USA’s resident gay Matthew Bomer hasn’t, to my knowledge, released an It Gets Better video. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t lending a hand to promote peace and love. Taking part in his network’s Characters Unite campaign, Bomer is pushing for religious tolerance. Because every man, woman, and child should have the right to worship this sex god.
religious tolerance
You Are Now Free To Idolize Matt Bomer
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MM
Sex god?!
Sorry, Matthew Bomer is a good guy, he’s pretty, cute, handsome – but not really sexy.
Stenar
I think he’s VERY SEXY. To each his own.
Bill W
He was talking religion?Hard to concentrate betweeen his beautiful face/eyes and sexy voice.I kind of fell into a trance.
Cam
How nice of him to tell me that I should tolorate the Mormons belief that I shouldn’t exist.
Rob
Looks, talent, brains and all around nice guy.
mykill furie
nothing hair raising about that? he must spend all his time looking pretty and none of it in the real world. it’s RELIGIOUS BELIEFS fueling the idea of the death penalty for being homo in some countries. shall we tolerate that? but, it’s what they believe, we can’t be intolerant. not allowing them to murder gay people is intolerance. YAY INTOLERANCE! what they believe is horrific and it’s this middle of the road “tolerance” that allows that kind of horror to continue. when beliefs are intolerable, don’t tolerate them! i’m with Cam, poster #4. i was told i was “An abomination in the sight of god” in the mormon religion i was raised in. that is a horrific thing to tell a 13 year old kid. i wanted to die because of it. it should not be tolerated.
alan brickman
How tall is he?…
Matthew
I tolerate people and their religion, having said that, if you are preaching hate because your religion tells you so then I’m not going to tolerate you as a person.
Steve
@alan brickman: I stood next to him at charity event and he is just under 6′ as I am 6.1 and he stood at eye level.
DR
did any of you even bother to check out the website to which this video is attached?
some partners in this project: GLAAD, HRC, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. a whole slew of civil rights groups in addition to these three partners.
clearly with some of the comments being made, it’s clear this project has a way to go…
Jack
He’s out? I must have missed that.
Andy
Virtually every sect of every religion is against same-sex sex and attraction, varying in their degree of intolerance. That is hair-raising.
Craigfx
Love his show, love him. Don’t care if he hasn’t been in a pride parade, not my business.
Ryan
A religion teaches its sheep, that people of all other religions or no religion at all, will burn in hell for eternity.
Religion goes directly against tolerance.
It’s secularism that unites people.
So in conclusion….F&%K religion.
Phil
@Ryan: “It’s secularism that unites people.
So in conclusion….F&%K religion.”
I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciates the hypocrisy of this statement.
You know what, his message has merit. We must tolerate the beliefs of others; it is, after all, what makes them unique human beings. Tolerance of ideas, though, does not translate into tolerance of actions. The moment someone uses their beliefs to treat anybody, any single person, inhumanely, then they need to be shut down hard. I can put up with a lot of words. I deal with the fact that some people think that black people should have to use a different bathroom, or that Asians should never be allowed to become citizens, but I will not allow you to act upon those beliefs because that is not how on person treats another person. Ever.
Cam
@DR: said…
”
clearly with some of the comments being made, it’s clear this project has a way to go…”
_______________________
Sorry, when the only major opposition to full gay rights in the country is religeous based, you don’t get to accuse us of bigotry because we are rightfully pointing out that religeous tolerance should begin with the religeons themselves.
Additionally, Matt Bomer seems like he wants to speak out for causes, yet seems unable to mention the man he shares his life with as well as their children. Said he doesn’t feel that they are important.
DR
@Cam:
The day before last most of the GBLT universe was applauding the SPLC for designating various groups as “hate groups”, but now that it adds its name to an effort to promote various forms of diversity, including religious, the same folks are screaming about it because said diversity includes religion.
Hypocrites of the first order. Guess it’s easier to point fingers and engage in namecalling, then ignore allies when it suits you. You are bigots and you are hypocrites.
