Signs of Building momentum

[u-dog]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080821/..._wedding_cards


Here is an interesting article on Yahoo today. Political and Judicial momentum are important but when F*&*%$g HALLMARK starts to sell gay wedding cards you KNOW things have begun to roll inexorably toward equality.

[Emproph]

I remember that right after the CA Supreme Court decided that banning marriage for gays was unconstitutional, there was woman from the HRC on CSPAN talking about it. And one of the callers was saying how she was getting used to the idea of gay people, because of all the gay characters on TV, and people coming out and so forth, BUT THAT SHE WAS UPSET ABOUT IT. She was basically saying that she was becoming “desensitized” to the “evils” of homosexuality, but didn’t want to be!

So I thought that was a very interesting admission on her part, and I think it’s a common one that we, or at least I don’t think about much, because it’s the shrill diehards that we continue to hear (AFA, FOF, etc.). But it’s the reality of the “little things” like this, gay wedding cards, that are just going to make it more and more “expensive” to be anti-gay.

These people have families and are busy and it’s ridiculous to think that they’re going to continue to these frivolous boycotts forever. As though they’re going to be in the check out line and suddenly realize that they forgot to check if it was a Hallmark card, find out that it is a Hallmark card, and then decide to go back and look for another ’perfect’ card. Same with McDonalds - you’ve got screaming kids in the car, you’re late as it is, Macs is on the way, Wendy’s is OUT of your way, as a parent, what’s your priority? Your kids, or fighting some nebulous “gay agenda” that’s never affected you anyway?

Talk about IRONY, these “family” groups expect families to make fighting gay people to be more of a priority than actually taking care of their own FAMILIES!

[prairielesbian]

Originally Posted by u-dog

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080821/..._wedding_cards


Here is an interesting article on Yahoo today. Political and Judicial momentum are important but when F*&*%$g HALLMARK starts to sell gay wedding cards you KNOW things have begun to roll inexorably toward equality.

How about those Chemistry.com online dating sites now advertising on t.v. and showing gays and lesbians finding love. ??? I love it....the momentum is moving!

[prairielesbian]

I may have done this by God's will.

I have been reading a book call Fat Girls and Lawn chairs by Cheryl Peck (lesbian author). This book consists of short stories of Cheryl's life growing up etc..etc.. and I ran across one story about bats and her experience with one.

During and after reading this bat story, I couldn't help but think about my hometown church with it's ocassional bat infestation. So, I made a copy of the story (breaking "photocopy" rules as I go) and sent it to my hometown minister.

At the very end of the story, Cheryl used the word dyke in reference to herself and how she would scream at this bat in a girly fashion - not her character to scream.

When I was ready to send off the story, I wasn't sure if I should have scribbled out the word dyke - but that would be obvious that I was covering something up. I then thought about taking out the last paragraph - but I couldn't do that, the funniest part was there.

So....I kept the whole story complete dyke and all.

I'm doing my part in desensitizing!

[tdogg]

Originally Posted by prairielesbian

How about those Chemistry.com online dating sites now advertising on t.v. and showing gays and lesbians finding love. ??? I love it....the momentum is moving!

I like the Marriage Equality commercial - it's been showing on HGTV and another cable channel that I can't recall. HGTV is pretty cool. The program producers pretty much aren't afraid to feature gay and lesbian couples in the network's regular series shows.

[BishopIoan]

Originally Posted by Emproph

I remember that right after the CA Supreme Court decided that banning marriage for gays was unconstitutional, there was woman from the HRC on CSPAN talking about it. And one of the callers was saying how she was getting used to the idea of gay people, because of all the gay characters on TV, and people coming out and so forth, BUT THAT SHE WAS UPSET ABOUT IT. She was basically saying that she was becoming “desensitized” to the “evils” of homosexuality, but didn’t want to be!

So I thought that was a very interesting admission on her part, and I think it’s a common one that we, or at least I don’t think about much, because it’s the shrill diehards that we continue to hear (AFA, FOF, etc.). But it’s the reality of the “little things” like this, gay wedding cards, that are just going to make it more and more “expensive” to be anti-gay.

These people have families and are busy and it’s ridiculous to think that they’re going to continue to these frivolous boycotts forever. As though they’re going to be in the check out line and suddenly realize that they forgot to check if it was a Hallmark card, find out that it is a Hallmark card, and then decide to go back and look for another ’perfect’ card. Same with McDonalds - you’ve got screaming kids in the car, you’re late as it is, Macs is on the way, Wendy’s is OUT of your way, as a parent, what’s your priority? Your kids, or fighting some nebulous “gay agenda” that’s never affected you anyway?

