Provincetown, Massachusetts, also known as P-town, is located at the tippy tip of Cape Cod. It has a large gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-gendered, dual-souled, bi-curious, criss-cross, and confused population comparitively with the size of the town, making it one of the highest concentrations of gayness in America.
Now the Cape is a beautiful place that has a peaceful quiet that transcends its mere appearance of beaches and seagulls. And P-town is no exception. It was remarkable to me, however, that of all the places I’ve ever been to on the entire planet, P-town was the only one that had anything like “A Non-Hate Community” written on its welcome road sign.
So what was my impression of this “non-hate” community? I thought it was the most hateful place I had ever been… ever. Really. It wasn’t like I feared for my life or that everyone was running around with red glowing eyes and eating each other… but there was definitely something wrong with the place. I have never felt more disapproving glances. I have never seen bumper stickers and apparel with such hateful and intolerant content (usually about President Bush or Republicans). Really, this place - that touts tolerance - was the most intolerant I’d ever seen. A sick irony in an already sick country of political correctness and hypocrisy.
It was no surprise that this article just came out in the Boston Globe regarding the July 4 weekend just two weeks ago:
A new intolerance visits Provincetown
Police say gays accused of slurs
[...]
Police say they logged numerous complaints of straight people being called “breeders” by gays over the July Fourth holiday weekend. Jamaican workers reported being the target of racial slurs. And a woman was verbally accosted after signing a petition that opposed same-sex marriage, they said.
[...]
Winsome Karr, 45, originally from Jamaica, has worked in town since 2002. Lately, she said, the off-color comments stem from gay visitors who mistakenly believe that all Jamaicans share the views of an island religious sect that disagrees with homosexuality.
[...]
On same-sex marriage, the clashes have occurred as the state Legislature grapples with whether the electorate should vote on a measure to limit marriage to heterosexuals. A group that supports gay marriage, knowthyneighbor, has created a website displaying the names of more than 100,000 signers of a petition that calls for the state Constitution to be amended to prohibit same-sex marriage.
Knowthyneighbor’s tactics are controversial, with critics alleging that knowthyneighbor is making the names of same-sex marriage opponents public in an effort to expose or intimidate them. The group’s founders say they are simply promoting civic discourse.
The names of 43 Provincetown residents are listed on the website. Most of the petition signers attend St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, which serves the Portuguese community and others in town. The Catholic Church has helped lead the fight against same-sex marriage.
One St. Peter’s parishioner, Yvonne Cabral, was verbally accosted last Friday by Provincetown Magazine publisher Rick Hines after Hines learned that Cabral signed the petition, according to police.
Police Chief Ted Meyer plans to seek charges of disorderly conduct against Hines, who saw Cabral shopping and loudly called her a “bigot,” according to both Hines and Meyer. Other people who signed the petition — and subsequently had their names posted on the same website — said manure has been spread on their properties in recent months, Meyer added.
This is the kind of stuff that keeps Westboro Baptist Church in business.
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Why would it be so bad if gays got married? They’re not bothering anyone. They’re in love.
About that, I must say I can’t really understand what makes everyone so upset about it. These poeple are already living together and sharing financial burdens. That doesn’t change if they are legally married. The only change is in taxes, healthcare, and a few things like that. I don’t see how that affects the heterosexual married couples in any meaningful way.
to reiterate:
- they’re already together. wouldn’t be my choice, but hey it’s their lives
- marriage grants a few financial benefits
- no impact on heterosexuals
There is, however, in many peoples’ eyes, on both sides of the argument, a legitimization provided by marriage. To me it seems silly, but there it is. Now the opponents of gay marriage fall into two categories in my book:
1. those who oppose homosexuality openly and therefore oppose the legitimacy marriage gives. At least these people I can respect for being truthful with themselves, even if I disagree with their views.
2. those who say that they’re okay with homosexuality but that gay marriage undermines the institution in some insidious way. That just pisses me off. An analogous position- ‘Negroes are okay but they need to use separate bathrooms, eat at different lunch counters, and ride at the back of the bus.’
