From the Dec. 1 issue of Q-Notes, your premier source of Carolinas’ LGBT news & views.
Sen. Stepdaddy gets ‘stomped’
Editor’s Note: Matt Comer
It seems as though N.C. Sen. Martin Nesbitt (D-Buncombe) got “stomped” by his stepson, arch-conservative Republican Chad Nesbitt.
Sen. Nesbitt is co-sponsor of a bill that would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation for folks employed directly by the State of North Carolina. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll just call the bill “N.C. ENDA-lite.”
Chad Nesbitt is upset that Sen. Stepdaddy has decided to support equality, fairness and justice under the laws of his great state of North Conservalina.
Step-sonny Chad is the founder of Carolina Stompers, a right-wing Republican group based in Asheville with the motto, “True conservatives stomping liberals and ‘Republicans in Name Only’ for our children’s future.”
In a web posting on the group’s website, Chad rails against N.C. ENDA-lite and says, “What people do in the privacy of their own bedroom is their business. But to push your sex life on others is wrong. Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender groups like Equality NC and Faith in America are doing just that. Their sales pitch is civil rights. Slavery, segregation, and denying women the right to vote was wrong and Americans have come a long way since those days. But is the way you have sex a civil right?”
He continues his rant and rips into Sen. Stepdaddy, all while giving the public some major misinformation about what the bill actually says.
[...]
(and my favorite part…) On that note, I am reminded of Vernon Robinson, a former Winston-Salem city council member who is so disliked that some call him “Vermin.” In his 2004 and 2006 bids for the U.S. House, Robinson used so many exaggerations that it became hard to keep up with them all.
He even lied about me once. On his 2004 campaign website, he said, “Ex-Scout and Confessed Homosexual Matt Hill [Comer] calls Vernon a ‘religious zealot’ because of his successful efforts to keep homosexuals out of Boy Scout pup tents.”
Someone really had called Vernon a “religious zealot,” but it wasn’t me. I’ve only ever described him as vile, corrupt, insane, narcissistic and completely out of his mind. Oh yeah, can’t forget about “bigot,” “evil incarnate” and “media-whore.” I’ve called him those, too.
Be sure to read the whole editorial at Q-Notes.
And… in a somewhat ironic note: Expect a letter to the editor in the Dec. 15 issue correcting some of my own inaccuracies in the editorial. I’m so grateful Equality North Carolina is here to catch my mistakes. What would I do without them?
Welcome to InterstateQ.com, the commentary and opinion blog of civic journalist and progressive, LGBT activist Matt Comer. Hailing from Winston-Salem, N.C., Matt, 26, now lives in Charlotte, where he works as editor of 
The thing that I find about most conservatives is their addiction to hate. They don’t ever seem to be happy unless their hating someone or something. They really should know better, hate is of the devil and has no place amongst people who call themselves christians. You know I used to be just like them once hating anyone and everyone and never being happy. But that changed when I accepted jesus into my life. I then made restitution to all the people I had hurt and made a promise to God that I would live the gospel. I would start loving others as myself, and treating others as I would like to be treated, returning good for evil. BELIEVE me it works. People who once hated you can’t help but want to be your friend, although some still might hate you, but those people you might have to check for a pulse. LoL.
As controversial and conservative as he is, I can’t help but love Toby Keith’s new song, “Love me if you can.”
I think it contains a lot of truth and I really do identify with it. I’m sure some on “the other side” would say the same thing.
Sometimes think that war is necessary
Every night I pray for peace on earth
I hand out my dollars to the homeless
But believe that every able soul should work
My father gave me my shotgun
That I’ll hand down, to my son
Try to teach him everything it means
I’m a man of my convictions
Call me wrong, call me right
But I bring my better angels to every fight
You may not like where I’m going
But you sure know where I stand
Hate me if you want to, love me if you can
I stand by my right to speak freely
But I worry about what kids learn from TV
And before all of the debating turn to angry words and hate
Sometimes we should just agree to disagree
And I believe that Jesus
Looks down here and sees us
And if you asked him he would say
I’m a man of my convictions
Call me wrong, call me right
But I bring my better angels to every fight
You may not like where I’m going
But you sure know where I stand
Hate me if you want to, love me if you can
I’m a man of my convictions
Call me wrong, call me right
But I bring my better angels to every fight
You may not like where I’m going
But you sure know where I stand
Hate me if you want to, love me if you can
And… although the song is a little conservative-leaning and although I’m sure Toby Keith and other conservatives would disagree with how I relate to the song, I love it and I think it is true: “I’m a man of my convictions, Call me wrong, call me right… You may not like where I’m going, But you sure know where I stand, Hate me if you want to, love me if you can.”