GOP Congressman Discovers Mississippi Isn't as Homophobic as He Thought It Was
Mississippi Rep. Steven Palazzo thought it would be a great idea to start a Facebook campaign protesting the Grammys, specifically "Gay Hollywood's version of matrimony." That didn't work out so well.
Palazzo began his Facebook crusade against "Gay Hollywood's version of matrimony" on Monday, a day after a Grammys show which saw Queen Latifah officiate 33 marriages — gay and straight — to the tunes of Macklemore's "Same Love." Palazzo's message isn't really clear since the Grammys refer to music, and "Gay Hollywood" kinda refers to movies, but whatever — Palazzo wanted people to share the post if they felt, like he did, that gay people shouldn't be married.
"Unfortunately, Hollywood doesn't value the same conservative beliefs we do in Mississippi. Last night's demonstration at the #Grammys is a perfect example of their disconnect," he wrote on his Facebook page, urging people who shared his beliefs to share the post.
The campaign has been shared over 1,500 times ... which would seem like lots of people agree with Palazzo. And that would fit if you believe in the idea that the South, Mississippi in particular, is just full of intolerant bigots. But the comments, particularly the most-liked ones, accompanying Palazzo's Facebook campaign paint a different picture.
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"I really dislike this post... He obviously doesn't know what all of Mississippians believe or agree with," one commenter wrote.
"Fortunately not all Mississippians are as close minded as you, Mr Palazzo," another person wrote.
"Dear Mr. Polazzo. I am a Mississippian. I was born and raised here and this is my home. I am absolutely disgusted with the bigotry you displayed with your remarks about the Grammy's," reads another.
"Just know that you don't speak for me when you refer to all Mississippians," adds another commenter. And they go on and on:
Fewer people in Mississippi support gay marriage than in any other state, according to a Williams Institute survey last year, but they're hardly a tiny minority. A third of Mississippians support gay marriage. And that's been a problem on Palazzo's Facebook page. Towleroad, a gay news blog, reports that on someone on Palazzo's team keeps deleting the comments that don't agree with his crusade. Yet, they keep popping up.
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Update 1/29 8:54 a.m.: A reader who was commenting on Palazzo's page alerted us that she had been blocked from posting. She sent us a couple screen shots (one below) of commenters who were seeing Palazzo or his team block commenters and deleting comments that did not go along with his anti-gay message.
Facebook Screenshot
This article was originally published at http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/01/gop-congressman-finding-out-mississippi-isnt-homophobic-he-thought-it-was/357468/
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