Benjamin
@#16 – Silly comment on Matt’s personal choice to not parade his personal life and children in front of the media like other out media whores.I guess it’s a generational thing but I think his personal life and choices are just not something he needs to share.Of course he cares about them, that’s why he shelters them from people on the internet delving into and speculating on his business.Why should we or anyone care?All an actor owes us is a good performance.Besides, all of the actors on USA speak on causes, it’s part of that networks image building and he’s actually quite charitable with regard to gay causes.
Flipper
@Phil: Yes, beautifully put. It’s not my place to tell someone else what they can or cannot believe….but, as you say, it is everyone’s place to stand up to them when they try to impose those beliefs on everyone. I have little nice to say about religion, but as long as those systems of antiquated beliefs remain enclosed within church walls and don’t infect the secular society in which we live, who am I to tell anyone that they can’t believe whatever they want?
Pip
@Cam: Mormons are a cult. They’re more like Nazis/racial purists than a “religion” if you will. Anyway, Matt Bomer is gorgeous. I love his coloring. His eyes are so blue!
Cam
@DR: said
”
The day before last most of the GBLT universe was applauding the SPLC for designating various groups as “hate groups”, but now that it adds its name to an effort to promote various forms of diversity, including religious, the same folks are screaming about it because said diversity includes religion.
Hypocrites of the first order. Guess it’s easier to point fingers and engage in namecalling, then ignore allies when it suits you. You are bigots and you are hypocrites.”
_______________________________
Sorry, but if somebody ays that I have no rights an shouldn’t exist, my not liking that isn’t bigotry, although that is what all of the right wingers have been trying to claim. As for hypocricy, you seem to not uderstand what the definition of it is. Hypocricy is when I flip or do not live up to formerly expressed opinions on a particular issue,it has nothing to do with liking something that somebody did one day and not liking something they’ve done the other day. Your analogy would be like calling me a hypocrite because I like Betty Crocker Chocolate cake but not Coconut cake. So next time try thinking something out before jumping around calling everybody names.
I’m happy to taolorate the religeons that tolorate me, they religeons that call for my death or that have institutionalized bigotry do not have my tolorance and trying to call me a bigot for that position is beyond idiotic.
DR
@Cam:
You’re engaging in exactly the same behavior you and people like you abhor, painting people with broad brush strokes. Did you even bother to go to the webpage and look at all the diverse groups partnering with USA, or is it just easy to criticize anyone who stands up for freedom of religion with the same brush you claim the paint you with?
This project is to promote racial, religious, and sexual diversity, and your criticism of it, if not hypocritical according to you, is most certainly ignorant.
So take your pick, hypocrite or ignorant. Either way you’re a bigot.
BubbasBack
what is this crap? He is freak. Pass the beer! Burp.
alan brickman
he’s great!!! Love White Collar….he makes the show…
Gregory W
Thank whatever god, gods, sun or trees you pray to for this pretty talent.I’ll have a big helping please!
Dave
This guy’s a coward. I will not idolize him and do not and have never watched his show. Just don’t find the concept that interesting. He is handsome, but fuck him and his cowardly, closeted ass!
dizzy spins
I wasnt aware that Christians (or other religious types) were being bullied, bashed, assaulted, deprived of their rights and murdered in this country. Why the fudge do THEY need a “tolerance” video? Its just USA’s way of jumping on the tolerance/it gets better bandwagon without upsetting their mouthbreathing, Walmart-shopping demographic.
And speaking of, Im so sick of people espousing “tolerance.” If your beliefs say that Im wicked, sick, evil or less-than-you, i DON’T TOLERATE your beliefs. I dont care if you act on them or not.
Why are we gays so lacking in self-esteem? Would you say we need to tolerate a religion that says Blacks are wicked? (Which is what Mormonism says). No–but be because we’re gay, we still act like we have to apologize for existing.
Paul in Canada
I couldn’t agree more – this is dispicable – it makes the hair on my neck stand upright! How rediculous to say we should just accept anyones right to their faith – when their faith may dictate my death! Asshat!
Mo Town ORD
@Dave: Anonymously calling someone you know nothing about a coward on a blog: pot = kettle = black.
Caleb
I’m perfectly happy to tolerate people of lesser intelligence who believe in myths and legends if it makes them feel better. Not everyone can be enlightened enough to face a world without having to believe there is a puppetmaster pulling the strings.
