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“I never thought I’d live to see this [flagrant bigotry] in Lynnwood” — woman in local business
“Look at those girls. They’re just kids. They don’t know what they’re doing to people. This is just a right – this should be a right.” — another woman in local business
“I was just driving by, I felt I should do something. I went home and made a sign.” — pro-equality demonstrator
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Saturday “our friends in the Russian/Slavic community” led an anti-domestic partnership “reject R-71/SB 5688 Side Walk Rally” in Lynnwood, just north of Seattle. A crowd of about 150-200 showed up. Like the anti-equality lobby day in Olympia this past March, this crowd was heavily populated by high school-age kids and young adults. Most of the younger folk I spoke with said they were not old enough to vote.
I was told that this event represented the combined efforts of 5 Russian/Slavic churches. Only a few among the participants seemed not to be part of that community, and those people didn’t seem to have much if any interaction with the others.
There was a certain amount of car horn hooting, but it was hard to tell how much of it was genuine since demonstrators were themselves driving back and forth laying on the horn.
The young ladies’ cheering and sign waving was identical to that of the nubile barkers always set out on the curb to lure drivers into high school fundraiser car washes. One of these gals said she was perturbed that drivers weren’t honking horns more. Another demonstrator standing at an intersection, apparently thinking I was part of the demo, said with reference to cars going by, “they sure like giving us the finger, don’t they?”. It didn’t seem to dawn on these young folk that they would or should experience any reaction other than positive to their message of bigotry. After speaking with several, it was clear that many didn’t truly understand what Referendum 71 is about. I don’t blame them for wanting to have a fun day cheerleading, because they don’t control their own lives. No, it’s the parents of these children who I take issue with.
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I hope that those in the Russian/Slavic community who stand for fairness and equality for all will not let this “reject” group be the sole public face of their community.
41 Comments
Re: the one in the blue shirt – Why do I now suddenly have the urge to watch ‘SlingBlade’ again?
Nyet!1. The five Russian/Slavic churches might be Ken Hutcherson’s “Watchmen on the Walls” allies.
2. WWJD? Well, He wouldn’t send children out to the streets and act like d-bags.
PlusHe would have never been crucified on something drawn so lopsidedly. Tsk tsk.
No surpriseNot to generalize, but being half Slavic on my mother’s side and with a lot of my family intermarried with Poles and Russians, I can tell you bigotry is a part of their culture.
Gays are treated terribly in all those formerly iron curtain countries, and if you think they hate us, you should hear them go on rants about Jews.
I remember reading about death camp survivors returning to their homes in Poland only to be murdered by the locals who had stolen their farms.
don’t just blame the parentsOnce kids get to their mid-teens, I don’t think it’s right to let them avoid responsibility and just blame their parents for their behavior. By that time, kids know a lot and think for themselves (good or bad) on lots of subjects and decisions. They bear some responsibility for these actions!
There is no excuse for raising Klansmen and Klanswomenin the 21st century, and that is what the slavic community is doing.
Separation of church and state.We need to crack down on these churches getting involved in politics. The sad thing is that we have to support the groups that are choosing to attack us.
That’s trueI would have sooner died than stood out on the road carrying an anti-equality sign when I was 14 or 15. I would have known it was wrong, even though I wasn’t raised in a particularly pro-equality household.
Hmm…So does this mean that the majority of these people are immigrants? And that they’ve migrated from another country/countries in order to improve their own lives, only to arrive in their new homeland and then attempt to deny the rights of those of us who were born here? Nice.
Fuck religion.
Tradition
Isn’t that what Euopeans did to the indigenous people of North & South America 500 years ago?
I am so there…Fuck religion and these people…
yesone guy was fond of yelling “america!!!” whenever someone honked the horn for them. that’s f*cked up.
You hit the nail on the head.They came to improve their lives. Everyone else be damned.
