On the other side, there has been a mixture of reactions. Some are overtly hostile to the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, others are happy and supportive and a large number are casually indifferent. I'm somewhere between the last two camps, worried about the slippery slope this begins and more supportive of the notion of civil unions. But I digress.
What's troubling me is the reaction from some quarters of the gay community. As with any labeled community, the whole can't be blamed for the parts that comprise it. Yet for a community that, generally speaking, preached tolerance and understanding before Obergefell seems to have forgotten all about that in the euphoria following its issuance.
Three incidents in particular concern me. A young Catholic priest walking by two gay men celebrating the decision spat upon him despite not being provoked by the priest. Admittedly, the priest was probably not supportive of the ruling, but the randomly spit on this man simply for what he represents is no better than a pair of knuckleheads beating the tar out of a gay man simply for wearing a rainbow flag on his jacket. For a group that preached tolerance and understanding to suddenly become what they opposed taints the position they once held.
The more national manifestation of this anger came from a noted gay rights activist and online darling George Takei, who played Sulu on the old Star Trek series. Mr. Takei, not satisfied with the Court's ruling, took issue with the dissent penned by Justice Clarence Thomas and called him a clown in blackface. This isn't the first time that the progressive/liberal/sensitive/thoughtful has used ad hominem attacks on Justice Thomas, a man who raised himself up from humble beginnings to be a member of one of the most exclusive -- not to mention respected, educated and important -- fraternities on earth. During the Anita Hill hearings he was subjected to horrible, scandalous attacks that were baseless to try to sabotage his nomination to the Supreme Court solely because of his conservative bent. To his credit, Mr. Takei did take back the comment and apologize for it, but he could hardly have done otherwise. The outcry was such that it will be a long time before Mr. Takei allows his emotions to take control again.
Here's Mr. Takei in all his indignant glory:
Although Mr. Takei is certainly entitled to his opinion, he's hardly qualified to rate Justice Thomas's credentials...unless, of course, Justice Thomas makes the mistake of appearing as a clown in blackface on an episode of Star Trek.
But even Mr. Takei's outburst didn't disturb me as much as the last example did. Up front, I should disclose that although I'm more conservative that liberal on many things, I was never a fan of Ronald Reagan as President. I admired some things that he accomplished, but I always saw him as playing a part more than leading the free world. That being said, he was still President. At the first gay pride reception held in the White House, certain gay rights activists used the opportunity to express themselves in a manner unbecoming the institution of the White House and the Presidency itself as can be seen in these images:
That they would not be pleased with Presidents Reagan and Bush is understandable. But no matter how much I dislike Presidents Obama and Clinton, when I get the opportunity to visit the White House, I will not be acting accordingly. I may not respect the man, but I respect the rank. These people didn't belittle Presidents Reagan and Bush so much as they lowered their own self-respect. Perhaps they're lionized in segments of the gay community, but I can't believe that mature adults, gay or otherwise, were impressed with this immature demonstration of their displeasure.
It would be interesting to see what Matthew Shepard would say about this.
(c) 2015 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
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