Cassandra
Andy
“Virtually every sect of every religion is against same-sex sex and attraction, varying in their degree of intolerance. That is hair-raising.”
That is a lie comparable to the one told by homophobes that virtually every homosexual is a predator and pedophile. You are mirroring the behavior of the very people you complain about, and therefore, have no reason to complain.
Ryan
“A religion teaches its sheep, that people of all other religions or no religion at all, will burn in hell for eternity.
Religion goes directly against tolerance.
It’s secularism that unites people.
So in conclusion….F&%K religion.”
Your post displays a deep ignorance about religion, as well as a horrific level contempt and malice. Your false generalization about religions – which vary tremendously even within a single faith, is the equivalent to the hate speech of homophobes that assert that all GLBTQ people are addicts.
The core premise of Christianity is a rule ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ which is an explicit statement of something that transcends tolerance. Secularism unites, if you consider East Germany united, and if you celebrate the oppression of an entire nation in the name of unity.
Your use of obscenity indicates that you had no rational argument, simply prejudice.
Cam
“Sorry, when the only major opposition to full gay rights in the country is religeous based, you don’t get to accuse us of bigotry because we are rightfully pointing out that religeous tolerance should begin with the religeons themselves.”
Sorry, but your response is dishonest. There are many atheists who oppose full gay rights, and many people who justify their bias on other grounds. Legalist religious belief is only the excuse for anti-gay prejudice.
When people here rely on exactly the same kind of hate speech, from the obscenity that Ryan used, to the entirely abusive dismissals like ‘skypixie’ that Tallskin2 uses, the accusation of bigotry sticks.
If you truly want to end homophobia, you have to cleanse yourself of bigotry as well, and that includes prejudice against religion. When anyone here posts any anti-religious prejudice, they have implicitly and intrinsically endorsed all prejudices, including homophobia.
DR
“The day before last most of the GBLT universe was applauding the SPLC for designating various groups as “hate groups”, but now that it adds its name to an effort to promote various forms of diversity, including religious, the same folks are screaming about it because said diversity includes religion.
Hypocrites of the first order. Guess it’s easier to point fingers and engage in namecalling, then ignore allies when it suits you. You are bigots and you are hypocrites.”
All prejudices are the same basic phenomena – people denigrating members of another group in order to make themselves seem better in comparison. It arises out of poor self-esteem, and that, sadly, is a very, very, very common human trait. We have some people here who are more attached to their prejudice against religion people than they are hungry for equality. They really aren’t interested in equality; they want to be top dog and oppress someone else.
Which simply perpetuates the whole ugly mess, and will never lead to a society free of prejudice.
Cam
“Sorry, but if somebody ays that I have no rights an shouldn’t exist, my not liking that isn’t bigotry,”
This is a trick that homophobes use all the time: cite an example of wrong by one person, and use it to judge all people in a group. However, Cam, that is bigotry. Some people of faith hold the extreme view about homosexuality you described, but others do not. In the U.S., religious beliefs on homosexuality run the whole spectrum from acceptance to repudiation, and the extremists who get all the attention are both a minority and getting attention because they are extreme.
Which is what prejudice is about – getting attention at the expense of others, like your two posts.
“As for hypocricy, you seem to not uderstand what the definition of it is. Hypocricy is when I flip or do not live up to formerly expressed opinions on a particular issue,”
Like when you do not live up to your opinion that prejudice is wrong by being prejudiced against people of faith.
“I’m happy to taolorate the religeons that tolorate me,”
But you don’t settle for people of faith tolerating you if you tolerate them, do you? You want to be treated as an equal by everyone, even the people you don’t see as your equals.
“trying to call me a bigot for that position is beyond idiotic.”
Dismissing an argument as simply idiotic indicates that you cannot provide a substantive rebuttal.
Dizzy Spins
You are more honest than some of your peers, but your message is still one of bigotry. Some homophobes are honest about their malice too. Congrats on that.
“I wasnt aware that Christians (or other religious types) were being bullied, bashed, assaulted, deprived of their rights and murdered in this country.”
