Saturday, June 29, 2013

Traditionalists vs me

Traditionalists vs me, Clayton Leon Winton

Recently, while discussing Gay Rights, Same-sex Marriage, AIDS and a plethora of LGBT issues, where I emphasized how many I've known since childhood who have succumbed to HIV related illnesses, or drunkenness, or drug addiction, or incarcerated, or felonized and therefore have no voting rights, or engaged in black-listings of one another,  and while I spent a few moments emphasizing that sex with strangers, internet hook-ups, casual-sex, bed-hopping, etc., is a death sentence for those claiming to be 'gay' while participating in it or promoting it are not promoting the values of real Gay Rights ... during that conversation, I was judged, then labeled:  "Traditionalist!"

How is it possible?  Me.  The person that has advocated for Same-sex Marriage my entire adult life, who's first same-sex husband died of AIDS (yet I do not have HIV); same-sex married two others; spent 14-yrs total with another same-sex spouse, who moved here to Spokane, WA from Los Angeles, CA with me 20yrs ago?  Me, first person to address the City Council on behalf of we Gays and our unique issues, testifying before the Human Rights Commission to secure funding for HIV/AIDS outreach and awareness, and hated for my success at it?  Me, the person that never cowered behind a woman, never lived a double-life, never "came-out" of a closet-of-deception because I was never involved in any deception?  How is it possible a self-described 'gay' would label me, a Real Gay, of all people, a "traditionalist?'

We of the greater GLBTQ community, GayLandIs (worldwide Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Tranny, Queers, etc peoples), have a bigger responsibility, an obligation, to the remainder of the world and the people in it, to protect them from harm, by modifying behaviors that are known to contribute to the spread of HIV, and it is we, Gays (not Lesbians), who are still the fastest-growing demographic of new infections.

The Str8-world that opposses us, think we are "evil" or "possessed" or "genetically insane" for not honoring monogomy in our (and our sex-partners') relationships.  It's a DOMA-clese sword hanging over the heads of both Gays AND Lesbians AND Bi's AND Trannies and all other version of 'queer' as more and more countries pass laws making "homosexual conduct" punishable by DEATH.

 -- and a promise that future health-insurance plans will eventually seek and find a form of Legislated "exemptions" from those engaged in such practices.  The 'thinking' is akin to:  if you are a drunk, should my transportation expenses increase, a "breath-analysis" lock-out devices installed on MY CAR at MY EXPENSE for YOUR PROBLEM?  And that truly is how these people think of it.

Further, the promotion of these nonsensical, unhealthy, expensive, killer behaviors that devalue, therefore dencigrates monogomous relationships, same-sex or otherwise, is why so many states have modified their State Constitutions defining marriage as between "one man and one woman." (If you think the recent SCOTUS decisions about either DOMA or CA Prop8 did anything at all to stop that, you are grossly misinformed).

Walk the walk, talk the talk, or you have no right to the word 'gay' -- you are in your own seperate 'class' of your own making.  Gay Rights is Equality, especially in work, housing, health and benefits;  it is NOT and has NEVER been the endorsement of lieing, cheating, sneaking-around in bed-hopping.

Kind Regards, always,
Clayton Winton

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