The New Civil Rights Movement(s)

Below are maps one showing support levels for marriage equality as quantified by Facebook. The bottom map shows where abortions is now banned at 20 weeks or earlier. If you compare the two maps you might notice the overlap. Many of the same areas that restrict abortion are the least likely to support marriage equality. That is not too surprising but I didn't expect to see it in such a graphic way. Apparently and to a large extent the same places that are homophobic are also misogynistic. Generalities are usually dangerous but in this case I would tend to believe the old adage that the exceptions prove the rule.

  FACEBOOK MAP SHOWING MARRIAGE EQUALITY SUPPORT

 

Map From Planned Parenthood

 

The lesson for women and the LGBT communities couldn't be clearer: we are all in this together. The bond between us should be unshakeable because we fight the same bigotry and hatred from the same people. As for me, I will never see this country quite the same again. Though I knew about the pattern of red versus blue states on an intellectual level, these maps bring it home on a visceral level. The regional differences are real and we would ignore it at our peril. 

Women and the LGBT community need to work and organize together to overcome the ignorance and prejudice, especially in these "red" areas (in this case, light pink and caramel). If we stand together we SHALL overcome. And yes, it is a matter of civil rights and the struggle is just as real. Women and abortion doctors have died and so have bi, lesbian, gay and transgender human beings. We cannot afford to stand apart now.  We need to organize, organize organize.

 

 

 

 

 

You Never Know...

You never know what a person is capable of and if you discriminate against them to the point where they choose suicide, you never know how history may have been forever changed.  Who KNOWS what Alan Turing would have been capable of without the inhumanity demonstrated against him?

Who knows what the people might have been capable of who are tormented to death because they are different ? What could they have been? What might they have added to our society?Think about all the teen-agers who have been bullied to death? So much possibility, so much waste. Their deaths are tragedies not only for them and their families, but also for us.  Our short-sighted inhumanity short changes the world. So, if simple compassion isn't enough to stop bullying and discrimination, think about the self-interest of human society.  

You never know, the person you just were cruel to might have cured your cancer someday.