Singer Michelle Shocked's Anti-Gay Rant

[KarmaContestant]

All I can say is that I am...shocked... :lol: I've been a casual fan of Michelle for almost 15 years, but have never followed her closely.

She has some great songs, but I'll probably not be listening to her much after this!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/18/michelle-shocked-anti-gay-rant-god-hates-fags_n_2901564.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Singer Michelle Shocked, who was most popular in the '80s and '90s, went on a homophobic tirade over the weekend in San Francisco, much to the surprise of the audience watching her performance.

It all went down Sunday night at Yoshi's, a San Francisco jazz club and restaurant. When she first took to the stage, things were fine; but during her second set, Shocked launched into an anti-gay rant.

"I live in fear," Shocked said, as reported by SFist, "that the world will be destroyed if gays are allowed to marry."

"You can go on Twitter and say Michelle Shocked said ‘God hates fags,'" the 51-year-old alternative-funk musician told the crowd, according to Queerty.

Concert-goer Matt Penfield, who was on stage live-tweeting the concert for Shocked, was appalled. He described her diatribe as "totally sincere," "super anti-gay" and "hateful."

According to the Village Voice, the audience cleared out in horror.

A tweet sent from Shocked's verified Twitter account appeared to reference the incident:
@MShocked
Truth is leading to painful confrontation #shortsharpshocked

In 1990, Shocked opened up about coming out and having a relationship with a woman. But the born-again Christian's tune changed a decade later when she denied all gay labels. Shocked has since referred to herself as the "world's greatest homophobe," according to the Best of New Orleans blog.

In a 2008 interview with LGBT publication The Dallas Voice, Shocked seemed to be grappling with her feelings.

"According to my Bible, which I didn’t write, homosexuality is immoral. But homosexuality is no more less a sin than fornication. And I’m a fornicator with a capital F," she told the Voice."I like the sound of being called an honorary lesbian and the comparisons to black disco divas. But right now, I’m a dug-in-the-heels fundamentalist who’s not too happy about it."

The singer is set to continue a tour of the West Coast and Europe. Her next show scheduled for March 23 in Santa Monica, Calif.

[mylittledemon]

^How bizarre. It almost sounds sarcastic. :shrug:

[KarmaContestant]

^How bizarre. It almost sounds sarcastic. :shrug:

I thought that too - I considered her past, that she was in San Francisco, and wondered if there was supposed to be sarcasm or humor that just wasn't coming across - but it sounds like she was sincere when you consider her tweet *and* the fact that the audience cleared out and she didn't say "Hey, I'm kidding." or something like that.

So bizarre. Hearing this from/about Michele Shocked is one of the weirdest things I can recall in recent memory.

Her songs have been stuck in my head all morning. :laugh:

[I'msoAfraid95]

I don't want to get anything started by posting this, but in the bible, while it does say something about being gay is sinful, it also says that you are to be accepting of others and treat them as you want to be treated( Do unto others as you do unto yourself).

You're supposed to hate the sin, not the sinner. I, myself, am a Christian, a laid back one, but still I am one. Personally, I don't know any gay folks, but still if I did, I'd treat them the same as I do my friends. I am a tomboy;I dress like a boy/man, but I want people to treat like they would if I was the girliest girly girl on the planet. Thats what I think most gay people want, as well.

:sorry:. I apologize for the rant, but stuff like that boils my blood. I hate when Christians use the bible as a tool against people. If you do that, then you''re going against God.

[HejiraNYC]

I thought that too - I considered her past, that she was in San Francisco, and wondered if there was supposed to be sarcasm or humor that just wasn't coming across - but it sounds like she was sincere when you consider her tweet *and* the fact that the audience cleared out and she didn't say "Hey, I'm kidding." or something like that.

So bizarre. Hearing this from/about Michele Shocked is one of the weirdest things I can recall in recent memory.

Her songs have been stuck in my head all morning. :laugh:

I think her sh***y music alone would have made me clear out of the room. :eek: I would have actually been mildly entertained by her anti-gay rant. I love watching a ranting/raving hot mess having a meltdown in public.

[vivfox]

Personally, I don't know any gay folks


Well, welcome to The Ledge baby. I'd say 90% of us are Gay.:thumbsup:

[mylittledemon]

I don't want to get anything started by posting this, but in the bible, while it does say something about being gay is sinful

I don't want to get anything started either, but I'll point you in the right direction... It's in Leviticus ch 18 and ch 20.

[KarmaContestant]

I think her sh***y music alone would have made me clear out of the room.

Declaring an entire career sh*t? :laugh: I'm sure you're familiar with every toon. ;)

[Jondalar]

Well, welcome to The Ledge baby. I'd say 90% of us are Gay.:thumbsup:

Just what are you insinuating?

[olive]

never heard of her , a lot of my friends listen to her any way She was having a break down , she has been from what i read a mess and it it came to a head while on stage .

