Religious Bigots Screwing Decent People Who Do Weird Things

Maoh · Post by **Maoh** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:53 pm

I don't know if anyone has brought this to the attention of the eplaya yet, but I thought it should be mentioned; as I can see the same thing easily happening with "Burning Man" swapped with "X-Day"...

Wiki news article regarding Rachel Bevilacqua, who lost custody of her child for participating in an annual SubGenius festival while her son was visiting his father:
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Georgia_mot ... s_religion

Rachel's Blog, with more current information on the legal situation:
http://rbevilacqua.blogspot.com/2006_03 ... chive.html

I recommend exploring the various links. Particularly [2] from the Wiki article. The court transcript shows the terrifying religious bias in Judge Punch, and how he made a personal judgement to screw over this woman for doing things outside of his limited scope of possible human behaviors, long before the case was finished.
Also, the Taphouse Cabal blog has a nice overview of the whole situation:
http://taphousecabal.blogspot.com/2006/ ... -help.html

Someone can take your children away just because you express yourself legally and have a good time. You've got to love that some christians still consider themselves a repressed minority when bullshit like this happens.

I'm sorry if this isn't the place for this, or if it's already been discussed. It just seemed relevant.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 4:55 pm

There was someone on the Dioxine list some years ago who, in the course of a particularly bloody and drawn-out divorce, was threatened with loss of visitation rights after their ex told their divorce lawyer said poster went to Burning Man.

I don't remember how it was resolved but a bunch of people on the list jumped in to testify. Pretty much everyone agreed the divorcing ex was only doing it to make trouble.

In another, unrelated episode, a Burner got taken aside and read the Riot Act by her child's teacher, because she took the kid to Burning Man. She responded by yanking the kid out of the school and moved to another, more open-minded school district. She also raised hell with the board of education.

*Sigh* the atrocities committed in the name of the Great Demon God EVERYCHILD...

we0ne · Post by **we0ne** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:29 am

We have a fellow burner involved in a similar situation right now who is part of kidsville. He is going through a divorce and is having difficulty gaining any respect in the hearings because he not only has attended BM for 10 years, but feels it is a very important venue for his children to learn about being open, unbiased givivng, art, music, community and all the great things that BM has to teach a child. His wife is using this against him as well. I always get a chuckle when I read threads about "Kids shouldn't be allowed at BM" and I always say, While there are drugs and open sex at BM, it is a far better opportunity for me to discuss these natural social issues with my son, than most places. i.e. the street corner. I want my son to feel fully comfortable in his own skin and learn to appreciate many things, like, the human body as a young person, instead of waiting until he is much older and there be more of a tendancy to develop the "Girls Gone Wild " mentality. I don't want my son to be a confused twenty/thirty something, about life/society.(yes, I know, it will happen to some extent). But, just maybe if we have a significant generation of young burners, eventually we won't need to have BM anymore as we know it, because there will be art, music, community, gifting and accepting around evey corner, unlike the shit default world many of us live in now. Sadly, and I am as gulity as any, we critisize those who hold power and misuse it, but seldom do those of us who would be very good social advocates put ourselves in the public eye and run for office of any type. Until that happens, we will continue to allow those who are right of righteous(?sp) lead the way - legally.

Peace,
Weone

SED · Post by **SED** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:15 pm

we0ne wrote:While there are drugs and open sex at BM, it is a far better opportunity for me to discuss these natural social issues with my son, than most places. i.e. the street corner.

With respect to you and your thoughtful post, I'll say that I think you are wrong. It's not just about you and your son. It's also about the greater society in which you live. You have to educate him in such a way that it doesn't compromise your relationship. Taking your child to Burning Man seriously jeopardizes that. You can argue whether it is right or wrong, but you cannot (by your own testimony) argue that this is not so.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:32 pm

...You have to educate him in such a way that it doesn't compromise your relationship. Taking your child to Burning Man seriously jeopardizes that...

Why is that?

SED · Post by **SED** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:39 pm

Because apparently, there are religious bigots who can screw decent people who do weird things.

Ron · Post by **Ron** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:04 am

SED wrote:Because apparently, there are religious bigots who can screw decent people who do weird things.

But their ability to do so is not limited to access granted via attending the burn. One could run afoul of a divorcing partner in a child custody case for any number of "non-traditional" behaviors and examples I've seen include swinging, drinking, traveling, political activities outside of the Dems and GOP (I've a friend who was too involved in the Green party for his divorce court's comfort), and so on. Furthermore if one avoids all those behaviors out of fear of running afoul of religious bigots one has surrendered one's behavior to them. Something I'm not willing to do, myself.

So I didn't/don't let fear of a custody battle keep me from producing adult videos, being a poly swinger (even have introduced various extended lovers to the part of my family that matters), attending the burn, taking the occasional recreational drug, or so on. But to each their own...

Ron

SED · Post by **SED** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:57 pm

It's great to have folks like you around, Ron, because I can argue a point without much fear that you'll take it personally.

First of all, congratulations on not getting fucked over during your custody arrangement.

As far as the impact of religious bigots, they have no effect whatsoever until they convince a judge that they have the winning argument, or until they intimidate their opposition in to surrender.

There's no use in complaining about tyranny and injustice. You have to take a stand against it, and be prepared to deal with the outcome.

volley36 · Post by **volley36** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 1:39 pm

As an Alabama divorce lawyer much of the time, I've seen a lot of abuse within the legal system and would be among the very first to agree it is an antiquated, broken system. That said, sometimes it accidentally accomplishes something, and those happy accidents in the system are not infrequent either.

Just think: Historically, gay folk were revered generally by native american
peoples before they were blessed with Christianity and civilization. If we got it so right, why are we changing people to fit what we think God wants? Why not let individuals make their own deitical peace and flourish in it?

Then again, Alabama is that place with the 10 Commandments judge that called Lesbianism an evil abomination. How dare someone trusted to be a dispassionate arbiter judge the culture and spiritual life of another.

Yeah, I've been thinking about gay culture for a while now, and what it has to offer that may save marriage for everyone else. Splitting the hairs of loyalty and fidelity in a courtroom is so contrary to being a human being.

SED · Post by **SED** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:17 pm

One largely overlooked result of a legalization of gay marriages will be that divorce lawyers will see a huge increase in business in very short order. And considering the greater proportion of double income/no children marriages among the gay community, the profits will be commensurately greater as well.

Ka-Ching!

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:21 pm

Maoh wrote:.. who lost custody of her child for participating in an annual SubGenius festival ..

damn straight, bob is just plain evil and its only a matter of time before he convinces everyone to off themselves before the saucers arrive. slack my ass.

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:58 pm

whoa, this is some serious deja-vu.

if anyone is taking my previous post seriously - you're not too smart.
and for those that want to use things like burningman to screw people in a custody case - gee, thanks for feeding the ambulance chasers with an intentional misrepresentation of the facts to support your dishonest agenda. its bad enough that some have to constantly fight off ignorance, entirely worse that you make that ignorance intentional.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:39 am

This thread is more like it.

(That's my contribution to this thread.)

P.S. This is the only time I have and maybe the only time I kinda agree with SED. (what is the world comming to?)

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 3:35 pm

you mean they move away from boys!

AIIZ

Religious Bigots Screwing Decent People Who Do Weird Things

Religious Bigots Screwing Decent People Who Do Weird Things

All's fair in love and war - at least that is what we say

Re: Religious Bigots Screwing Decent People Who Do Weird Thi