Gay Conservative

While I sit here with an ice pack on my lower lumbar vertibrae because I’m incapable of following directions…figure I’ll make myself useful.

I just got another political call.  I’ve been getting a steady stream of them, mostly automated calls.  The automated ones are the ones that really get my hackles up.  But the one I just got for Proposition 102, the Arizona marriage amendment, made me stop and think.

The Prop 102 signs have seen a spate of vandalization recently that I’m not so cool with.  I don’t agree with vandalizing or stealing political signs, because it shows just how juvenile you’re willing to be to win.  To me, it’s like cheating.  I drove past one on 67th avenue just North of Union Hills that had “NO” spraypainted over the “yes” and the “one man, one woman” x’ed out–and “HATEFUL PEOPLE” in hot pink just above it.  After that, I noticed several others done just the same way.  I even spied someone stealing one on 35th avenue one evening, stuffing it in the trunk and rushing to get back in their silver Honda Civic.

That’s not the way to sway voters.  In fact, to most of the people supporting the marriage amendment, it’s classic persecution and makes them believe that they’re mandated by God to win because of it.  Do you really think you’re going to change anyone’s mind by doing this?  Do you think that getting mad and yelling and screaming is going to be the best way to make your point?

A live person was on the call I just received.  Instead of doing what I know some of my friends–particularly my roommates–would have done, I very calmly said, “ma’am, I understand you have a job to do, but I don’t believe in this law.  I’m a lesbian and I won’t be voting for it.”  I didn’t get into a snit, I didn’t preach, I just said what I think and let it go.  She wasn’t offended, and in fact, sounded surprised that I was so nice about it.  She actually thanked me.

After spending my teenage years getting in peoples’ faces and beating them about the head and shoulders with my bible, I’ve learned that my dad was right–you really do catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.  It’s a lot easier to be pleasant, even with someone you disagree with on this issue, than it is to scream and yell and get your blood pressure up about it.

There’s a time and place for anger.  I don’t think this is the time or the place.  The supporters of this amendment expect us to get angry and indignant about it.  Let’s shock them awake by being nice.