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[Michael <michael AT metalab.unc.edu>]

I think what he's doing is a lame attempt at generating publicity for 
himself.  Negative, positive, he doesn't care - negative hasn't gotten him 
canned and it's certainly easier than positive, so he has little incentive 
to play well with others.

Me, I've been in and worked security for NC Pride plenty of times, love 
it, think Gbob is being awfully ignorant by doing this, but I can't get 
too worked up.  For one thing, it is free speech - Thomas makes an 
excellent point that this isn't exactly one random citizen, but at the 
bottom line celebrity doesn't /restrict/ one's First Amendment rights, 
and I'm afraid of the slippery slope that presents (a conclusion that 
someone's opinion is only protected if it doesn't matter - not Thomas' 
point, but a flawed conclusion I could see someone ending up at if they 
wanted to, or were particularly misguided in their logic).  

Besides, girlfriend can't even do /booger/ drag right, what on earth can 
he possibly have to say about me (or about his not being me) that's worth 
the effort of my hearing it?  He can still say it, I just doubt I'll find 
it worth hearing.  Maybe he'll spend a few bucks in Chapel Hill while 
he's there so the town can reap some small profit from it, but I don't 
think I'll be there to observe or bother.  Anyone who gets violent at 
this is just showing their ass.  I can't get too concerned about its 
effect on my standing in society - I doubt drunk freshmen trying to hook 
up at a "straight pride parade" are going to draft anyone into right 
wingnut politics by their sterling example of "family values," unless that 
exclusionary catchphrase has been expanded to include crappy pop singles 
and underage boozin' - and no one can convince me that anyone there will 
fail to fall into the "freaky, bug-eyed 'phobes" or "drunk freshmen" 
categories to some degree or another.  Bob doesn't exactly strike me as a 
suave and sophisticated harbinger of a new wave of right-wing adoptions 
of left-wing strategies in clever, original ways.

The t-shirt lady's just trying to make a living.  I can't hate her for 
that anymore than I hate someone who works at Wal-Mart, a store where I 
don't shop and haven't shopped in years.

-- 
www.robustmcmanlypants.org/blog                 "Get off my desk
Michael Williams                             before you get them 
http://www.ibiblio.org/michael           demonic spirits on me!"
michael AT ibiblio.org                                  --co-worker