(Hi- I journal hopped here more or less at random!)
Oh, they know. It's a cynical 'gotcha!'. They've noticed that pro equality folks tend to be hot on free speech and tolerance, and it's an attempt to use that against the very people promoting equal rights. Because we're not supportive of the right to discriminate/ intimidate/ persecute, they're being oppressed and we're awful, cruel hypocrites.
Almost as bad are the earnest pro-equality people who fall for it, and then squirm themselves into knots about how they're "being intolerant themselves!" and oh gosh, how awful of them, and the poor homophobes have a right to be heard!
Trying to deny civil rights and trying to stop other people denying civil rights? Not. The. Same. Thing.
Which is, of course, nonsense. What they have is a right to speak. Anyone, no matter how wrong, how vile, has a right to express their opinions. Doesn't mean we need to respect those opinions or the bigots who express them.
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Date: 2009-12-04 12:59 am (UTC)Oh, they know. It's a cynical 'gotcha!'. They've noticed that pro equality folks tend to be hot on free speech and tolerance, and it's an attempt to use that against the very people promoting equal rights. Because we're not supportive of the right to discriminate/ intimidate/ persecute, they're being oppressed and we're awful, cruel hypocrites.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 01:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 01:10 am (UTC)Trying to deny civil rights and trying to stop other people denying civil rights? Not. The. Same. Thing.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 07:05 am (UTC)Which is, of course, nonsense. What they have is a right to speak. Anyone, no matter how wrong, how vile, has a right to express their opinions. Doesn't mean we need to respect those opinions or the bigots who express them.