The fight for LGBT equality in America is a personal struggle for the millions of us who are affected. For Donald Collins, it hits especially close to home. He is an out, married gay man; his sister is a married lesbian businesswoman with a family.
But their older brother, Arkansas state rep. Charlie Collins, has been actively working to deny civil rights to gay people.
Charlie voted yes on SB 202, a bill that essentially blocks any county in the state from extending protections to LGBT people, as the town of Feyettville, Ark. tried to do last year. The bill passed and was sent to Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who said he will allow it to become law.
Noting that “my brother has a vote, but I have a voice,” Donald penned a letter to Charlie and the people of Arkansas in an attempt to work towards resolution.
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He points out an especially hypocritical move by Charlie — that while he works in Arkansas to prevent gay people from gaining workplace protections, he is sending his daughter to stay with his lesbian sister in Seattle to be interviewed by the Fortune 500 company she works for for a potential job.
Donald writes:
My niece is a tremendous young lady. She’s a bright and accomplished student who earned her interview on the strength of her own skills and talents. However, I think it’s inconsiderate, hypocritical and rude for Charlie to accept the assistance of my sister, who has been out as a lesbian in the business community for more than 25 years, while at the very same time undermining the types of protections and benefits she and her family enjoy. Thanks in part to his effort if she lived and worked in Fayetteville, and soon possibly all of Arkansas, she might not have a job, and if she did, her wife and their two boys would not have the benefits and protections they have today. The same fate would apply to me.
Donald remains optimistic, however. Looking at the recent acceleration of national gay rights, it isn’t hard to tell which way the wind in blowing.
We all know the movement toward greater equality will only continue to grow in the future, and that bills like SB202 will be seen for the pathetic grasping of straws that they are in the face of the changing tide of acceptance.
He ends with a simple plea:
I can also hope that Charlie understands that the decisions he makes and the votes he takes are not just political, they are personal and they affect people in ways he couldn’t possible imagine because he’s never had to deal with the oppression of a society that treats you differently because of who you are attracted to and who you love.
You can read the full letter here.
SteveDenver
Make it widely known that you are the brother of this ass hole and how hurtful it is. Ask your sister to join the campaign. Ask your niece if she has anything to say on the topic. Shame this vote pandering piece of sh!t politician brother.
Cam
“”She’s a bright and accomplished student who earned her interview on the strength of her own skills and talents.””
_____________________
No she didn’t. No Fortune 500 company is going to interview a person with zero experience, from out of state with no place to live as of yet in that area, unless they had a connection at the company.
I get that he is trying to be nice to his niece, but don’t hide the truth, the brother used the family connection to help his own kid, meanwhile is trying to harm people just like his siblings.
AtticusBennett
wow. nice brother. to compare, this is my family:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiloehlRthM
David
For those who like to complain about certain groups ignoring “God’s Law” please read the parts of Scripture that instruct us to obey Civil Authority.
Romans 13:1-14
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. …
100 Bible Verses about Obey Those In Authority
http://www.openbible.info/topics/obey_those_in_authority
Romans 13:1
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
100 Bible Verses about Government
http://www.openbible.info/topics/government
RSun
@AtticusBennett: Your video is spot on.
moonman157
Wasn’t this basically ruled unconstitutional in Romer v. Evans? I know that was a Constitutional amendment and was slightly different, but I’d be curious to see what sort of challenges come to this.
David
About voting away the rights of minorities.
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943),
SCOTUS Majority Opinion:
“The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One’s right to life, liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections.”
DuMaurier
@moonman157: That was my first thought on hearing about this bill, and I haven’t seen any analysis from that point of view. No, it’s not exactly the same, but part of the Romer decision was about removing a class of people from being able to utilize the political process to lobby local officials to pass non-discrimination ordinances (since the city or county in question couldn’t legally do it even if they wanted to)
DuMaurier
@David: That isn’t quite as much on point as moonman157’s post, since non-discrimination laws aren’t a “fundamental” or constitution right, but there still may be constitutional issues under the Romer case moonman cited.
Daniel-Reader
Remember politicians want to fail to protect your human rights but at the same time they want you to maintain the rule of law. That’s not how it works however. Not the first group of genocidal politicians on the planet.
Cam
Lets see, a gay brother and a lesbian sister? Sounds like somebody is overcompensating.
Giancarlo85
This bill will get taken to court and thrown out as unconstitutional. Unfortunately, people will get hurt in the process when it does remain on the books.
Many conservatives are coming up with bills like these because they are angry about same sex marriage getting legalized. They can’t hurt us anymore when it comes to marriage equality, so they’ll try to destroy our abilities to seek employment.
Cam, it could be possible one could land an interview and job if they use a staffing agency. I have minimal experience, but may be landing a job with a big company (just data entry). I do have an MA Degree so I suppose that did help.
enlightenone
Donald’s letter puts some of my siblings’ religious rhetoric in perspective since they don’t have the power GIVEN to his brother, just toxic mythology projected onto me out of love!
Xzamilio
@Giancarlo85: That may be the case in practical scenarios, but this is old fashioned nepotism.
dave lopes
We are born into families by accident.
You don’t have to tolerate or even love people simply because you share some dna.
If a family member is a ahole, just get him/her out of your life.
Captain Obvious
What do you do when your brother campaigns against your rights? Spill the tea. Spill it all over the table, then flip the table.
Who can sling mud better than a sibling? Perfect payback. Dirty secrets revealed.
jwtraveler
@Cam: BS. That’s all supposition. You don’t know that any of that is true. I’m not suggesting that everyone has an equal chance at success. The deck may be stacked, but some people do beat the odds and succeed on their own abilities and effort, even at Fortune 500 companies.
Sluggo2007
For God’s sake, we’re talking about Arkansas here!!!! What upstanding LGBT person would want to work OR live there anyway? Move on and let the bible thumping, inbreeding morons have the state to themselves!
Cam
@jwtraveler:
No, one of the first things a recruiter or HR will ask. “Do you live in the area?” Or, if they see a resume that they like from somebody who doesn’t, they will determine if that person is so needed that they will talk to them about relocating.
Some young person who has no job experience and who lives 1500 miles away is not going to be interviewed.
HOWEVER, let us just say that you are right and she got the interview on her own, at her aunt’s company. (Yeah, and Mitt Romney’s family’s millions and political connections didn’t help him get his first). What is she using for her address? Her aunt’s house, so at a MINIMUM the lesbian sister is putting the kid up and making it possible for her to get hired and do the job if the interview goes well.
Captain Obvious
@Sluggo2007: Believe it or not most people stay in the state they grew up in and don’t want to move because it’s familiar. It’s not easy for everyone to pack up and leave their “home”.
I don’t have that problem, but I understand people who do. If you’re not in immediate danger by staying I can’t be critical of people who choose to live in those places.
Giancarlo85
@Cam: Again anything is possible. You just have to be very good at interviews. But you do have a point about someone living 1500 miles away. That is a bit strange. But anyways even with minimal/no job experience, it still is possible (you’d have to do temp at first with a staffing agency as I said).