Or, so said Gov. Ehrlich to Metro Board Member Robert Smith after Smith called homosexuality “sexual deviance” on public television. Generally there’s this thing we have in society called “manners” and it’s clear to me that Smith ought to pick up a copy of Emily Post for posterity. You don’t have to believe being gay is okay, you don’t have to believe that being gay is acceptable, but what you have to do is treat other people with common decency and respect in order to get by in this town. And that means not calling a group of people “sexual deviants” on public television.
Failure to do so will get you lots of press, but it’s the kind of press that shows up at the top of Google when HR departments, reporters, and friends go searching for information about you. It’s not in your best interest to come out swinging with words, on recorded television no less, that will look badly to other people when they hear them. Sure, some in the community might agree with you, but I don’t necessarily think that coming off as a bigot or a discriminator is going to be in your best interest, no matter what the cause is. Next time, Think Twice.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
