Joe the Plumber and Marion Barry an Odd Hateful Couple

With the news that Maine has become the 5th state to legalize gay marriage, along with Washington DC's recognition of same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, Joe the Plumber and Marion Barry have found hateful common cause.

In Joe's case, he tells Christianity Today that "they call it queer," rationalizes the slur because it's in the dictionary, then drops extra-creepy bigotry into the mix:

I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing.

Maybe Joe's dictionary includes this definition of "friends":

friend   (frɛnd) 1. a person who doesn't punch you in the mouth even though they really, really want to.

Marion Barry, meanwhile, ironically predicts "civil war" if civil rights are not denied to gay people:

"All hell is going to break lose," Barry said while speaking to reporters. "We may have a civil war. The black community is just adamant against this."

Barry made his remarks a few hours after a group of same-sex marriage opponents, led by black ministers, caused uproar in the Wilson Building after the Council voted 12 to 1 to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. They caused such a ruckus that security guards and police had to clear the hallway. The protesters shouted that council members who voted for the bill will face retribution at the polls.

I've never met Barry, but I have met Joe the Plumber. He's a nice guy, and too good a guy for about half of the things he says. I'd wager a lot of homophobia is rooted in ignorance. Well, I have a scoop for Joe, and a separate one for Marion.

Joe, unless your kids are locked in your basement, they're already around gay people. Those folks are everywhere, and they don't always have that "queer look."

And, Marion, gay marriage is a-comin'. It's just a matter of time. If you want to suit up for a civil war, be my guest, but it'll be a lonely battlefield.

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