Exactly. It doesn't just mean that people treat each other unfairly. It means that the institutions are designed to keep people out, or separated. Hiring a white person instead of a black person due to one's own bias - not Apartheid. Hiring a white person because it's illegal for blacks to be employed in that line of work - Apartheid. The concept of Separate But Equal is totally Apartheid.

By saying "Apartheid", you're specifically calling out all the legalities that specifically restrict gays. And yes, the parallel works.....again, still mulling this....

Very interesting. I think it was Jimmy Carter who started using the phrase in regards to the Palestinian situation, where I also happen to think it applies. I had no idea it was so connected with South Africa because it STARTED there.



I was watching Frost/Nixon the other night ... and the director remarked in the commentary that Nixon's likely most lasting legacy is that every political scandal since his rouintely has the additive "gate" to the name.

I suppose this will be similar with South Africa's contribution to phraseology. Apartheid is too perfect a description for, well, apartheid.

Welcome to apartheidgate

Yes, I suppose much like Germany is still mostly associated with genocidal atrocities that happened over 60 years ago (and somewhat also to some freaky-deaky porn), So South Africa will probably conjure up images of Apartheid for generations to come. And apartheid conjure up images of South Africa.

I'm pretty insulted by the recent remarks of the nation's top military officer, Joint Chief of Staff Ad. Mike Mullen about Don't Ask Don't Tell:

Oh really? So faggot military personnel are not part of "our" people? I guess not, since their faggotry means they are to be booted out.

And, yeah, natch, that means no concern need be given to the families of gay servicemembers.


Feh.


Colin Powell's remarks that the policy should be "reviewed," not repealed, are - in a way - even more disturbing ... considering the comparatively paltry level of public support for racially integrating the armed services he rose to the top of as a black man, at the time when Harry Truman ordered that done vs. the level of support for allowing gay people to serve openly now, mid-2009.


Double Feh.

It tickles me that, as of today, legally-performed gay marriages will be recognized in Washington, D.C., under the noses of President Fierce Advocate and the lame-tard Congress.

Yeah it is both sad and ironic that President FA had nothing to do with that one. But he's fightin'! Invisibly! With cocktails!

BTW Mr. President, perhaps we should segregate the Armed Forces until 100% of America thinks that it should be integrated. Oh wait, maybe we shouldn't think about that double standard when we're so intoxicated with admiration.

Something new every day!

Today the attorney general of Massachusetts files suit againt the United States government for denying federal marriage benefits via DOMA to the 16,000 legally married same-sex couples in that state.

Read all about it. (Boston Herald story.)


Huzzah. :snap: