I was heading over Twin Peaks down into the Castro this morning. And I looked, as I always do, for my first glimpse of the huge Pride flag that flies over Harvey Milk Plaza.
And it was there, in the morning sunshine, against the blue sky, at half mast, a black banner streaming out above it.
I burst into uncontrollable tears, and had to pull off the road to cry.
Before I left, I'd gotten an ugly email from someone who I suppose saw my diary here yesterday while it was on the rec list. I have the whole thing posted on my blog, but here's a little taste:
From: T C [mailto:mrtmizzo@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 4:07 PM
To: [my email address]
Subject: Wake up, Please!
The more you push, the harder we on the traditional and conservative side will defend the goal. Look, with all due respect, the people have spoken in this fight not once, but twice and it is starting to appear that you and your movement is trying to cheat us out of something that YOU don't believe in instead of winning something YOU DO believe in. We have made it clear that we do not believe in your cause and do not want it taught to our little children in public schools any more than you want our children to be able to abort our grandchildren without telling us first.
[....]
So stop worrying about whether or not your sexual lifestyle of man on man or woman on woman sex gets its chance to take big crap on us traditional type married folks. It is not a fundamental right to be a married homo. This is purely a perverted type of class war against what you percieve to be the "ruling class", only you can always use the same bathroom, eat at the same counter and all of the other things that blacks did not have during the civil rights movement. I feel like you and your ilk look back at the civil rights movement and its leaders as heroic. That's fair, it took heroes to get us where we are now. You seem to want to have that same heroic badge, whatever it takes. Do you realize that you are forcing what straight people consider to be really gross activities like male on male anal sex and other types of just down right non-productive acts down the throats of our kids just to be a hero for something? You are not fighting for a class of persons, you are fighting for a class of ACTIVITIES! Big difference that I hope you recognize sooner rather than another 73 million dollars later. Please, if you fight, fight for what is really right or shut up and fight for the rights that come along with "marriage" but leave our word alone and you might get somewhere. Until then you and your ilk will just be viewed as, well, what we decided AGAIN last night, losers.
I wish you the best of luck with your cause and I hope that you can get to the core of what ever it is that you are made up of. What ever you do, don't ever doubt the resolve of Conservative Americans, we play one hell of a game of defense, check your history books.
Mizzo
Last night, I read that the Christianists are monitoring lesbian and gay bloggers and our commentors, and policing our expressions of grief. Some of us are too angry, it seems, and speaking intemperately, and they want a federal criminal investigation. Remember that what is inside your head and heart, and the words you speak and write, are being watched -- and all emphasis was in the original, I did not add it:
"Gays" Call for Violence Against Christian Supporters of Prop 8
Lynchburg, VA – In a stunning reaction to the passage of state constitutional marriage protection amendments in California, Arizona and Florida, several self identified homosexuals on a number of homosexual blogs are advocating violence against Christians and other supporters of traditional marriage. Additionally, some homosexuals are calling for church burnings in response to yesterday’s three state referenda in defense of natural marriage.
In a blog entry titled "You’ll Want to Punch them" on Queerty.com, poster "BillyBob Thornton" wrote, "... I have never considered being a violent radical extremist for our Equal Rights, But now I think maybe I should consider becoming one." "Stenar" asked, "Can someone in CA please go burn down the Mormon temples there, PLEASE. I mean seriously. DO IT." "Angelo Ventura," said, "... hope they all rot in hell, those servants of a lying, corrupt devil!
BAN RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM!" And, "Jonathan," warned, "I’m going to give them something to be f – ing scared of. ... I’m a radical who is now on a mission to make them all pay for what they’ve done."
Meanwhile, over at JoeMyGod.blogspot.com, "World O Jeff," said, "Burn their f–ing churches to the ground, and then tax the charred timbers." While, "Tread," wrote, "I hope the No on 8 people have a long list and long knives." "Joe," stated, "I swear, I’d murder people with my bare hands this morning."
And on the Americablog.com Web site, "scottinsf" posted, "Trust me. I’ve got a big list of names of mormons and catholics that were big supporters of Prop 8. ... As far as mormons and catholics ... I warn them to watch their backs."
Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs with both Liberty Alliance Action and Liberty Counsel, said, "This is not just a matter of some people blowing off steam because they’re not happy with a political outcome. This is criminal activity. The homosexual lobby is always calling for ‘tolerance’ and ‘diversity’ and playing the role of victim. They claim to deplore violence and ‘hate.’ Here we have homosexuals inciting, and directly threatening, violence against Christians. This is not free speech; these are ‘hate crimes’ under the existing definition. Imagine if Christian Web sites were advocating such violence against homosexuals. There’d be outrage, and rightfully so. It’d be national front-page news. Federal authorities should immediately investigate these threats and prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law. I also call on the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and other leaders within the homosexual lobby to immediately call for an end to these homosexual threats of violence against Christians."
And yet with all that, it's that half-mast flag that killed me.