Posted on 03/19/2013 12:43:35 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
At least 10 venues have canceled previously scheduled Michelle Shocked concerts following homophobic speech made by the former alt-folk icon at a San Francisco show on Sunday night. During her second set at Yoshi's, she took the time to comment on California's controversial Proposition 8, which invalidated the momentary legality of gay marriage in the state, and which is currently under review by the Supreme Court.
"When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization, and Jesus will come back," she said according to USA Today and others. She was referring to the Rapture, the time when many Christians believe Christ will return to separate the faithful from the rest, signifying nothing less than the end of the world. "You can go to Twitter and say, 'Michelle Shocked said God hates fags.'"
The latter statement has been quoted a few different ways, but the meaning never changes. Various reports say that the crowd began to leave as her tirade began. According to the Guardian, the club's manager attempted to end the concert but she held court until staff pulled the plug on her and turned on the lights. Although Shocked was once known for left-leaning politics, she has identified herself as "born again" for some time.
The uproar that followed her latest remarks has resulted in rude Twitter bullying (calls for her to kill herself) but also some productive criticism with real-world consequence. A Change.org petition calling for venues to cancel Shocked's forthcoming shows has received over 2,000 signatures thus far, and venues in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, and Colorado have taken heed, many issuing statements denouncing her words.
"Freedom of speech and artistic expression are critically important, but this isn't free speech," wrote the petition's author, LBGT activist John Becker. "This is hate speech. And in a world where LGBT people are bullied from the pulpit, on the playground, and at the polls, anti-gay hate speech can have serious consequences including legitimizing bullying and hate crimes, and increasing victims' risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide."
Shocked has yet to respond to SPIN's request for comment, and the contact information on her website is at least partially outdated (Conqueroo publicist Cary Baker hasn't worked with her in four years, he says). She hasn't issued any follow-up remarks via Twitter either, though has been retweeting a hot streak of comments from others — some related to this incident, others having to do with faith, and others still unrelated.
While Shocked has issued anti-gay comments before — "Who drafted me as a gay icon?" she reportedly told a crowd at the Christian Wild Goose Festival in 2011, "You are looking at the world’s greatest homophobe. Ask God what He thinks." — she has presented a conflicted profile on homosexuality over the years. In a 1990 issue of Chicago's OutLines, she spoke openly about having had a "woman lover."
"I resent like hell that I was maybe 18 years old before I even heard the 'L' word," she said. "I mean, that's understood, growing up sheltered in a Mormon environment. But it would have made all the difference for me had I grown up knowing that the reason I didn't fit in, was because they hadn't told me there were more categories to fit into ... I've never really been able to fit into square holes or round holes."
After rediscovering religion, Shocked seemed to equivocate: "There are some inconvenient truths that I'm now a born again, sanctified, saved-in-the-blood Christian. So much of what's said and done in the name of that Christianity is appalling. According to my Bible, which I didn't write, homosexuality is immoral. But homosexuality is no more or less a sin than fornication. And I'm a fornicator with a capital F."
Sadly, it seems she's replaced conversation and empathy with hate and intolerance.
Thou shalt not speak badly of the sacred sexual deviants.
Tough love is infinitely more valuable than maudlin tolerance.
“When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization, and Jesus will come back,” she said...
Can’t argue with that! :)
For the fools who still thing that there is freedom of speech in the formerly great (but no longer) USA, when they take away your livelihood there is no freedom of speech.
She’s a Christian and not a lesbian. I’m shocked, but pleasantly so.
I’ve always loved her music. Time to pull the old CDs out and give ‘em a spin.
Anne Heche was put through the wringer for abandoning a high profile same sex relationship and marrying a man.
Hollywood only makes movies about long term families that are broken up when one “partner” decides late in life to seek a divorce and get into same sex relations. Shouldn't there be at least one reality based drama about someone seeking the way out of that lifestyle?
We are being inundated with studies reporting how many lesbians are obese (overeating from depression?) and alcoholics (depression and to loosen inhibitions against such encounters?) etc. Not such a gay lifestyle it seems.
She was a big suppprter of OWS.
The only fans she had were lesbian.
He career is done.
That's the same thing the Dixie Chicks said.
ACT UP never bullied, right?
Hollywood's pinklisting of businesses and entertainers who don't stand with the Lavender Mafia isn't bullying, right?
Death threats aren't bullying, right?
Pink journalism smears of opponents isn't bullying, right?
Gaystapo tactics at their worst. Thought crime. Orwell knew the Left.
These two evil acts are so contrary to God I just can't imagine anything more odious to heaven.
I will happily await the Day of Mercy.
Depends on who "they" is. If the Government punishes you for your speech, that's a violation of the First Amendment. If your fans don't like what you say and stop buying your records, that's not. Look at what happened to the Dixie Chicks.
Reminds one of Mayor Nutter's reaction to "White in Philly."
The Vichy Chicks said that patriotism was overrated.
Natalie Maines has launched a solo career now.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/music/2013-03-07/natalie-maines-fires-up-sxsw/
“Despite a seemingly insurmountable blacklist, Maines and the Chicks won five Grammy awards for their 2006 album, Taking the Long Way.”
The above writer is too ignorant (or bias) to acknowledge the leftist bias of the Grammys, which virtually every one of the past 20 years has awarded the spoken word grammy to liberal icons like both Clintons, both Obamas, Al Gore, Al Franken, Jesse Jackson, et al.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2013-03-15/sxsw-live-shots-natalie-maines/
Can someone please explain to me how this is an "anti-gay comment"?
Chains didn’t drop the Dixie Chicks albums or block their concerts. Michelle Shocked has been kicked off of booked stages. Wonder what her signed contracts say about that.
She didn’t say “not that there’s anything wrong with it”.
Bob Dylan didn’t want to be a moral crusader as the 60s progressed either.
With God as my witness, I had always assumed she WAS gay.
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