Homophobia seems to be sweeping the nation like a plague of Biblical proportions—an apt analogy since the basis for most of the antigay sentiments is the Bible. The outbreak has been building for years now. I think it all started when Bush took office in 2000 and it's gotten steadily worse ever since. The latest wave of "moral values" that ensured four more years of fundamentalist conservatism brought the threat level to epidemic proportions. Don't believe me? Just check out the latest news. Antigay sentiments abound.

On Wednesday, December 1, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm announced that the state would be removing domestic-partner benefits from contracts negotiated with state workers, citing a voter-approved amendment to the state constitution that bans same-sex marriage "and similar unions." Michigan voters approved the amendment November 2.

Alabama state representative Gerald Allen recently proposed a law that would ban all books in public libraries and schools with any gay content, no matter how small. The proposed law would prohibit all books with gay characters and any school textbooks that suggest homosexuality is normal. In the past, Allen was an outspoken advocate for the ban on same-sex marriage. He suggests destroying the books that contain positive gay material. This would include works by authors such as Herman Melville, Tennessee Williams, Willa Cather, Carson McCullers, John Cheever, Alice Walker, James Baldwin, Truman Capote, and Gore Vidal, to name just a few.

In Webb City, Missouri, Brad Mathewson, a 16-year-old openly gay high school student, was sent home for wearing a T-shirt bearing the insignia of the gay/straight alliance from his old school. In support of their friend, a group of fellow students made homemade T-shirts reading "If this shirt offends you, look the other way." The back, among other messages, stated, "We have the right to be who we want to be" and "We support gay rights." Other students donned shirts with messages such as "I'm gay and I'm proud" and "I have a gay friend and I'm proud of him." The group was given the choice of either changing their shirts or going home. Seven chose to go home.

A Methodist minister was defrocked on Friday, December 3, after being convicted of violating church laws against actively gay clergy. It is the first such decision in over 17 years. The Reverend Irene Elizabeth Stroud, 34, an associate pastor at Philadelphia's First United Methodist Church of Germantown, set the case in motion last year when she announced to her bishop and congregation that she was living in a committed relationship with her partner, Chris Paige.

CBS and NBC rejected an ad from the United Church of Christ. The 30-second ad highlights the Cleveland-based UCC's welcoming stance toward gays and anyone else who might feel shunned elsewhere. The ad shows a muscular bouncer working a rope line outside a handsome but nameless church, deciding who is eligible to enter and worship. "No, step aside, please," he says to two men holding hands. Across the screen comes the message, "Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do we." The final scene shows a woman with her arm around another woman. The networks said the ad was too controversial to broadcast because it implied exclusion of gay and lesbian couples by other groups. ABC Family, AMC, BET, Discovery, and TBS, among others, accepted the ad the UCC said. [Note from David: see the ad and sign the petition to the networks at http://www.gayrites.net/bouncer.htm ]

ABC's 20/20 recently aired a deeply flawed segment about the murder of Matthew Shepard. The news magazine claimed to have found previously unexamined layers in the story. Instead, they presented rumors and unproven claims by the murderers who now assert the killing had nothing to do with Matthew's sexuality--contrary to their court testimony. In a shameful bid for ratings during November sweeps, the network gave up journalistic integrity in order to play off the nation's homophobic mania.

These are only just a few highlights of the stories that have surfaced in the last week. Taken as a whole, they paint a stunningly depressing picture of the state of the US. If anyone had any hope that things might possibly improve during Bush's second term, it's not looking good. If anything, we seem to be slipping back into a hysterical state of McCarthyism--book burnings, open discrimination, and panicked finger-pointing.

It's not all bad news though. The chances of Allen's proposed book ban passing are extremely slim. In the Webb City, Missouri case, the ACLU has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mathewson. Rev. Stroud has said that while she is disappointed, she never expected to win the case, and hopes to use it as a learning opportunity. Her supportive congregation has said it wants her to remain with them, serving in many of the same positions she did as assistant pastor, but now as a lay minister.

How do we counteract the rising tide of homophobia? Since the elections many people have written me asking that question. They all want to know: What do we do now? The answer? The same things you were doing before, only take it up a notch.

Come out. Coming out is by far the most important thing anyone can do in the fight against homophobia. Someone recently sent me a humorously toned email that listed things to do before the inauguration in January. Some of the suggestions included drink a glass of clean water, photograph an endangered animal, visit Florida before the polar ice caps melt, and come out--then go back! All I could think was, "No, you've got it all wrong. Yes, by all means come out, but then stay out!" That's the only way we can ever hope to turn the tide of ignorance and religious zealotry. People need to see that gay people are not the horrible monsters the right wing is painting us to be, that we are in fact capable of committed meaningful relationships, and that we are a valuable part of our society. The only way they will see that is if we are out there lives open, honest lives.

Speak out. It's just not enough anymore to come out then fade into the shadows while hoping everyone will forget. Like the kids at Webb City High School, you have to stand up for what you believe. If you see injustice, don't look the other way. Point it out. Make a scene. Make it harder for people to get away with bigotry and discrimination.

Write your Reps. Keep your government representatives on their toes. Never fail to remind them that you are their constituents too (not just the religious fundamentalists). If they promised to work gay rights, hold them accountable. If they are anti-gay, flood them with intelligent, logical reasoning opposing their bigoted views. There are some great online sites that help you stay abreast of issues important to you, and give you tools to make writing your officials even easier. Sites like www.HRC.org, www.NGLTF.org, www.ALCU.org, and www.TrueMajority.com just to name a few.

Donate. If you can afford it, make monetary donations to groups fighting for gay rights. Lambda Legal, HRC, and the ACLU, as well as many other national, state, and local groups, are out there fighting for equality on a daily basis. They need capital to make it happen. The Far-Right is extremely well-funded and we need to be as well. Every little bit helps. If you just can't afford a monetary donation, contact these groups about volunteering your time. Volunteers free up more money to go to programs.

Educate. After coming out, this one may be the most important of all. While you're living your life openly and honestly, be sure to take the time to educate those around you. If you hear someone say something that you know is incorrect, like maybe that old chestnut that gay marriage is a threat to heterosexual marriage, gently correct them with the facts. That means you have to educate yourself first. Even if you don't change that person's mind right then and there, you may have planted a valuable seed that will take root and grow. And who knows who might overhear your conversation and have their mind changed.

These are just a few examples of what you can do to combat this terrible disease that is spreading like wildfire across the US. Fortunately, while stupidity is untreatable, and bigots aren't likely to seek or accept a cure, ignorance is curable. And you hold the antidote.