not be the kind of thing we would invest our public dollars in".
We will take that as resounding negative.
Equality, not so much. What is this thing all Repubs have about going back in time. They seem to love the Wally & Beaver, Mayberry and Ozzie & Harriet days. The world has moved on. Nicolas Sarkozy said recently "I mean, I happen to think that President Obama is a step ahead of public opinion in the United States on this." You can read the rest at http://www.theyoungturks.com/...