Today’s the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and the start of the annual HAHABT. I love odd letter mash ups like that, don’t you? See this pretty image for a translation and the dates of this year’s Blog Hop – although we’ll gloss over the fact the two don’t quite align… HAHBAT comes closer…
I’ve been worrying about what my blog for this year’s hop might entail. As an ally, my experiences of homophobia have all been second hand, so I can’t give you any huge insights there.
But this has been an eventful few months for my gay friends. We’ve had gay marriage here in the UK for some time now and it hasn’t been the end of civilisation as we know it—well, if you discount the recent election, it hasn’t. Europe generally is getting there. The Luxembourg Prime Minister married his same-sex partner a couple of days ago to a vast amount of “Eh, good luck to you, mate’ and an equally vast amount of shrugging, because no big deal, right? Brilliant, isn’t it? A man got married and fire didn’t rain down from heaven.
In many US states, though, the religious kickback is really hitting people hard. States pass ‘religious freedom’ laws that are not even thinly veiled permissions for bigots to discriminate. They aren’t veiled at all. They’re you-go-right-ahead-and-claim-it’s-love-for-Christ laws, because God is with the pizzeria that refuses to cater to gay weddings. Er… how many weddings have you attended that were catered by a two-bit pizza parlour? Uh-huh.
Right wing pundits call for states to breach the constitution and defy federal rulings if that ruling is for gay marriage – the constitution that they would normally hold to be as precious as their bible and almost as precious as their guns. They foam and froth over even the bare notion of tolerance and equality, because tolerance and acceptance are what corrupts America and they poison the values that make America great. Everything is conspiracy: a war against American values, against Christianity (no other religions need apply, by the way), against ‘normal’, against the way they like things to run; against Texas. Oh wait… checking. Yup. They believe there’s a war imminent against Texas. Say no more.
Religious nuts tell you that trains crash because the engineer is gay. They say earthquakes, tornadoes and Armageddon happen because gay marriage is even being contemplated and trans people use the ‘wrong’ bathroom. Steamy gay sex caused the California drought. In short, God’s mighty wrath is upon us and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth when we sinners are cast into the outer darkness. They know this because the bible tells them so. Mind you, I’ll bet their women wear nylon bras under cotton blouses, the men trim their beards and they all eat shellfish starters before dinner… but let’s stay well away from the bits of the Old Testament they don’t want to follow, okay? Heavens forfend that we apply any sort of reasoning here.
Apparently, it’s all down to the gay agenda. That’s why we’re all going to hell. Because gays *have an agenda* to change society to something unrecognisable (see remarks on tolerance and equality above, to see what changes are proposed). We’re all going to buuurrrrn for eternity because Adam and Steve have only reached item three and we’re running out of meeting time.
So here it is (with acknowledgments to LGBT Nation for the inspiration). The big, awful, civilisation-destroying gay agenda:
Get up
Shower
Go to work
Clean the house
Pay the bills
Walk the dog
Go grocery shopping
Clean the cat box
Sleep in at weekends
Watch TV
Go out to lunch
See a movie
Telephone the parents (more often…)
Cook dinner
Do some gardening
Read a book
Walk in the park
Go to bed
Yeah. That should send civilisation tottering.
Support the blog hop. Support the agenda.
Here’s how:
Get the word out through Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and any other social media platform you can think of. Encourage your friends and family to join the blog hop.
Comment here to win a free copy of my sci-fi m/m novella, FlashWired. I’ll choose someone after the blog hop ends by the completely random stick-a-pin-in-the-list-of-names method – so make sure you leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you afterwards.
Visit all the other bloggers taking part in the hop here:
Have fun!!
LOL brilliant agenda! I’m definitely supporting it! shayla.mist@gmail.com
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Grins. Me too! Especially the sleeping in at weekends…
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Your post made me smile. 😊
iyanajenna@yahoo.com
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I’m delighted!
