Spending Christmas in the “Red Zone”
December 21st, 2007
Red. It’s one of the colors you think of during the holiday season… red ribbons, red lights, bank account in the red. But why Christmas in the Red Zone… and what is the “Red Zone” anyway?
I often refer to the rural part of Washington state between Seattle and Spokane (or between Olympia and Portland, OR) as the Red Zone because during the last two presidential elections, the rural areas voted Republican and are also areas not known to be gay-friendly. Well, my parents live in the Red Zone… 70 miles north of Spokane and that’s where I’m spending Christmas.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Christmas with my family. But with the upcoming election in 2008, I can’t help but have on my mind that I will be in a county where 63% of the people voted for George W. Bush and nearly 70% of the people voted for anti-gay Republican Cathy McMorris. Not all of those 63-70% of voters in 2004 made their choices based on anti-gay bias, but unfortunately anti-gay bias does still exist in Northeast Washington.
Despite all this, I will still enjoy myself and consume my share of eggnog and cookies with my loving and accepting family.
