PLATFORM : Words Can Hurt
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Most lesbians and gay men know how name-calling leads directly to sticks and stones that break our bones. Prejudice is exactly where Barney Frank said it is, in the back of the new majority’s mind. And these slips of the tongue are their tracks. Had Armey used the analogous term for an African American, woman, Jew or Latino, there would be no question but that he would resign as majority leader.
It is high time that members of the Republican congressional majority made it clear that their “contract with America” does not depend on a climate of bigotry, if it does not. One way they can do this is to make sure that government stays out of the private lives of the people and that includes leaving gay people alone to live and to work and to pursue their happiness.
We deserve protection from crime against our persons, too. How can we feel safe in the ordinary pursuit of our lives while the majority leader of the House of Representatives is a role model for gay-bashers everywhere?
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