I think you guys are getting away from the point - the discussion is not about the legitimacy of same sex marriage, but those fighting for their rights employing the very tactics they are fighting against
Thanks, Heather. You captured the main point of the post exactly!
The question of gay marriage as it relates to the storyis a moot one… the idea is that those who claim tolerance are indeed, themselves, intolerant. And the “no-hate” community is actually hate numero-uno.
Now… I don’t approve of the lifestyle (i.e. I’m not okay with homosexuality), therefore I wouldn’t be for same-sex marriage. However, I am opposed to anyone treating gays (and when I say gays I’m actually referring to the whole cornacopia listed at the top of the post… much like “guys” is used… except this is “gays”) like they’re outcasts or whatever. I know some people who won’t go into their homes and won’t associate in any way with them, and that’s not right, either. Even if you’re like me and you treat it as a “sin” or whatever… would you treat them differently from someone else you thought was caught in a cycle of wrong - and who is so perfect themselves that they can look down their nose at someone else?
What I can call someone on is their open hypocritical behavior and intolerant actions, though.
Interesting point: I have never heard an argument FOR same-sex marriage that couldn’t be used FOR three-way marriage… or FOR man-boy marriage… or FOR five-way-sibling-parent marriage. Any takers?
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Well Steve:
You have done a good job highlighting the Tartuffe like hypocrisy of these jerks. And just as they are hateful and employing hateful techniques to intimidate people, Westboro Baptist Church is just as hypocritical because they champion hatred, which is antiChristian!
You know, I have lived and spent a lot of time in San Francisco and I find it to be classist and racist as well. Sure that type of behavior exists everywhere, but again, they are supposed to be a city that is a bastion of tolerance. Yeah Right!$%! Hmph, I am sorry to hear that we just cannot seem to get along as human beings. I am starting to wonder, however, if conflict is necessary for human development. Hmmm…
Regarding your question about arguments that legitimize gay marriage being used to support polyamories, you are certainly correct about that. And one reason that is compelling to support such unions is that they are with consenting ADULTS and who is the government to disallow adults from doing what they wish? But if any of the polygamists havta go on welfare, well we have to pay the cost of their folly! Now some who champion such marriage rights are totally against child adult relationships, not because it is plain out sick and wrong; but because of the power differential between adult and child and that the child cannot really give consent. The same logic can be applied to human animal marriages. Geesh, this stuff is kinda gross. But living in SF sorta forced me to interact with all of these different types of people and hear the way they think, for that I am glad. At least I know the place where they are coming from. Disturbing…
Did you hear the ACLU is sticking up Westboro Baptist Church protesting the funerals? That is so sick. I already hated the ACLU… and the ONE time they decide to champion a cause for a church it’s this?!?
I guess they hate the military more than they hate churches.
I understand the connection which you are trying to make about same sex marriage and polygomy. However, I personally feel that the vast majority of people who support gay marriage (and even those who don’t) would certainly agree that marriage is a lifelong committment made between two people. When social norms are altered, it is easy to think in terms of “whats next”? I’m sure that when interracial marriages were legalized many people were asking the same sorts of questions. As for people marrying their pets, that is totally not comparable to gay marriage. A dog is not a person, a dog cannot sign a marriage license. Persons who prefer to date others of the same sex are not animals.
I definetly support gay marriage. But I certainly do agree that there are many extremists out there who preach tolerance but refer to heterosexuals as “breeders” or other such things. I think that these people do only a disservice to the ideals for which they stand. I personally am embarassed by their behavior. However, on the other end of the spectrum we have gay bashers who are frequently rude to people based soley on their sexual preference. Now, I don’t think two wrongs make a right, but I do think that it is important to understand both ends of the spectrum. I disagree with hypocritical and hateful actions - reguardless of who is saying or doing them.
