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Kimberly Knight

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Bruce ain’t goin’ to NC, but I am…and we’re both right.

Bruce ain’t goin’ to NC, but I am…and we’re both right.

Last updated on: October 30, 2017 at 3:53 pm by Kimberly Knight

Bruce ain’t goin’ to NC, but I am…and we’re both right. 2017-10-30T15:53:16+04:00 Kimberly Knight

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Major corporations, film and television productions and even broadway musicals are boycotting North Carolina over legalized LGBT discrimination in HB2, a law that explicitly bars transgender individuals from public bathrooms for the gender they identify as.

This, my friends, is the very definition of unconstitutional because it is in direct violation of the 1st and 14th amendments.

About the first – HB2 establishes a state religion (but it ain’t really Christianity y’all, its the worship of power and money masquerading as conservative Christianity. Make no mistake, these politicians are not concerned with your freedom of belief. The are manipulating people by appealing to fear based faith to get their asses reelected for another term – but I digress.)

About the fourteenth…I need do no more than paste the amendment here, y’all are smart enough to get my point without me blathering on:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Okay, okay, where was I going with all this – oh yeah…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or living a full life that doesn’t depend on the interwebs), you’ve likely heard that Bruce Springsteen once again proves he’s The Boss by canceling his show in North Carolina

I’ve been thinkin’ a lot about his actions and statement in light of my own post the other day where I talk about my choice to attend, and now lead a panel discussion of coming out stories at the Wild Goose Festival in NC this summer. What greater witness, y’all!

While I applaud Bruce’s actions, especially since he personally will feel the economic repercussions of this stance, I am clear that his choice as a cisgender, straight ally should be different from mine. I want straight, powerful, visible allies like The Boss who are willing to stand on the side of the marginalized. Frankly, we need a lot more Bruces out there.

But not all performers are Bruce and not protests are alike.

Let’s say Elton John was scheduled to play NC. I would hope like hell that he would show up, feather boas a’flyin’, husband at his side and tear the roof off that joint. It would be a spectacular protest in a state where officials (not all the people) are leveraging the fears and ignorance of their citizens in a move to, in essence, drive out all LGBT people.

I realize that you if you don’t identify as Christian, the lens through which you see all this may be different (and also right). But my heart and mind on the matter remain the same.

As a queer Christian, as I said in my blog, I actually feel that it is my duty to show up as queer, and especially as Christian, to be visible as a counter witness IN NORTH CAROLINA to a whole host of negative narratives about either group of people. It is a protest. It is an act of civil disobedience, and for me it is done in the name of Jesus, in the name of a God who has been hijacked by Mammon worshipping asshats.

I will get to show up and be a face of Christianity that is radically loving and doesn’t need or want the state to make my religiosity state-mandated. I want the state to uphold the first amendment and protect my right to the free exercise of my religion. This includes dancing my ass off in the mud, lovin’ on Jesus and my neighbors, all while the Indigo Girls make my heart explode with tears of joy.

So, to this NC summer I will say – I am queer and I am here. AND I will say, THIS is what a Christian looks like.

Previous Post

April 8, 2016

Why I am still going to Wild Goose Festival In North Carolina

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April 22, 2016 It's not a gay kiss, it's a kiss. An open letter to the straight friend.

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