by turtleturtle 146 Replies latest jw friends
Homophobia (M-W.com):
: irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals
Can someone tell me, specifically, was homophobic about the new "Anti-gay" WT video. Particularly, what showed an "irrational fear", "aversion", or "discrimination"?
I'm definitely not saying I agree with the video. It was done in horrible taste. But many throw these terms around a lot.
Comparing homosexuality to carrying a duffle bag seems to be intentional insensitivity and a perpetuating of ignorance. Like someone can just drop homosexual leanings or desires like a dropping a piece of carry-on luggage.
Whether this can be considered discriminatory is prob in the eye of the beholder. A case could certainly be made for it.
I am ambivalent over whether the video meets criteria for homophobia. I have read and participated in long exchanges in earlier threads on this topic and I probably lean more to now thinking it is a more subtle - and perhaps insidious - form of homophobia.
As a propaganda tool directed at young children, it very cleverly perpetuates the notion that being gay or lesbian is a choice and can be changed. "Hey, you want to get on this plane? Drop the baggage - others have done it!" This would be very funny were it not a damaging message.
And the "baggage" metaphor flies in the face of clinical research on human sexuality. It thus perpetuates the false notion that who you are attracted to is a choice. So, if a young JW child finds he or she has same-sex feelings, they will immediately feel there must be something bad about their "choice" and begin a vain lifelong struggle against themselves. Sure, if you act on who you are attracted to that is a choice. But the attraction itself is not.
Yes the video is framed with cheery antiseptically cautious language - but the intent is the same. It does not recognize gay or lesbian relationships and in particular marriage. And that is consistent with the JWs literal take on the Bible.
There is no way on earth that anyone is going to make a court case over this. It's hardly discriminatory and winning would involve removing everyone else's right to religious belief and government interjection into biblical interpretation.
Get real, forget it.
They believe that god has promised a paradise and won't let certain people in. Boo hoo. Not being welcomed into an imaginary land is as discriminatory as not being included as a character in Alice in Wonderland. No one is going there anyway, it's make believe.
Lots of other people aren't invited too, not just gay people. There are more than gay people lumped together in the bible verse they base it on.
As for the choice vs non-choice - they would argue that it's not about being gay, it's about being immoral and everyone has (should have) a choice of whether they are sexually active so based on the bible view, it's no different to non-gay people having sex outside of marriage. Of course the fact remains that they don't allow gay people to marry - based on scriptures like that. So round and round the circular reasoning goes.
But damn, if anyone is really offended then they should take legal action to ensure that they are invited to the imaginary land they don't believe in.
It's in poor taste.
Also, it does promote fear in young people living with same sex couples.
*Keep in mind the prevailing theme of fear in JWism.*
The young girl talking with her counterpart is going to be fearful of same sex relationships and those in them. Why? Because she's being taught that it displease God so much they'll not be allowed in paradise, ergo it's wicked because only the wicked don't make it.
Her counterpart must now go home terrified that the ones she loves are going to die or be punished by God. Not only that but she has been made responsible for delivering the bad news.
Emotional child abuse. It also shows the lack of love and empathy for the position her counterpart is in.
I have watched it a few times and cannot understand what is the big deal. How else, in a more tactful, loving way can JW parents communicate to their small kids their beliefs?
It was not hateful or accusatory. Nope! As many gripes as I have with the WTBTS, this stance would win in a court of law.
We need to focus outrage some place else.
DY
Homophobia has become a catch-all term for the LGBTQ community equivalent of racism.
It would be hard for someone to argue that the above statements were not racist statements.
The same can be said for the video. It is sugar coated homophobia.
Anyone saying the video wasn't homophobia either hasn't thought about it much, hasn't put themselves in the shoes of those that are homosexuals, or they still hold a personal prejudice themselves against the LGBTQ community.
Just because it is someone's religious right to believe something ignorant and prejudicial does not give them freedom from criticism.
I don't know if it is "homophobic" but it certainly dehumanizes a demographic and promotes bigotry and perpetuates a lie that gays have a choice.
LRG
The over-extended outrage and mislabelling of it as hate speech will cause any curious 3rd party without a hat in the ring to think that many exJWs are simply trying to invent fault to see in the WTS and are completely unreasonable ... and they'd probably be right.
Some people seem to be desperately looking to be outraged. For instance, where does it label anyone as "wicked" as claimed? It just doesn't.
Just who are these mythical children of same-sex couples that are watching WTS videos? Are we seriously to believe that it is THE most frightening manifestation of religious opinion that they will ever come across? Maybe they thought "mommy and mommy" (or "daddy and daddy") were loved and accepted by all ... before they saw that TERRIBLE video?! (OMG, shock horror, waves hands in dramatic fashion and falls to knees for added effect).
It's ridiculous to think that the sky is falling because of the tamest religious presentation against homosexuality that's probably possible to imagine.
Here's a challenge: describe the bibles condemnation of homosexuality in a clear but less "homophobic" way than the WTS video ... then tell us all again how evil they are.
