GayPatriot

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Is there a gay community, but not a conservative one?

by

In a thoughtful post over at his blog Canadian Rattlesnake, Naamloos, a young gay man, contends he lacks “any loyalty to the gay community,” contrasting sexuality to race:

Unlike race, sexuality is not hereditary.  My father is not gay.  Nor is my mother.  Most black people have at least one black biological parent.  I wasn’t born into the gay community.

I haven’t known that I have been gay for my entire life.  Some of my characteristics, however, I have known about, or have become aware of prior to my acknowledgement of my homosexuality.  Such as my conservative political views.

Although I do use the term “gay community” quite frequently, sometimes I wonder if there is such a thing.  With my fellow gay men, I share an attraction to our own sex.  And I do tend to get along well with lesbians, well, the ones like Ellen DeGeneres and Mary Cheney who don’t define themselves by their sexuality.  But, does that a community make?

I also tend to get along well with my fellow conservatives, but rarely hear the expression, “conservative community.”

So, let me leave you with a question, why should we have a community based on our sexuality, but not our ideological inclinations?

Comments

  1. I think there’s a “gay community” if you live in one of the big cities with a gay nightlife and gayborhood. If you live outside of that cozy circle…but are gay/lesbian…there really ISN’T a gay community to be are a part of. Once you’re in the outer suburbs or in Middle America’s more-mainstream communities your “gay”-aspect is subsumed as a demographic-cohort survey-answer as part of a much broader “community definition” of yourself. “Gay” becomes a self-definer much-farther down the list of self-describing characteristics.

  2. I think the term “community” has more to do with the common things we face such as continuing inequalities in civil rights. I can still be fired from where I work, be denied housing, be denied a job etc because of my sexuality, so I would consider anyone working together to end those policies part of the “gay community.”

  4. I found it funny recently, I posted on a comics blog whining about diversity my typical “Where are all the left handed super heroes?” sarcastic rant, and was informed that Lefties aren’t a ‘real’ minority, and I should know why.

    Um, why? We’ve suffered discriminiation, we’ve been asked “Have you ever tried being right handed?” Words like “Sinister” follow us.

    The only answer I could figure was we’re not a ‘minority’ because we don’t whine, we suck it up and adapt, and thrive.

  5. My older sister has this saying. . . ‘ you can pick your friends and politicians, but you can’t pick your family ‘

    My family (extended included) is a delightful mix of cons and libs with a good mix of centrists/moderates (those are the folk who sit between certain folk at family gatherings in order to keep the peace).

    But I also believe in chosen family – my gay folk – those gays, lesbians, bi- folk and trans – but just like my bio family – my gay community is a mix of folk with different political tracks along with different spiritual tracks.

    So, is there a gay community. . .depends on what you make for yourself.

  6. I have often challenged the “gay community” concept on this site. I have also challenged the notion of “gay culture.” Both concepts are necessary to give numbers and supposed strength to minority demands.

    I would use Wall Street as a perfect example of a temporary community. You can search that “community” with a fine toothed comb to attempt to find its core and come away fairly confused.

    Gay bars and vacation destinations and certain neighborhoods where gays tend to live may be loosely called a community. But if there is a gay community in one town, does it represent the values and aspirations of all gay communities in all towns? That is the crux and the conceit of speaking of “the gay community” as a monolith. Ditto “gay culture.”

    The “black community” has been so stereotyped by others over the years that individual blacks have had a hard time escaping it. Even now, Herman Cain is being challenged by white interlocutors as to whether he is authentically black. In large part, that is because many blacks decided to have their own definition of “the black community” and “black culture” and those community lodge brothers are equally as ready to challenge an “uppity” black as any old Jim Crow white Democrat ever was.

    I think it is natural for birds of a feather to flock together. But because people relax and share in their similarities does not mean that they are individually intellectually aligned.

  7. Helio, I think culture is a different thing than community. A community is defined, I think, by shared interests. A culture is defined by common beliefs and shared history, and expressed as tradition, behavior, and art/literature/music (which in the case of gay culture is mostly porn and horrible dance music.)

  9. I told a lib I wasn’t part of the gay community and his head nearly exploded. He said I was because I was homosexual and that I should toe the line. This is where my issue is with the word community. It seems to imply that a common characterisitic or behavior requires common thought. It seems to imply that one person from said community can speak for them all.

