Pun-Shrowded Hate

This week, in North Carolina, State Representative Larry Brown of Kernersville (a rural area west of the Triangle NC, part of the Triad) sent an e-mail to fellow Republicans, sharing his opinion about Equality North Carolina's (ENC) [North Carolina's only state-wide LGBT rights advocacy NPO] honoring NC House Speaker Joe Hackney with this year's legislative leadership award at their 2010 Equality Gala this November in Greensboro, NC (also in the Triad). In this message, critical of the presentation of this award to the Speaker, Rep. Brown said, "I hope all the queers are thrilled to see him. I am sure there will be a couple legislative fruitloops in the audience." (Source) This e-mail was, fortunately, sent to personal e-mail addresses, and thus leaked.

One, I hate when people that don't identify as LGBTQIA and aren't interested in Queer Studies use that word. It's one of those words that we've taken back, and that I don't often hear from people as a slur, so it's quite jarring when I do. Secondly, 'fruitloops'? Really. It's clearly offensive, but weak as far as insults go. You want to insult me? Don't compare me to a delicious breakfast cereal. It's so banal and easy, that it makes me even more angry that he would even think of using it.

ENC has responded in a way that I'm totally behind. (Full disclosure, I've interned at ENC, and am clearly a huge supporter of theirs.) To make an impression on Rep. Brown (who has yet to apologize, or even entertain the idea, I'm sure), ENC is now running a campaign to get Rep. Brown's attention. When you make a donation to ENC in Rep. Brown's name, ENC will send a box of Fruit Loops cereal to him, as a not-so-subtle reminder of the LGBTQIA people in NC that elected officials have the responsibility to represent fairly and equally, without offensive slurs, no matter how private messages may be believed to be.

Your donation will also help ENC continue to work for LGBT-friendly legislation in NC, and to keep our allies in (or, our opponents out of) office this election year.