we're not strategizing; we're really this angry

ChristieKeith has a terrific post up at Daily Kos titled "It's not Obama I'm mad at; it's way too many of you."

You keep telling us we need to reach out and build bridges to the religious right. Do you really think there is any point at all in telling us we need to reach out to homophobes and bigots, to the people who run the churches that abuse our youth and shove us out the doors, that have brainwashed our parents into rejecting us, that tell us they "love" us while they knife us in the hearts with their laws?

Why don't you tell them to reach out to us? We're the ones who have been wronged and harmed, disenfranchised, electro-shocked, had our kids taken away in ugly custody battles, lost our homes when our partner died, been thrown out of the hospital rooms of our lovers, had wills overturned and benefits denied. We're the ones who had our equality thrown up for a popular vote, and whose rights are denied us in the constitutions of 29 states. Telling us to reach out to them is like saying battered women need to reach out to their abusers, or children to the priest who molested them.

You lecture us not to hold this against Obama, but newsflash: at least for me, this has nothing to do with Obama. I knew he was regressive on my rights when I supported him; he always was, as was every viable presidential candidate. I also knew he had some weird idea that his religious beliefs were some valid explanation or even justification for his views on my civil rights. I'd like to see a Democrat get elected who can be for marriage equality and doesn't have to be a devout Christian, but I live in the reality based community and none, absolutely none, of this was any kind of surprise to me. I'm not a sulking scorned supporter who thinks Obama owes me something, and my support for him has not changed.

I think she captures a lot of the pain and anger very well, as well as why this matters.

She also explains why the "reach out, make some compromises, be patient" lectures only intensify the pain and anger. I understand the need for patience in any political struggle but when you are lecturing the victims of oppression to reach out and make compromises it somehow rings a little, well, smug and sanctimonious. Hows about you reach out when I'm swinging a baseball bat at YOUR head? See, it doesn't work too well.

Warren's not swinging baseball bats, you say? No, but he preaches a worldview in which gay-bashing makes sense. And just because he does a lot of really good social ministry does not mean his theology isn't bugfuck twisted. Because of his role in Proposition 8, we not only perceive him as our oppressor, he IS our oppressor.

So don't expect us to be happy, be patient, or shut up.

--the BB