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UPDATE: Reply from the NC Dem Party is below the fold.
First the good news – Equality NC is going to recognize NC House Speaker Joe Hackney at the 2010 Equality Gala this year (Saturday, November 13), for his work as a legislative champion for equality.
The bad news: his colleague, NC State Representative Larry R. Brown (R) is a bigot. And he’s not afraid to hit that “send” button in his email client to tell the world about it. (News & Observer):
Rep. Larry Brown sent his fellow House Republicans an e-mail last week where he referred to gays as “queers” and “fruitloops.”Brown was responding to an e-mail House Minority Leader Paul Stam of Apex sent to members of his caucus about House Speaker Joe Hackney getting an award from the Equality NC Foundation, a gay-rights group.
Brown sent his reply to nearly 60 e-mail addresses. “I hope all the queers are thrilled to see him,” said the message dated Sept. 27. “I am sure there will be a couple legislative fruitloops there in the audience.”
Are you surprised when you click over to Brown’s official state page, who represents the 7th District (Davidson, Forsyth), that this man looks like the stereotype of someone afraid of the change in his South; he’s part of the the past that is dying off in our General Assembly, his allies in bigotry starting to dwindle.
The recipient of the email, NC House Minority Leader, Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam (R-Paul.Stam@ncleg.net) is another elected bigot who was clearly upset that this email leaked beyond the 60 intended recipients, saying Brown should apologize only to “those who got the e-mail and were offended.” ROTFLOL!
Ian Palmquist, executive director of Equality North Carolina, said Brown should apologize for using anti-gay slurs.“I think it’s disgusting to see a member of the legislature talking about his own constituents and fellow North Carolinians that way,” Palmquist said. “I would hope that he would apologize and his colleagues would speak out about that kind of bigotry.”
Brown did not return telephone calls today.
Anyone feel like politely tickling Brown’s inbox since he’s not answering his phone? BTW, he’s running for re-election unopposed.
Email: Larry.Brown@ncleg.net
Phone: 919-733-5607
And please register to honor Rep. Hackney at the 2010 Equality Conference & Gala. This statewide event brings people together for a day full of cutting-edge policy discussions and activist skills training, followed by our evening celebration of our collective achievements. The conference will once again take place at the Elliott University Center on the beautiful campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and the gala will take place at the Empire Room in downtown Greensboro.David Young, Chairman of the NC Democratic Party (via email):
Dear Friends,Overt bigotry and name-calling. That is the North Carolina Republican Party of 2010.
I’m not sure if you’ve seen it, but news has just broken across the North Carolina that Republican state Representative Larry Brown of Kernersville used some of the most callous and juvenile language possible in an email to other members of the Republican caucus about an upcoming Equality NC event.
In his email, he refers to tax-paying and hard-working citizens in a derogatory and demeaning tone that conjures up images of a different era in North Carolina politics – an era we should be completely past.
The people he chooses to childishly mock are his constituents. They are his neighbors. They are the people who pay his salary.
It’s completely disrespectful, and Representative Brown should apologize immediately.
Thus far, he has refused to do so.
Worse yet, Republican Minority Leader Skip Stam defended Brown according to the Raleigh News & Observer, saying, the only people Brown should apologize to are those who got the e-mail and were offended.”
Well, I’m offended. To think, these people want to lead our state. Lead it where exactly? Backward.
Help us stand up to these schoolyard bullies. Please go online today and join the North Carolina Democratic Party’s Moving North Carolina Forward campaign. You can volunteer by clicking here or make a secure online contribution HERE.
Help us get the vote out so we can get rid of elected officials who still think discrimination is a joking matter.
Sincerely,
David
15 Comments
The N&O gets is wrong – They’re calling Democrats gay.Quoting my PAC:
What? Democrats couldn’t find ANYONE to run against this guy? Guess not.
Just like Democrats couldn’t find anyone to run against Senator Thune in ND.
Oh well.
there’s no surprise that this is broadly about DemsBecause they taste a chance of control and if we let the GOP take control, we will see a debate on a marriage amendment.
Creating a bad situationThe NC GOP opposes comprehensive sex ed, they try to amend the NC constitution every year to make being gay that much harder, and then they oppose anti-bully measures that can help avoid all the kinds of suicides that have been happening recently after they’ve helped create such conditions, and now they pile on with slurs?
I think the NC GOPis setting up a bit of a powder keg, and I did a quick write up for Kos, but I have to leave for class, so I didn’t get to work on it long. Please rec it if you think it deserves such:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/…
BemusedOkay, either ‘queer’ is offensive or it is not, and our trying to have it both ways with ‘context’ as the excuse doesn’t really fly. The funny thing about words is that they’re free and everybody gets to use them, which makes choosing which ones we embrace that much more important. I’ll take umbrage at people calling us queer when we stop calling ourselves that.
I fear, in this order1. Constitutional Amendment on 2011 or 2012 ballot.
2. Bully Bill Repeal
3. Outlawing municipal partner benefits
Great Job, Jake
yeah, I thoughtthat some had begun adding “Q” to the end of LGBT recently.
Q is for “Questioning” as in “I’m not sure/confident about whatever my sexual orientation is or is evolving into. I’m questioning.”
actuallyI’ve seen documentation that the “Q” can be for either or both Queer and/or Questioning.
I’ve also seen documentation that the “G” can be both Gay and GenderQueer.
And, outside of that, there has been an effort to take back the word “Queer” so that it isn’t a slur any longer.
Take back the word “Queer”?That makes almost as much sense as African-Americans taking back the N word!
Any time you use such words to describe yourself, you invite bigoted douche bags to use it against you.
Not surprising,although my father has been nice to my face for the last 30 years since I came out, I am sure he still refers to us as queers and fruit-loops when he is playing poker with his misogynistic group of heterosupremist buddies.
This douchebag is from the same generation as my father. The labeling and generalizations of our community and individuals within the LGBTQ community by the heterosupremmist christian fascists in America and their misogynistic bigoted friends won’t end until they are all cremated.
Moreso than they use “gay” and “homosexual”?They use those words as pejoratives. We use them – and the word queer – as a descriptive, or an identification. There’s a significant difference.
The GLBT community has been using the word Queer for decades to describe/name/reference itself. To my knowledge, the African-American community has never done the same with the N-word. I don’t think that is an accurate analogy.
The word “fag” or “faggot” is much more like the N-word than Queer will ever be.
I don’t think it’s context……I think it’s intent. Context may be part of that, but the intent of the word as a slur – as in this case – is what makes it more offensive.
That being said, “queers” is not the same as “fags” and never will be, so I’m kind of with you here. We use the word queer as a community identifier all the time.
I take offense at the “fruitloops” comment. But really because it’s so immature more than anything else.