Yesterday one of the topics I wrote about was a new study that identifies prejudice and closed mindedness as an impediment to economic development and regional financial success. Well, the folks in relatively nearby Gloucester have sent a loud and clear message that they are backwards and want to remain in the bottom tier of economic success. A simple display on Gay Pride month in the local library was too much for the homophobes and bible beaters and the library was intimidated into removing the display. Truth be told, Gloucester is already a backwater and given the mentality of some on the county board of supervisors things are not going to be changing for the better. I can't but wonder how those complaining - yes, I'm talking about you, Gregory Woodard (pictured at far left) - would have scored in this study that shows that homophobes are the most turned on by gay porn! Local columnist Tamara Dietrich rightfully takes these bigots to task in the Daily Press. Here are some highlights from here column:
*
I don't know which books, CDs and DVDs were displayed in the Gay Pride Month exhibit at the Gloucester Public Library. Unless you checked it out earlier, neither will you — the library dismantled the exhibit two-thirds of the way through Gay Pride Month. Why? A few library patrons complained, and county Supervisor Gregory Woodard objected to the idea of "promoting gay rights."
*
Woodard even pressured the county administrator to push the library director to ditch the display, and tried to get the issue on the agenda for a supervisors meeting. But Vice Chairman Christian "Buddy" Rilee declined, saying supervisors had more important matters to discuss.
*
Woodard's response, Rilee told me, was that Rilee had the right to his own opinion, but "we can't pick and choose what items to respond to based on our comfort level." Comfort level? Seriously? It's the queasiness of people like Woodard with people who happen to be gay that ruins even innocuous public expressions of what should be, yes, pride.
*
It's Woodard who chose to sabotage a display in a public library based on his own discomfort with members of the public who are different from him.
*
Woodard didn't respond to requests for comment — he's also exceedingly uncomfortable with the Daily Press over its coverage of a massive petition drive to remove him and three other supervisors from office. But Jody Perkins of the library Board of Trustees did speak up after discovering that the exhibit — two little shelves of materials — folded last week. She's not happy the library would "cave in to bigoted individuals." I'm with her.
*
According to Kent Willis, head of the ACLU of Virginia, removing the exhibit early wasn't illegal because the library put it up, not an outside group. "The decision was clearly wrongheaded and backwards," Willis said in a phone interview. "And it's shameful that this kind of thing still happens in Virginia. But, from our analysis, it's not illegal."
*
Meanwhile, the message delivered to gay residents of Gloucester, their families and friends? That they have nothing to be proud of. That guardians of freedom will sometimes abdicate to the lowest common denominator, and one elected official isn't above throwing his bigotry around.
*
I don't know which books, CDs and DVDs were displayed in the Gay Pride Month exhibit at the Gloucester Public Library. Unless you checked it out earlier, neither will you — the library dismantled the exhibit two-thirds of the way through Gay Pride Month. Why? A few library patrons complained, and county Supervisor Gregory Woodard objected to the idea of "promoting gay rights."
*
Woodard even pressured the county administrator to push the library director to ditch the display, and tried to get the issue on the agenda for a supervisors meeting. But Vice Chairman Christian "Buddy" Rilee declined, saying supervisors had more important matters to discuss.
*
Woodard's response, Rilee told me, was that Rilee had the right to his own opinion, but "we can't pick and choose what items to respond to based on our comfort level." Comfort level? Seriously? It's the queasiness of people like Woodard with people who happen to be gay that ruins even innocuous public expressions of what should be, yes, pride.
*
It's Woodard who chose to sabotage a display in a public library based on his own discomfort with members of the public who are different from him.
*
Woodard didn't respond to requests for comment — he's also exceedingly uncomfortable with the Daily Press over its coverage of a massive petition drive to remove him and three other supervisors from office. But Jody Perkins of the library Board of Trustees did speak up after discovering that the exhibit — two little shelves of materials — folded last week. She's not happy the library would "cave in to bigoted individuals." I'm with her.
*
According to Kent Willis, head of the ACLU of Virginia, removing the exhibit early wasn't illegal because the library put it up, not an outside group. "The decision was clearly wrongheaded and backwards," Willis said in a phone interview. "And it's shameful that this kind of thing still happens in Virginia. But, from our analysis, it's not illegal."
*
Meanwhile, the message delivered to gay residents of Gloucester, their families and friends? That they have nothing to be proud of. That guardians of freedom will sometimes abdicate to the lowest common denominator, and one elected official isn't above throwing his bigotry around.
No comments:
Post a Comment