Mental heath issues are offend over looked or laughed at or worse belittled , I hope she is getting the help she needs

[olive]

[QUOTE\. I, myself, am a Christian, a laid back one, but still I am one. Personally, I don't know any gay folks,
.[/QUOTE]


you probably do , but they are not out to you.

we all know someone they may just unfortunately be ashamed or trapped in a sham marriage .

[HomerMcvie]

Okay, I did work with her, one time, doing her monitors...

While she seemed okay, then entire day was just a f*cking nightmare. Her husband, Bart, was her tour manager. The man was an absolute NUTJOB. We walked on pins and needles all day long, because he was truly psycho! Fortunately, my fellow soundman who was running FOH, isn't as kind and quiet as I am(believe it or not! lol), and didn't kiss Bart's ass, so when Bart finally went psychotic, "the other sound guy" caught all the holy hell! Which ended in a VERY tense meeting in the production office! Again, I came off as fairly innocent for the day, so I got to sit there and watch my coworker kiss Bart's ass, and literally beg his forgiveness(or Bart was going to cancel the show, a couple hours before doors). And my coworker hadn't really done anything wrong, only state opinions that Bart didn't like.

Okay, so none of this has any bearing on her anti-gay statement, but I shared it, just to show the circle of insanity she was living in....

[SteveMacD]

And, her brother was in Wilco.

[bluefox4000]

Never heard of her.....but Her ignorance abounds.

Mick

[BombaySapphire3]

I consider myself a Christian ..a practicing Roman Catholic but it never ceases to amaze me how hateful some people become when they are "born again"There is nothing Christian at all about this woman's behavior.

[SteveMacD]

From what I've read about her and what I've seen, I think she's probably lesbian or bisexual, turned to religion to fill some type of emptiness in her life, and has been struggling with the religion vs. gay thing. I call it the Mr. Garrison complex (South Park fans should get the reference). It's like they're working so hard to deny their sexual orientation that they become militant against it.

[olive]

Never heard of her.....but Her ignorance abounds.

Mick

she was having a break down why is it there is no compassion for mental health issues ... remember the fun everyone had with Britney Spears

[KarmaContestant]

Fallout.


Michelle Shocked anti-gay rant triggers Evanston cancellation
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-19/entertainment/chi-michelle-shocked-evanston-20130318_1_anti-gay-slur-gay-marriage-website

Evanston's SPACE has canceled singer Michelle Shocked's May 5 performance at the club following reports of her anti-gay rant from a San Francisco stage Sunday night.

“After speaking with the promoter of that show about the nature of the remarks, it's clear that this is no longer a show we're willing to put our name on,” the club announced on its website and Facebook page Monday, offering refunds to ticket-holders.

Reports from Sunday’s show at San Francisco’s Yoshi’s say Shocked, a born-again Christian, railed against gay marriage and told the crowd, “You can go on Twitter and say, ‘Michelle Shocked says God hates (anti-gay slur).’” The Twittersphere reacted accordingly.

SPACE general manager/talent buyer Jake Samuels, who had booked Shocked previously without incident, said he confirmed with the San Francisco promoter that Shocked’s comments were “ugly in nature and not meant to be artistic or satirical in any way ... It wasn’t a very hard decision for us.”

SPACE was not alone in its action. All nine of Shocked’s pre-SPACE concerts listed on her website have been canceled, according to the venues’ websites.

This turn of events surprised many Shocked fans, who have viewed her as being more than a bit left of center since her 1988 debut album “Short Sharp Shocked.”

“We’ve had Michelle four times in the past four years,” Samuels said. “I’ve never had an incident with her before. She’s given great shows. She always sells out. The audience loves her."

The singer’s most recent tweet came Sunday: "Truth is leading to painful confrontation."

[SteveMacD]

she was having a break down why is it there is no compassion for mental health issues ... remember the fun everyone had with Britney Spears
Yeah, because clearly Fleetwood Mac fans have never had compassion for the mentally ill. :rolleyes:

http://caelumetterra.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/dannykirwan-petergreen-1.jpg

[louielouie2000]

she was having a break down why is it there is no compassion for mental health issues ... remember the fun everyone had with Britney Spears

Yeah, but Brittany just did harm to herself... she never said/did anything hateful to another person/group of people.

This particular situation is way more akin to the tirades Mel Gibson went on against Jews.

I, for one, don't really care what this lady says. For one, I have no idea who she is. But more than anything, her statement is just plain archaic & out of step with the way the majority of the civilized world feels.

[seekerj]

I don't want to get anything started either, but I'll point you in the right direction... It's in Leviticus ch 18 and ch 20.

Leviticus also says this...

Leviticus 11:9
“These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat.

Leviticus 11:10
But anything in the seas or the rivers that has not fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you.

Somebody better tell the Red Lobster chain.

