[pdx] Mad Props to Lelo

928. Now, I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I'd be extremely remiss if I didn't add my plaudits to the esteemable courage shown by our own Lelo in suggesting to the booking agency for Ira Glass that it is rather amiss that OPB would have him speak in a venue powered by a movement who wants to disenfranchise an entire class of people, just 'cos they're...you know...icky.

Ira's upcoming lecture, once scheduled for a well-known SE area conservative megachurch, is now in a venue TBD.

I know it probably wasn't just Lelo, but she put up the word and once the cat was out of that bag, it spread like wildfire, and if OPB wasn't willing to pay attention, then their content provider obviously made them pay attention. Lelo put it very well herself:

So what’s wrong with this picture? I love Oregon Public Broadcasting, and I love Ira Glass, but there’s no way I’m walking into a church that doesn’t accept me for who I am, and who works against me, to hear him. I just can’t do that. And Oregon Public Broadcasting? They evidently can do that no problem, and are paying a pretty penny for the use of the venue. Yep, they’re paying New Hope, a place that is actively and monetarily working to encourage discrimination, for the use of their venue for the wonderfully inclusive and pro-LGBT Ira Glass to speak.

I don't believe that anyone should be treated differently because of whom they share thier intimate joy with.

Not even Christians.

But I also believe that just because we find someone else's choice of intimate partner distasteful–or sinful (whatever that's supposed to mean) this also does unequivocally not give us any right or call to divest them of rights they should reasonably expect to have.

I too am pro-LGBT, actually, I'm pro-person. Even though a majority of Oregon voters approved the constitutional amendment against gays marrying, I think it was wrong–a majority doesn't make a horrid idea a good one–and as a Oregonian and a native son besides, I'm embarrassed for my state on this, terribly so.

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