Gaga for bigotry

Sombrero tip to Bina’s always amusing, enlightening and infuriating weekly bile dump, Wankers of the Week.  It’s not the heat, it’s the stupidity that makes this week’s list of wankertude longer than usual. Among the expected targets — mostly U.S. and Canadian politicos of the rightist stripe, this week Bina takes on  “Queerty”  for posting “The Stupid Attempt to Get Lady Gaga to Cancel Her Arizona Concert” — “Shameful”, she says straight-forwardly of the bigotry and xenophobia expressed by a website which claims to be “Free of an agenda — except that gay one”.

Lady Gaga is scheduled to give a concert in Phoenix on 31 July, and — as is common in the music and entertainment industry — has been asked to voluntarily cancel the appearance in protest of Arizona’s “show us your papers” law.   “Queerty” makes the very odd argument against Lady Gaga canceling her appearance, as musicians, especially those with a minority-group following have felt honor-bound to do, based on a very odd and specious argument:

So the gay boys and girls in Arizona should be deprived of a night of Gaga because their lawmakers are tools? No. The Gaga putting on a concert there is instead an opportunity to raise more awareness about prejudicial laws of the land, from SB1070 to the state’s constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Appearing will, of course, give credence to those tools within Arizona that claim their stupid, racist law is supported by “other” minorities.  Apparently, the “gay agenda” of Queerty does not extend to  those who are gay AND members of ethnic minorities, or immigrants…. those  likely to be affected by the law (and– seeing the concert is scheduled after the implementation date of the law, perhaps likely to be detained for “suspicious activities” like attending a Lady Gaga concert).

What’s particularly ironic is that Lady Gaga is extremely popular in Mexico, and not just among GLBT Mexicans.  When rumors that Gaga and Colombian star Shakira were scheduled to appear in free concerts sponsored by the Federal District to honor the bicentennial were officially denied, most of the comments on the articles (both the rumor and the denial) were pro-Gaga.

Perhaps, rather than appear in Arizona, Gaga would have more impact on GLBT rights by appearing in Mexico City, where at least same-gender marriage is legal, and the Constitution specifically guarantees equal rights for citizens regardless of sexual preference.  THAT makes a stronger statement than aiding and abetting (and justifying and economically supporting) bigotry and xenophobia.

So, Lady Gaga:

You know they love you, you’re

hot in Mexico.  But…

At this point you gotta chose,

Nothing to lose…*

…but your self-respect, and the respect of your fan base,  and any credibility as a spokesperson for human rights.

*(OK, I like the music, though I can’t say I’m … ahhh… going gaga about the Gulag Archipelago Gym Bunnies meets  S&M Club meets the Spanish Inquisition meets Moe from the Three Stooges choreography: