And for much lampooned anti-gay activist, Peter LaBarbera, it's how he has chosen to cover subcultural events - such as leather conventions - making sure to take graphic pictures and give loving detail of the alleged activities of the gay men there, while ignoring the heterosexuals attending and acting scandalously at the same events.
He hadn't been doing this for a time, but I'm glad to say that today, "Porno" Pete LaBarbera is earning his monicker.
That is with a few changes of course. He is no longer attending these events. For what reason, I am not sure. Maybe folks recognize him, maybe he has worn out all of his chaps, maybe his butt has become to big to fit into said chaps from the largesse which comes with getting paid as a "traditional family activist."
Whatever the case may be, LaBarbera doled out attending this year's subcultural event - the International Mr. Leather contest - to another writer by the name of Lynn Thomas.
And Thomas is more than adequate in regaling us with how "gross" and "disgusting" the events was, which she/he does in a long diatribe which can only be described with using as much sadomachism as the alleged attendees of Mr. Leather.
If Thomas is so grossed out about it, why does he/she tell us what's going on in long, unnecessary detail worthy of Tolstoy's War and Peace (I highlighted the interesting parts):
I saw a small Asian man who was in handcuffs–the same man I saw in San Francisco at Folsom, only this time he was wearing a little mesh skirt that you could see through. He was completely naked underneath, and you could see his penis.
Another man I encountered had a long dark dong hanging down that I was trying not to look at, and what he had to offer is a foreskin that would increase a man’s penis size. For some reason he thought I would appreciate it, and gave me some information about the product; it was disgusting in its detailed description.
. . . There was a contraption for tying someone down to a bed, and the explanation card said the d-rings could be hidden when not in use, apparently a selling point for the device. There was a video of a man tied up in a harness, face down, breathing heavily, his buttocks bright red, with a man sitting or standing while masturbating next to the table. The standing, masturbating man whipped the man who was tied down with what looked like a riding crop. Eventually the masturbating man ejaculated all over the tied up man’s back, and then threw himself on top of him. If I’m not mistaken, he literally bit the tied up man, and then the camera fades.
Unfortunately, there are not pictures of what Thomas allegedly saw. I think this is because LaBarbera has gotten criticism from the left and the right for treading the line between informing and exhibitionism.
Really though, it's like I've said before. Not all gay men are into this sort of thing and I'm sure that there were some heterosexuals there whom Thomas omitted.
The point is it's unfair to judge an entire community simply because a segment enjoys strange habits.
But this obsession from LaBarbera - and Thomas - to focus on the subculture in loving detail says more about them than the lgbt community.
In other words, go ahead and join in. You know you want to.
5 comments:
Perhaps it's time to say, "You're an idiot as well as a closet-case. We don't bite unless you want to so why not just come over for brunch sometime, we look forward to your company. Plus we have cookies! But take your time, we're not going anywhere."
Just like all Catholics molest children, all Southern Baptists drown their children (a la Susan Smith), or all Christians lie. This game is too easy. The truth is much more interesting, because it is shaded with ambiguities. Porno Pete and Lascivious Lynn, however, are uninteresting.
I held my nose and went over to AFTAH's site and read the entire article. Here's one thing that sort of jumped out at me: author Lynn Thomas was at Folsom Street at some point, apparently long enough to actually recognize some of the participants who also attended IML.
Also, for someone who was having panic attacks, there certainly seems to be lot of extreme detail emerging about what was observed at IML in this article. That's inconsistent with someone who's freaking out (so is freaking out, yet staying for two hours). Additionally, the writer has also apparently been to other IML-type events, as evidenced by this passage:
"They usually wear collars that are attached to leashes...."
Now, other than a legitimate attendee of both functions, who else would have been at both events? I also noticed that the style of writing, especially the use of hyperbole, extremely judgmental language, and the tone that what was observed was a total surprise seems all too familiar. Also, a couple of LaBarbera's favorite words kept popping up - "twisted, deviant, sodomitic, shocking, sickness"
One other thing. This passage is pretty damning:
" ....how horrific the homosexual activists were to the pro-family attendees at the recent 'Defend Marriage Rally' in downtown Chicago...."
LaBarbera was at that rally, which took place a couple of hours prior to IML opening, at the Thompson Center, about 5 blocks from the Hyatt. In fact, he spoke at it.
Here's what I'm getting at: I think LaBarbera used a nom de plume of Lynn Thomas, and wrote the article himself, based on his own two hour visit to IML.
The part that is conveniently left out is that in order to get into the Vendor Mart at IML (next to none of this stuff happens in the truly public areas of the hotel, much less the street), you have to stand in line, present your valid government issue photo ID at least twice, sign a waiver that states clearly that you might see such things, and make a small donation, and get a wristband.
All entrances to the event that the public has any reason going near are staffed by people checking for the wristbands or vendor IDs.
For the past few years, there have even been signs at all hotel entrances that the entire hotel is closed to the public for a private event.
In short, there is no possibility that a casual observer could happen in off the street and "be exposed" to any of this stuff. They had to go out of their way to get in, and sign waivers that they knew what they might see and were not offended.
It's all always written as though grandma and the kiddies could stumble across it all and be scarred for life. Can't happen.
"Really though, it's like I've said before. Not all gay men are into this sort of thing and I'm sure that there were some heterosexuals there whom Thomas omitted."
no need to say this. Are you implying that you agree that kinky folks are a problem? WTF??!!
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