"Because She Needed It"

I just read an excellent, if disturbing, article over at Box Turtle Bulletin -- "Because She Needed It"

In short, a man was fired for harassing a fellow employee, who happens to be a lesbian, over her mentioning her engagement (and upcoming marriage) to her partner.

He told her that her lifestyle* is "deviant", among other things.

The irony, the sick twist in this, is that he was in charge of making sure the company's non-discrimination policy was upheld.

So the company fires him for, basically, being a dick towards his co-worker. And now he's claiming he was fired because, get this, he's a Christian, and "she needed to hear that her 'lifestyle' is 'deviant' and 'sinful'." *snicker*

I don't understand this.

Why did she "need" to hear that she's "deviant"? Or that she's a "sinner"? Or any of the ever-growing number of insults and slurs often used against LGBTs?

Why couldn't he just be happy for her, congratulate her on her engagement, and move on?

Why did he feel compelled to insult and belittle her, over something so trivial as who she was marrying?

For that matter, why do Christians feel the need to constantly (over)share their religion?

This is America. You can't sneeze without hitting a Bible. We've ALL heard the spiel already -- Son of gawd, died fer yer sins, repent, DELIVERANCE! -- and for those of us who've rejected it in favor of other religions, or for no religion at all, it gets old. Fast.


No other religion pushes as hard as Christianity. Sure, you'll sometimes see Hare Krishnas, or what have you, but 99% of the time, when you get proselytized at, it's some flavor of Christianity. (Most likely Evangelical, Mormon, or JW. They can be fun to play with.) I've never been approached by a Muslim and asked if I've found Allah. Never had a Jew try to convert me to Judaism. Never met a pagan or witch of any flavor (or either Path) who tried to recruit me. The few Satanists I know (online)... no pressure there.

But Christians! Ah! No, they HAVE to make everything about Christ. Most Christians are cool, really, but I seem to run into mostly the pushy obnoxious fundamentalist types. I've been told (with a straight face, no less) that "GOD will give you new legs." (I distinctly remember being too stunned to make a witty reply.) I've been told that my disability is a result of sin -- mine, my parents', my birth-parents', my grandparents' (both real and, uh, genetic). The hell is this shit?

I, uh, I should get back to what I was saying before I went on a tangent/rant, there.

So, yeah, Christian douchebag is fired for being a bigoted dick. Files a lawsuit. Claims that his lesbian co-worker "needed" to hear that her "lifestyle" is "deviant", and that he was fired over his religion. For fuck's sake, he's the goddamn MANAGER IN CHARGE OF ENFORCING THE COMPANY ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY! You think he'd have KNOWN that he was breaking the rules. Of course, he's a Christian, so he gets a free pass on obnoxious, annoying, and even illegal behavior.... *eyeroll* He's "not perfect, just forgiven."

Overhearing normal conversations about his co-worker's upcoming wedding is somehow "forcing" her "homosexual lifestyle" "down his throat."

But when he deliberately seeks her out and goes all Jesus-junkie, calls her a "deviant", and so on, it's just "sharing the good news."

Can someone PLEASE explain this godawful hypocrisy to me?

The other thing I wanted to riff on, here, was the title. "Because she needed it." Those are four words that I don't ever want to hear again. It's nothing more than an idiotic deflect-the-blame dick move. Every abuser has used it. "I hit her because she needed hitting." Yeah. It was a trigger. I did a *shudder-twitch-gag* when I read it.

Nobody needs to be abused. Verbally, emotionally, mentally, or physically. What this man did was not only against company policy, but it was abuse. The company was right to fire him, and I think charges should be brought against this asshole.

Religion is NOT an excuse (or free pass) for bigotry, hate, or abuse, and I'm tired of seeing it used as such.


* There is no such thing as a "homosexual lifestyle". It's not a choice. And it certainly isn't "deviant".