  13. Although I do use the term “gay community” quite frequently, sometimes I wonder if there is such a thing.

    Only insofar as maintaining a perpetually aggrieved victim group as Tim describes.

  15. Ellen DeGeneres doesn’t define herself by her sexuality???

    Are we thnking of the same Ellen DeGeneres?

    I dunno, Julie. Compare her to other such high-profile homosexuals, and I think you may have the answer to that question.

  16. I can still be fired from where I work, be denied housing, be denied a job etc because of my sexuality.

    Really? Prove it.

    Regards,
    Peter H.

    Miss Hughes, you certainly have had your hands on your hips lately, girlfriend. So here is something to consider.

    Think Progress points to this study which reports that only 52% of LGBT people are out at work, which is not surprising considering that one can be fired for being gay in 29 states.

    http://www.worklifepolicy.org/documents/CWLP%20-%20LGBT%20-%20Final%206.21.11.pdf

  18. Whether we CAN BE fired for being gay and whether we WILL be are two different things. This is more of the magical thinking that says the only real activity happens through government and legislation.

    The actual fact of the matter is that the private sector has been light-years ahead of the government on the matter of hiring and retaining gay employees. Because it’s captive to politics, government is always the cow’s tail.

    I know Halloween is almost here, but I’m already very tired of all the scare tactics. They’ve been stale and unconvincing for a long time.

  19. Thanks, Dan.

    I do think there is a “gay community,” but I would say that just being gay doesn’t automatically mean you are part of it. From what I can tell, the gay community consists primarily of people who make their sexual orientation central to their identity. I can’t think of any other reason why anyone would want to be surrounded by gay people all the time.

    I think the term “community” has more to do with the common things we face such as continuing inequalities in civil rights. I can still be fired from where I work, be denied housing, be denied a job etc because of my sexuality, so I would consider anyone working together to end those policies part of the “gay community.”

    Some people have more important things to do than worry about minor, or imaginary, inequality.

  20. Um, nobody at work knows I’m a Mormon. Not because I’m afraid of being fired, but only because I, like many other people, just don’t feel the need to invite our co-workers into every aspect of our personal lives.

    Hard-working gay people who contribute meaningfully to their workplace don’t generally need to worry about being fired for being gay, with or without discrimination laws.

  21. Good question, Dan. I don’t know if there is a gay community partly because I’m not sure what we mean by “community.” When I use the term “gay community,” I’m not even sure what I mean. My best guess is that it is the subset of persons who have significant sexual attraction towards the same sex and acknowledge it as part of their being without regard to the level of participation or interest in the community. So, in my definition this would include Naamloos. It would also include most closeted homosexuals and some (or perhaps most) celibate persons attracted to the same sex. Note, in my definition, I did not say “central” part. Sure, there are plenty of gay people who do make their sexual orientation a central part of their being, but I also think most of us get a bum rap. No one blinks an eye when a man casually mentions his wife or girlfriend in a conversation, but not the case when a man casually mentions his boyfriend, male partner, or husband. Too often, the latter is considered pushing his sexuality onto others, but not the former. And I would also argue the person who makes a federal case about the evils of homosexuality, including those who come on this blog to do so have made their sexual orientation a central part of their being.

    No community is a monolith, and that couldn’t be more true than the gay community. Because every person in the gay community belongs to one or more other communities. And these communities encompass just about any community you can think of, even those that steadfastly hold that homosexuality is a terrible sin. So there are a lot of differences within the gay community, not just ideological. But there are also similarities within the community. Of course, one would be the same sex attraction as part of one’s identity, as per my definition. But the other thing in common is that virtually all of us have felt or suffered from some degree of discrimination, shame, persecution, etc., from family, friends, church, self, etc., for being gay. In general, it’s less so today than in the past. My parents are fine with homosexuality, and I even knew that before I came out to them, but it was still difficult. Livewire, I wouldn’t have had the same difficulty if I came out as a lefty to my parents or anyone else. My partner is gay (I hope), lefty, and Jewish. Guess which one which caused issues with his parents in the past? As a side note, neither of his parents are lefty, but yet I think we all agree that handedness is genetic.

