An angry Utah man has devised a brilliant plan to protest the federal ruling that made same-sex marriage legal in his state last month. Trestin Meacham told ABC reporter Brian Carlson that he is “very disappointed” in the ruling and has chosen to fast until it is overturned or nullified.
According to Meacham, he’s been surviving on water and “weekly vitamin supplements” for the past 12 days. He’s lost 25 pounds and (gasp!) had to punch a new hole in his belt to make it fit. He says “you can start a blog and you can complain on social networks until you’re blue in the face and nothing will happen but actions speak louder than words and I’m taking action.”
Apparently this is not about hating gays, either:
This has nothing to do with hatred of a group of people. I have friends and relatives who practice a homosexual lifestyle and I treat them with the same respect and kindness that I would anyone. This is about religious freedom, and an out of control federal government.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Also according to Meacham’s blog, there is a simple fix to the fasting madness (as if the federal government cares). He believes Utah can nullify the federal ruling by “simply choosing not to follow it.”
“Jefferson made clear that the courts are not the supreme arbitrators of what is and what is not constitutional. The states also have power,” he said. “If this law remains, the natural rights of free speech and religious freedom, vouched safe by the first Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, will be violated.”
If you care to be notified of the day when Trestin finally orders a pizza, follow his struggle on Facebook, where this free speech crusader will “block you” for “posting negative things.”
Grrrowler
Oh, I hope I hope I hope I get blocked from his FB page for posting my “mean” comment!
MK Ultra
Good. Then we can show his emaciated body as an art exhibit.
“This is what homophobia does to you”
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
We get continue to gay married and you get lovely and thin..it’s a win-win!
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
We’ll save you some wedding cake!
TheNewEnergyDude
@2eo: Oh, that’s awful, but I laughed like hell at it hahaha.
TheNewEnergyDude
So, Trestin the skinnyboy said – “This has nothing to do with hatred of a group of people.” And immediately says “I have friends and relatives who practice a homosexual lifestyle and I treat them with the same respect and kindness that I would anyone”.
Uh-huh…that’s why you call it “the homosexual lifestyle”.
Oh boy…religious fanaticism strikes again.
Good luck with that diet, Trestin…you’re going to need it.
Spike
Looks like he could afford to loose a few pounds. Might work out well for him. In the mean time I will continue to practice a homosexual lifestyle. Practice makes perfect!
RomanHans
The good news is he’ll finally be able to fit in those skinny jeans.
RomanHans
Oh, and by saying your friends “practice a homosexual lifestyle” you’re disrespecting them.
MikeE
I’m afraid I don’t understand what he means by “religious freedom”.
Does he mean the freedom to practice your religion without interference from others or from the state?
Does he mean the freedom to express religious views, or non-religious views without fear of reprisal from a state body?
Or does he mean the freedom to impose his own narrow religious views on the entire population, whether they share his views or not?
Sweet Boy
I am gonna google him and will write his obituary….he´ll be fasting for quite a while…
muscl954
I hope he plans to lose a few pounds.
Kamuriie
Aww, poor baby. He shut down his Facebook page because he was tired of censoring negative feedback he was getting.
Cam
Does he REALLY think that doing this will convince people he isn’t gay? My god, he has a bigger case of gayface than a Wizard of Oz themed Costume Party in P-Town.
Scribe38
I think every GOP anti-gay member should do the same nation wide. A few months and every idiot in the nation would be gone
Steve Rider
Sometimes it’s the dumbest people that do the dumbest things.
sirald66
This guy ran under the Constitution Party for a Utah state senate seat in 2012. He got 13.6% of the vote.
2eo
Oooo ooo if we donate will he extend his strike by a day for every dollar?
LubbockGayMale
How do we ensure his fast continues for a very, very, very long time? Seems to be the only way to shut him up!
PARKAVMAN
@TheNewEnergyDude: They don’t need practice, they are already very good at it.
tjr101
Wouldn’t it be just wonderful if all the religious fanatics on the right follow this noble man’s lead? This is so fascinating, does anyone know how fast the body starts to shut down after only consuming water? Can’t wait, hopefully we get frequent updates on this honorable cause!
Taliaferro
“I have friends and relatives who practice a homosexual lifestyle and I treat them with the same respect and kindness that I would anyone. This is about religious freedom, and an out of control federal government.” Oh, this is almost too easy! A] How do we know you treat you heterosexual friends and relatives with respect – you might well treat everyone like shit. B] It’s not a a lifestyle, dude. You make it sound like skiing or being a vegan. C] It’s obvious that you believe only people such as yourself deserve religious freedom = freedom to think exactly as you do. D] I seem to recall we fought a Civil War over similar issues – states’ rights ring a bell. You can be a martyr to the Mormon Church.
DShucking
If someone doesn’t want to eat we shouldn’t force them to.
Hillers
Cheater! Since you’re such a noble saint, fast like they did in the olden days *sans* the supplements.
StephK
If Meacham were one of those responsible Mormons fathering a growing brood of offspring, he wouldn’t be pulling this stunt. What we are possibly seeing here is a guy ( and not a very bright one) vying for one of the Darwin awards, 2014.
Rob91316
GOOD! I hope he wastes away to nothing. The world will be a better, kinder place without him in it.
hansalbin
His right to fast Gay Right to marry. Win Win
EverybodySayLove
Quick! Let’s gather in front of his house…or monastery, or wherever…and wave a huge roast duck in front of him! It’d be like trying to get the Buckingham guards to smile or something. Better yet, let someone order 30 pizzas in his name sent to his…sanctuary.
