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LGBT News Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverbank.

Discussion in 'Current Events, World News, & LGBT News' started by therunawaybff, Feb 28, 2013.

  1. therunawaybff

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  2. greatwhale

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    Is it getting worse?
     
  3. therunawaybff

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    I think it's pushback against the gay rights movement, honestly. Forty years ago this guy might have been murdered just for being black and running for mayor in Mississippi.

    But we (gays) are just the new n-----s, not to put too delicate a term on it. And I don't say that because I have any issues at all with black people, I'm saying that gays in some parts of the US are legitimately dealing with lynch-level prejudice right now. These days "faggot" and "n-----" may as well be interchangeable slurs. They don't want us using their bathrooms, they don't want our donated blood, they want us to have our own proms separate from their kids. A black kid may come up and argue with me about this, but from what I've seen it's a LOT the same.

    And I can't really speak for how bad it is in the Deep South area all over, but yeah, in a lot of areas it's not great. Back in my hometown it's pretty fucking bad.
     
  4. theMaverick

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    That's horrible and I hope the person or people responsible fry for what they did.

    However, I don't think it's getting worse, because by and large, most people don't care one way or the other about a gay man or woman. They might not be exuberant that there are gay people, but they aren't going to murder someone for being gay either.

    That being said, Mississippi is not a place I would want to live. I also wouldn't want to live in a small town, because in small towns, people are less exposed to lgbt culture. Where I live, being gay or bisexual isn't really a big deal. There's an openly gay city councilman, and the local Christian college is accepting of LGBT students from what I understand, but this is a large city. This is also Texas, which while is technically part of the south, is culturally different than the rest of the south. Before someone tears into me about it, I realize Texas is not a bastion of LGBT acceptance or rights by any means, but it's different than Mississippi.....
     
  5. greatwhale

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    Would you ever find it so bad that you'd want to leave?

    With regard to backlash, that line from Dylan's song comes to mind..."That sonofabitch is brave and getting braver." and they can't tolerate that, at all.
     
  6. therunawaybff

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    Having lived in both Tennessee and Texas, I can say there is a huge cultural difference between what constitutes the "deep South" and the rest of it. The deep South is extremely insular in comparison to more metropolitan states like Texas and in the smallest hamlets of Alabama/Mississippi/Georgia/Tennessee, exposure to openly gay people is pretty limited in face-to-face interaction, as far as I can tell.

    (Course people are learning more about it through the Internet these days, but in case you hadn't noticed, bigots that operate on the level of physical violence don't tend to be your most informed and up-to-date citizens).

    Yeah, I actually did leave (and in part because of that) for almost two years. But I didn't want to, and I want to go home.

    I just wish the handful of prejudiced assholes who happen to live there would agree to live and let live, but unfortunately that seems like too much to ask for these days.
     
    #6 therunawaybff, Feb 28, 2013
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2013
  7. greatwhale

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    Do you think that, long-term, you living with Nick won't be noticed? And if you are, what could the consequences be?
     
  8. theMaverick

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    There's also a difference between states like Texas and states like Oklahoma (I don't know where to place Oklahoma...South? West? Midwest?) I lived in Oklahoma and it is very insular as well, if not sort of "backwoods".
     
  9. therunawaybff

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    No, I'm sure it will be eventually, once the word gets around that I'm back. Two streetlight towns don't really have much better stuff to do than keep gossip column tabs on their long-lost prodigal sons.

    I guess they could range from nothing at all (disgusted apathy of the townsfolk) to getting thrown down on a riverbank like a sack of trash myself one dark morning. Stories like this really hit home to me that it's real. People will kill you for this.

    As for my own personal situation, it just depends on how much of an issue the good ol' boys want to make out of it when they finally do put two and two together.

    Yeah, I've not lived anywhere in the rural Midwest, but I'm sure that you're bound to run into the same issues there. Big religion, small towns.
     
  10. greatwhale

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    It's chilling to read your post....

    As a Jew, I learned to live with danger radar on full alert, it's not always talked about but it's always there...

    It's always tricky to bring in historical parallels, but when the nazis were in power, too many Jews stayed in Germany because it was their home, and none of those who stayed thought it could get any worse...
     
  11. theMaverick

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    If it's an issue, what shall you do?
     
  12. therunawaybff

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    I don't know. Try not to get killed?
     
  13. greatwhale

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    I wish you well and be safe!
     
  14. Gold Griffin

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    Without progress, there would be nothing for the reactionaries to react to.
     
  15. BornInTexas

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    This just made me sad. Hitting closer to home... D:
     
  16. kylo

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    This is truly sad and unfortunate. Being a native of Mississippi and still having the majority of my family living there I know first hand how bad it can be down there.
     
  17. June Cleaver

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    I have always been accepted everywhere I have lived and guys always seem to want one thing. People who meet me seem to like me, I make friends easily and always have. Because of it my sister calls me "The Golden Child". That might make my experiences slightly diffrent than others. I grew-up on Davis Islands in Tampa, and as a adult I have lived in Louisiana, Arkansas, and now North Florida as well. In all those places I never had a problem being accepted. I have had my share of stalkers, nut cases, and forcefull men who don't like the word no. Here in North Florida I have had all three.

    The one man here who I was scared of for 6 years, fineally forced me to meet him. Now we are boyfriends and are soulmates. The truth sometimes is stranger than fiction. I now feel so stupid to have judged him without meeting him and giving into my fears. So you never know what goes through guys minds no matter how they appear. Food for thought! June
     
  18. Pret Allez

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    That's a terrible, evil thing, and is nothing less than an act of terrorism on all of us.

    There's a reason that when I go about armed.

    Being out is not "asking for it," although I shudder to think people in the news comments will be saying that...
     
  19. Convoy

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    I was down in Georgia on and off for a few years vising my great-grandmother and I swear they nearly ran me out of some places cause I was a "Yankee". Not more than five minuets in a place and I had people all upset over my accent.

    I've got to go back down to visit some distant relatives sometime next month too. To be honest at least as a NY native it seems kind of scary down there, I'm glad that I live where I am; even if it is somewhat small, it's not that bad.

    I'm sure it's not that bad everywhere (And there are places up here that aren't great either) but it's sure is different.

    Far as race v sexuality, I'd say that African-Americans and people of color have had it worse than Caucasian LGBT people (You can't hide your skin color), however LGBT extends beyond race and anyone can be LGBT.

    It's unfortunate to be judged by others on their personal lifestyle and have to face discrimination from others over factors that can't be controlled, but life is life and all we can do is try and make things better.

    This is an unfortunate situation, I hope those who were responsible will face the full might of the law and have to deal with the full repercussions of their decision. A sad time indeed when someone's life is intentionally taken.
     
  20. Silverbells000

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    Re: Mississippi's first openly gay mayoral candidate found murdered, dumped on riverb

    This is so sad :frowning2: I wish you could be more easily accepted in the south.