The rising tide of equality for LGBT people, though it has a long way to go, is nonetheless obvious to those who want to discriminate against gay people, such as Jerry Cox of the Family Council. And they respond desperately.

Example: When the Human Rights Campaign does a survey of gay people that concludes gay people have experienced frequent discrimination in every form in Arkansas, naturally ol’ Jerry has to dispute it. The good Christians at the Family Council don’t want to encourage any kindness or sympathy toward queer folk..

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His e-mail newsletter today questions the methodology of the HRC survey. Why, some of those questioned were recruited from gay organization lists to participate in the survey and some even support the Human Rights Campaign, the gay rights organization which commissioned the survey. How can the survey be reliable, he asks. Cox says the only way to survey about discrimination against gay people is to do a random sample of ALL Arkansans.

Of course. Think back to 1860. Would you only want to ask black people about slavery and other forms of discrimination they experienced? No. You’d also want to include slave owners and slavery supporters, particularly in Dixie. Then, you’d have an honest survey. It would have shown, on balance, that the darkies were generally well-treated by benevolent masters, no matter what the minority’s own biased misunderstandings might have been.

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Cox seems to dispute that there’s rampant discrimination against gay people in Arkansas. Even if he’s missed news stories about the fired school teachers and frequent stories of censored and bullied kids and unfair treatment in family custody matters, he need look only in the mirror.

Jerry Cox has lobbied against allowing gay couples to adopt or foster children; even made it law that was struck down by courts. He’s lobbied against marriage of same-sex couples. His organization produced the unconstitutional amendment that banned not only marriage but also civil unions or anything that smacks of fair treatment of same-sex couples. He’s lobbied against expanding the state civil rights law to include discrimination against people based on sexual orientation. He thinks being gay should be protected as a firing offense. He’s expressed opposition to anti-bullying efforts,, fearful  that protecting gay kids from bullying might infringe on “religious” freedoms to oppress gay people.  He’s said a gay man wasn’t qualified to serve on the state Board of Education. He and his organization portray homosexuality as deviant behavior. His organization works to defeat politicians who support equal treatment of gay people.

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Cox says the survey portraying rampant discrimination in Arkansas is “not reliable.”

I say: Who needs a survey?

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