Often Irate: Seeking refuge from Stupidity

Falwell dies at 73

He was found at 11:30am without a pulse and was pronounced dead about an hour later. Can’t say I’m terribly moved by it. He’s been ridiculously influential and has said some remarkably inflammatory and stupid things. (Anyone remember when he said 9/11 was the fault of pagans, abortionists, gays and lesbians?) He had so much hate, and called it Christian – I wonder how often he glossed over the fact that Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes, among the “worst” people. It’s men like Falwell that made me want to study religion, especially Christianity, to try to take it back from them, to restore it, to save it. He’s dead, but his movement caught on and it’s not going anywhere, it seems.

I somehow find it very fitting that it happened today.

Today, the National Center for Transgender Equality (and others) are on Capitol Hill lobbying for the trans-inclusive ENDA that’s been proposed. One person among the many there is Susan Stanton – the Largo city-manager fired for her announcement that she would transition to female (an announcement forced by a leak to a paper). This morning, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition had their statewide lobby day for legislation to include gender identity and expression in the statewide non-discrimination legislation.

Falwell’s heart (presumably) gave out on a day when hundreds of transgender Americans and their allies are pushing for their rights to be seen as human, to be protected under the law, and to have a shot at a life that others get to take for granted – housing, employment, safety without regard for gender identity. I was very careful about where I looked for housing – Boston and Cambridge protect transgender people from housing discrimination, but not the rest of Massachusetts (save Northhampton). Same with employment. My name will legally change this summer, and as my voice continues to drop, I need to be in places where it won’t risk losing my home or my job. These are protections that the Right has opposed, saying it protects a serious mental illness, that we are ill, deranged and even psychotic, that they will normalize deviant behavior and erode morality.

I can’t say I’m too terribly upset that his heart gave out. Someone will step up to fill the gap – and there are plenty of people with even harsher words. But, today, with legislation pending and silenced voices finally being heard, and one less voice calling out against us, I can smile.