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Opinion: Do You Hate Gays More Than You
Love Your Country?
Asian American filmmaker and activist wants Dems
to unapologetically block gay-bashing tactic in midterms
By Eric Byler
In the wake of the recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision upholding
equal rights for gays and lesbians, we should be reminded that the only
significant matter to be settled in coming years is the proper
implementation of the words “marriage” and “civil union.” For more than
200 years, our nation has gradually moved toward providing equal
protection under the law for all its citizens. Our Constitution
mandates nothing less. But the world of political strategy is an
entirely separate matter. Regardless of whether there is, or will ever
be, an honest intent on the part of Republicans to amend the
Constitution to ban the phrase “gay marriage,” the ugliness and
potential effectiveness of their 11th hour electioneering should not be
dismissed or underestimated.
The revival of gay-basing by Republican political strategists may
seem an act of desperation to most Americans, but with approval ratings
as low as they are, it should come as no surprise that operatives on
radio and television have resorted to this cheap but proven strategy to
motivate their base. This is precisely why America needs the Democratic
Party to provide leadership and governance from the middle. Baiting
social conservatives to vote against their own interest may be an
effective political strategy, but history has shown that the extremists
who are elected on so-called wedge issues have been tragically
ineffective when it comes down to actual governance. One needs look no
further than Iraq, Katrina, and the culture of corruption that has
plagued the Republican Party since the 2000 election.
This desperate plea on the part of Republicans to “Vote for the
candidate who shares your bigotry” may not be enough to overturn
America’s yearning for sensible and honest government. But if we’ve
learned anything from Karl Rove and his divide and conquer strategy, we
should never underestimate the power of hate. If the Democratic Party
chooses not to block the gay-bashing escape hatch, we may see them
winning over voters we had expected to stay home.
After six years of incompetence, dishonesty, and corruption, it is
cynical and truly disrespectful for Republican strategists to call upon
conservative voters to put their personal discomfort with gays and
lesbians above their sense of patriotism. Americans DO NOT hate gays
more than they love their country. It is up to the Democratic Party to
say so. We have never been more right on any issue. And there is too
much at stake to respond with silence.
Other Readings of Interest
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+AuthorBioTemplate
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Eric Byler is an award-winning writer and director of the feature
films Charlotte Sometimes,
TRE, and most recently,
Americanese, adapted from
the novel American Knees by
Shawn Wong. Byler is also creator of an Asian American family
drama series for television,
My Life Disoriented, whose pilot aired nationally as part of
PBS' "Independent Lens". In addition to his feature and fictional
film work, Byler is a media and community activist who has worked
with Asian American celebrity and political figures to film and
create widely distributed public service and political shorts on
topics ranging from "Macaca-gate" to the testimonies of World War II
"Comfort Women" to Asian American volunteerism in and candidacy for
local political campaigns.
IMDiversity.com is committed to presenting diverse points of view.
However, the viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of
the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or
employees at IMD.
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