Feel Free to Say Whatever You Want

So. I was going to stay quiet.  I was going to let this one pass. I don't need to comment every time someone says something homophobic.  I would never stop talking if I went by that policy.  But I can't stay quiet on this one.  I just can't.  Anytime some talks about homosexuality and bestiality in the same sentence it angers me.  And when I look through my Facebook page and see friends supporting a person who links the two, it makes me sad.  I can understand standing beside him if it was "simply" that he believed homosexuality was a sin.  I get that.  But when you agree with someone who sees no difference or believes that being gay will lead to acceptance of bestiality that hurts.

I support Phil Robertson's freedom to believe or say anything he wants.  He can stand on a street corner and shout that homosexuality is a sin...oh wait that's Fred Phelps.  I don't really care that he thinks that homosexuality is a sin.  I have plenty of people in my life that probably think that as well, but we are able to maintain a friendship just fine.  We can agree to disagree.  For me it is not worth arguing about what god thinks about my relationship with Aimee or my orientation, because, honestly...none of us can know what god thinks.

It makes me frustrated that people think that Phil's Freedom of Speech have been violated for saying what he believes in an interview and then being put on hiatus by his employer.  The First Amendment gives you the right to say what you want and the government cannot come in and censor or try and block your right to say those things.  It does not exempt you from the consequences of your speech in the eyes of your employer or the public.  He is not being thrown in jail for saying those things, that would be a violation of his freedom of speech.  A&E's decision to suspend him is well within their right to do so, as the company who produces his show.

I, as a member of the LGBT community, glad they took that step.  Far too often companies let anti-LGBT bias slide for the sake of a market share or profit.  Or even worse companies inject anti-LGBT humor into shows to get a laugh, to make fun of my community.  So for once.  I am glad a company didn't let it go, that they brought attention to it and said that they support the LGBT community.  They recognized the impact that his words would have and made a move to do something.  I applaud them.