Transgender Conference is Killing our Culture?
I am sickened by the casual way in which the right wing media spew forth hatred of homosexuals. Here is the latest call to action from GLAAD referring to a disturbing exchange on “The O’Reilly Factor:”
Laura Ingraham claims that Transgender Conference is “Killing Our Culture” on FOX News’ The O’Reilly Factor
While guest hosting Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor on Feb. 8, commentator Laura Ingraham debated Medea Benjamin, a spokeswoman for Code Pink who is opposed to military recruitment stations in Berkeley, Calif. Ingraham and Benjamin had the following exchange:
INGRAHAM: Are you—do you think that people have a right then to stop the, let’s say, transgender conference that’s happening next month at Berkeley? What if the push was to stop the transgender conference? Would you support that?
BENJAMIN: I don’t think that has anything to do with it, Laura..
INGRAHAM: Has nothing to do with the culture or a divisive issue?
BENJAMIN: It’s war that the American people are against.
INGRAHAM: Well, wait. You think - oh, no, let me get this straight. You think the majority of Americans would support a transgender conference in their communities? Are you kidding me?
BENJAMIN: A transgender conference. . . ..
INGRAHAM: Oh, come on.
BENJAMIN: . . . .is not killing people. It’s people discussing. We’re talking about a war.
INGRAHAM: And killing the culture, maybe.. That’s all.
Ingraham’s claim that a transgender conference is “killing the culture” reflects the kind of over the top, uninformed statements that are unfortunately still commonplace in various News Corporation media outlets. Such ill-informed rhetoric does nothing to advance any discussion of issues, whether transgender specific or not.
TAKE ACTION:
GLAAD encourages you to contact Laura Ingraham and The O’Reilly Factor and ask them to stop making ignorant, mean-spirited attacks on transgender people.
CONTACT: oreilly@foxnews.com
What does the transgender conference have to do with the war? Obviously the host had no idea what to say next, so instead of thinking of a good comeback, she just decided to throw some homophobia into the mix. When the right wing dummies are backed into a corner, all they can think to do is throw anti-gay grenades or bring up Jesus, which is why everyone should hate them. And how does the transgender community endanger culture? How do they kill the culture? What are they doing to kill the culture? How is culture killed? What the fuck does any of that mean?
February 15th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
M!
Reading this stuff just makes me hurt on the inside. All the children of bush can do is hate. As a gay man I stand tall with my rainbow snow cap and say “Fuck You”. I find it all too funny that this Homo hating woman has a gay brother herself. I wonder what he feels about all this haltered she spews on a daily basis.
Love you Loads
Alex
February 16th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Margaret ya’ll were fabulous in Richmond Last night. I am crazeeee about Ian Harvie, flawless….! Love ….
February 16th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I was so, so, SO angry when I read this on your site that I posted about it on my site as well.
What the fuck? What the fuck! What the FUUUUUCK?!!!!!!!!
And then I found the video which angered me even more: http://youtube.com/watch?v=JL2hOjCulDw
February 16th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
seriously, jesus hung out with 12 men all the time and sometimes they had a prostitute with them- mary magdalene is the original faghag. he turned water into wine, so he didn’t have to cut into his partying. he didn’t date women. what if jesus were gay?
i think we should get some wrist bands with “WIJWG?”
if he were, would that mean that he died iwithout purpose? would his sacrifice be belittled by his sexuality? did he die in vain?
if jesus were alive today, would he have to dodge paparazzi? or would god smite the powers that be on TMZ?
February 16th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Hey Margaret,
Thanks for your concern and outrage, it’s great to have allies who care. I just want to point out that the sentiment being expressed by Ingraham here was transphobia, moreso than homophobia. I think it’s a word that needs to be in more good people’s vocabulary.
Otherwise, right on.
February 17th, 2008 at 3:47 am
Obvisiously this is nothing more then SLOX news trying so desperate to stir up ugly hatred on this issue. I say it’s about time for the “Beautiful People” to finally rise up and put an end to it once and for all! The right wing needs to be clipped!
February 17th, 2008 at 5:29 am
I agree with AJ regarding it being transphobia. However, is it homophobia for those people who don’t have any understanding of transgenderism and (by default) lump it in with homosexuality? Many people have a tendency to confuse gender, sex and sexual orientation.
I think it would have been a blast for Medea Benjamin to ask Ingraham: “So, what is your understanding of transgenderism?”
Anyway, I’ve written an angry missive to the show, complete with references lest they actually want to reduce their ignorance. And you know what, I think they just might print my email…. and use it for toilet paper.
February 17th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I am kinda scared when I read this bullshit. How on earth do we as a nation overcome stupid racisim, predjudice and ignorance with this type of program on national TV? AS a middle class, southern woman, in the deep south-bible belt, I live with people like this, and though they feel this way, they are willing to listen to change. Then this bullshit comes from NOwhere, straight out of Puritan america and gives those fears creedence.
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:41 am
I am so tired of the religious right who are so evil. Especially when they bring up Jesus. Because you know, Jesus hung out with prostitutes and lepers and tax collectors and samaritans, those people that no one else liked. And now the rich religious right has taken him and used him to justify killing people in the Middle East as well as queerphobia. WTF?
February 24th, 2008 at 5:24 am
I think the best term is heterosexism, which includes homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia.
I also noted the proprietary claim of “our culture” used by Ingraham. The culture belongs to all of us, not just rightist nutjobs.