Queerty ReBUTTal

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Whoa homos! Another week done, dozens of stories and even more comments. We’ll give you one guess where we’re going with this… That’s right, it’s Friday, which means it’s Queerty ReBUTTal time! Yay!

For those of you who don’t know, Queerty ReBUTTal’s when we take some time to comment on your comments on our comments from the past week’s stories. Another banner week here at Queerty, folks and we thank all of you for your good, bad and, yes, even the ugly words.

Rather than discussing multiple stories, we’d like to highlight one particular story. And, we must admit, we’re pleasantly surprised by the amount of comments we received on this one.

We knew you’d kids would have a few words, but we had no idea the turn-out would be so explosive…

The story in question came yesterday morning, when we wrote on activist artist Charles Merrill’s latest stunt. In an effort to combat faith-based homophobia, Merrill took an antique Qua’ran valued at $60,000 and set it ablaze (Gay Artist Burns “Hate,” History). While we appreciate Merrill’s passion for his cause, book burning happens to be one of our biggest pet peeves. That said, we think Merrill’s act deserves attention for the issues it raises. Some readers, however, seem to disagree with our stance. In fact, one reader even harnesses Shirley Phelps’ language and accuses us of enabling Merrill:

I was just taken on a tour of an AIDS facility that services indigent populations. Their funding has been slashed, so they had to get rid of their whole mental health division, slash funds to feed people, get them to doctors, etc.

$60,000 would have been vital to this organization. but this publicity-seeking asshole (with the help of enablers like queerty) would rather burn some book.

What a selfish asshole.

You’re totally right: $60,000 can do a lot of good. Merrill’s act does reek of self-publicity, but would you rather we just ignored it and let it pass? Raising the issue, we think, allows people to rethink the range of their activism. But that’s just us.

Reader james_boston, meanwhile, totally supports Merrill’s actions, writing:

Good for him! As crazy as the bible-thumping Christians are (and they are crazy), the fundamentalist Muslims are in a league of their own. And all over some fiction written centuries ago. Fucking loons!! Let’s stop pretending as if we have to tolerate the intolerant and their idiotic beliefs…step foot in Iran, declare yourself gay and see how long you last before you’re executed. The Islamists are fucking nuts and it’s about time we say so openly, like we do about the Jerry Falwells of the world.

Islamic fundamentalists are total loons. You’re right. To say all Islamists are, how did you put it, “fucking nuts,” opens a big ol’ box of racism, another one of our pet peeves. Falwell and his brood definitely deserve our scorn, as does Dr Muhammad Siddiq, the president of the Islamic Medical Association who compared gay people to litter bugs. Some people, however, don’t seem to understand that not all religious types are evil. Take, for example, Qjersey’s comment, which begins by quoting the original post:

We understand religion can be used for evil, but Merrill seems to forget that it can also be used for good.”

What are you smoking? When was the last time any big religious group spent as much time and energy on something good as they do on demonizing queers?

You have a point, but only to a degree. Unfortunately, most of the nati-gay groups have more money than their pro-gay allies. This is not to say, however, that all religious groups and figures aren’t spending energy on supporting gay rights. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, by far one of the most influential people in the religious and secular worlds, regularly speaks out to defend gay people. American Episcopalian leaders regularly support gays – and have threatened to split the entire Anglican Communion by doing so. Troy Perry’s Metropolitan Community Church gives millions of homos hope. It may not be your particularly brand of hope – if you have any – but if it brings comfort to these people and doesn’t hurt anyone else, who are you to begrudge them their faith. We totally agree with one reader, cjc, who writes,

I can understand gay rage at religion. I admit, I’ve felt it. But some of the responses on here make me just as disgusted as the Jerry Falwells and Osama bin Ladens of the world. Why be so hateful in return? Where does it get you?

Someone pass cjc’s message on to Lambcannon, who write,

Fuck all the religious koox and supernatural believers of all stripes, yesterday, today and tomorrow… fuck the “Metropolitan Community Church”, fuck the priests, fuck the righteous dyke ministerettes, all the believers in pathetic lies… at least Tammie Faye had the decency to drop dead in my lifetime

Perhaps, little lamb, you’d like to say that to a reader named Allen, who left the following note on R.I.P. Tammy Faye:

Being a closeted gay boy in South Dakota, I heard a lot about gays going to Hell from my friends and a few teachers, but hearing Tammy say the most loving, uplifting words – it changed my world completely.

I’m really sad that she is gone, but happy she is in a much better place.

See, religion does do good?

Regardless of your take, thanks for all the comments, readers! You definitely give us something to think about over the weekend. If it weren’t for you, we’d just stare at a wall drooling.

Make it a good one!
xoxo,
Queerty

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