There seems to still be a chorus of anti-gays who are using their "deeply held" religious beliefs as an excuse for their homophobia and desire to keep LGBT Americans less than full citizens. Personally, I belief the "religious belief" excuse is - pardon my French - bull shit and, if allowed, opens the door for all kinds of discrimination under the civil laws. The same goes for the unfettered "majority rule" now being used against gays as well. *
First, one's alleged religious beliefs do NOT entitle you to take away someone else's CIVIL legal rights as a citizen. Otherwise - to use the term the anti-gay bigots like to use - we are headed down a "slippery slope" where all kinds of hateful discrimination arguably become just fine. Have people already forgotten that religious belief has been used to justify slavery, support segregation and justify laws against interracial marriage? Using the lame "religious belief" argument, then Muslim extremists should be free to murder Jews and Christians freely. Can't you just hear the Christianists wailing if this argument was put forth?
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It seems only when gays are the target do excuses that would never otherwise fly are accepted and given a pass. What would be unthinkable if "Jew" or "black" was substituted for "gay" somehow are treated as somehow being just fine. Of course, it's NOT fine. - provided one has the courage and backbone to say so. Sadly, these simple realities are beyond the grasp of some in Hollywood who are wringing their hands over whether or not to condemn bigotry and boycott bigots. Here are some highlights from the Los Angeles Times:
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Should there be boycotts, blacklists, firings or de facto shunning of those who supported Proposition 8? That's the issue consuming many in liberal Hollywood who fought to defeat the initiative banning same-sex marriage and are now reeling with recrimination and dismay. Meanwhile, activists continue to comb donor lists and employ the Internet to expose those who donated money to support the ban.
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[T]argets include Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that puts on both the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Spirit Awards; the Cinemark theater chain; and the Sundance Film Festival.
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For many in Hollywood, the Proposition 8 backlash represents a troubling clash of free speech, religious beliefs and the right to fight intolerance. Many supporters of same-sex marriage view the state constitutional amendment as codified bigotry, a rollback of civil liberties for gays and lesbians.
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'Do we take discrimination against gays as seriously as bigotry against African Americans and Jews?' . . . the answer is, 'Of course we do.' But we also believe that some people, including Rich, saw Prop. 8 not as a civil rights issue but a religious one. That is their right. And it is not, in and of itself, proof of bigotry."
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[T]here remains a distinct contingent of same-sex marriage supporters who are adamant about retribution. One is Chad Griffin, a political advisor to Hollywood executives who says, "A dollar to the yes campaign is a dollar in support of bigotry, homophobia and discrimination. There are going to be consequences. Any individual who has held homophobic views and who has gone public by writing a check, you can expect to be publicly judged. Many can expect to pay a price for a long time to come."
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In part, Hollywood's distress is a reflection of its guilty conscience about Proposition 8's passage. Many feel that they were asleep at the wheel, preoccupied with Barack Obama's candidacy and winning larger congressional majorities for the Democrats. "Many straight people really don't understand it's a civil rights issue," says Vachon. "We didn't do our job well enough. We need to do it better."
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