It does happen. In fact, religion is the reason for somewhat more hate crimes that sexual orientation. Just as the homophobes do about anti-gay hate crimes, you are trying to dismiss the real hardships that some people experience, in order to justify your prejudice.
“Its just USA’s way of jumping on the tolerance/it gets better bandwagon without upsetting their mouthbreathing, Walmart-shopping demographic.”
So you have more than one prejudice driving your post; you are biased against all of the millions of people living in a particular country as well.
“And speaking of, Im so sick of people espousing “tolerance.” If your beliefs say that Im wicked, sick, evil or less-than-you, i DON’T TOLERATE your beliefs. I dont care if you act on them or not.”
Homophobes say the same thing.
“Why are we gays so lacking in self-esteem?”
You are projecting. Many gays and lesbians and bisexual and transgendered people are not particularly lacking in self-esteem. But prejudice, any kind, all kinds, including your own, comes from very low self-esteem. You are vilifying people of faith, hoping it will lift you up in comparison, but sadly, all you’ve done is reveal how much you have in common with other bigots.
“Would you say we need to tolerate a religion that says Blacks are wicked? (Which is what Mormonism says). No–”
Actually, I would draw a distinction between the actual belief, whether it was ‘homosexuality is sin’ or ‘Blacks have the mark of Cain’, and would thoroughly rebuke the belief, while accepting the religion. Atheists tend to get screwed up about this, defining the entire complexity of religions by single beliefs, because atheism has only one belief. Like homophobia has only one tenet. But religions are more complex and nuanced.
Your argument parallels one made by homophobes, who define the lives of GLBTQ people by some extreme, say fisting, and then say – “Should society tolerate people who do THAT?”
“but be because we’re gay, we still act like we have to apologize for existing.”
Please do not project. Heal how you feel about yourself, and you’ll be able to understand others better, and when you demonstrate the acceptance you want, you deserve it as well.
Paul in Canada
“I couldn’t agree more – this is dispicable – it makes the hair on my neck stand upright! How rediculous to say we should just accept anyones right to their faith – when their faith may dictate my death! Asshat!”
Homophobes use the same argument “how ridiculous that we should just accept anyone right to sex – when their sex may destroy society”. You, like your peers, are judging all religions, all people of faith, by a belief that is held by some, and frankly, by fewer and fewer all the time. Your dismissals “despicable” and “ridiculous” indicate that you have no substantive argument to make, and rely on ugly rhetoric instead of reason.
That is a symptom of bigotry, and it should be a wake-up call for you and your peers. You are no better than the people who oppress, vilify, denounce and spew hate speech on GLBTQ people, and frankly, many of the professional homophobes are far more polite and civil that you and your friends have been here. Stooping to their level is bad enough, being nastier than they is much worse.
Caleb
“I’m perfectly happy to tolerate people of lesser intelligence who believe in myths and legends if it makes them feel better. Not everyone can be enlightened enough to face a world without having to believe there is a puppetmaster pulling the strings.”
When you dismiss all people of faith as being “of lesser intelligence”, you demonstrated a couple of principles.
First, that prejudice is about inflating your ego by tearing other people down.
Second, that you don’t have the ability to criticize religion using logic, reason, or factual information, having had to rely on a degrading insult.
Third, that you are either ignorant about people of faith and their role in human society, or a congenital liar. Most of the most brilliant minds in human history have been people of faith. Sadly, homophobes do the same thing you’ve done, they ignore the contributions of GLBTQ across history in their fantasy, just as you have done to people of faith.
Anytime I see someone use the ‘religious people are stupid’ meme, I realize I’m dealing with someone who has no, or nearly no education about religion. And that I’m dealing with someone who feels threatened by the level of knowledge, the level of intelligence required to actually understand, as much as is humanly possible, the huge, nuanced, deeply detailed and highly sophisticated collection of knowledge that is religion.
For just one example for you, in reading Jeremiah the other night, the Bible has the phrase regarding God “you stretched out the heavens” – which parallels current scientific theory that the universe is constantly expanding in a way equivalent to stretching. A unthinking person might dismiss that as a coincidence, of course.
Your characterization in the last sentence is simply a case of egotism on your part. Are you really so enlightened, when you have to denigrate the intelligence of most of humanity in order to face the world. Not everyone is so insecure and self-hating that they have to attack the intelligence of most of humanity in order to face the world.
