Wayne Besen - Author, Activist, Columnist, Public Speaker

Friday, September 15, 2006

Blade Editor Chris Crain Discusses His Exile To Brazil

In a speech on the five-year anniversary of 9/11, the president described our enemies as "extremists" who have perverted religion into "a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom [and] rejects tolerance." It is long past time that our activists explain to the country what we, as gay Americans, know to be true: on the issue of homosexuality at least, Bush and his conservative allies are practicing what they preach against.

Our president rails against "radical imams" enshrining their religious edicts into law, even as he calls on Americans to amend our nation's founding document to enshrine the "sacred institution of marriage" as limited to heterosexual couples only.

There are more than one thousand ways the federal government bestows opposite-sex couples with rights and responsibilities denied their same-sex counterparts. One of them is in U.S. immigration laws, which allow straight Americans to bring to this country their foreign spouses and fiancees -- even if they've never met. Gay Americans, meanwhile, are powerless to be united with their foreign-born partners, unless they are willing to live in exile abroad — and thousands of them do.

That's the choice I face, and I make it with very mixed emotions. I will leave behind my friends, my job, my pets and my family -- my life -- and move to another continent to be with my partner.

It may sound melodramatic, but for me it was the last identity domino left standing. I will always be an American, but I will share that identity with a newfound home, at least until our government lives up to the promise of "freedom and tolerance" about which the president speaks with such conviction.

14 Comments:

If there's anyone who has perverted religion its Bush himself. He has to be the number one hypocrite of all time, espousing democracy in Iraq and yet his own gay and lesbian citizens do not enjoy full democracy in their own country, ergo marriage equality. We are probably the only western country left that along with Poland and a handful of Eastern European countries that do not permit its gay citizens from sponsoring their foreign born partners, what a disgrace. Our closest ally the UK permits it, so why can't we? What an embarrassment.

Robert, NYC.
posted by Anonymous, at 9/15/2006 1:29 PM

The Orwellian society we are now living in is scary indeed.
Our President justifies uncontrolled invasion by illegal aliens (a policy that directly contributed to 9/11) by saying illegal aliens want to work and care for their families.
Yet he baldly denies that gay and lesbian citizens are trying to do the same and are undeserving of equal access and protection to the birthright guarantees of this country.
Obviously gays and lesbians transcend cultures and countries and family structures.
This is key because this also transcends political structure and ideology.
Meaning HUMAN beings characteristic of being gay, is irrelevant to our own cultural ideology, but an enhancement of it.
That is, as long as there is clarity about such a thing coming from our leadership.
Our government is showing all the signs of being contaminated by the corruption of other FOREIGN governments.
Our country isn't that old, and neither are the standards of full equality given to most citizens.
The only reason it was ever successful was because of standards finally being applied the way they were intended.
This is no longer true for another minorty, and at the expense of national identity and loyalty.
Without this loyalty to our nation and all it's citizens, this is how our country is vulnerable to attack and ultimately destruction.
Moral vision requires a strong sense and knowledge of justice and true empathy.
The people in charge of our country have neither.
Yet, they manage to place blame for the doom of this country on the shoulders of gay people.
That is SO beyond dumb and dangerous.
Makes me wanna holler!
posted by Regan, at 9/15/2006 3:07 PM

This is absolutely true. People should follow their religion and let others practice theirs. Or not practice as the case may be.
posted by Anonymous, at 9/15/2006 3:43 PM

We're moving to Canada next year.

There is a small group of us that are blogging about it. Some of us are binational couples, others are just fed up Americans.

http://canadianhope.blogspot.com/
posted by Tom, at 9/15/2006 4:28 PM

I'm very glad to see that Crain started the discussion about emigration. Gay organizations, along with Muslim and antiwar groups, are failing their members if they don't encourage them to at least begin planning for emigration.

I see Canada mentioned here, which is certainly better than the US, but things have been going backward there and in Australia the last few years. Europe offer the most certain future in my opinion. Check out the EU statement on homophobia and gay rights here.
posted by Ezekiel In Exile, at 9/18/2006 9:54 AM

Maybe I am a pathetic optimist, but I truly believe that this country is turning around. Sure, we lost big in 2004, but it wasnt because the majority of Americans are against gay rights. It's just because it's an issue that doesn't affect them, therefore, it wouldn't bring them to the polls. The fundies, in the meantime, are loading up the buses. I do have faith in my fellow American to do the right thing. But I can't see a way to fight the good fight and change the country for the better from the outside. For my kids and for my kids' kids, I have to try to make this country work for all mankind.
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