This morning I was awakened by a communiqué from my publicist, Florence Edwards, informing me that a recent article that I had written about actor/comedian Tracy Morgan, had been published in a very popular Australian magazine (FUSE). What was even more thrilling was when I did a Google search and discovered that several other magazines and newspapers in the USA had also printed many of my other articles. Feeling that my day was going to be a very productive one, I immediately began to prepare to run some very important errands, but before I could leave my home to do them, a huge news article on Yahoo appeared with the headline: Super Bowl hero’s shocking same-sex marriage comments!My heart almost literally dropped out of my body, as I thought to myself, "Not again! We haven’t even gotten over the shock of Tracy Morgan’s homophobic rant and now this!"

Even though the article was disheartening, still, I could not help but recall the moments of ecstasy and joy I experienced yesterday (June 16, 2011), when I learned that New York, where the gay rights movement was born (but has run up against conservative forces), could again change the political landscape for the LGBT global community by becoming the largest state to allow same-sex marriage. Although five states allow gay couples to marry, New York would be by far the most populous and diverse state to do so. On Wednesday, the Democratic-dominated Assembly easily approved the bill a fourth time, but the Senate remained divided, with 31 of 62 senators committed to approving it.For months, a parade of glitterati have lined up to voice their support for same-sex marriage -- including movie stars, famed athletes like Michael Strahan, Wall Street titans, as well as New York’s billionaire Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who flew to Albany on Thursday to appeal again to GOP senators. Because support for the bill has been so overwhelming, opponents of the bill have been less visible; running a few television ads not wanting to offend constituents and fearing the possible political backlash from human rights organizations across the country, if they oppose the bill too vehemently and too publicly.

In a last ditch effort to combat and quell the overwhelming support for the bill, the National Organization for Marriage (a faith-based anti-gay marriage organization) produced a video featuring former Super Bowl hero, David Tyree, who opposes marriage equality, enraging many gay and civil rights activists.

In an opinion column for Yahoo News, the group’s chairman, Maggie Gallagher, said Tyree told her he decided to speak out after his former teammate Michael Strahan declared his support for gay marriage last week.

The video appeared to take a page out of the playbook of the group’s adversary, the Human Rights Campaign, which has released a steady stream of video testimonials from celebrity advocates of gay marriage in recent months. Uma Thurman, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Avery of the New York Rangers and others have appeared in their videos.

Tyree seemed to chide notables who oppose same-sex marriage, but keep their opposition to themselves. “I am disappointed when ... not enough guys ... lift up something as honorable and near to God’s heart as marriage,” he said.

Tyree asserted in the video that the redefinition of marriage would be the beginning of a slide toward anarchy and the eventual downfall of our nation. Additionally, he stated, “How can marriage be marriage for thousands of years and now all the sudden because a minority, an influential minority, has a push or agenda ... and totally reshapes something that was not founded in our country, not founded by men, and it’s something that is holy and sacred, and that it’s something worth fighting for.”

Well Mr. Tyree, that is exactly what same-gender-loving people are fighting for, the right to enter into a sacred union with their Creator and with each other (and not participate in promiscuous lifestyles) because they love each other, highly respect the institution of marriage, and want to preserve its sacredness in our society.

I think for me however, the most troubling part of Tyree’s comments were the ones where he boldly stated that same-gender-loving parents were unfit to rear children and that male gay parents could not teach a woman how to be a woman (implying that only heterosexual’s could). The following is Tyree’s actual statement regarding this matter: “You can’t teach something that you don’t have, so two men will never be able to show a woman how to be a woman.” And, of course, for about the umpteenth time, I was again confronted again by the age old argument that the white gay community has an agenda (though he did not mention race), and that agenda is to use its political influence and financial muscle to bully the rest of the world into conforming to its demands. Furthermore, Tyree stated that marriage is the backbone of the nation. Admittedly, when he made this statement, I cringed! I cringed because if this is true, then we are in big trouble, especially since over fifty percent of heterosexual marriages end in divorce, which by the way, the heterosexuals blame on same-gender-loving people, who had absolutely nothing to do with it! (See my article entitled: Don’t Blame Me for Your Mess!)

In a devastatingly embarrassing interview with CNN anchor Kyra Phillips, Tyree’s arguments and reason for his anti-marriage equality stance were decimated and proven to be factually untrue by the incisive, skillful questioning of Kyra Phillips. Armed with an incredible amount of fact based research, every one of Tyree’s religious right talking points were masterfully refuted and disproven, and left Tyree bewildered, confused, stuttering, and logically bankrupt! It was akin to watching a train wreck; you know the outcome, but you cannot look away! In a battle of wits, Tyree was woefully unarmed when facing off with Ms. Phillips!