    There are also other things in common shared by most of the gay community. Most do support the Democratic party in general and tend be left of center. This is because, right or wrong, they see the party and ideology, in general, as more supportive towards their sexual orientation, and less antagonistic. Obviously, there are plenty of counterexamples, and there are other more important issues out there. Another similarity I see is that too many of us have turned any persecution we suffered as teenagers or young adults into persecution of others. For example, I find many gay men who dislike, or even antagonistic against people who are Christian, or conservative, or liberal, or too poor, or too middle class, or even not pretty enough or promiscuous enough. On the other hand, too many gay persons are either supportive of groups that are outwardly anti-gay and/or rationalize away their anti-gay behavior and bigotry. For some it’s anti-gay Christians, and for others, it’s anti-gay Muslims. But I believe the degree of similarities and differences are on par with the general population.

    For the other part of your question. I think that once a “community” is too large, it is no longer considered a community. That may be the reason why there is not a conservative community. Within the gay community, there isn’t a liberal “subcommunity,” because most gay persons are considered to be liberal. But you can make an argument that there is a conservative “subcommunity.” As evidence of that, there is a blog specifically geared towards gay conservatives. And now there are one or two national groups (depending on one’s opinion) for gay conservatives. But there are also Christian gay groups, Jewish gay groups, and others, that are also examples of communities that cater to those with two aspects of one’s identity.

    Getting back to conservatives, in general. Like communities they are not a monolith (even when just considering gay conservatives). And one of the differences out there is how does homosexuality fit into conservative ideology. While many conservative are either supportive of homosexual persons (like any other person) or at least believe that they are entitled to the same rights as anyone else, you have others who believe that one cannot one can be conservative and gay if such person supports any gay rights (civil unions, ending DADT, etc.). I suppose that’s no different than a gay person believing that one cannot really be gay if they are conservative. A shame either way.

  22. Some people have more important things to do than worry about minor, or imaginary, inequality.

    Naamloos, I couldn’t agree more. But it’s not an either/or proposition. Most people, even when dealt with a minor injustice don’t always, will fight to right the wrong or at least point out that an injustice was done.

  23. “Community,” when used by Leftists, is a word with Marxist overtones. It really means “herd.” It’s about bunching us together so we can be controlled, managed and manipulated.

    Few Leftists seem genuinely interested in community. The general atmosphere around them is reminiscent of the seventh grade, when eerybody was twelve years old and preoccupied with saying stuff that won approval from like minds and got them accepted by the clique.

    There is nothing voluntary about their understanding of “community.” It is totally compulsory. Many of them will be mean twelve-year-olds forever.

  24. Lori, I’m left of center. I’m not sure about others mean when they say community, and perhaps leftists and others do want others to be manipulated, controlled, etc. And perhaps too much of that occurs in the gay “community.” I vehemently oppose this. I myself have less in common with most other gay liberals as much as gay conservatives on most things. No biggie. I don’t feel the need to conform to other gay persons simply to just conform. But I’m not going to do the opposite either. Be against something simply because most gays are for it.

  25. Rusty, this is what my take on the article was. Mr. Schlein apparently stated in his interview with Signorile that if he wanted to fire a Black person, he would make up another reason to fire him. My sense was that he personally does not advocate that, but was trying to explain one of the reasons why he is against anti-discrimination laws at the workplace. And I also don’t think that it was because he invited GOProud to one of their dinners. It seems there is much more to this story.

  27. “But I’m not going to do the opposite either. Be against something simply because most gays are for it.”

    Tell you what, Pat. Why don’t you Google my work online, actually check to see whether I’ve ever done what you’re accusing me of, and then come back here — PROVIDING LINKS to prove your point.

    Otherwise, kindly fling your mud at someone else. Thanks.

  29. Understood, Pat.

    I think it’s important to remember that extremists, on both Left and Right, are like dogs and little children. They only get excited about others who are like themselves. That’s why the Left-Wing trolls (and I’m not saying you’re one of those) automatically accuse every gay conservative or libertarian of being a Right-Wing extremist.

    It’s also why, if you deviate from Right-Wing orthodoxy in the slightest, even if your comments make it clear, to anyone with a functioning intellect, that you are no leftist, certain self-appointed guardians of purity will attack you as a “typical Leftist.”

    As a libertarian, I’m neither fish nor fowl. I have to laugh at my leftist friends, who think I’m a far-Righter because I no longer think just like them. I ask them how Ron Paul and Gary Johnson are being treated by the rest of the GOP field. The red carpet has hardly been rolled out for them.

