Marriage McCarthyism

from Stand Firm by David Fischler 

I learned a new phrase this morning: “Marriage McCarthyism.” It was in the title of Mike Judge’s article at the UK version of the Huffington Post (!), entitled “Sinister New Case Shows Marriage McCarthyism Is Up and Running.” I have no doubt whatsoever that the situation he describes as happening in Britain is soon to come to an American setting:

The witch-hunt against people who dare to disagree with gay marriage is well underway, even though the legislation has yet to clear parliament. Put aside for a moment whether you agree or disagree with gay marriage, surely no sensible person wants this sort of ‘marriage McCarthyism’ in an open democratic society. There is a new case which is deeply sinister. It just came to light this week in the House of Lords.
It starts off predictably enough. A teacher was asked to give a lesson telling children that disagreeing with gay marriage is de-facto homophobic. That sort of knee-jerk labelling is sadly common-place, and I can hardly bring myself to point out the obvious, but I will: labelling children who may come from traditional homes as ‘homophobes’ is itself prejudiced, intolerant and judgmental. But we haven’t got to the really sinister part of this case yet.
The teacher said she would not deliver this hackneyed, one-sided, unfair presentation (my words, not hers) to children. Good for her. She had a quiet word with a more senior teacher, who appeared to understand the problem and sensibly allowed her to do something else. A colleague complained to the head teacher, but the head teacher said there was no case to answer.
But another colleague, who is also a union rep, wanted to make something of it and demanded a full investigation. Here’s where things move rapidly into more sinister territory. The union rep has discovered (ah-haaaa!) that the teacher is a member of - wait for it - a church. I guess the church has weird and dangerous beliefs, like the idea that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. So the rep demanded that the school should investigate her links with the church, and what impact it may have on her duties as a teacher. Yes, Britain is now a country where teachers are being placed under suspicion because of their membership of… a church. The teacher is now under investigation, and the outcome is not yet known.

Judge offers other examples in his article of the growing thuggery surrounding the New Gay Orthodoxy™ in used-to-be Great Britain. That there is a totalitarian streak in the gay rights movement is undeniable–there’s a reason Mark Shea has for years referred to them as “gay brownshirts.” What’s striking is some of the comments in response to Judge’s post from people who would undoubtedly consider themselves liberals and defenders of individual rights:

“Geneer”: You have the right not to believe in gay marriage, in as far as you have the right to be gay and not want to get married. You do not have the right to impose your religious views on others.
The sooner fundamentalist Christians get over their temper tantrum, the better.

Derek Northcote: Is it so difficult for so called “Christians” just to be civil to their fellow man.

Matt Freshfield: Disagreeing with gay marriage IS de-facto homophobic, just as disagreeing with mixed race marriages is racist.
A teacher has an obligation to teach children the truth, and the truth is that gay people are not inferior, evil or sick. Gay relationships are important to the couple involved, their friends and family. The state allows gay people the same rights as mixed sex couples, the state does not discriminate. The state sanctions CIVIL marriage. Teachers should be asked to teach that some religious people are petulant bigots.
All a teacher has to do is, tell the children “Some people are gay, and that is ok.” Telling a child that may grow and realise he/she is gay a form of abuse. Telling children who may grow up to be heterosexual that it is wrong to be gay, is a method of perpetuating this abuse for generations to come.

Andrew Cartright: People should do the job they’re paid to do, they aren’t forced to have that job, this is a free market economy after all.

Needless to say, there are plenty of “liberals” in the U.S. who would also bind and gag those who dare to disagree with the New Gay Orthodoxy if they could. Prepare for persecution, and worse.