RIP DIXIE CARTER

Another one of my favorite television actresses, Dixie Carter, just died, as you probably already know. This one was close to my heart. Julia Sugarbaker, the character Ms. Carter played on television, was a lot like my mother. Julia was intelligent, elegant, and fiercely protective of her family and friends. She had a liberal streak and a fiery personality, along with a lot of wit, and good humor. My mother has all those characteristics, along with a kind heart and a beautiful smile.

Before we go any further, you should know that I'm as liberal as they come, socially. I'm an avid supporter of gay marriage, and almost always vote straight Democrat.

I write this because Dixie Carter was a Republican. She played a liberal on tv, but in real life, she was a conservative. It's what actors do. They play characters very different from who they are in real life. What intrigues me about Dixie Carter, and what made me admire her all the more, is the fact that though she was a very conservative Republican, and often spoke of herself as being very old-fashioned, she was constantly examining and questioning her beliefs, and she was willing to try to change the beliefs she knew were silly.

She spoke in an interview on the subject of gay marriage, saying in essence that though she had been taught that marriage was for the purpose of procreation, she got married to her husband, the actor Hal Holbrook, long after either of them could procreate. So in essence, she realized at that point that a gay marriage could certainly exist, and had as much right to be recognized as her marriage did, on the basis of procreation. She also stated that she didn't believe people who claim to be able to cure homosexuals. She thought that maybe gays could stop their behavior, and not have gay sex anymore, but would they then be living a life that was happy and fulfilling? It looks to me as if Ms. Carter was willing to examine her beliefs, and begin to change them if they were not holding water. I admire this willingness to change. I've seen it in real life. I like the way her mind worked, and appreciate the fact that she was able to see this issue in another light. Many conservative Republicans would never even entertain the notion that gays should be married, much less speak openly about their "soul-searching" over the idea.

I posted a little RIP on Facebook the day she died. One of my friends got upset that I called her a "friend to the gays." He felt that because she campaigned for Bush, we could not include her in our "friends." I feel that a Republican who is willing to be vocal in her thoughts and express her doubts about the veracity of long-ingrained ideas her party may hold about gay people has a lot of courage, and is very valuable to help make inroads for all gay people.
Conservatives who are able to see past labels, and examine what is right and what is wrong in the way that she did are going to really help us all gain acceptance and respect. I admire her all the more.

I think Republicans are lucky to have been able to call her one of their own.

I also think, more than anything, the world lost a great actress.