In the woman who pointed out that it wasn't an attack on an individual, but on a lifestyle. Thats sort of the point.. there are individuals behind this "lifestyle". As with most such fears actually knowing there are real human beings behind these great, blank abstracts tends to begin, when faced with one of those individuals to break down the cohesion of that fear and hatred.

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"Love thy neighbor" only goes so far.

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Notice, however, that "lifestyle" is never actualy defined. It's just assumed.

The crazy lady sets the "discussion" up with the introduction of the word "lifestyle" but never actually mentions what she's referring to. Is she talking about the "lifestyle" of a talented actor or poet, or ingenius scientist, or dedicated doctor or nurse?

This is the only kind of mushy thinking in which these mini-minds seem to be capable. From their perspective gay means only one thing, and it doesn't resemble anything like that which was just described.

Mental deficients, all of them. Hucksterberry is a great representative for this gang of religious zombies. They're the primary reason human evolution has progressed at only a snail's pace, particularly for the past 2000+ years.
~Rev. El
Pastor, WVCSR

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but Dan Savage is definitely on my "almost" list.

plur

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playing, into the whole "the bible says that gays should be stoned" was a little bit of a bummer.

As revealed in For the Bible Tells me So Being gay is as big of a sin as eating grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon.

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The more Rural folks depicted in this video segment are by no means "strange", & their seemingly paradoxical way of thinking is more complex than we often give them credit for.

I was much more interested in the reaction of the studio audience. Many of the laugh-lines had more to do with the "lookit the country bumpkin" flavor of the piece's editing, than with what the people were saying.

Meanwhile, Savage's interview subjects seemed not to notice the fact that he's clearly Gay, until, as Mr. Howard puts it, they were "confronted" with the fact.

What this tells me is that us so-called Progressives, who go around trumpeting our "inclusiveness", may actually be more exclusive of individuals than the people we accuse.

Instead of saying, "it's not you, it's your lifestyle" (which certainly can be a head-scratcher), we often appear to be saying "you are your lifestyle, end of story". We can't even see these people as fully human, simply because of their accent or dress. They are just stupid Rednecks, small brained & beyond redemption, in our minds. In contrast, they seem willing to give the benefit of the doubt, despite the often ignorant-sounding dogma of their "lifestyle".

Try flipping it around; would the sort of borderline lazy "gotcha" humor of the video have worked if the shoe was on the other foot? Imagine if we were interviewed in a manner that encouraged us to vent our nastiest opinions about Rednecks, their stupidity, their blinkered viewpoint, whatever. Then, the interviewer said, "well, guess what? I'm one of those guys, so how do you like that, huh?" Chances are, it wouldn't have gotten to that point because we would have prejudged them (correctly or not) from the second they opened their mouth, but if it did, wouldn't we respond with a version of "it's not you, it's your lifestyle"? I know I find myself saying some variation of that to closeted Bush supporters all the time.

I'm certainly not defending these folks' skewed take on Christianity, or their regressive stance on various "lifestyles". But, having grown up amongst them, I think the delineation between Individual & Lifestyle is very important, & something we could learn from. Gay people may not run around the rural South shouting about it (indeed, most seem to move on to the more "open" urban areas), but from what I've seen, they are quietly accepted. It seems to be much more an issue of "from Here/not from Here". Local Gays are tolerated because they are, within that community, simply "different" individuals. It's the imposed from "outside" cultural forces that are the threat.

Perfect? Hardly, but an interesting contrast to our "progressive" tendency to dismiss wide swaths of our fellow citizens out of hand, with a self-congratulatory & derisive laugh.

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Pardon the pun but the bottom line is that the rectum was not built to take the penis. But the vagina was. just simple biology. This old tired junk about "I don't have a choice, I was born this way" what a cop out for personal responsibility. "Honest officer I was born to rob banks, I really didnt chose to rob the first national" "Oh honey please excuse me for having this affair, I was born a poligimist" or how about this one, "Honest mister me and my grandma love each other so please give us a marriage licenese, after all what does it matter to you and I do love her?"

What a bunch of hog wash. If you can't control you sexual urges that means you are a sicko. Also a real weekling if you can't control what you can hold in you hand. Savage and bills crowd just wanted to poke fun at SC people because it is VERY OBVIOUS that they hold them in contempt and feel they are very much above them. What condensending buttholes. It's this sameole red state, blue state junk all over again. Bill and Savage are going down to the ole south and show the rednecks what life is really about. Truth is Bill is a perverted MORON who could'nt find his butt with both hands. I would stomp his yankee butt if he or savage came to my county and then the crowd could really laugh. NOW THAT WOULD BE FUNNY!!!!! And ANY of you liberal sissys in here that would like to come on down here to NC mountains and try your chances at it is welcome to come.

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I really don't care every one of you are MORONOIC and probably need hanging from the highest tree

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I really don't care every one of you are MORONOIC

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