Predictably, a religious leader has condemned the queer community and their supporters; blaming the permissiveness of a society which so heinously allows queers to live peaceful and productive lives, as obviously causing the latest pandemic/natural disaster/mass-shooting.
The religious leader, who failed to so humbly ask why his all-seeing, all-powerful deity did not intervene, instead blamed people he doesn’t know and doesn’t care to know; given he is so much better and more loved by his deity.
Many in the queer media picked up this story and tried to run it as a news story, and queer leaders reblogged it, disseminating the hateful words of the bastardising pulpit pummeller to every Facebook timeline and Twitter feed. They knew that with their own “hot-take” they could feel like they were winning the “culture war” and signal their virtue to all and sundry. What they were actually doing was spreading the hate, reminding their audiences that there is a terrible boogie-person out there that they should be afraid of. People who are afraid click on more articles. More clicks means more advertisers, and more revenue, and more brand recognition.
These Outrageous Headlines Will Make You Spit Your Coffee. Number 3 Will Put You In Therapy!
Most of these stories happen in far off places. You’ll eventually read that about halfway through the article. By then, you’ll have invested yourself in the story and taken for granted that it is happening to someone like you, somewhere near you. The human brain does that automatically, stupid brain.
Of course, being reminded of all these horrid things is a great way of making you, dear reader, feel attacked and alienated in your own community. The reality is that queer people have never been safer and more accepted, but if you feel safe and supported, you might start going out, meeting new people, forming groups of like minded people, organising your thoughts and experiences into needs, and demanding more of your government; you might demand rights like being free from religiously based discrimination, or independence in health service funding; and we can’t have that now, can we.
So, drink up the tales of terror and despair, for we the media have bills to pay, and your peace is but collateral damage.
