Years ago, when I first began my obsession with physical fitness, a close friend of mine told me about his tried and true way to avoid unhealthy eating.
“If there are a large number of overweight people at a restaurant, I choose to avoid it and seek a healthier alternative.” I initially balked at his advice but, while I admit I enjoy an occasional Big Mac and fries, his words ring in the back of my mind each time I step out to grab a quick lunch or an impulsive dinner. Follow the habits of healthy people to remain healthy!
His logic is sound and very similar to the advice my parents bestowed upon me in my early teens, when I first discovered more adult-themed parties. “Look at the people around you,” my parents said. “If you’re not comfortable with who is there or what’s happening around you, remember that you don’t have to stay.”
Fortunately I never had to heed that advice from my parents, but their message and the message of my friend are similar. Surround yourself with the kinds of people whose actions you want to emulate and those you respect.
That’s pretty sound advice.
I am an open-minded person. If someone has a different view, I want to understand why they hold that view and, if I still disagree with them, share my own perspective on the issue. That’s always easier said than done, of course, but necessary to begin a dialogue. That’s why I was happy and even eager to speak with representatives of gay Republican groups in our previous issue of Watermark.
While watching the ongoing, never-ending coverage of the Republican National Convention this week in Tampa, I heard the familiar voices of my parents in my head again. I watched what was unfolding at events around the convention and at RNC-affiliated celebrations leading up to the nomination of Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate for president.
In short, it solidified my belief that this year’s GOP ticket nor mission that Ior any LGBT person or ally can support.
The day the event opened despite Tropical Storm Isaac Pastor Jim Garlow spoke at a $50-per-plate VIP luncheon to encourage votes for Romney/Ryan. Garlow, in case you’re wondering, is an activist who helped halt marriage equality in California in 2008 with Proposition 8.
During his benediction at the luncheon, Garlow insisted that religious liberty cannot co-exist with the radical homosexual agenda and, according to Alternet.org, he hopes pastors across the country will violate IRS regulations and tape their politically charged sermons this Fall and send them to the IRS with a note saying, “sue us.” In short, he asked churches to break the law in the name of discrimination.
That same day, former GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann headlined a “unity rally” at a non-denominational mega-church sponsored by two affiliates of Focus on the Family. While she barely touched on marriage equality and LGBT rights, she has made her stances on ex-gay conversion therapy well known throughout the primary cycle. Also speaking was Bishop Harry Jackson, who prayed for the defeat of marriage equality in Maryland, which goes before voters in November. Praying for inequality? Yes, that was his message.
The list goes on and on, all the way up to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who spoke at the Forum and was the one who spearheaded the recent Chick-fil-A Appreciation day to honor the chain for its anti-gay contributions.
All of these events unfolded before Mitt Romney even took the stage or before delegates voted to officially nominate him as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate. A theme was set.
None of these individuals talked about plans to improve the country, rather than singling out the ill effects of marriage equality. None of them directly addressed why their presumptive candidate was better than our current President, other than to say that his last name is not Obama.
I don’t always agree with my parents and they don’t always agree with me. I also don’t always agree with my friend. But I know good advice when I hear it.
By simply listening to the people affiliated with the Republican ticket this year, I know I’m extremely uncomfortable. Heeding the advice I have grown to respect, I know I can’t enjoy the party or the meal before me, and I have to look at the alternative.