Talk about IRONY, these “family” groups expect families to make fighting gay people to be more of a priority than actually taking care of their own FAMILIES!

Good points, Emproph! I made a comment years ago to the fact that people like Phyllis Schafley were so busy preserving the family that she probably neglected her own.

I suspect that for a while people will be weird about whether the card they buy is from Hallmark (I have a store right down the hill so I don't have to worry), but in time, people will get used to the fact that there are gay wedding cards (maybe other card companies will follow suit).

As for that stupid McDonald's boycott, I doubt it's gotten much of anyplace. Kids need to eat and what is a favourite place for kids to eat?
Why, McDonald's of course! Parents are going to take kids where they want to eat, "Family Values" groups notwithstanding. I'm not the most child-oriented person in the universe, but I go there when I can just to say thanks to McDonlad's for doing the right thing.

My hat is off to Hallmark, too.

about it becoming more "expensive" to be gay these days. I found that out when my spouse and I married last year.

[Alecto]

I don't have the links handy, but I guess some folks' reaction was to use the AFA's website form to send messages of support to Hallmark, instead of just sending them straight to Hallmark. I thought it was neat.

[keltic63]

Originally Posted by Alecto

I don't have the links handy, but I guess some folks' reaction was to use the AFA's website form to send messages of support to Hallmark, instead of just sending them straight to Hallmark. I thought it was neat.

I found the link, which I'd rather not post here because it would take our members to an anti-gay site (forum guideline violation!) but it says that Hallmark is "blocking" emails from those who support one man- one woman marriage. Hmmm.....I'm guessing that Hallmark blocked all the emails that were being sent through the AFA site! I clicked on their link to see if it gave an email address for Hallmark, and it did. I just sent my letter of support to Donald Hall, chairman of Hallmark.

[keltic63]

Originally Posted by keltic63

I found the link, which I'd rather not post here because it would take our members to an anti-gay site (forum guideline violation!) but it says that Hallmark is "blocking" emails from those who support one man- one woman marriage. Hmmm.....I'm guessing that Hallmark blocked all the emails that were being sent through the AFA site! I clicked on their link to see if it gave an email address for Hallmark, and it did. I just sent my letter of support to Donald Hall, chairman of Hallmark.

I got a response!

here's what customer service at Hallmark wrote:

Originally Posted by Hallmark Customer Care

Thank you for contacting Hallmark.

Much personal and creative effort goes into our products. It is especially nice to hear that people enjoy the results.

Hallmark is adding to its more than 20,000 different choices of greeting cards, four cards that use language and images appropriate for same-sex wedding, civil union and commitment ceremonies. Hallmark makes cards for all kinds of relationships and situations, including many that might be defined as "non-traditional" -- for example, heterosexual couples who are not married, those in mixed-race or interfaith relationships and blended families -- so people in each of these situations can find cards that meet their needs. It is our goal to be inclusive rather than exclusive so that our products appeal to the widest range of people who wish to communicate and connect with one another.

We appreciate your preference for Hallmark products and place a high value on your comments.

Thanks,

Hallmark Customer Care

[Daniel]

Interesting matter, this issue of Hallmark selling 'gay cards'. Sounds like someone did the numbers and realized that there was a lot of money to be made in having wedding cards. After all, the largest state in the country, California- where gay people can now get married- has one of the largest economies in the world. Makes cents, doesn't it?

And I love the response that you got Keltic. Tells me that Hallmark is getting with the 21st century and the myth that the Right wants to assert- that we have to live like it's the 1950's- doesn't make sense anymore.

Cents? Sense? Are they the same thing now?

Know what? I don't think this is a sign of building momentum as much as it is a sign of a company who sees the opening of a market and knows when to strike when the iron is hot (there is no bad publicity!). Hallmark has made a savvy financial decision. A good one for the us certainly, but a financial one nevertheless. Otherwise, methinks they would have done it years ago. Nes pas?

Best not to confuse great PR with a supposed moral center. We expect the latter from ministers and the like, not greeting card corporations.

Is it nice though? Sure. But let's not overstate matters. I'll believe momentum is happening when - say- New York, Delaware, Indiana and Maine have legal Gay Marriage.

[Unmasked]

Mmmhmmm. Mass was a huge step though, and when our friends in Maine can be wed, we'll know that that our time will come soon.

I laugh a little at how I get with my queerness, I could easily invoke the hetero-priviledge since I'm attracted to girls as well, and more often than not I'm dating or interested in a girl. (My track record stands at 3 girlfriends and 1000 crushes to 1 boyfriend and maybe 5 crushes.) I guess I just have that fighting spirit, and this is a battle worth fighting.