A TRAGIC ARTICLE

This is a tragic, heartbreaking, article. It shows how a family can be irrevocably fractured by homophobia. And, to add insult to injury, many of those who reject their Gay children claim to be proponents of "family values," and even profess to be "Christians!"

"David Knight's wish to reconcile with his father [Pete, who was the author of Proposition 22, referred to as the Knight Initiative in California, which stated: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."] initially made him reluctant to enter the same-sex marriage debate, but he eventually agreed to write an op-ed piece in late 1999 for the Times . He was critical of his father's defense of 'family values,' noting that the elder Knight effectively ended his relationship with him after he had come out several years earlier, something the younger Knight felt negated his father's claim that he was "pro-family."

Moreover, "...the 75-year-old senator [Pete Knight] also severed ties with his own gay brother, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1996."

Pete Knight is just one example!

There have been countless parents who have even kicked their young Gay children out of the house, forcing them to live on the streets, because their own Gay children, falsely thinking that they could confide in, and trust, their parents, came out to them and were betrayed by those whom they felt they could feel safe.

Disowning or condemning one's own Gay children is about the worst form of betrayal one can imagine!

And the cause of such betrayal in often done in the name of "God" and of "Christianity!"

As I've written before: "Make no mistake, every drop of blood shed by GLBT people either through suicide, bashing, or murder, are on the hands of all those religious leaders, their followers, and their allies who spew forth their ignorance, prejudice, and hate against GLBT people and their relationships! These wolves in sheep’s clothing take the Bible, God’s love letter to His children, and selectively and perversely use it as a club to condemn others, and deny GLBT people full inclusion in the Church and in society." [For the full article, see here.]

Now, when Proposition 8, that seeks to prevent same-sex marriage in California, will appear on the November ballot, it is more important than ever to educate voters, and confront the lies, to confront the haters and hate-mongers, to confront many clergy's and their blind followers' views concerning their adherence to the false gospel of legalism and exclusion, and show all Christians who are Christians in fact, as well as all decent, civilized people, that civility in any society declines in direct proportion to the prejudice, discrimination, and denial of civil rights visited upon any non-predatory minority group!

The story of David Knight, and all the David Knights of the world, just highlights the need for such education and confrontation, and there is no better time than now to ratchet up that education and confrontation, particularly at this time in California, before Proposition 8 is brought before the voters!

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