[just to clarify for everyone, this is in response to an explanation on a different website about why I was against gay marriage]
Nemokat :: I see all your points, and you articulate yourself very well and logically. I wasn’t trying to equate animals and gays by any means… and you aren’t the first to point that out. I wanted to use beastiality because - for now - we can all agree that it is completely wrong… it is the extreme. My point would be that there was a time when things that are more moderate today were considered “extreme” and “completely wrong” previously. That’s not to say we should go back to that time… it’s just to say that without a firm boundary things will shift without limit.
For instance, when you say that marrying an animal is prohibitive because the animal can’t sign the marriage license… I would contend that someone could have made the same argument for gay marriage, because the license has a signature block for “husband” and for “wife” (I think). Those in favor of gay marriage would say that allowances need to be made on those forms (or just change the forms) for gay marriage. NAMBLA would then say that the form should be changed again so that either a young boy could sign the marriage license legally or that a parent/guardian could sign for them. Then the crazy beasties could contend that if NAMBLA can have young boys get a guardian to sign, then beasties should be able to sign as the guardian of their pet.
This is all crazy absurdity, I know, but it’s not a completely unforseeable progression considering that there already is a population who want to legalize child-marriage.
When I contend that allowing gay marriage would mean we’d also have to allow any number of people to marry in any gender combination, a response I get back is that my contention is unfounded because polygomy is illegal. Well so is gay marriage (mostly), but the argument I hear for gay marriage is this simple principle: if consenting adults love each other and want to marry they should be able to. I understand that principle, but the inevitable consequence of that principle is any number of people in any gender combination should be allowed to marry. And when I ask a supporter of gay marriage why a given number of people in any gender combo should NOT be allowed to marry… I hear silence.
Oh, and I agree about the extremes on both sides. Both are equally ugly and gay-bashing is wrong.
well guys-
Isn’t that special! Poor you.
if one small town on the tip of Cape Cod gets to display bumper stickers that say they resent the President of the United States wanting to alter the Constitution to exclude gays and lesbians from marrying and marginalizing them to second class citizenship I think it’s not really too much for you heterosexuals to simply shut up up and bear.
Here’s an idea: Allow people to be the people they are THROUGHOUT the land and there will be no need for the extremes you seem to think exist (or what you’re deeming intolerance) in Provincetown. From what I see in the town the only people causing REAL TROUBLE are the out of town AND RESIDENT heterosexuals who come there specifically to voyeuristically sight-see and ridicule the homosexuals. Can’t you go bowling or something?
Provincetown = one microscopic bit of these United States
The remainder of the USA = a place where the rest of you intolerant S.O.B.s can raise your children as proper little bigots.
The Boston Globe is a running joke. Oh those poor trod-upon heterosexuals who have to tolerate all that intolerance in Provincetown. STAY HOME … and here’s a newsflash: THERE ARE AS MANY INTOLERANT HOMOSEXUALS PER CAPITA AS THERE ARE INTOLERANT AND BIGOTED HETEROSEXUALS. The rules apply to all or to none. No exceptions.
Get over yourselves. You’re whining.
i like gays
Being portuguese and having the misfortune of going there and now reading this makes me want to throw up… [darn] gays expoiting the hard work of my people and many other straight NORMAL people, turning something beautiful into a real life freak show. calling straight people breeders… yeah last time i checked thats why there are 2 different sexes.. sorry you [...] are mother earths mistake.. I am looking forward to gowing there this summer and revercing the tables on them… [...] … Morte para os paneleiros
[some edits made by moderator]
being that this site is moderated i understand that my previous comment will not be posted.. oh well i got to vent… Why should people care of what goes on in a bedroom.. it would be like me going to a perfect stranger with a tee shirt stating that i have sex with women.. thats private.. these people put their private sex life out in the open and expect no reaction? ridiculous. I cant even put into words the double standard that our society has to indure due to homosexuals… they throw something out thats private knowing that it will cause reactions and then expect no reactions and acceptance in return.. how about just shutting the fk up about it and living your life?