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so very true. great post!!
beeheeley(@)gmail(.)com
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Thank you! Enjoy the blog hop!
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:O Who said you could print the agenda?! Now they KNOW!!!
A little bit more about Luxembourg, because I love that country. 80% of the population are Christian, a whopping 70% Catholic. Not a doctrine usually known for its tolerant views. Yet both the PM and the Deputy PM are gay, and in 2014 same-sex marriage was voted into law with an overwhelming majority (56-4). As early as 2006, polls shows 58% of the population supported SSM. Proof, if ever it was needed, that Christianity and social acceptance don’t have to be mutually exclusive ideals.
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Hunches shoulders and looks around shiftily. You mean it was a sekkrit? What if I make people promise not to tell?
I have never been to Luxembourg. Maybe I should go. The Grand Duchess has some very spiffy tiaras to admire along with their forward thinking.
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Fantastic post – love the agenda list. Luxembourg is sounding like a good place for a visit.
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I have never been, but I’ve added it to the wish list. They sound so civilised!
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Brilliantly said. Simply awesome. I gotta share this with everyone. 🙂
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Grins. Thank you!
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Hi Anna – I’m so glad I stopped by here because this is the first place where I heard about the Luxembourg Prime Minister! Very cool. Usually my Twitter feed keeps me well informed of anything LGBT-related in the news, but what a nice surprise and a great story. Have a great Hop week!
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I thought it was great that a head of state – albeit a very small state – could do this and there has been so little adverse reaction. It was a wonderful story.
Enjoy the rest of the hop!
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ya know that agenda sounds like what i do every day lol
parisfan_ca@yahoo.com
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Grins. Me too!
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Thank you for your post and participating in this blog hop.
kimberlyFDR@yahoo.com
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And you, Kimberly. I hope you enjoy the rest of the Hop.
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Loved the gay agenda…Thanks for participating!
annmarief115 at gmail dot com
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Thanks, Ann Marie. Enjoy the rest of the Hop!
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LOVE IT!! Can you help me to remember to call my parents more often too? 😉
sionedkla@gmail.com
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It’s advice I need to follow myself! Enjoy the Hop!
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Wonderful post, I think you got me a bit hype with the gay agenda…my heart is palpitating. I’m a bit excited, I don’t know… Thank you for the post and for helping to spread awareness!
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
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Grins at you. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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definitely a world altering agenda!
shared on FB
leetee2007(at)hotmail(dot)com
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Thank you, Lee. Hope you enjoy the rest of the Hop.
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Hi Lee,
The stick-a-pin-in-it method has chosen you for the copy of FlashWired. I’ll email you.
CHeers
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Very thoughtful post, I loved it just like everyone else! ^~^ Thanks for participating in the hop! xo, #91 avsandersarchive @ gmail
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Thank you, too! Hope you enjoy the rest of the Hop.
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Hmmm! Those are all things I would like to do in a perfect life! Thank you for the wonderful and informative post!
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In a perfect life, I might even clean the house… but then again, in a perfect life, I’d never need to! Enjoy the Hop!
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Great post! Thanks so much for being a part of the hop. 🙂
Cheers
~Rissa~
raynman1979 (at) yahoo (dot) com
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Thanks, Rissa. Enjoy the rest of the Hop!
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They’re probably most threatened by the cat box cleaning. 🙂 Love it! Thanks so much…
vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com
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Heck, *I’m* threatened by the cat box cleaning!
Enjoy the rest of the Hop
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I like the agenda. May I borrow it?
debby236 at gmail dot com
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Of course!
Enjoy the Hop!
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Thanks for joining; nice post
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
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The Hop’s been a great experience, as usual. Hope you enjoyed it.
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Thanks for the post and being part of the hop.
sstrode at scrtc dot com
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I hope you enjoyed the Hop.
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Hi everyone
The foolproof. stick a pin in the list of names method came up with LEE as the winner for a copy of FlashWired. Thank you all for taking part!
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