Cassandra
For the anti-religious bigots here
If you want heterosexuals to tolerate homosexuality, you have to be tolerant as well.
Homophobes, the real ones (as opposed to people who are just parroting crap they’ve been taught), believe that homosexuality is as threatening to them, they feel as threatened by the idea ‘homosexuality is fine’ as you do by the idea ‘homosexuality is sin’.
You should never tolerate any action that harms you or others, but you have to tolerate thoughts if you want your own to be tolerated. And homophobes need to learn and practice this as well – but
they won’t if some folks on this side of the issue are being equally intolerant.
Andy
@Cassandra: Tell us which sects are supportive of same-sex attractions fully. Make a list of sects that were supportive before 1965. The first list will be very short and there is no second list.
I do tolerate religion. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have the right to criticize the giant nonsense that it is.
Sam
@Dave: I guess the list of shows and movies you’ll watch must be pretty short, because almost all of them include at least one closeted gay actor.
Cassandra
Andy
Make a list of atheist organizations that fully support GLBTQ civil rights, and make a list of Atheist groups that were supportive before 1965. The first list will be extremely short, and there will be no second list.
There are thousands of congregations that fully support GLBTQ civil rights, there are subsets of all of the major denominations that fully support GLBTQ civil rights, and there are a number of denominations that fully support GLBTQ civil rights. The two that I am the most familiar with are the UFMCC and the UUC. The UFMCC, by the way, is the largest GLBTQ organization in the world.
“I do tolerate religion. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have the right to criticize the giant nonsense that it is.”
When you dismiss religion as ‘giant nonsense’ then you are not being tolerant, just being a bigot. Your assertion “virtually every sect” was a lie. If only there weren’t a system of values and ethics that taught that lying is wrong. Oh, wait, there is, but you reject is as ‘giant nonsense’.
I suppose you consider all of the other values in religion, along with ‘telling lies is wrong’ to be nonsense as well. Your courage in admitting that you consider justice and honesty, property rights, civil responsibility for the poor, and the need to end injustice to be ‘giant nonsense’.
Frankly, Andy, you do not know much of anything about the religion you reject, otherwise, I’d wonder if you don’t reject religion because it condemns deception, and injustice, and malice and discrimination, thus getting in the way of your fun and ego.
Enjoy your prejudice, Andy, bearing in mind that homophobes have the same right you claimed – to dismiss your life and experiences and values as ‘giant nonsense’ – so you can stop complaining about anti-gay verbiage.
Soupy
Can you produce any figures or statistics that might support your belief that atheists are homophobes? You can use your own reason to create that belief, but you cannot offer empirical evidence.
Cassandra
Soupy
“Can you produce any figures or statistics that might support your belief that atheists are homophobes? You can use your own reason to create that belief, but you cannot offer empirical evidence.”
Can you produce any figures or statistics that indicate that they are not?
I understand that you are pulling this because you cannot refute the reasoning I have provided. I am just sorry that your hold reason and logic in such contempt. It just goes to show that atheism is not based on reason or logic.
By the way, what I posted here was: “There are many atheists who oppose full gay rights, and many people who justify their bias on other grounds. Legalist religious belief is only the excuse for anti-gay prejudice.”
Elsewhere I posted that atheists who assert anti-gay theology are also, by their actions, homophobes, which is a bit different than the accusation you tossed off. Can you explain the incredible consistent dishonesty in posts by atheists here at Queerty?
I personally have encountered many atheists who were homophobes. Of course, you will dismiss that out of hand, even though you argued elsewhere from your own experience.
Of course, this is just another diversionary tactic, and a dishonest one. The issue I focused on here was that atheism is a prejudice.
Can your prove by any means that it is not? Maybe you can explain how atheism is expressed in all of the same ways as homophobia, and racism, and sexism and other prejudices, without being a prejudice itself. Or how it dehumanizes and maligns enormous numbers of humans based on their shared trait, just like homophobia and racism, without being a prejudice?
Don’t dodge and weave, Soupy, no more games. Make an honest attempt to refute what I have actually presented here.