Hours before Copeland’s death, Hemant Mehta, who runs the popular religion blog Friendly Atheist, noted that Copeland did not appear to have bigoted views toward transgender people or people who simply enjoy cross-dressing.
“There’s a story making the rounds about an Alabama preacher/mayor who secretly dresses in drag and adopts the persona of a trans woman on social media,” Mehta tweeted. “The problem? It’s not clear he’s a hypocrite. If he’s not a bigot, why is he being outed?”
I think there is a good argument to be made for outing someone closeted who is using their power to oppress LGBT+ people, but there is also a trend of labeling any homophobic politician as being in the closet when a lot of them are just plain old bigots.
I'm sorry, but I must vehemently disagree. There is absolutely no reason to discuss publicly someone's private sexual preferences. Otherwise, you have the society they want where witch-hunts can be started over rumors.
there is also a trend of labeling any homophobic politician as being in the closet
But if your oppressor is LGBTQ+ and oppressing you for being LGBTQ+ it is "rules for thee..."
Tell me I'm wrong, you nut.
Most importantly, in this case I don't think we should be defending the rights of an oppressor over the rights of the oppressed.
Edit:
I could go on. The exact reason someone would not want to be outed is because of the social stigma created by the oppressor. So your stance is doubly absurd.
But if your oppressor is LGBTQ+ and oppressing you for being LGBTQ+ it is "rules for thee..."
Yes. He is "rules for thee..."ing you.
But when you out him you become the one not abiding by your own rules. Twice. Once for the outing, because you don't want to be outed. And again for not holding yourself to your own standard of not having rules that don't apply to you.
I don't think we should be defending the rights of an oppressor over the rights of the oppressed.
If you think that some people don't deserve to have their rights protected, then you are the oppressor.
nah, if you're an elected political official with power over other peoples lives, and you're a bigot, it's open fuckin season, and i'd recommend outting every single last goddamned one of them
All Republicans are hypocritical bigots, by definition. It's the core of their political party, it's who they signed up to be identified with, it's who they are, or in the case of this poor bigoted fuck, were. I don't want to see any "but this was a nice republican" bullshit. After the Southern Strategy in 1964, all Republicans are trash, every single one.
Institutionalized racism, misogyny, homophobia, and white Christian separatism as party platform. No matter how "conservative" Republicans claimed to be, The Southern Strategy was the core value and singular driving force for the past 60 years. MAGA isn't a symptom, it's result.
Maybe the politicians, I could agree with that, but most Republican voters are not on board with the southern strategy and all of this other stuff.
All the majority know is that they hate Democrats, and that is why they vote the way they do. Human beings are creatures of habit after all.
Besides, even if a group of people are doing bad things en masse, it's ultimately counterproductive to lump the followers in with the leaders. It makes it harder for the followers to break from the leaders that are leading them down the wrong path.
I am anti-republican politics, and I don't get along with Republican voters, but I'm not going to call the guy at the gas station evil because he votes Republican because his dad voted Republican because his dad voted Republican.
"They don't know what they're voting for" is not a defense, frankly. If you're truly ignorant of what a party stands for and you just can't bring yourself to vote for their opponent, maybe don't vote at all?
If you vote Republican then you are "on board" with the southern strategy and all of this other stuff. That's what voting signifies, that's the whole point of voting. It's a binding statement to the world that you want the person or group you're voting for to be in charge, and in the case of Republicans we know very well what them being "in charge" entails.
They aren't evil, doesn't stop them being ignorant, stupid, wrong, and detrimental to society. Ebola isn't evil, but it'll fuck up your life if you don't kill it first.
Republican voters are cancer, they might not want to kill you, but they will.
Out the ones that could be a part of the ones who could effect change so they can be ousted and replaced by another run-of-the-mill Republican demon. Smart. Real big-brained move.
Yes I'm saying it's ok to be queer and not ok to be intolerant.
What the fuck is wrong with your reading comprehension?
No one is saying that it is ok that he was outed.
They're saying he was making rules as a Republican official that bound LGBTQ people and the instant those rules would apply to him he killed himself..
That's the biggest problem with religion and hypocrisy. You're all right being against everything that doesn't concern you personally but as soon as it does suddenly it's a problem.
This is just another human trait. I don't know why so many Lemmings believe that religion is the cause of all the world's problems and not just another way Apes with Anxiety try to explain a vast and frighteningly complex world, but it's getting old.
Slapping a "religion did it" label on bad things is a thought terminating cliche. It does not advance our understanding of human behavior one iota. All it does it betray a fundamental ignorance of psychology and sociology. This is ironic coming from a group of so called rationalists.
That quote is ignoring the fact that it was his fellow conservatives who went after him to destroy his life. It is his fellow conservatives -- the ones he chose to stand among and support -- that enjoy this outcome.
You cannot be surprised when bullies bully. And the people who hang out with bullies because it benefits them to do so? They are also bullies.
And unfortunately, I think that's exactly why you're wrong. The issue isn't partisanship. The issue is bigotry. These people outed him because they hate and want to destroy LGBT people. There's no shades of grey here. There is no moderate position. This story happened even with no one from the opposite partisan position being involved.
I don't see anyone making that argument. What I do see is people saying that being conservative removes your pass to be queer. And that's just atrocious.
No one has a pass to be conservative, especially a queer person. No one. Not one person. It is not acceptable to be a bigot, a bully. It's not acceptable to be cruel just because you believe there is a certain social hierarchy that ought to be enforced. All the tenants of conservatism are unacceptable. And if you are queer, you now have INTIMATE knowledge of what it is like to be on the receiving end of that hatred and oppression and should know better than most to take no part in it.
You don't have to apologize. Your silence will suffice.
You seem to be thinking that just cuz someone is LGBTQ that makes them a good person inside.
You don't have to speculate about what I think. I've explicitly stated it on clear and uncertain terms. A person's sexuality is their own private business and there's no reason to be outing anyone.
Your reading comprehension is shit.
I don't think you have demonstrated enough reading comprehension to sit in judgement.