In the Good Old Days, when a person would apply for a passport, it would list their ‘Mother’ and their ‘Father’ so there would be no question which parents are packing which kind of genitals. Now, in the apocalyptic world of 2011, that is changing:
The words “mother” and “father” will be removed from U.S. passport applications and replaced with gender neutral terminology, the State Department says.
“The words in the old form were ‘mother’ and ‘father,’” said Brenda Sprague, deputy assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services. “They are now ‘parent one’ and ‘parent two.’”
A statement on the State Department website noted: “These improvements are being made to provide a gender neutral description of a child’s parents and in recognition of different types of families.” The statement didn’t note if it was for child applications only.
Makes sense. Far more than reflecting the fact that gay people parent children, some children are raised by grandparents, step-parents, aunts, uncles, etc. It seems like this just makes the process simpler.
Of course, we have to be Fair And Balanced, so what do some wingnuts, perhaps some hate group leaders think about this?
“Only in the topsy-turvy world of left-wing political correctness could it be considered an ‘improvement’ for a birth-related document to provide less information about the circumstances of that birth,” Family Research Council president Tony Perkins wrote in a statement to Fox News Radio. “This is clearly designed to advance the causes of same-sex ‘marriage’ and homosexual parenting without statutory authority, and violates the spirit if not the letter of the Defense of Marriage Act.”
Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, agreed. “It’s part of an overall attempt at political correctness to diminish the distinction between men and women and to somehow suggest you don’t need both a father and a mother to raise a child successfully,” said Jeffress. “(This decision) was made to make homosexual couples feel more comfortable in rearing children.”
It’s important that passports note which penis made the conquering thrust that resulted in little Bobby and Suzie, said Tony Perkins.
Now, this seems like just more of the same Religious Right whining that happens every time something occurs that doesn’t reflect their pretend version of reality, and it is, but Amanda Marcotte noticed something different:
I must say I detect a note of malaise. The professional bigots aren’t really bringing their A game anymore, but instead copying and pasting the same anti-gay screed they’ve trotted out a million times before.
[…]
These quotes could be about pretty much anything, if you think about it. They’re totally phoning it in. The heavy use of scare quotes where they’re inappropriate? Check. Suggesting that it’s pointless to have children for any other reason than to prove the virility of heterosexual men? Check. Dropping the word “homosexual” a lot in hopes that people think about butt sex instead of two same-sex parents trying to corral a toddler through airline security, just like everyone else? Check. Suggesting that the only acceptable response to homosexuality from the government is ghettoizing people, depriving them of their basic freedom of movement, and seeking ways to shake their finger at them for who they are? Check.
Now that I read it, she’s right. Perkins’ comments, as well as the pastor’s, are incredibly lazy. It’s like they know they’ve lost, and their quotes reflect that resignation. Come on, Religious Right, buck up! You’ve got so much to live for, even if you’re going to lose the culture wars!
As a public service, Amanda re-wrote the statements of Tony Perkins and Robert Jeffess, and any wingnuts reading this would do well to take a few pointers, because otherwise, we’re going to get really bored over here, copy/pasting the same old boring Religious Right Mad Libs. Check that out over at Pandagon.
