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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMarch 10th, 2013
TODAY’S AGENDA:
Events This Weekend: Ft. Lauderdale Pride, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; AIDS Walk, Houston, TX; Lake Tahoe Winterfest, Lake Tahoe, NV; SWING Gay Ski Week, Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
Gen. George Washington’s General Orders for March 14, 1776, available online at the Library of Congress’s American Memory Project.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
Court-Martial of Lt. Frederick Gotthold Enslin: 1778. Gen. George Washington’s general orders for March 14, 1776 at Valley Forge, PA., included the following description of a court martial that occurred on the 10th:
At a General Court Martial whereof Colo Tupper was President (10th March 1778) Lieutt. Enslin of Colo. Malcom’s Regiment tried for attempting to commit sodomy, with John Monhort a soldier; Secondly For Perjury in swearing to false Accounts, found guilty of the charges exhibited against him being breaches of 5th. Article 18th. Section of the Articles of War and do sentence him to be dismiss’d the service with Infamy. His Excellency the Commander in Chief approves the sentence and with Abhorrence and Detestation of such Infamous Crimes orders Lieutt. Enslin to be drummed out of Camp tomorrow morning [March 15] by all the Drummers and Fifers in the Army never to return; the Drummer and Fifers to attend on the Grand Parade at Guard mounting for that Purpose.
This case began in late February with the court-martial of Ensign Anthony Maxwell, who was charged with “propagating a scandalous report prejudicial to the character of Lieut. Enslin.” Maxwell, who had accused Enslin of “attempted sodomy with a private,” was acquitted. Whatever he said, the court-martial found that it wasn’t “prejudicial to the Character of Lieutt. Enslin further than the strict lien of his duty required.” If Maxwell didn’t slander Enslin as the court found, then that evidently meant that Enslin was guilty. Enslin was quickly court-martialed, and is believed to be the first person to be forced out of the forerunner of the U.S. Army on charges of homosexual behavior.
[Source: General George Washington, March 14, 1776, General Orders. Library of Congress’s American Memory Project. Available online here.]
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Marcus
March 10th, 2013
And feel free to consider this your open thread for the day. What’s happening in your world?
I wanted to get this off my chest, so I’ll use this as an excuse, I guess.
I have an acquaintance who’s always spewing heterosexist and misogynistic shit. Most of our mutual acquaintances don’t have a problem with him, and I guess I get why, because he’s not a mouth-breather who yells slurs. He’s much subtler and always denies being homophobic or sexist. He always couches his bigotry in pseudo-intellectual theories, excuses, passive-aggression, etc.
He’s extremely narrow-minded and prickly, so there’s no chance of changing his mind (I know people who have tried). I guess I’m looking for reassurance or advice on how to cope with this guy.
Timothy Kincaid
March 10th, 2013
Marcus,
I’ve seen this work: Simply say, “when you make comments of that sort, it makes me uncomfortable. So please don’t say that when I’m present.”
Don’t try and make him agree that he’s wrong. Don’t refute his excuses or challenge his psychobabble. Never let it be an issue of who is right.
Just consistently say “this makes me uncomfortable”. And don’t feel any need to explain why. He knows why and so does everyone else.
I suspect some people will try and convince you that you’re being ‘too sensitive’. Just tell them that it’s fine if it doesn’t bother them, but it bothers you.
He’ll probably push back a little at first, but stick with ‘that makes me uncomfortable so please wait until I’m not hear to say that’ and if he’s at all a decent person, he’ll stop it around you. And when he does, he’ll probably fall out of the habit altogether.
Marcus
March 11th, 2013
Thank you, Timothy. I may have to adjust your advice since there are some details I left out for the sake of anonymity, but just knowing how you’ve dealt with this helps a great desl.
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