The column ran today in the Marietta Daily Journal and the related Northside Neighbor, and either has run or will run in the other Neighbor newspapers, according to Drew Plant, a gay public relations consultant who is organizing against the column.
“Gay,” as the character is repeatedly referred to in Yarbrough’s column, calls to tell him about the California law because it is “only a matter of time before there was going to be pressure to pass such a law in Georgia.”
“Gay Blade” is included in the headline of the MDJ version of the article, while the Northside Neighbor version has the headline “California law not likely to pass in Georgia anytime soon,” as if anyone would remotely think that it would.
In addition to mocking gays consistently, the column also repeats the old conservative joke about California, or “at least San Francisco,” falling into the ocean, and takes jabs at Gov. Jerry Brown, Nancy Pelosi and more.
Yarbrough supposedly reassures “Gay” that Georgia has more important issues to deal with than passing such a bill.
“Besides, we have a lot of pride in Georgia’s history and the last thing we need to know is that some guy we named a county for used to run around at night in hoop skirts,” Yarbrough wrote, concluding that “I don’t think our kids could handle that kind of stuff.”
Plant forwarded the column to his contacts asking for action against Yarbrough.
“It is not his first anti-gay column, but it is one of the most blatant and mocking. I hope you will join me not just in writing letters to the editor, but in calling for his resignation,” Plant wrote. “Apparently he does not think education on gay issues is important or I would suggest that.”
Plant noted that the column would have been less palatable had its mockery targeted women or racial minorities instead of LGBT people.
“I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Mr. Yarbrough had come up with a cute little name/label/slur for women or black people or [other communities] and likewise prioritized behind ‘real problems’ their needs and history and need for respect and dignity,” he said.