As the Supreme Court considers marriage equality for same-sex couples, here’s an interesting question: Have you ever heard of a place that doesn’t have one single gay person in it? Then you’ve never heard of Franklin Township, Mississippi.
Supposedly, no one in the 8000 population Franklin Township is gay. Supposedly. Because if they were, they’d better pretend to be straight or face serious consequences.
In Franklin Township, you can be fired for being gay. You can also be legally evicted from your apartment for any same-sex attractions. With such severe punishments, anyone in Franklin Township who is actually gay should probably be nominated for an Oscar for successfully acting as if they’re not.
It’s the same backwards concept that Iran believes, or that some foolishly think has somehow avoided sports and the Boy Scouts — that there are no gays here. With the Supreme Court taking up the issue of same-sex marriage this week, this Mississippi township appears to be living in some sort of time warp.
One 74-year-old resident said she’s never encountered a gay person in her entire life. Another resident, who professed an adamant opposition to gays said “I don’t believe in them kind of people. I don’t believe in it. We don’t need that same-sex marriage. That is wrong!”
Another man concluded that no gays live in the region. “I don’t have any knowledge one way or the other about that,” the man said. “It’s not too much of a topic around here. There are some things you just don’t talk about.”
But another man had a surprising response to the concept of same-sex marriage. “I think people should be able to marry whoever they want to,” he said. “I’m gay myself,” he added. “It’s hell, I’m telling you. Everybody knows who everybody is around here. I live openly, but I can’t live with anybody or anything like that because they persecute you.”
“We don’t exist” he continued. “We’re zero. We’re nothing.”
Hmmm…
Sounds like heaven…no sickos