P E R S P E C T I V E
Opinion
by David R. Gillespie
Fear and loathing in the Upstate
The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld an
amendment, passed by Georgia voters, to the
Peach State’s constitution, stripping full civil
rights away from a whole bunch of LGBT
Georgians.
On Nov. 7, South Carolina voters are
poised to do the very same thing — passing a
very similar amendment — and having
Georgia’s high court uphold theirs doesn’t
bode well for ours.
This makes a concerted, cooperative
effort among all concerned folks in South
Carolina, gay and straight, who believe in
extending the same rights and privileges of
citizenship to all, regardless of who they love,
all the more important.
A recent editorial cartoon that appeared on
the editorial page of the Greenville News
depicted two men dancing on an implied
Broadway stage holding a newspaper with the
headline announcing the recent court setback
to gay marriage in New York. The caption of
the cartoon was, “If we can’t make it here, we
can’t make it anywhere.”
Offensive? Possibly. True? Most likely and
unfortunately so.
The LGBT community in the midlands
and lower part of the state seem to have their
act together. They are pulling together, sharing
resources, giving time and energy and money
to the effort to defeat the “dumb amendment.”
One Charleston resident has even offered a
matching grant of up to $100,000 to aid in the
effort to stop the amendment.
But when it comes to the Upstate of South
Carolina, the same dedication, concern, effort
or rallying to keep our state from stealing our
rights as citizens doesn’t seem to be visible.
Recently, the South Carolina Equality
Coalition (SCEC) put together a bus tour of
cities in the state as part of its Fairness for All
Families campaign. In Greenville, the small
but dedicated group stood on the corner of
South Main and Augusta with signs urging
people to vote for fairness. Where were we?
A search of MySpace.com profiles for
males and females, ages 18-65, within 10
miles of my zip code, who identify as gay, les
bian, bi or not sure, resulted in 961 profiles.
Surely, some of those 961 people, who have
a vested interest in securing equal rights for
all South Carolina citizens, could have joined
in that effort. Where were we?
Are we simply con
tent to go to the Castle,
Red Moon or Sugar
Shack, drink, have fun,
have sex and then
never consider what’s
being done to us in the
name of family values? Where are we?
Now, granted, there may be some reasons
for doing nothing, for staying in comfortable
little closets and keeping one’s “good name” in
the neighborhood or the business community.
Fear and loathing come to mind immediately.
Maybe we’ve lived in the shadow of that
phallic symbol at the gate of Bob Jones
University for so long we just can’t get it out of
pur collective consciousness. Maybe the power
of the religious right in the Upstate is only
what we, in our fear, give to them.
Maybe we’re just so used to wallowing in
the self-loathing guilt and shame that for so
long was a part of our lives (thanks to parents,
friends, schools and churches). After all, we
southerners do love our guilt. Maybe some of
us still really do feel dirty because we have sex
with members of our own gender.
I understand both the fear and the
loathing. They are difficult to throw off.
Gay, lesbian, trans, bi, queer and question
ing; straight but not narrow, PFLAGers, pro
gressive church members — all concerned
need to join with the SCEC and Fairness For
All Families and the Alliance for Full
Acceptance and other groups behind this
campaign if there is even to be a ghost of a
chance to defeat the proposed amendment.
More than 600,000 votes are needed to do so.
The fight ahead will be a tough one. The
political director of the Palmetto State’s GOP
has made it clear that this amendment will be
an issue. Oran Smith’s Palmetto Family
Council and that organization’s South Carolina
Marriage Project are formidable foes.
But guaranteed success has never been the
overarching reason to fight for a cause (The
Art of War not withstanding).
Win or lose. South Carolina needs to know
that the state’s LGBT residents would not be
happy to have their rights stripped away.
Win or lose. South Carolina needs to know
that families come in all shapes and sizes, that
committed relationships (whether or not they
are sanctioned by the church) are valuable
and good for the state.
Win or lose. South Carolina needs to know
that discrimination and oppression are tools of
evil men and women who have their own inter
nalized fears and insecurities to deal with and
have no place in the life of the state today. I
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MCC
Metropolitan
Community Church
of the Upstate
Come celebrate God with us in a
loving, kind, affirming and accepting place
where worship is our most important
priority. Diversity is our strength. All are
welcome in God’s house, regardless of
gender, color, creed or religious
background. ALWAYSl
Metropolitan Community Church of the Upstate
2180 East Poinsett Street Ext. (Highway 290), Duncan, SC 29334
Telephone: 864.439.5080 • E-Mail: mccupstatefgbellsouth.net
Founding Pastor: Rev. Donna Stroud, M.Div.
Sunday Evening
Choir Rehearsal: 4:45pm • Worship: 6:00 pm
Wednesday Evening
Bible Study: 7:00 pm
Directions
From 1-85: Exit 63 (Duncan/Moore) toward Duncan.
Go 4.3 miles. The church is on the left.
JULY 29.2006‘Q-NOTES II