“they didn’t know what Ref 71 was about”…….……what did they think it was about? Do they think it legalizes SSM? Or what?
maybei certainly think teens can and do think for themselves. however, if they’re home-schooled or in parochial schools and closely controlled by parents and a closed community, they may not have a balanced view of the world or know the truth about much of anything. i don’t know the situation for these kids of course, but it did seem they were from a very tight community and saturated with lies about gay people. i’m sure many will have an awakening after they move away form home, and be horrified at the memory of their participation in advocating hate and legal bigotry.
one other observationironically, the very act of participating in this demonstration may be the first step to awakening for some of these kids. i got the feeling that this was the first time any of them had been asked to explain what the legislation was about, and why they opposed it. their parents put them in a public setting where they had to field questions from outsiders. it was a healthy exercise for them and i bet some anti-gay ardor was dampened yesterday in some thoughtful young brains.
I DONT KNOW…i dont know…. personally i dont really care if gay got their right, but then if you think about it more, its not just about the gay rights… it says in the refferendum measure 71 that gender specific terms such as husband and wife will be constraucted to gender neutral… but why that? why not leave straight people out of this? But no, normal people have to sacrifice their rights too… =(
And i dont agree with the part about schools teaching that being gay is good, and even more, i disagree with the fact that kids will be taught homoSEXUALITY in schools, at early age… why this? can anyone explain?
Also, when an attmept was made to add a new section to it, saying that gay marieages and all that stuff shouldnt be applied to churches, and that kids shouldnt be taught how to lead a sexual life with a gay partner at such young age, it was refused. Why? You guys were saying that government and religion shouldnt be put together, then why restrict that rule? Then why apply it to churches? Why not just leave straight people out of it?
ouch..but if you think about it thats what this refferandum does…
Yes, you’re right, KatRose…and while we’re at it, let’s not forget how the Puritans also mercilessly persecuted the more pacifist Quakers and other religious minority groups (who were, for the most part, their own countrymen and -women) as well. The point here is that, at this point in history, thanks mainly to increased awareness, it’s rather difficult (I’d say damn near impossible) to be a bigot toward ANY group and remain ignorant of the fact, unlike so many of our ancestors were. If you’re a “hater” these days, it’s because you’re being deliberately ignorant and willfully discriminatory.
???I don’t really understand what point you’re trying to make here, bbum, but I have to say that I especially like your use of the term “normal people” to describe heterosexuals in the first paragraph. Way to get the point!
KoolaidThat’s a pretty nasty batch of koolaid you’ve been drink bbum. Here. Have some tequila. I’m fresh out of Don Julio 1942 but I’ve got some jose cuervo around here someplace.
when i was on the obama campaignin Wake County NC, there was a Polish-American woman I was working with who had been living in the US for two decades, had two kids, and she was a child during WW2. She told me it was the fault of Jewish people because they had no country to call their own. What really strikes me is that eastern europe has a high number of neo nazis i.e. pride parades being attacked by skinheads. I never thought they would have nazism, knowing the history.
Over 160 congregations, clergy and religious organizations support the Approve 71 campaign. You can see the impressive list here, representing several religions, numerous Christian denominations and people in every corner of the state. Also there is an even longer list of non-religious organizations supporting Approve 71 as coalition partners, including Childhaven and the American Federation of Teachers. So all I can say bbum23 is that either all these people and organizations are in the evil clutches of the dastardly gayz (who aren’t even powerful enough to insure their own ability to get a 2nd class domestic partnership), or you haven’t examined the legislation and its history very carefully.
um ok.. well how else do you discribe those that actually do live a normal way of life, and can have kids? I just think that if your parents would be gay you probably wouldnt be here or you’d have serious mental problems as studies have shown.
Ahh I recognize him/herThis is the asshat little troll in the chatroom last nite. Nothing to see here. Everybody look away…
oh…IF ONLY IT WOULD BE ONLY about 2nd class partnership… i wouldnt care as much
you can still be here through artificial insemination, or one of your parents coming out of the closet, in which nothing is wrong with that. Why call heterosexuality a normal way of life? I find nothing normal about it. I don’t find anything wrong with it. But why call it normal? i don’t see what makes it “normal” or “special.” please clarify.
