Homophobia and Assholism: Are They Connected?

[Anthropology] I can see why somebody might want to be a homophobe. It's probably fun to have a whole group at your disposal to sneer at and feel morally superior to. Even better if you think you don't personally know any members of that group.

And it's probably best if you can somehow make it a part of your religion. That way, you don't have to take responsibility for your own dislikes and prejudices—just say God hates the same people you do. That way, you're simply doing God's will.

"Them there gay homos are eviller than the Mooslims, hyuck-hyuck!"

What I don't understand is why homophobes can't just sit around feeling all hate-y and morally superior; why do they have to be so swinish? Why are homophobes so often assholes?

It's not enough that they promote constitutional amendments and blindly support even the dumbest laws, as long as they can further restrict the rights of gays and lesbians. (A law making it illegal for gays to buy ice cream? Bring it on; those queers are a threat to our families' ice-cream consumption!)

No, they also have to say cruel, senseless things about me: That I'm a greater "threat" to America than a terrorist is, that I'm liable to harm children, that I'm really, really mean and I have no morals.

Maybe they don't intend to be assholes. Maybe they're just deluded.

Buttars, apparently, even thinks that there's some new perversion sweeping the gay and lesbian community, something that's so bad the ABC 4 Utah Website wouldn't publish it. I can't listen to the recorded interview without throwing office equipment, but my guess is Buttars watched the Family Research Council scare-video from years ago that makes gross and incredible claims about, er, massive coprophilia.

Shows how gullible homophobes are. It isn't the gays who are full of shit.

(Brandon Burt)

If You Didn't Call in "Gay" Today ...

... please to enjoy this: Prop. 8, The Musical:



(Bill Frost)

Attention, Claymates

[Media] To all the Claymates who've sent us hate mail in the past for daring to refer to Clay Aiken as "gay," suck on the next issue of People:

Sure, the "news" comes from Perez Hilton--but when has he ever been wrong?

(Bill Frost)

Study Shows Utah Same-Sex Couples More Educated, Paid Less

[Study] The Williams Institute recently released a "census snapshot" report on demographics of same sex couples in Utah vs. the breeders. Their summary would indicate that while same sex couples are generally more educated than married heteros, gay men are paid less than straight men, and lesbians are paid less than gay and straight men.

The Williams Institute is a based out of UCLA and is devoted to studying sexual orientation and law and public policy. The report shows that the average gay man in a same sex couple has an individual average salary of $37,118 compared to a straight married man at $45,414.

For women in same sex relationships the average individual salary was $27,752 compared to $20,654 for straight women.

The numbers there are fascinating, on the one hand lesbians are out earning their straight counterparts but still remain far behind both gay and straight men.

Which is amusing to think that when you look at the numbers the biggest disparity here is still just male/female.

While it seems a glaring inequality that gay couples while more educated (37 percent of individuals in same sex relationship with a college degree compared to 26 percent of individuals in straight couples) are paid individually less, at least as a duo they are actually out earning straight couples.

The average median household income for same sex couples was $59,100 compared to $56,000 for married couples. What is really amazing however is the disparity between households with children. The average median income for a same sex household with children was $88,000 compared to $58,000 for married.

The numbers certainly are amazing and would seem to suggest there are distinct workplace inequalities going on. Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake is actually hoping to bring forth an anti-discrimination bill this session that would extend existing nondiscrimination law to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. But stay tuned to next week's issue to learn more about that... (Eric S. Peterson)

Todd Herzog: Survivor!

[TV] Utah's own Todd Herzog won Survivor: China Sunday--now the local media has to cover a gay Mormon! You'd at least expect 'em to cover it accurately: Last night, KUTV 2's Brian Mullahy was taken aback by Herzog's admittance to having lied and cheated to win, which pretty much says Mullahy's never seen two seconds of Survivor. Today, The Deseret Morning News reported that, on Herzog being a gay Mormon, "neither topic came up even once during ... the series—at least not in anything that was seen by viewers at home." Also bullshit, as seen in this clip from Episode 7:



(Bill Frost)

Oh, the Gays!

[Xmas] Is there anything they won't appropriate? I'm not sure if this thing featuring Santa as a leather daddy is a real cartoon, a one-off Christmas card, or something else entirely. But I like it.

I came across it Googling "kilt" and "Santa"--yes, it was work related--and it turned into one of those searches that proves anything can be a fetish.

Gays do tend to divide themselves into different personality archetypes, represented here by the elves. I think there are more than seven gay archtypes, though. Since there's not one called "Geeky," I think I'm probably most like the elf called "Butchy" because he's got facial hair--although some days "Bitchy" is more like it.

Which elf do you most identify with? (Brandon Burt)