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I know it sounds a bit messy to put mayo into kissing, but recently Heinz discovered that in fact might be true. They pulled an ad in Britain (see below) after over 200 complaints to the government about its content. The ad contained two guys kissing after the stereotypical mum-dad morning “send the kids to school” routine. Their reasoning was that the humor was a miss for “all sides of the debate.” The ad having not shown in the U.S. still caused some local reaction. O’ Reilly, our bestest friend, decided to make further comment on the situation by bringing it across the pond to talk about the “gay thing.” Apparently he thinks mayo commercials should be devoid of homo-kisses. Something tells me O’ Reilly, save the fact that it wasn’t even an American ad, wasn’t Heinz’s target consumer.
I, personally, love it. It was caring and a bit masculine at the same time. Last night I watched a 30 Days episode on gay parenting, specific focus on adoptive families. The hosting couple was part EMU professor (Dennis), so I felt extra inclined to watch (Go Ypsi!). In both these situations the argument seems to be that we should be protected from people stepping on each other’s toes. There is a significant difference between belief and action. Preventing a family from adopting or preventing a gay family from being represented in a television ad prevents action and expression on an equal platform. This is wrong. The argument that putting it out there, via television ad or legalizing same-sex adoption, steps on the opposition’s moral toes is a bit off. The former is an extension in to my own personal space and rights, the latter does nothing to prevent free thought or action. Is personal and moral discomfort reason enough to pull an ad or prevent gay adoption? To the point, we actually do sue in civil court for these types of things but I feel like that even carries of level of absurdity with it too.
The ad:
O’ Reilly (they show the ad again, he commentary is :51 sec in):
Despite a growing body of evidence showing it is not only ineffective but also discriminatory toward LGBT youth a renewal of the Bush administration’s abstinence-only-until-marriage program for schools appears likely in Congress.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies has voted to continue funding the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program.
The federal government now spends about $176 million annually on abstinence-until-marriage education.
“It’s hard to imagine a good reason why, in these tight economic times, Congress would intentionally flush taxpayer dollars down the drain by spending them on disproven, ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs,” said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office…
A study mandated by Congress last year found that students who participated in sexual abstinence programs were just as likely to have sex within a few years as those who did not…
A report a year earlier by the Society of Adolescent Medicine found that abstinence-only education was “unlikely to meet the health needs” of gay because abstinence-only programs focus heavily on no sex until marriage and ignore homosexuality. This could lead to increased risk of infection among these youngsters, the investigators said.
Under the CBAE program participating states then provide $3 for every $4 they get from the federal government. But a growing number states decline to take part in the grant program…
“A powerful cyclone that destroyed a vast swath of coastal Myanmar and left many thousands of people dead prompted the country’s military leaders to allow some foreign aid groups to deliver relief supplies on Tuesday.”
“Athletes who compete in the Beijing Olympics will not be allowed to wave flags, make gestures or alter their external appearance to make a political statement, according to guidelines issued in April by the International Olympic Committee.”
“Hunter College released the results of a groundbreaking poll Wednesday that found only 2.9 percent of Americans older than 18 identify as LGB, lower than the 4-5 percent often cited in voter exit polls.”
“And while the little boy in me thrills at the science-fiction stylishness of some of the architects’ renderings of these cities of the future (of which the picture above is a sample), another part of me wonders whether the promises now being made about these projects have even a chance of being fulfilled.”
Gathering at the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Student Center, supportive members of EMU’s campus and surrounding community showed their support for the LGBT community concerning issues of “inclusion and diversity,” stated Dan Burns, Chair of the LGBTRC Advisory Committee. The group, numbering over fifty, was in response to a charge to protest (see press release) by Westboro Baptist Church. They are commonly associated with Fred Phelps, their minister, and GodHatesFags.com. Per the press release, Westboro Baptist Church was choosing EMU as a way to voice their opinion against Campus Crusade for Christ’s, a national organization, decision in some areas to semi-support (Golden Rule Pledge) Day of Silence, a national movement to speak out through silence. EMU has a student organization representing Campus Crusade for Christ, but is not known to have participated in the pledge.
Their picketers did not show, to our knowledge. I was happy to participate. It was again a showing of support on campus (not to mention the $2500 raised for the EMU LGBT Emergency Fund through a $2 donation per Westboro Baptist Church protest minute, matched by Coors).
It reminds me of people’s varying opinions. In a lot of ways, it is daunting. Speaking of the silence we can feel as members of the LGBT… community, this is another example of a voice that keeps me from acting completely freely on a daily basis. In high school, my car was keyed with the word “FAG.” This served as a intense platform of empowerment but in reality did more damage than good. These voices are due for silencing not through limiting free speech but through supportive voices being louder. I encourage you to be the loudest in support as examples to your friends and communities. Examples of love and care need to be louder than those of hate.
Our adulthoods are framed by transitions at different stages in our life. Yet there is one thing in common, we are all becoming something. Thanks for sharing in the experience.
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