But there used to be. Seriously, what the absolute fuck is
going on in that godforsaken state? Granted, the standard of sanity was already
set fairly low, what with its reputation for gun fanatics, school shootings,
removal of protections for LGBT folks and anti-choice legislation. Toss in a
healthy dose of climate-change deniers and it’s clear that America’s tenth
state is populated largely by mouth breathers and inbred families with plenty
of ‘Uncle Daddies’ and ‘Cousin Mommies.’
And now there’s this latest push to legalize refusal of
hospital care, education, emergency services or emergency pedicures to poofters
and carpet munchers that is so extreme that it could almost be satire.
But it isn’t.
Virginia Governor Bob Mcdonnell’s recent removal of state protection
towards LGBT citizens rescinds an amendment made by previous Governor Tim Kaine
in crafting in the state’s anti-discrimination laws. Bye bye sanity clause,
hello “No Gays Allowed” signs.
It’s hard to imagine any sane legislators looking at the
international uproar over Indiana’s recent anti-gay legal push and thinking “Yeah,
let’s get us some of that there! Those corporate boycotts and expressions of
rage against legislated bigotry are sure to make our lives better!”
Idiots.
The scary thing is that Virginia’s further descent into
born-again nutjob territory has managed to make Indiana’s efforts to ‘protect’ Christian
businesses from gay customers look positively quaint in comparison.
And so we cross yet another safe travel destination off our
list.
Now, I’ll admit, Virginia didn’t exactly rank high up on our
list of desirable vacation spots. It’s humid, dull and populated by people who
think it conceivable that there were dinosaurs present at the nativity (what
with the earth only being 6000 years old). But then again, Professor D’s mom
and her relatives are all from this inbred mecca, and there have been several
visits over the years for family events, funerals etc.
No more. Can’t chance it with a kid in tow. I shudder to
imagine the potential disaster of two gay dads walking hand-in-hand with their
adopted son through a mall. Or through immigration. Or anywhere, really.
Harder to stomach are more desirable destinations like Russia,
Venezuela, Peru, Egypt or any non-British Caribbean vacation hotspot. A week of
Jamaican sun just isn’t worth the chance at 10 years hard labour, nor does a
fortnight in Barbados outweigh the high potential of lifelong imprisonment.
No
thanks.
There are still some safe places, of course. Apparently Cuba
is pretty cool with LGBT folks, while Mexico balances out the homophobia of Chiapas
with relative safe places like Riviera Maya and Puerto Vallarta.
And of course there’s always Amsterdam, where tulips and
dykes of all sorts are celebrated.
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But what about the rest of the world? I can’t help but think
it’s going to be a little tricky helping Pre-Schooler N with geography homework,
explaining that we can’t go to so many places simply because we’re a Queer
family. He’s already fascinated with maps and globes, asking about different
countries and regions. It’s only a matter of time before he starts asking why
we can’t go to so many of the places his grandparents, aunts, uncles and
cousins can (and do visit).
Which opens up a whole new ball of tangled personal
politics: how to explain to my son that the support we experience from our
friends and families occasionally does not extend to those freezing winter
months when one just simply MUST escape the snow for a little holiday. Of
course it’s a shame that the homos aren’t allowed here too, but who could argue
with this fifty cent margarita!?
I guess I can’t. Nor do I wish to. At some point my kid’s
going to learn that even in the current best-case scenarios, we are still very
much second-class citizens. And he, like so many LGBT, Aboriginal, Jewish or
African folk before him, will still have to occasionally watch his friends and
family hand money over to people and institutions who want us to cease to
exist. For a cheap margarita. Or a steal-of-a-deal last minute week in the sun.
Or just because they don’t actually give a shit, when it comes right down to
it.
So fuck you Virginia. You killed the sanity clause, you
inbred hillbilly Grinch.
Oh, and your state flag is too tacky for words. Nyah.