    I’ve become more outspoken in my beliefs because my (mostly Leftist) friends keep saying such utterly brainless things. “Play another video game,” I feel like telling them. “Your brain isn’t rotting fast enough.”

    If that doesn’t apply to you, then please overlook it. I spend so much time around Leftists that I’m in an argument almost every day. It gets tiresome after a while.

  30. Per Miss Rusty:

    “Think Progress points to this study which reports that only 52% of LGBT people are out at work, which is not surprising considering that one can be fired for being gay in 29 states.”

    Uh, you DO know who runs Think Progress, don’t you?

    Two words: George Soros.

    In other words, this is a biased source. I don’t buy it.

    And also, I reject the premise of your argument – that just because people are not “out” at work, it is due to the argument that 29 states have laws on the books – which are NOT enforced, btw – regarding homosexuality.

    Who is to say that people need to advertise whom they sleep with? I certainly don’t. I don’t define myself by my bed partners.

    Again – you have not shown me any definitive proof that being gay can lead to so-called “discrimination” by a state entity. Show me a court case or judicial ruling, and then we’ll talk.

    SNAP! You are dismissed, MISS THANG.

    Regards,
    Peter H.

  31. PS to Miss Rusty: I bet you are the same person who would call Herman Cain a “n-gger.”

    After all, that’s the mindset you embrace from the Dhimmicrats.

    Regards,
    Peter H.

  32. I think it’s important to remember that extremists, on both Left and Right, are like dogs and little children. They only get excited about others who are like themselves.

    I liken it to the following as it appears to me…If one doesn’t roll around in the same muck and lick the same muddy boots that they do, then somehow one is more of a perv than they are.

    It’s also why, if you deviate from Right-Wing orthodoxy in the slightest, even if your comments make it clear, to anyone with a functioning intellect, that you are no leftist, certain self-appointed guardians of purity will attack you as a “typical Leftist.”

    Definitely true, and as you stated, it also happens from the extreme left.

  33. Oh Peter H,

    You took that ‘bitter’ pill and continue to dance all over the place.

    So here it is, a website created by a person who started a website
    gayandfired.com.

    I must remain Anonymous — or go by the pen name Michael — for the time being. I still live in the South and the retribution to myself and my family could occur.
    Still, I am not backing down. I will tell my story. My voice will not be silenced.
    I shall tell my story and share the truth.
    As I sat around the dining room table and talked candidly with my family, they were shocked to hear this. My right-wing, Republican-voting family who still love me but just don’t want me to get married (for whatever reason) were shocked to learn that it was legal. What happened next brought tears to my eyes as one after another understood the raw deal to which I’d been subjected. They began to understand that if I could be fired for being Gay, they too might lose their jobs for reasons other than work-related failures.
    And so, I need to speak.
    I will be the voice for many others who have been silenced. Those who signed away their rights for a pittance of what a company declared as “severance” but is nothing more than blackmail.

  34. You took that ‘bitter’ pill and continue to dance all over the place.

    Oh, I can do even better than that.

    The Harvey Milk LGBT club and Pride at Work are holding a noontime rally today at Pier 33 in support of Vincent Atos, a former deckhand on Hornblower’s Alcatraz cruises, who claims he was last year dismissed for “acting too gay.” Perhaps not incidentally, Atos was also a union organizer.

    And:

    Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club Co-President David Waggoner believes Atos was fired primarily because Atos was attempting to unionize the workforce. “Vincent was singled out because he is gay and he was union organizer and he was fired because of that,” he said.

    “Times have changed. We want the National Parks Service to either end their contract with Alcatraz Cruises or investigate and bring charges, as appropriate, so Alcatraz Cruises can become a workplace that is safe for people that want to organize, and is safe for LGBT employees,” Waggoner added.

    Just like “Michael”, hm?

    But the reality was a bit different.

    A politically active deckhand for Hornblower Cruises who became a local cause celebre last year when he complained that he was fired for being “too gay” has been shot down by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.

    Hornblower fired Vincent Atos in late 2009, three years after he started working for the company. At the time, he was trying to organize a union for cruise workers, which he suspected had something to do with his getting booted.

    Labor and gay rights activists rallied to his defense, demanding that Atos be reinstated and arguing that he was fired essentially for being a “gay union organizer.”

    Alas, the National Labor Relations Board dismissed Atos’ complaints.

