compiled by Howard Israel
"Many people are less vocal about their feelings for murderers, child rapists and drug pushers, than they are about their dislike for gay persons. I pay taxes, I work, I contribute to my society, and yet everyone thinks they have a right to tell me what I do in my bedroom is illegal and quote scriptures. Last time I checked, adultery and fornication were just as wrong, but we don't go around quoting scriptures to men who have two and three girlfriends. … People would prefer a son who was out every night romancing and ruining young girls. Apparently that's less of a sin than being in a monogamous relationship with a life partner of the same sex."
– Jody Seymour (not his real name), a 24-year-old gay man, in an article titled "Policy of exclusion – a gay man speaks out," about life for gay men in Trinidad and Tobago, in the southern Caribbean http://www.TrinidadExpress.com, April 30.
"There is a strong bond between teammates that cannot be destroyed. You kill yourself out on the track, or field, every day alongside them. You sweat, you bleed, and you cry for the same cause – to win for your school, for each other, and for yourselves. As a result, your teammates will be your best friends forever. Your sexual orientation will never change your goals and your dreams unless you allow it."
– Cory Benton, Columbia University senior and track star, writing about his coming out experiences as an black, gay college athlete in a letter titled "Columbia University sprinter is openly gay," http://www.outsports.com, April 27.
"The vast majority of homophobes are straight people. But they are never outed for being straight. Just like most racists are not passing as whites but secretly of color and most anti-Semites are not actually Jewish. When a famous homophobe gets outed for being a big fag, a lot of straight people will say, 'See, homophobes are always closet cases' and then heave a huge sigh of relief that they themselves are straight and therefore not homophobic. And as funny as it is that Dr. George is a big fag, blaming homophobia on queers is just not funny."
– Laurie Essig, on her blog titled "Family Research Council co-founder a big fag," about the scandal around George Rekers, anti-gay religious activist, hiring a male escort, http://trueslant.com, May 6.
"My facial features are so undeniably feminine that passing is rather rare for me. For the record, I do not identify as male. Labels are paradoxically complicating yet simplifying things, but I guess I'm somewhere on the transmasculine-genderqueer-genderfluid spectrum. I present as masculine and wish that my anatomical features were more aligned with my inner gender identity. My reason for going on hormones would not quite be to transition to male, but instead to gain a more masculine/ambiguous appearance. I'm saying all of this now, but when/if I ever do start hormones, who knows where they will take me on this never-ending gender journey."
– Leotron, in his blog titled "Pre-T and 'Pretty,'" http://leotron.tumblr.com, April 10.
"Those midterms are looking ominous for Democrats and so, per usual, LGBT initiatives are the first sacrificial lamb. Not only does this all but ensure 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' won't be repealed this year, some experts predict it's now off the table until 2013 – after the 2012 presidential elections, when the Democrats will be back with their hands outstretched for more mighty gay dollars while offering more empty promises and excuses in return."
– Kevin Naff, in his editorial titled "Will we remember in November?," http://www.washingtonblade.com, May 6.
"I grew up feeling sad and different and sometimes ashamed. I no longer am sad, I'm glad I'm different and I'll be damned if I'll ever be ashamed of who I am or what I believe. Because what I believe is that we are all the same. We are all equal. We all deserve to love and have our love recognized. I think I'm a pretty good person. I know I'm as good as anyone else. I have done little enough wrong to deserve your forgiveness. I've done nothing that deserves your pity. And I know that I am good enough to not deserve your tolerance. Tolerance is for someone who doesn't know better, like my dog who likes to jump on people. Tolerance is for someone whose views negatively impact your life, like people who want to stop me from loving the man I love, with all my heart. I do not want your tolerance. I do not deserve your tolerance. I will not accept your tolerance, any longer."
– David Badash, editor of The New Civil Rights Movement, in a column titled "I Do Not Deserve Your Tolerance," http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com, Jan. 13, 2009.
"Three sharks attack in Florida, millions of sharks in the ocean, and no one will go in the water. Hundreds and thousands of children raped in churches and people still send their kids to church. It's crazy. You should be sending your kids to gay bars. There, they will be safe."
– Dan Savage, on his podcast, about the Catholic Church's child abuse sex scandal, http://joemygod.blogspot.com, April 2.
