editor's note
by matt comer
matt@goqnotes.com
Naughty and Nice
Santa Claus is coming to town! And, he's
bringing switches and lumps of coal for some
of the state's meanest and most heartless
anti-gay villains. At the same time, there's
plenty of folks in need of rewarding. No doubt,
sugarplums and other delicious treats will
await them in their stockings Christmas morn.
Here now is qnotes' 2011 Naughty and
Nice List.
Naughty
State Rep. Dale Folwell
Near the top of this year's Naughty List
sits Forsyth County Republican and state
House Speaker Pro Tern Dale Folwell. Folwell
led the push this year — even more so than
its traditional cheerleader, the late state Sen.
James Forrester, R-Gaston — for an anti-LGBT
state constitutional amendment banning mar
riage, civil unions and domestic partnerships
for same-sex couples. As if Folwell's mere
outspoken support for the amendment wasn't
enough, he threw gasoline onto the fire when
he invited anti-gay pastors into the press room
of the North Carolina General Assembly. There,
state media gathered, Folwell stood with
pride as the pastors lambasted LGBT people
with some of the most extreme homophobic
language the legislature has ever heard.
State Rep. Paul Stam
Folwell wasn't alone in his push this year
for the anti-LGBT amendment. Standing
shoulder-to-shoulder with Folwell and
Forrester was House Majority Leader Paul
Stam, R-Wake. But it's not Stam's support of
the amendment that lands him on this year's
Naughty List Instead, it's the exceedingly
arrogant and nonchalant manner In which
Stam behaved on the floor of the House dur
ing debate on the measure — a provision that
would drastically alter our state's most impor
tant governing document Leaning back in his
chair, relaxed and with a smirk on his face,
Stam proceeded to pop pieces of popcorn into
his mouth while Democrats tried desperately
to plead for common sense and caution. Such
disrespectful behavior is unbecoming a public
servant of this great state and its citizens. That,
act alone warranted resignation, but I doubt
we'll ever see that. Arrogance, after all, makes
for a great bedfellow with ego. I doubt Stam
will be giving up his status too soon, though I'll
have to just keep crossing my fingers. In the
meantime. I'll just take solace in knowing the
bigger (ass) you are, the harder you'll fall.
Nice
Alex Miller
After the summer departure of longtime
Equality North Carolina Executive Director Ian
Palmquist, the group's former contract lobby
ist, Alex Miller, was tapped to shepherd the
organization until a more permanent replace
ment could be found. Miller took on the role
with phenomenal style and strength, setting
the pace and tone of Equality North Carolina's
courageous fight against the Republican-led
legislature's push for the anti-LGBT amend
ment. Perhaps, Miller's most brilliant moment
came in his joint interview with Folwell on
WFAE's "Charlotte Talks" with host Mike
Collins. After being called out by Folwell for
calling opponents of marriage equality "big
ots," Miller didn't skip a beat.
"You invited some pastors to come to the
Legislative Building and speak from the po
dium which is paid for in part by the tax dollars
of LGBT North Carolinians and those pastors
have been quoted as saying.. .variously, that
gay and lesbian North Carolinians are not
'gay.' That we've got to use terms like 'deviant'
and 'abomination' and that homosexuality is
a 'death-style.' That's Patrick Wooden from
Raleigh who you invited to come speak from
the General Assembly and you stood next time
as he spoke."
Miller continued, "Another person you in
vited has been quoted talking about churches
qpoll
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Naughty and Nice of 2011?
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that are open and affirming to gay and lesbian
people and he said, 'Faggots across the nation
heading churches. Homos on the pianos.
Faggots in the choir. What kind of spirit is that
leading the church?' and about politicians who
oppose this amendment, 'They want that little
one percent of faggots to go vote.' You might
not be a bigot but that is bigoted language and
you invited that into the General Assembly
Building that is paid for by tax dollars includ
ing the tax dollars of gay and lesbian North
Carolinians, so either you agree with them and
you are a bigot or you don't agree with them '
and you invited them for political purposes and
honestly I'm not sure which is worse."
Equality North Carolina
Miller might have been the face and
voice of Equality North Carolian during
the legislative phase of its fight against
the anti-LGBT amendment, but there's no
doubt he couldn't have done it without the
ever-present, hard-working and intelligent
staffers behind him. Development Director
Kay Flaminio, Administrative Assistant Shawn
Long, Communications Director Jen Jones,
Director of Community Organizing Sam Parker
and Human Rights Campaign staffers Jess
Osborne, Chris Speer and Karin Quimby
vvere just a handful among the many, many
staff people, volunteers, donors and activists .
who helped to guide Equality North Carolina
through this year's legislative session. Though
the amendment still passed, it did so with just
one vote. That's a testament to Equality North
Carolina's strength and influence, which we
hope continues to play a defining role as the
Coalition to Protect NC Families rolls forward
into the ballot initiative campaign.::
P
U
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Dec. 10-23.2011 qnotes 5