    But the real kicker came just the other day, when the city’s Human Rights Commission concluded that Atos had repeatedly made flirtatious, sexually charged and inappropriate comments on the job – and had even pressured one male employee to “come out” against his will.

    In short, the investigators said, Atos was “terminated for inappropriate sexual conduct in the workplace.”

    You see, rusty, this game happens all the time. No employee ever blames their own performance or behavior for their dismissal; it’s always that their boss hates them or that their company “hates (fill in the grievance group blank) people”.

    So what we have here is a case of the LGBT community, the Obama Party, the “progressive” movement, and the unions, all supporting and endorsing and insisting that it is wrong to fire someone who sexually harasses their coworkers — because that person happens to be LGBT.

    The company in question was dragged through the dirt, unfairly attacked, and had its livelihood threatened because an LGBT person lied and used a so-called “nondiscrimination” law to force the company to rehire him and allow LGBT employees to sexually harass others, with the full support and endorsement of the LGBT community, the Obama Party, the “progressive” movement, and the unions.

    And that’s all ENDA is about: the gay and lesbian community trying to eliminate any requirements for job performance, skill, qualification, or productivity and replace them with sexual orientation. ENDA is nothing more than an attempt to force companies to make personnel decisions based solely on sexual orientation and punish those who make decisions based on performance instead of granting special dispensation and quotas to LGBT people.

  36. Yes Bravo. . .NDT

    Awhile back during my time with a large corporate shoe company under the guidance of a ‘fabulous’ HR rep I was left with some very true words.

    ‘Most people are not fired. . .they are folk who stopped doing their jobs.
    They don’t fill the competencies they were presented. ‘

    and to BDB’s comment. . . . From that article, rusty, it seems that Log Cabin de-chartered the Dallas chapter because it didn’t toe the national line on ENDA, a law which, while well-intentioned, is a statist solution to an increasingly diminishing problem.

    There is a real problem for some folk who are released solely for being a MO. be it lesbian or gay. It does happen.

    I agree with BDB that ENDA is a well-intentioned option. But I am also very well aware of what can happen when a supervisor takes on harassing and threatening an employee because of sexual orientation. My partner was subjected to harassment and finally quit when deaf ears from management and the HR department left him frustated. After seeking professional support and having the ability to have the harassment and threats validated in a unemployment court adjucator, the owner of the company stepped forward and offered my partner his job back and a compensation package with the strings of ‘no discussion’ / disclosure agreeement.

    There are alot of folk who quietly take moneys and monetary awards with such non-disclosure agreements, thus making it very hard to track such activities.

    It is sad when folk like NDT’s example make such a scene but we all know that NDT certainly likes to make a scene himself.

  37. and Naamloos had this interesting comment

    Good point. This would explain a lot, like their tendency to use the poor behaviour of one individual who claims to be conservative to define all conservatives.

    Sort of like another tendency to use the poor behaviour of one individual who claims to be representative of an entire group to define all members of that group. . . but that never happens here at GP.

  38. The worst treatment I ever got at the hands of a supervisor was from a gay man. He was quite “out” — did drag shows at local clubs at night. And he was a sadistic brute. I finally hauled him into HR and filed a formal complaint against him.

    How COULD I do that? He wanted to know. After all, we were “family.” I told him he should have thought of that before then.

    That is absolutely the only time, in my entire working life, when I ever felt singled out for abuse because of my sexual orientation. He was a good leftist — had all the necessary “street cred” in the “community.” And he was surprised that I didn’t let him get away with it.

    I’ve never had any problems with any of the straight men (or women) I’ve worked for that could even remotely compare to that.

  39. Sort of like another tendency to use the poor behaviour of one individual who claims to be representative of an entire group to define all members of that group

    I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but if you are accusing me of doing this, then I am sorry if I have. And if I have, it was inadvertent. I do try to make an effort not to generalize, but it does get tedious to always specify that.

    And, just to clarify, when I say “gay community” I mean those gays and lesbians that make their sexual orientation central to their identity. And, by that, I don’t necessarily mean gays and lesbians who behave stereotypically. I basically mean anyone who doesn’t just say “I’m gay, so what” and get on with their life. If they don’t want to do that, that’s fine, but that is not something I respect. And I especially do not respect them when they call people “self-loathing” or “quislings,” etc.

