As Independence Day comes and goes, I'm thinking about the freedom that finally comes for many LBGTQ people when they reconcile with their orientation, and overcome the lifetime of brainwashing that leads them to believe they are inherently evil, and must, at all costs, become heterosexual.
Having been out since the early Seventies, and being something of a student of the Gay Rights movement, I can think of nothing that has been more damaging to the psyche of individuals and our society at large than has been the pray-the-gay-away crowd.
I was raised by a Pentecostal family and was fortunate to have avoided most of the torment that comes with squaring deeply ingrained beliefs with my own nature, except for a few embarrassing episodes of spontaneous ecstatic dancing in the early 80s.
I've been conflicted, but relieved, when when well known leaders and proponents of "reparative" therapy have "found" each other or more importantly, found themselves, and left the "ex-gay" movement to live out well adjusted lives.
The ones that have always bothered me most, though, are those with real power and influence who anonymously haunt restrooms, parks, chatrooms, gay bars and adult services only to return to their public lives to align themselves with anti-gay forces and do real damage.
But, if they're going to keep on with their campaign, they're going to need a fight song, and I propose the one in my new animation that follows.
It features:
Roy Ashburn, - former CA State Senator who voted against virtually every pro-gay piece of legislation to cross his desk until resigning, and to his credit, coming out, after being spotted in gay night clubs -
Larry Craig - Who took a strong wide stance on the accusations he faced and recently granted an interview to The Daily Show's John Oliver, in the animations only "speaking" role -
Ted Haggard - who recently made a big "announcement" and assured us that he is cured of teh gay-
and the schlepping-impaired George A Rekers who has had to leave his James Dobson affiliated job after failing to massage his message effectively-
For your further reading "enjoyment," the Miami New Times assembled a list entitled "George Rekers Has Company: The Top Ten Outed Right-Wing Homophobes"
For those who are especially sensitive to the use of religious iconography in satire, I apologize, and just hope you can take it in the same spirit it was intended. I also ask you consider how offensive it is to be told alll your life that the very nature your God created in you is loathsome in His eyes.
update: HQ version on FaceBook here