The first thing I would ask this Michelle person (whoever she is) is when is she going to rant about all the crab-eaters in the world. Or is it just about picking and choosing pieces and parts that you like from that book?

[KarmaContestant]

Bible verses and quotes aside, this incident is surprising to many.

For those who don't know, Michelle Shocked has been around for a couple decades. Her music is an often-pleasant blend of folk, rock and funk with a heavy guitar emphasis. She's got some great songs. I think of her as almost like a female Lyle Lovett, musically.

I was first exposed to Michelle by lesbian friends back in the 90s. She has a *huge* lesbian following, and for a while, was in a lesbian relationship. Even before Michelle 'came out' most people assumed she was gay anyway.

And that's why this is so weird.

[HomerMcvie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Shocked
Hmm, and she was married for 12 years.

I guess I knew they weren't together anymore, because I was relaying my story, privately, to an acquaintance of mine, who was thinking of joining her touring band. He told me that he had heard the horror stories, and that "Bart" was no longer in the picture.

[GarboSpeaks!]

Very surprised to hear about this. Kinda always thought that she was into chicks and had a huge follwoing...and either way-more effing power to her. But now she wants to change her ways and destroy all her past, and apparently her future. Sad. I see nothing that screams "mental health" issues. Girl is a hate spewing born again. Whatever. Had forgotten about her until I heard this...will do so again soon.

while it does say something about being gay

Nothing like someone saying that a certain "something" is in Bible, not being able to quote it...but then going on and on about how it should be interpreted.
Who & how we choose to love and screw, who and how we choose to worship...Isn't it enough that we have that choice?

LMFAO about the Red Lobster chain.

[KarmaContestant]

Now she's talking about it on CNN. She's sorry. She 'made a mistake'.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2013/04/02/pmt-shocked-apology-for-same-sex-marriage-comments.cnn

[WatchChain]

I find this very surprising, but, many people change their opinions numerous times thoughout this journey we call "life".

I will tell you that I attended a Michelle Shocked concert in 1989 after the release of her album "Short Sharp Shocked". The concert was at an old club called "Liberty Lunch" in Austin, Texas. The place was full of lesbians. Miss Shocked, at that time, proceeded to go into a 5 minute rant on GAY RIGHTS and the DISCRIMINATION OF GAY PEOPLE. Let's just say, her speech at the concert (20 years ago) was very PRO GAY. So much that I just assumed she was a lesbian. I never questioned it. At that time, she was all about tolerance and inclusion for ALL PEOPLE. Her message was pro peace and acceptance.

My, how her tune has changed. Not a big deal, I would just think that some EXTREME RIGHT WING CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS got a hold of her and now she's went to the other extreme. PEOPLE WHO LIVE THEIR LIVES MOVING FROM EXTREME TO EXTREME are never happy. Honey, can't you find a happy medium?

[BombaySapphire3]

I saw the Piers Morgan interview..I have to agree with Olive on this one.Beyotch is crazy.

[olive]

I saw the Piers Morgan interview..I have to agree with Olive on this one.Beyotch is crazy.

that's too bad , hopefully she'll get help instead of being turned into a sideshow

[Phil]

I would have actually been mildly entertained by her anti-gay rant.

Well I just about pissed myself reading her comments. Michelle's entitled to her opinions, no matter what they may be. It would take a brave (or perhaps slightly deranged) woman to state such views. Gotta love her for it.

For the record, her work is well worth searching out, including gems such as "Anchorage", "Memories Of East Texas" and "Come A Long Way". A true talent if ever there was one.

[KarmaContestant]

For the record, her work is well worth searching out, including gems such as "Anchorage", "Memories Of East Texas" and "Come A Long Way". A true talent if ever there was one.

Great songs!

[becca]

It's certainly got her lots of attention anyway, I hadn't heard of her in at least fifteen years. I hope she reads this thread; lots of wise words!!!

People 'cured' of being gay/bi human beings is like saying someone was cured of wanting sexuality and intimate relationships of any kind... but then that's where all the nuns and celibate type priests came from (even though totally made up by churches so they could inherit more land etc.) Embrace and marvel at life in all it's God created variety Michelle Shocked... variety is a strength. :nod:

What was that Cheryl Crow song... if it makes you happy then why the h*ll are you so sad/mad?

[bluefox4000]

she was having a break down why is it there is no compassion for mental health issues ... remember the fun everyone had with Britney Spears

Well...i have no tolerance for anti-gay rants....mentally ill or not.

Mick

[TrueFaith77]

... but I don't understand why she is p****ed off about being associated with black disco divas ...

[Jondalar]

who cares what she thinks, this is the first time I've heard her name mentioned since the 80s...

[KarmaContestant]

... but I don't understand why she is p****ed off about being associated with black disco divas ...

:laugh: :lol:

Oh man - I have been sick the past few days, and you just made me laugh so hard I hurt myself coughing and laughing at the same time.