Sunday Morning Slander

.... I just don't know what to write as this story is flat out infuriating. It somehow manage to push out a story about an AG who is "gratified" that a gay couple cannot get divorced, because a court ruled they weren't married by that state's definition of marriage. It also pushed out a story about a former CEO who was booted  from his corporation essentially for not going along with a scheme to drain the company of all of its resources while cutting labor costs and raising prices on consumers.

So yes, this one is special. And from Florida, of course.

Mary Elizabeth Williams of Slate did a fantastic job putting all the information together (in order spare the family any possible further grief I have removed their names):

[...] was only 42 years old when he died last month, after grappling for four years with the rare disease amyloidosis. His family, including his mother [...] wanted him to be remembered at the family church in Florida where she was baptized. But the day before the service, [the mother] was standing at her son’s casket during his wake when she got word from New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa. She says they told her that would be “blasphemous” to proceed with the funeral and that they were canceling it – because [the deceased] was gay.

Just to clarify and not that it really matters; however amyloidosis, which regularly appeared as a possible solution to nearly every disease on the show House, is a autoimmune disorder (or more specifically a group of disorders) that causes an excess build up of certain type of protein in the bone marrow. It can lead to attacks on the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and digestive tract, possibly leading to organ failure and death. Carry on:

New Hope’s pastor, T.W. Jenkins, says he only learned that [the deceased] was gay when congregation members saw a mention of the man’s surviving husband in his obituary — and called Jenkins to complain. [The deceased] and his husband [...] were together for 17 years before they married in Maryland last year.

I struggle to think of anything less classy. I know the tale of Antigone is not Christian in origin, but denying funeral rites is the kind of bullshit that led previous cultures to fear divine wrath. As a man who is not religious, even I understand the thought process which would lead one to believe in divine judgement against someone denying funeral rites. It takes a particularly heartless and terrible human being to refuse a basic level of compassion to the grieving and a utter lack of empathy bordering on psychopathic. From my experience funerals are about the living, not the dead. Respect the feelings of the living. 

And once again, way to go T.W. Jenkins, you stupid, ignorant fuckhead. You have managed to reduce a man's life down to a sexual act, which apparently is his only defining feature. Let's ignore the fact he had been with the love of his life for over 17 years. Let's ignore the obvious grieving of family torn by tragedy. Let's ignore every quality that made him a human being, because he had sex with a man. T.W. Jenkins you are loathsome piece of shit.

I'm tired of this shit. It makes me feel awful writing this. I wish the family well and offer any condolence that I can, which may is no where near enough. 

Liam '14