The Pridelets Files for October 14

On this day in 1999, David Knight blasts his father, California State Senator Pete Knight, for his homophobia and support of "The Knight Iniative" a bill against same sex marriage in the name of "Family values." Writes the younger Knight, "I believe, based on my experience, that his is a blind, uncaring, uninformed, knee-jerk reaction to a subject about which he knows nothing and wants to know nothing, but which serves his political career. How can I say this? For one thing, he has never discussed my homosexuality with me, and I know that he never discussed the issue with his gay brother, who died of AIDS three years ago. ... My father’s idea of family values is very different from mine. He insists his are right and mine are wrong. I’m deeply sorry that my father feels that he can no longer be a part of my life. I miss him. But I cannot and will not change the person that I am, and I must speak out publicly about what I perceive to be his willful, blind ignorance on this issue. Gay people are forming strong, loving families. Understanding and accepting this will make our communities stronger and safer places to live."

BIRTHGAYS (and the occasional straights)
* 1844 - Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
* 1856 - British author Vernon Lee
* 1885 - Short story author Katherine Mansfield
* 1892 - Franklin D. Roosevelt's undersecretary of state, Sumner Welles (who lost his career because of gossip about his orientation)
* 1888 - New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield
* 1905 - photographer Ruth Bernhard
* 1947 - Meridian Theatre founder, "Standing By" author Terry Miller
* 1948 - Pornographer Christopher Rage, the Master of Sleaze"
* 1951 - Artist Janet Cooling
* 1961 - Designer and occasional talk show host Isaac Mizrahi

Q.UOTE
"The protesters at anti-gay events do an excellent job confirming the worst fears and stereotypes of the homophobes attending them." -- Darrell Grizzle

THE BEDSIDE TABLE
"Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson" by Elizabeth Adams

A sharecropper’s son, Gene Robinson rose to become an Episcopal priest and later, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Church. His election set off a worldwide firestorm of reaction, both positive and negative. Based on extensive interviews with Bishop Robinson and the people around him, Going to Heaven paints a portrait of the man who is, as he puts it, “neither the angel nor the devil some would make me out to be.” The book illuminates his early life; his struggle with his sexual orientation; his calling into the church; and finally, the tumultuous events surrounding his election and consecration. Gene Robinson’s life is a compelling story of challenges overcome by hard work, humor, and deep faith, but it is also a story of one man’s journey into his own “otherness” and the emergence of a ministry that speaks to countless people who believe in a Gospel of love and inclusion.

This work is copyright© 2006 Thomas Allen Heald, all rights reserved. Contact the author at tom@idontgetit.org and the latest column are always available at www.Pridelets.com.