I respect Tyree’s love of his Christian faith and I truly believe he is sincerely following his religious beliefs, but more importantly, I believe that he is sincerely “misguided” in those beliefs! Tyree is attributing selfish and zealously fanatically biased moral precepts to a loving, benevolent, and unbiased God. A God who created all of His children to be happy and fulfilled in the joining of their hearts and souls with the mates that He has blessed them with regardless of their gender!

Besides the ongoing marriage debate that has undeniably shaken the entire world at its core, we are losing other battles as a nation because of homophobia and heterosexual privilege. Let us not forget that our children, teens and young adults are committing suicide at an alarming rate because they are being told by religious extremists that they are rejects and deviants, and that God hates them. Let us not forget that loving, monogamous couples are being denied their constitutional rights to Federal benefits without merit. Never mind that innocent people the world over are being jailed and murdered in the worst possible way, simply because they are gay! Never mind that the Foster Care system is overwhelmed by thousands of youth who have no homes (many of whom are LGBT) - almost bankrupting our country. Moreover, what is even more amazing to me is that candidates actually boldly and proudly campaign on a platform of “ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE.” Subsequently, because so many Americans are closeted bigots, these misguided politicians rake in their money and garner support and their votes.

What is even more amazing, is that it never dawns on U.S. citizens that there are provisions written within the Constitution to prevent anyone from stripping away the rights of its citizens simply because of color, race, creed, religious persuasion, or gender; and yes brothers and sisters -- even sexual orientation! Nowhere in the Constitution will you ever find the founding fathers ever endorsing the idea of divvying out equal rights to a select few, while denying other taxpaying, law abiding citizens these same rights. We are literally in violation of our own Constitution whenever we attempt to legislate these horrific injustices. The architects of this amazing document literally fled their own country because a tyrannical government would not allow them to worship freely, govern democratically, and denied them their God-given inalienable rights - all under the guise of religion.

Let us be clear, and do not be deceived. Religious zealots often distract us from the real issues that are plaguing our nation because it appeals to our prejudices and discriminatory attitudes, while Right Wing politicians ignore the needs of the poor by dismantling Medicare and by sabotaging programs that will provide for seniors, students, and children. Tea Partiers hold up signs at rallies that encourage U.S. citizens to reclaim their country back from the President with guns and violence, specifically because he is a Black man, while lobbyist and redneck politicians secretly and diabolically plan to undermine his re-election. Even though this open opposition to Obama and other Democratic leaders has somewhat quieted down after the recent shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and other noted officials in Arizona, it is apparent that this assault was the result of extreme Tea Party craziness. Consequently, prejudice, hatred, discrimination and homophobia is alive and well in America today!

So grievous and hideous have been the countless murders of same-gender-loving people worldwide that the United Nations had to recently pass a resolution demanding that countries stop committing these crimes against humanity and work toward creating laws that will grant equal rights to same-gender-loving people.

I wish to conclude this article by stating, if anything will lead to the demise of our civilization and lay the groundwork for “ANARCHY”, one without governmental law, disorder and utter chaos; it won’t be because the gays are marrying and lovingly caring for the thousands of unwanted children in the world. It will, however, be because we have allowed ourselves to be deceived and distracted by the Prince of Darkness who has beguiled nations for centuries and seduced us by making us believe that only a select few have a right to be free, honored and respected. Only a select few have a right to equal housing and proper medical care. And of course, the White House should never be occupied by a Black man - no, not ever! And friends, here is the greatest deception of all; we have been infected subliminally with the idea that if anything or anyone is different from what we consider to be the norm, that they should be imprisoned for life and/or stoned to death - something the Scribes and Pharisees would do in Jesus’ day!

Recently, in an article defending Tyree, John Hayward (a staff writer for HUMAN EVENTS, and author of the recently published Doctor Zero: Year One) asked this question, and just the way he poses the question is extremely insulting: “Does diluting the importance of marriage, by opening it to other permutations, represent the first step in a series of breakdowns that lead to anarchy?” It is important to note that the word permutation is simply a stylistic word for change or transformation. Subsequently, if demanding that present day marriage be changed or transformed so that it becomes all inclusive and accessible to everyone, then yes, permutation is needful, if not necessary! Moreover, if the present day definition of marriage is not changed, transformed, or subject to “permutation” as John Hayward opines, then is it any wonder why so many of our children, teens and young adults are choosing to end their lives because so many people are viewing them as deviant and labeling their expression of love and sincere desire to marry the person of their choosing as an “unnecessary permutation?”

By Terry Angel Mason, Global Author
Author of Love Won’t Let Me Be Silent
and
They Say That I Am Broken
WWW.TERRYANGELMASON.COM

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