S02.E26: LGBT Discrimination

[Athena]

This year’s gay marriage ruling was a milestone, but LGBT discrimination is still surprisingly legal. John Oliver explains why we need a federal anti-discrimination law.

 

I think there will be a hiatus of a few weeks after this episode and then John will return with three nine new episodes to end season 2.

[purist]

 

I think there will be a hiatus of a few weeks after this episode

 

Seems likely - Ollie will be in Australia next week for some gigs in Melbourne and Sydney. (Sadly, I can't afford to go.)

[Jediknight]

I wonder if his big topic will be universities and their horrible investigations of sexual abuse claims.  Baylor just had a football player convicted of sexually assaulting a girl in 2013, and the investigation was horrible, and the scary thing is that their investigation is par for the course.  You've got kids going back to school, and this Baylor scandal, so part of me thinks he's going to make it his big segment this week.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Jediknight

[The Luvly Junkie]

{Disclaimer: Unless you have a 2-5 year old knowledge on Kpop and/or South Korean intimidation with the use of Kpop music, please don't judge me on my following post...

 

~OMG! Fangirl SQUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEAAAALL! And I thought Ollie-Scone would stop at mentioning AKB48 last season. As a Kpop fan/listener, I was more than ecstatic to finally see him report on North Korea/South Korea. And to be fair, South Korea was already crazy utilizing Kpop music to express their propaganda long before. It's been going on since 2010, and South Korean culture site allkpop officially reported the country's government playing a song from a Kpop idol group, 4minute, called Hit Your Heart. So the chances of South Korea playing good Kpop music for Ollie-Scone ranges down to mainstream, sexy jaw-opening Westernized bombshells, a completely far stretch from Neon Bunny's concept. Although to be fair, Neon Bunny is more K-Indie than Kpop, and she's only just beginning to spawn more listeners lately, and I'm glad someone from LWT's staff listens to her. 

 

Also, about TVXQ, he forgot about XIA Junsu and Micky Yoochun leaving, but he's the first to mention Kpop from a non media-news outlet, so I'll let that slide, even though I'm not part of Cassiopeia. I'm typically leaning towards ELF, because Super Junior is a remarkable group, too. Just saying. :P

 

And finally, no Psy reference? Tsk, tsk, but I guess it would have been way too predictable based on his MVs' countless views.}

 

OK, I'm good. :)

 

As for the main segment, I was deeply appalled but then aroused near the end of the segment (I'll explain why the latter near the end). As an LGBT supporter/ally, the segment demonstrates just how frustrating the people who lived in a more traditional society make it even harder to accept people equally. It hits even closer to home for me knowing what my friends have to go through, especially because of cultural expectations that clash with another. But the more I pondered at the LGBT discrimination, the sooner I realized it's because of what time and experience can do to people when they age. Of course some will be stubborn about accepting the new society. Of course people will still cling onto their rights of not giving their services/privileges to them. Of course there will be some who cannot stand their loved ones, family or friends, being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transexual because it defies their expectations. But I'm hoping if anyone is given the opportunity to ask about supporting the Equality Act, it better be exactly at a debate, because digressing away from a simple Yes or No question does not cut it.

 

Also, he caught my attention when he mentioned Arkansas, and it brought to my attention a previous TDS field piece Jordan Klepper did on the persecution of Christians after Eureka Spring's council passed Equal Rights Ordinance 2223. It makes me wonder since TDS went to Arkansas if the state felt ashamed about their bigotry and removed the Ordinance and replaced it with an Anti Anti-Discrimination Ordinance. Not looking good, Eureka Spring. :{

 

As for being aroused, well I couldn't remember Ollie-Scone's point after he made those sexy expressions once he talked about the baker who wouldn't bake wedding cakes for a gay couple. :P

 

Either way, this episode got me hyped, angry, and aroused. Can't believe he's only got 3 episodes left. I still hope he'll finish this season on the state of satire. With the passing of the torch from Stewart to Trevor Noah, and Colbert finally making his Late Show debut, and Charlie Hebdo, I really hope he'll keep his promise.

[ajsnaves]

I think he has 9 episodes left this season, for a total of 35 episodes. (Unless Wikipedia is lying to me. Which is just too horrible a thought to entertain.)

 

Being gay, this was an issue I am better informed about that many of the other issues, and it still surprises and depresses me to hear these things. Particularly the doctor refusing to treat the baby of the lesbian couple, which I read about when it first happened, but forgot.  There is just so much wrong with that, and it angers up the blood.  One note, John;s map of states that can discriminate is a bit misleading.  Some of those states have protections for LGBs, but not trans.  I know Wisconsin has a strong anti-discrimination law for LGBs, but lacks anything for Trans people.

[trow125]

I'm a member of Lambda Legal and I had been worrying a few weeks ago that after the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality, would people stop paying attention / donating to LGBT rights groups because they think the battle is won? I'm really glad LWT showed how much is left to do. There's a lot more at stake than just marriage equality, though of course that was a great victory.

 

One issue that I learned about from Dan Savage's podcast is the horrible bathroom bills, which would force Trans people to use the bathroom of their gender assigned at birth. He was trying to encourage the news media to quit asking candidates if they'd attend a gay wedding and start asking them where they think Caitlin Jenner (a Republican!) should pee.

[Danny Franks]

See, John, the trouble is, there are plenty of people who do think that LGBT people should be discriminated against. They may try to dress it up as being in defense of devoutly held religious beliefs, they may say it's not in the economic interests of their country, or they may just admit that they "don't like fags". 

