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By: Chris Crain COMMENTS
 
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continues to rally opposition to equality
for gays.
But the contribution of religion here is more indirect, and I’m not sure
much can be accomplished with non-Muslims blaming a faith about which we are
mostly ignorant for the culture we think it has produced. Life in a multicultural
society means accepting that others will not share our religious beliefs and
that no one group should lay claim to representing “normal society,”
demanding all others succumb.
THE DUTCH CULTURE Wars should not be fought by shutting down the borders or
by using the law to silence those who do not share the country’s tradition
of tolerance. Those are the arm-twisting tactics of the cultural conservatives
who control the majority party here in the U.S.
If we really believe our own rhetoric — about freedom of thought and
tolerance of other cultures and values — then the best response is more
openness and more speech, not less.
Too often those who advocate for openness and tolerance get dismissed as soft-headed
or naive, and they can be. Some Dutch media have purposefully ignored the cultural
conflict that played a role in our attack by refusing to report any details
about our attackers. Tolerance should not mean burying your head in the sand.
Others, like Long from Human Rights Watch, will view hate violence through
a P.C. lens, apologizing for the attackers if their minority status “trumps”
that of those who were attacked.
A more vigorous approach to openness would make the case for a society where
each group is entitled to its own values, but not to impose them on others —
whether through laws or through fists in the streets. This approach would publicly
call upon good people from across the ideological spectrum, including those
religious and cultural leaders who condemn homosexuality, to also condemn a
brutal street beating of those who do not share their views.
I’ve been asked many times in the last week whether gay tourists should
steer clear of Amsterdam until the climate there improves. I certainly hope
that isn’t what happens.
I am proud that my boyfriend and I stood up for ourselves by walking the streets
of Amsterdam hand in hand, and by not running away when we were confronted.
I would urge other gay tourists, as well as gays and our allies living in Holland,
to stand up for themselves, too, and not run away figuratively, either.
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