LZ Ganderson presents a humourous and poignant talk: asking what is it that politicians and religious folk are referring to when they mention ‘The Gay Agenda’; and reminding them all that LGBT people, just like them, are entitled to human rights.
TED talks are almost always fun, thought-provoking, innovative and exciting. I’m so glad to see one addressing gay issues.
**Crossposted with permission from the awesome Our Freedom To Love: A website journal raising awareness for the rights of bi-national gay couples and the LGBT community at large.
Warning, there will be SPOILERS, SWEETY.
This morning I logged on with other Whovians to comment on last night’s Doctor Who episode “Closing Time”. For those who don’t know, it features the return of a surprisingly popular character, Craig Owens, from last season’s “The Lodger” as well as iconic villains, the Cybermen. Although, I should say I was more excited to see the reintroduction of the cybermat, which, in my opinion, turned out to be scarier than the Cybermen (one can argue they haven’t been frightening since 1967.)
So in the story, the Doctor pops in to say hello to Craig, who has been left alone to watch his infant son, Alfie, or “Stormaggedon, the Dark Lord of All” as he prefers to be known. The Doctor speaks “baby”…just go with it. Only instead of a quick chat and hopping back into the TARDIS, his curiosity leads him to find employment in a department store and investigate the strange power outages and the mysterious “silver rat“.
Insisting the he assist him in this investigation, Craig straps Alfie in a papoose and follows the Doctor to the store where one of the employees mistakes them for a gay couple. There’s also a bit where the Doctor tries to keep Craig’s attention on him, shockingly professing that he has the hots for Craig, in order to keep him from freaking out about the approaching Cyberman. Just kidding, old boy.
I love you, Craig. No homo.Horror and hilarity ensue, the Cybermen are defeated and Stormaggedon decides that “Alfie” is now a good enough name to go by. Oh yeah, and then the same employee remarks how lovely it is that Alfie has two daddies that love him.
Did you hear that?
That was the sound of Christians howling in offended disbelief.
You stupid woman! Gays can’t have loving, familial relationships with children!Now, online, I noticed one man remarked how he wished the writers would get rid of all the “homosexual stuff” in the show. I brushed it off. But going back later I noticed the comment was gone (probably removed by a moderator) only to find another disgruntled commentator complaining that he was offended that this employee was so enthusiastically supportive of two gay dads loving their son! Followed by the ensuing comments about “deviant lifestyles”, what is this teaching his children, infecting their psyches, why must the writers offend their Christian audience, blah blah blah…The icing on the cake is the inference of the “agenda” the show is now pushing.
Of course, we all now what the agenda is – tolerance.