Will L
This is worth regular updates. Do keep us posted. Try to get daily pics of him slowly withering.
Dakotahgeo
I will be more than happy to supply Trestin with updated belts, but in the interest of time, I’ll just send him a rope… and a tall tree!
jckfmsincty
He’d look better in that suit. Well, maybe, not that particular suit. But, some suit.
damon459
I hope the hateful SOB starves to death!
jmmartin
Good. Let him fast. Let him wither away until so light a gentle breeze comes up and blows him to Heaven. In the alternative, I can drive up there and give him what he really wants. I will even pay for the three nails and two cross timbers.
SteveDenver
He needs to be challenged to daily urinalysis to make sure he doesn’t cheat! It’s nice to see someone on the right truly committed to their views, I just want to make sure he doesn’t wriggle out of it.
Stuart McDonald
A couple of Nazi pseudo-Christians just like this guy said in harassing phone calls made to me during my hunger strike in San Francisco in early 1989 for anti-discrimination laws based on HIV/AIDS status and sexual orientation, “Die, Faggot, Die. Go ahead and starve yourself to death.” Well, I’ll just say the obvious here: “Die, Nazi, Die. Go ahead and starve yourself to death.”
The two phone calls came one right after another. A man and then a woman. I had just finished a live interview about my hunger strike on a local SF TV station. The news anchor did the interview from the TV station and I was at home with the cameraman. I had just finished the interview when the first phone call came in. I didn’t answer either phone call, but my answering machine had the speaker on while it was recording their messages. The cameraman heard it all. When they were done, I turned to him and said, “You did hear that, right?” And he said “Yes.” He finished packing up his gear and then left.
ouragannyc
Let him be a martyr.
Is homosexuality something people can practice?
johngagon
I went through utter hell deprogramming from that church and going through therapy to undo reparative therapy.
Seriously, if you are the kind of person who would belittle the near deadly difficulty of coming out in Utah as someone who merely “practices a homosexual lifestyle”, you aren’t their friend and I doubt they’d consider you theirs if they heard you use that kind of dismissive labeling and knew what you were saying by that. You also belittle a gestation initiated condition (based on every repeated scientific study I know) as a mere fad and sexualize LGBT as not having anything but the sex part.
Let me just say you deserve the same kind of hypoglycemia that some late coming out LGBT people I know went through to try and change their orientation. Some of them went without water too or vitamins, you gutless coward. How about trying reparative therapy and shaming at the same time and being given tasks you can’t possibly succeed at during the same time. Also stay away from sex for the next 20 years. Celibacy, you can use artificial insemination for children and fast from sex too. I hope you get what you so richly deserve.
johngagon
I would never stoop to his level and say backhandedly that he’s a dear friend who “practices the heterosexual lifestyle”, but for him, I could say right now, he’s practicing his “bigoted cult lifestyle” and it is truly that.
johngagon
@johngagon: btw, You here doesn’t refer to anyone commenting but to ambiguous yous in Utah who use that.
BamaGuy1024
Trestin Meacham cannot stop thinking about two men kissing each other. Trestin Meacham cannot stop thinking about what two men who love each other do to each other when they are behind closed doors and alone with each other. Trestin Meacham has looked at gay pornography and is utterly repelled and disgusted by it. Trestin Meacham has decided he will starve himself to death to make this all go away. Please make it all go away so Trestin Meacham can live in the world again. PLEASE
sfbeast
Another wacko closet case
greybat
Having listened to the interviews and viewed the contents of his Page, I come away with that he doesn’t seem to know much about Law or the Constitution, and this may just be a Publicity Stunt to jump-start his Conservative Political Career.
EGO
It looks like everyone made all of the best, correct comments about this ignoramus. He is definitely not using his brain regarding freedom of religion being for those who choose it for themselves and don’t force it on others. As for the LGBT community, we are who we are and need no lifestyle to practice. :>)
Kathukid
Exactly how does gay marriage impinge on his religious freedom? Is it religious freedom to tell others how to live their lives? Does religion make you crazy, or do you have to be crazy to be religious?
Caleb in SC
I wish him well in this endeavor and hope he succeeds.
JonnyOzark
Wouldn’t self-immolation be quicker and make for a more dramatic 6 o’clock news video?
Niall
Let’s all hope he starves then.
2eo
@Kathukid: It has never being about religious freedom, freedom of speech or expression. It’s only about them forcing their beliefs on us, there is literally no other reason.
sirald66
This is NOT a christian nation.
The Treaty of Tripoly, attended by a number of founding fathers including John Adams, begins:
“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion….”
Those founding fathers did not dispute this.
D9W
If this guy is out for the Darwin Award, let him have at it.
2eo
I see he’s drinking Dasani water, sold by the Coca-Cola company, which offers same-sex benefits to its employees.
avesraggiana
Oh, go ahead and starve to death then. That’s one less homophobe we’ll have to deal with.
Maharajah
@PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID: “We’ll save you some wedding cake!” BEST! COMMENT! EVER!
Maharajah
We all know that he is doing this to make sure that when marriage becomes legal again – he’ll be skinny enough to catch a man, right?
Honey – self-hate and gyms are how the rest of us do it. Get with the program – the right one this time.
Gurl, she makes me want to hurl.
freerights1127
@sfbeast: yes you are right. because the only people who hate lgbt people are lgbt people themselves. Everytime someone says bad things about gays and lesbians,you have tons of people saying they are closeted. So that tells me that the only lgbt haters are lgbt people themselves.
sirald66
@freerights1127:
Willful ignorance.