Perhaps the definition of stereotype is a key issue. Kristin, like you, words for me have great meaning. I define stereotype is attributing a characteristic to someone of a given group primarily because they are of that group (i.e. I'm Black I must like Chicken, your a Woman you must know how to or Salim is Arab he must be a Muslim). Some can be based in truthful generalities many Black people do like chicken and many women do know how to cook. But they can be rooted in falsities and prejudice as well, MOST Arab-Americans are Christians (65 percent or so). The essence of stereotype is automatically attributing ANY real or perceived group characteristic to individuals who may be in that group.

I DO believe that people need to stand up against stereotypes - I fear that stance of mine is getting lost in the conversation. If someone suggest that a black person is "Acting White" because of their education or style of speech, we HAVE to confront that - that is a complicated almost reverse manifestation of a stereotype.  My issue is when we assume things are stereotypes rather than them just being generalizations . For example, the Pew Research data (I love Pew); that is a generalization. The reality that is TRUE, and it doesn't bother me that those correlations are what Pew reported - the truth of the report DOES bother me though because I ideologically disagree with those who believe torturing should be allow in any manner.  What would bother me is if someone assumed I, you or all Christians - which isn't even the population of the research - believed that. 

I also want to point out that I think we need to stop mentioning them in our conversations, that DOESN'T mean we don't confront them - those are two different things for me. It also doesn't mean that we don't structurally confront stereotypes. I hear stereotypes all the time and I try to confront them with my friends, I think media and other public forms are necessary in combating stereotypes people have about the LGBTQ community. Ignoring stereotypes isn't what I am propagating. But when we try to prevent generalizations from being stereotypes I think we are mis-speaking and in actuality perpetuating stereotypes. My life isn't to not be a stereotype it is to be who I am which may not fit in the generalization..  

With the Calvin issue, Bush speaking didn't have to reinforce any stereotype. Generally most Evangelical Christians in the U.S. liked Bush (on the relative scale of most Americans liking Bush as much as a skunk). It played into a generality, but not a stereotype - no one ways saying all Evangelical Christians like Bush. That act in and of itself shouldn't act as a fodder for enhancing stereotypes. But I think when people (Christian or Non-Christian) jump on that and treat it like a stereotype that gives it life. Me as an Evangelical Christian saying, "I don't want Bush to speak" seems to give more opportunities for people to see the diversity within Evangelical Christianity than me worrying that Calvin is perpetuating a stereotype. 

Perhaps the crux is differentiating between generalization and stereotype. Culturally I don't believe we don't define these well.