A new intolerance visits Provincetown; Police say gays accused of slurs

Boston Slob ^ | 07/14/06 | Adrienne P. Samuels, Globe Staff

[misterrob]

PROVINCETOWN -- Town leaders here are holding a public meeting today to air concerns about slurs and bigoted behavior. And this time, they say, it's gay people who are displaying intolerance.

Police say they logged numerous complaints of straight people being called ``breeders" by gays over the July Fourth holiday weekend. Jamaican workers reported being the target of racial slurs. And a woman was verbally accosted after signing a petition that opposed same-sex marriage, they said.

The town, which prizes its reputation for openness and tolerance, is taking the concerns seriously, though police say they do not consider the incidents hate crimes.

``Hate language is usually the early-warning signal that could lead to hate-motivated violence," Town Manager Keith Bergman said. ``And before that happens, we try to nip it in the bud."

Gays have coexisted fairly peacefully alongside other residents in this community on Cape Cod's tip, home to a long-established Portuguese fishing colony.

Provincetown was recently re-certified for its ``No Place for Hate" designation by the AntiDefamation League, which worked with the town on tolerance issues in the 1990s after gays experienced some problems. But the town's ``No Place for Hate" group, set up to address incidents of bigotry, hasn't met in years.

``We have not had problems in a long time," police Staff Sergeant Warren Tobias said. ``I don't necessarily view this as a big problem, but it's certainly a blip on our radar screen."

Along the main shopping street and the wharf, residents of this 3,400-person town -- which swells to some 30,000 over the summer -- say tensions are rising in part because of strong feelings about same-sex marriage.

[Mathews]

Well, I made that mistake just last month. I had no idea what was going on there. My eyes were opened rather quickly when I noticed all the rainbow flags and the leather shops which displayed a line of ball gags and masks. The next clue was the marque at the theater which touted performers such as "Hedda Lettuce" and another one that received huge compliments from none other than Rosie O'Donnell. Needless to say, we left about 30 min after getting out of the van.

[Lx]

Wow, if they're this hot from behind, whoa momma!

[Yo-Yo]

Hey, your Mama was a Breeder!

[MassachusettsGOP]

[Colofornian]

breeders

Hey, most of us breed something. Some folks breed babies, others diseases, still others...you name it.

[D.P.Roberts]

"Town Manager Keith Bergman said. ``And before that happens, we try to nip it in the bud."

Nip it in the bud? How dumb does a city employee have to be to invite Barney Fife comparisons?

[HamiltonJay]

Gays are mentally ill folks, they are complete narccissists and basically glorified teenagers in their mentality.. if you tolerate their behavior it will only escalate and embolden them to be even more destructive.

I know, its not PC.. but you don't tolerate self destructive mental disorders.. you treat them. Sadly our society just can't seem to come to grips with a simple truth.... not letting people do whatever they want whenever they want is not oppression, its called civilized society.

[ketelone]

Yes, as if being gay makes you talk a certain way. Gays want to be treated no different from anyone else. And yet, they thrust their secual preference in your face. What do they expect?

[mikeyc]

Gays are mentally ill folks, they are complete narccissists and basically glorified teenagers in their mentality.. if you tolerate their behavior it will only escalate and embolden them to be even more destructive.
...not letting people do whatever they want whenever they want is not oppression, its called civilized society.

You've hit the nail on the head. My rather broad experience of homos involved in the 'gay community' has given me a view of homos as lacking self-control, maturity and responsibility. When that behaviour is allowed to flourish in public, it inevitably causes them to respond like children... give them and inch and they take a mile.

Your comment about being civilized is right on. Without imposed boundaries and restrictions, homosexuality would run wild... and is doing, causing havoc to the ethos of society.

[HamiltonJay]

No they WANT TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY.. they want people to treat them like they are something special... when all they are is mentally ill.

[Unam Sanctam]

The Globe discovers that gay activists are among the most intolerant persons on the face of the earth? They must have loooked in a mirror.

[winner3000]

I guess they wish their parents had been non-breeders...euh...never mind. The illogic is frying my brain.

[Riverman94610]

They waited TWENTY years?
I bet they didn't even wait one NIGHT!

[Riverman94610]

"They thrust their sexual preference in your face"
I hope you don't mean LITERALLY!

[ketelone]

LOL!

[MrEdd]

police say they do not consider the incidents hate crimes.

Some animals are more equal than others.

[NYCVirago]

Is there no crime in Provincetown? Why in the world is the police getting involved in investigating people making nasty comments?

Don't get me wrong, I think calling people "breeders" is pretty obnoxious. But I don't agree with the police being involved in the first place, whether it be anti-gay or anti-straight slurs.

[misterrob]

I volunteered at something called the Pan Mass Challenge which is a two day bike trip across Massachusetts that ends in P-Town. The Jimmy Fund (cancer org) and Dana Farber institute use this event as a major fundraiser.

Anyway, while doing our assignments there were some cops doing details and traffic stuff so we hung out and chatted with them. They said the crime they dealt with was mostly drug related and domestic beefs where people start swinging at one another....

[FormerLib]

The only things the gaystapo can breed is hatred and AIDS.

[Puddleglum]

I guess they wish their parents had been non-breeders...euh...never mind. The illogic is frying my brain.

Yeah, that's what I meant. It's just lunacy.