The Religious Right has been singing their
annual “War against Christmas” carol, claiming that they are the victims of
intolerance from “godless” liberals and secular humanists. I haven’t seen any
evidence of such intolerance, but I have seen a lot of a different kind
ofintolerance — intolerance of gays by the Religious Right.
The anti-gay Christian Right has been targeting gays and
lesbians for a long time, and “gay marriage” has now become as important as
abortion to their“family values” political agenda, which attacks the family
relationships of gays and lesbians. What is striking about the Christian Right’s
attacks on gays is how intolerant they have become of any civil acceptance or
sympathyfor gay and lesbian people and their family relationships.
Over the past few years, conservative Christian
organizations have called for (unsuccessful) boycotts of businesses that offer
any benefits to gays and lesbians or their partners. The Southern Baptists
recently ended a long boycott of Disney for its policies supporting gay and
lesbian employees.
The American Family Association recently threatened Ford
Motor Company with a boycott for advertising in gay publications, and the Focus
on the Family has withdrawn its money from Wells Fargo because of that
institution’s support of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Keep in mind that none of these businesses did anything to
attack Christians. They did not promote discrimination against conservative
Christians. Their offense was simply to treat gays and lesbians with respect in
their workplace or to support organizations that promote the social well being
of gays and lesbians.
What the Christian Right opposes is any social acceptance
of gays and lesbians, or any recognition of the legitimacy of their family
relationships. According to the Christian Right, only families and
relationships that follow their narrow interpretation of the Bible are eligible
for civil protections or social acceptance.
The critically praised and successful movie “Brokeback
Mountain” (a ground-breaking western with a love story between two cowboys) is
sure to fuel the Religious Right’s attacks on the “liberal elite’s” promotion of
the “homosexual agenda” (i.e., love and social acceptance). The movie may help
to humanize gays and their struggle for love and social acceptance, if enough
theatres will allow the public an opportunity to see it. Conservative religious
groups may try to prevent the film from even being seen in many cities.
Hollywood doesn’t seem too comfortable with same-sex
relationships between men either. The movie “Troy “totally erased the homosexual
relationship between Achilles and Patroculus. “Alexander” more accurately
included the male love interests of Alexander, but when the movie bombed at the
box office, the “gay” scenes were blamed. The new “director’s cut” on video cut
it out. So much for history. While “Brokeback Mountain” is receiving lots of
critical praise, many theater owners are fretting over showing it.
Why does our society have such a difficult time accepting
same-gender love and relationships? Why can this society tolerate, even reward,
men who fight and kill each other, but cannot accept two men loving each other
or expressing that love in the same manner that men and women are allowed to
express their love for each other? What is the source of this homophobia?
Part of the intolerance toward same-gender love is
religious, but part of it is about gender and power. Love between men or women
threatens the traditional gender roles, and their unequal power in society,
which have been the bedrock of the patriarchal Christian ideology which keeps
men and women in their respected (unequal) places in the family and society.
What the Christian Right fears, and what they cannot
tolerate, is equality between men and women or between gay and straight
relationships in civil society. Sexism, homophobia and heterosexism haven long
been the linchpins holding patriarchal societies together, and roadblocks to the
liberation of women, lesbians and gay men.
“Brokeback Mountain” is another reminder of the personal
costs of the social intolerance of gay and lesbian relationships. That is why
the Religious Right does not want you to see it.
Jim Maynard is a Memphis gay activist and former
congressional candidate.
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