Ban him.
which studies?cite them please.
Ah, someone joined us from the “good ol’ days”OK bbum23, I’ll play.
You’re late! You know how long it’s been since dinner was ready? I cook all day long and this is the kind of respect I get.
Now wipe your feet before you get mud on my clean carpets.
I’ll have your pipe and slippers ready after you eat…
LOL
I guess Paul Cameron’s BS
Salvic RussiansIn Spokane County there are 20-25,000 Russians. They are very secretive. You see them out shopping etc. They have a few generations living in their homes. They keep their properties up. But they also run illegal chopped shops and when their kids smash up their cars and killed themselves due to heavy drinking…you never hear about it again after the inital news article.
Anyway a couple of months ago when the petition drive was on we(INBA) received a call from a firefighter. She said that the Russians were lining up in droves to register to vote. She obviously could not say anything to them but was very concern. I’m concern. They will get their ballots and vote.
R-71 is very low key over here. You see a few reject signs and I have only seen my partner’s and my house with approve signs. The Spokesman-Review has endorsed for approval and there have been only a few letters to the editior split evenly for reject/approve. This week there were some debates at Gonzaga Law and I think Larry “three x married” S. made a visit.
Briefly we always hear about how the churches will be forced to accept gay marriage etc. This does not make sense. For example, can a Baptist marry in the Catholic church? No. Churches will marry someone who has their beliefs. If they feel being gay is wrong then you can’t marry in that church. If the oposition feels this in incorrect then tell Larry to try getting married in the Catholic church for wedding number 4.
Really?I think Ref-71 puts the lie to this begging off of bigotry once and for all. SB 5668 has NOTHING to do with marriage, it has NOTHING to do with education. It merely grants state rights and obligations to domestic partnerships that are equivalent to those granted to married couples! The fact that bigots opposing Ref-71 would claim that they’d be OK with gay partnerships if only they left marriage alone is absurd. How freaking stupid do you think people are? The simple fact is you bigots are opposed to ANY rights or recognition for same-sex couples. period. It’s time to face the truth, it isn’t about marriage for folks like Oregon Gary and Thrice Married Larry or the simple-minded bigots supporting their efforts it’s about “teh gay”.
Sssshhhh….Please don’t feed the Troll.
Watchmen On The WallsA certified hate group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. More info at the Wikipedia.
Not newThe Washington Legislature is pretty good about archiving audio and video of not just floor debates but also committee testimony. In a few that I’ve listened to re: LGBT issues, there have been some with incredibly thick Eastern European accents who testified against whatever the pro-LGBT position would be.
The line would usually be that they didn’t flee wherever they say they’re from to come to a country that would allow such immorality.
So, I guess…if you read between the lines of an “argument” such as that, they’re saying that being forced to live amongst us pervs would be yet another form of oppression. Wow. I never knew I was part of group that held so much power.
Oh, shut up.Seriously. Just. Shut. Up. Nothing in R-71 affects your life in any way, shape or form. There is nothing in this, no way for you to justify this, other than an attempt to legislate your hate. Sit down. Shut up.
We have them in California tooThey seem to have clustered in and around Sacramento. Nasty, hateful group, there have been a few violent/near-violent confrontations.
My now anarcho-feminist daughter used to protest against abortion and gay rightswhen she would be visiting my Focus on the Family affiliated ex, who would pressure her to do so.
Many times, the kids get emotionally blackmailed, so lets stay focused on the vile adults who put them out there
My children were raised by a LesbianMy son is a decorated soldier, so you are saying that the love of country and the call to public service that I instilled in him is a sign of mental illness?
What are you, some kind of russky commie?
My daughters are both in outstanding grad schools, one is at Brandeis.
Was the desire for academic excellence that I instilled in them a sign of mental illness?
Well, I am not taking that kind of crap from you, Comrade.
Do any of your children serve their country?
Did you?
Was it a commie country?
This Lesbian mom served, by the way.