 

I have to say, I do find it curious that it's generally accepted that people who feel like they're 'good, christian folks' would actively refuse to support those who might be in need of support. Doesn't sound very christian to me. The doctor was even worse. He or she should be struck off for taking that stance. Refusing to treat someone in need of medical attention is surely against any version of the Hippocratic Oath (though perhaps America has an exemption for people too poor to pay for said treatment, I don't know).

 

That C-Span call in host is my hero. His patience is boundless, but I really want to see him just flip out and trash his studio. How much of that nonsensical bilge can anyone listen to without going insane?

 

Love the ongoing televangelist scam, and hopefully that sort of ridicule will actually wise some people up to these shysters. Sometimes I feel like one, needle-sharp satirical takedown can do all the work that an in depth, exposing documentary can't.

[attica]

That C-Span call in host is my hero. His patience is boundless, but I really want to see him just flip out and trash his studio. How much of that nonsensical bilge can anyone listen to without going insane?

 

Part of me thinks he might already be insane. Sometimes I think I see a thorazine haze about him. :)

[trow125]

Here's an article on the C-SPAN reaction to the "most patient man" segments (that's Steve Scully).

[Victor the Crab]

I gotta say, I got a big kick of looking at the image of a Billybee honey bear container. They're an iconic brand here in Canada.

 

I'd imagine Steve Scully must indulge in a lot of whatever he needs to get over with dealing with assholes every day.

[Danny Franks]

Here's an article on the C-SPAN reaction to the "most patient man" segments (that's Steve Scully).

 

See, while they're suggesting in that article that the LWT coverage of him will result in even more crank callers, I kind of wonder whether he might actually get some people just ringing up to be nice to him. LWT seems to bring out the best in people who watch it, rather than the worst. As far as I can tell, anyway. And that guy really, really needs a hug from someone, even if it's only a verbal, metaphorical hug.

[dcalley]

Here's an article on the C-SPAN reaction to the "most patient man" segments (that's Steve Scully).

"The number of profane and racist calls hasn’t increased over the years, the programming chief contends." What years would those be? Maybe the profanity has gone down while the racism has gone up, maintaining an even total.

[Hanahope]

I always wonder if those bakers (and others) who refuse to provide services for a gay wedding do the same if the couple getting married were previously divorced, or had engaged in fornication.  Those are "against the bible" too.

 

Can't believe the doctor would refuse to treat the baby.  I'd be reporting that doctor to the state medical board pronto.

[trow125]

I always wonder if those bakers (and others) who refuse to provide services for a gay wedding do the same if the couple getting married were previously divorced, or had engaged in fornication.  Those are "against the bible" too.

Hanahope, you are not the first person to ask that question. Check out this report:

Oregon bakery Sweet Cakes by Melissa grabbed national headlines after the business owners refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple earlier this year because they claimed same-sex marriage conflicted with their religious beliefs.

However, two undercover reporters from Portland alternative weekly paper Willamette Week discovered the bakery operators were happy to bake goods for celebrations of other things conservatives traditionally scorn, including parties for divorce, a pagan solstice, and stem cell research.

[Hanahope]

Good, I'm glad someone exposed those hypocrits.

[ganesh]

The clip of the CO cake guy aired on PBS news so it's probably on you tube. He's even more ignorant when you watch the whole piece. Anyone anyone anyone who uses "deep seeded" faith or whatever is a fraud and it's simply an excuse to do what you want and too bad if you don't like it because first amendment religion I win. That's all he was. He couldn't put a coherent argument together in the piece at all.

The lawyer for the case was like "yeah cake guy? Uh no."

I find it ridiculous anyway that people just would turn down money anyway. Them Benjamins ain't gay, cake guy.

[Hanahope]

Them Benjamins ain't gay, cake guy.

 

Seriously, and wedding cakes usually cost a goodly number of those Benjamins.

[peeayebee]

Another thing I don't understand is how government employees are getting away with refusing to do marriage licenses for gay couples. That's their jobs. Even if they claim their religious beliefs prevent them from doing so -- which, of course, bullshit -- then they need to be replaced with employees that can do the job.

[Mindymoo]

I really appreciated the main segment this week. I'm a lesbian, and have been with my SO for five years. We consider ourselves married, though we're not legally married yet, because we lived in a state that didn't have marriage equality until the supreme court's decision and figured it would be years until that day would come. She goes to a Catholic college for nursing school because it's the best school in the region for the BSN program, and while she was allowed to start a gay-straight alliance there, they are not allowed to discuss marriage equality AT ALL. That is 100% against Catholic teachings. We wanted to run to the courthouse the day the decision was announced, since our county was prepared, but our state doesn't have LGBT protections so we thought better of it. We're terrified that if we did get married, she could get kicked out of school. It's something that could easily happen, and I am glad that John addressed how messed up it is that we don't have basic civil rights protections in this country.

[purist]

 

anyone who uses "deep seeded" faith

 

Considering what John was suggesting that cake-maker puts into his cakes, all I can say is EWWWWW.

 

(The expression is 'deep-seated', not 'deep-seeded', BTW. /pedant)

[ProfCrash]

I enjoyed the show but I have a minor nit. The issue on the Korean Peninsula did not start when the South Koreans began broadcasting propaganda over the DMZ, it started when the North Korean military placed two mines in an area that the South Koreans patrol and blew off the legs of two soldiers. The North Koreans then fired artillery across the DMZ after the broadcasts began.

 

So, yeah, it was a cute report but it missed the real trigger.

[TudorQueen]

The report on Russia, and Putin's trashing of all that food, was a glaring example of something I contend in many of my course lectures - that whether Imperial Russia, the USSR, or oligarchal Russia, the consistent element of their inevitable downfall is their inability to consistently feed their people.

I will miss him sooo much over the next few weeks.