    Furthermore, it is evident that generalizations are much more prevalent on the left than on the right. At least, that is what I have observed (hence my comment). Sure, it does happen on the right, but not as often (as far as I can tell). And that is sometimes merely the righty using the lefty’s own logic against him/her (and that probably also happens the other way around, too).

    Sorry if my comment is incoherent; it is quite late.

  40. No, Naamloos, no accusation here. You pointed out a very simple human behavior when it comes to classification. We (humans) all try to find a simple denominators to stereotype / group folk to create some understanding and ‘reason’ as to why. . .

    I have been blessed with some outstanding folk in my life who happen to hold political ideals and thoughts that are not fully shared by me. But that doesn’t change anything for me or for them. I discovered GP a few years back, prior to the 2008 elections and I have a completely different perspective about many things, with thanks not only to the bloggers but to the folk who comment here.

    Your perspective Naamloos is also very welcome.

    My comment about your comment was more of reflection that we (left right and center) all can get caught up in our reliance of stereotyping and
    classification. But just like dealing with the fictional creation of Voldemort many are reluctant to speak the name of the One who so often relies on this simple strategy of denouncing an entire group of folk for the simple actions of one or a small few.

    Have a great day Naamloos and good luck on your incredible life journey.

  41. But just like dealing with the fictional creation of Voldemort many are reluctant to speak the name of the One who so often relies on this simple strategy of denouncing an entire group of folk for the simple actions of one or a small few.

    Look in the mirror.

    After all, based on the actions of one anonymous website, you’re ready to impose a Federal law because that proves in your mind that all straight people discriminate against gays and lesbians.

    The interesting thing is this, rusty: on the basis of hearsay, anonymous anecdote, and an assertion that “this happens all the time, businesses are just covering it up”, you are demanding that a Federal law be slapped on all businesses to punish them.

    Meanwhile, I post a linkable, directable story, with pictures, names, and group affiliations, demonstrating that the gay and lesbian community, its leadership, the Obama Party, and the unions that “support” it are openly endorsing and supporting abuses of such laws to punish companies that did nothing wrong, on the order of gays and lesbians who blatantly broke company policy, state law, and sexually harassed their coworkers, and you dismiss it.

    Furthermore, rusty, under ENDA, the company would have been stripped of their Federal contract or had its payment suspended because a gay person lied. They did nothing wrong, but they would have been punished financially. They were slandered publicly with the full support and endorsement of the LGBT community, the Obama Party, and the unions because an LGBT person lied. Their business was interrupted and they suffered economic damage because an LGBT person lied and the LGBT community supported that lie. They were dragged into kangaroo court and required to incur legal fees to defend themselves because an LGBT person lied and the LGBT community supported that lie. Every single one of their workers was smeared as a liar and as a homophobe because an LGBT person lied and the LGBT community supported that lie.

    And this really took the cake:

    It is sad when folk like NDT’s example make such a scene but we all know that NDT certainly likes to make a scene himself.

    Let’s make this abundantly clear.

    You are comparing what I do to sexually harassing your coworkers and deliberately LYING about it in order to punish an employer, destroy their business, and put every single one of your coworkers out of a job.

    You are comparing what I do to the unions, the Obama Party, and the LGBT community ganging up on and deliberately spreading LIES about a company with the express purpose of destroying their business.

    The fact that you would even make that comparison shows how desperate you are to avoid criticizing or making any sort of value judgment on peoples’ behavior simply because they share your sexual orientation.

    That is why ENDA should never pass. You are a bigot, rusty, who deliberately discriminates against straight people and in favor of gay and lesbian people regardless of their behavior. And ENDA does nothing but give you legal power to support and facilitate your bigotry.

    It also shows what a hypocrite you are when you shriek about “equality”. If a straight person had sexually harassed someone like this and lied about it, LGBT groups, the Obama Party, and the like would still be in the middle of their aneurysm — and they certainly wouldn’t be accepting the excuse that other people make scenes, so it’s OK.

    You don’t want equality. You want your bigotry and prejudice codified into law so that you can lie about and punish businesses without them having any legal recourse.

  42. Re Miss Rusty at #33:

    “I still live in the South and the retribution to myself and my family could occur.”

    So what you are implying is that southerners are racist rednecks.

    I live in the South too (Houston, FYI) and I am offended that you think that poorly of my region of the country.

    If you don’t like it, MOVE. And to quote Chris Christie: “I’ll help you pack.”

    Regards,
    Peter H.