It seems that the more heated, and important a debate becomes... the more we feel inclined to draw a line down the middle, and pick a side... thus removing all gray area and making the situation completely black and white as a society. While I understand that it's always a gut-reaction to say "fuck that" to something that we disagree with, is that really helping either side of a cause? No, it's not. It just proves one or the other's point. I am officially going to say, that I don't think it's proactive or helpful to meet hate or bigotry, with more hate or bigotry. It's not helping, and just makes you look like a hypocrite every time you do it.
So, what's wrong with a little gray area? We as a society don't want it. We have to be right, or wrong. In the debate on Equality, it has become either pro-gay, or anti-gay. You don't get an "in between" you're one or the other, and you have no choice about it. Battle lines have been drawn. So, when there are those select few that are resting in the gray... how does it look to them when we as a society are forcing them to choose a side? Forcing on them, "this is right, fuck those other guys," isn't helping your cause at all. Throwing equal amounts of rotten tomatoes the other way, isn't going to cancel out the BS they're throwing this way.
Thus, I come to my point. I am a slactivist. I'm ok with that. I am very firm on my point, and love to offer my support to equality, and pro-gay efforts without being overtly active to the cause... but I (unlike most) am not going to do it with "Over-Reactivism." I'm pretty sure I just coined that term, but I'm not taking credit for it just yet. Anytime we see someone that seems to be leaning slightly in the opposite direction.... we over-react. We begin "throwing tomatoes" at lightning speed. People jump on it immediately, discounting their thoughts, opinions, and feelings. We paint them to be hate-filled monsters. How is that helping? Especially when there are real hate-filled monsters out there, that actually deserve the portrait we offer them.
I'm going to bring in the same viewpoint I have about the whole "anti-drug" cause. If you tell everyone that pot is the same as heroin, when they realize it isn't, it's going to discount you, and you'll appear to be an "Over-Reactivist." Same goes for the debate on equality. There are people out there picketing funerals, and standing on street corners with signs that say, "God Hates Fags." That is both disturbing, and disgusting. They are truly the comparative "heroin" of the anti-gay movement. Do you really want to lump everyone on the other side into that same area? It's the same mistake. Let's not forget, that the DARE program, based on this notion failed miserably.
The ends don't justify the means. You cannot stop the hate, by providing more hate, and propaganda. It doesn't make it O.K. just because the propaganda is to your liking... it's still the same thing! What happened to being the bigger man?
I'm certainly not about to change my mind on the subject. I think being anti-gay is wrong, and I feel that we should continue to push for equal rights as well as trying to stop the hate and educate the public. I'm just saying that before you re-post that anti-anti-gay article, or share that hateful anti-gay remark with well worded, "fuck this hateful motherfucker," that you think twice about what you're promoting. Are you promoting equality? Or are you just promoting hate with a prettier face? Take ten seconds and think it through.
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