Mr. Ambrosino, THIS is anti-gay bigotry

I get so sick and tired of the lgbt community and our allies debating the issues of marriage equality and bigotry on the terms of the anti-gay right.

The recent nonsense is coming from Brandon Ambrosino of The Atlantic who wrote a piece entitled Being Against Gay Marriage Doesn't Make You a Homophobe.

Needless to say, Ambrosino's piece has launched a back-and-forth argument which does nothing to address the real issue of anti-gay bigotry. The irony is that he has a point but arguing that point keeps us all from getting down to the real issue of how homophobia fuels arguments against marriage equality and anti-gay bigotry.

Opposing marriage equality doesn't make you a homophobe. Disagreement with homosexuality and even ignorance about the lgbt community doesn't make you a homophobe. It's how you voice that disagreement.  Now this is homophobia:

All of these flyers and mailers are the products of organizations (National Organization for Marriage,  Americans for Truth, The Traditional Values Coalition) who oppose marriage equality and lgbt equality in general. And all of these organizations have appeared on news programs and talk shows.

How many times have these organizations been asked to address these defamatory flyers (as well as their rhetoric regarding the lgbt community) as opposed to the perfunctory question of  "Isn't opposing gay marriage bigotry?"

What we need is an overhaul of the entire process of engaging anti-gay groups.

Anti-gay activist: Gays have something unhuman inside of them

It's videos like this one which make it a no-brainer why anti-gay activist Dr. Gordon Klingenschmitt fight tooth-and-nail to keep Right Wing Watch from broadcasting his statements on youtube. The comedy here simply writes itself.

Well I guess that run for office he was planning is probably off.

'LGBT community shouldn't expect the media to slay our dragons' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

CNN Wonders If Decriminalizing Gay Sex Leads To Polygamy - I am posting this article but I totally disagree with its point of view. The lgbt community must stop crying foul when the media features anti-gay spokespeople and organizations. By doing so, it's as if we expect the media to do our work for us. What I mean is that instead of demanding that the media not feature these people and groups, we must work to refute them every time they appear on television even if we aren't in the studios. There are some who will say things like "well the media doesn't feature the Klan or white supremacists," but what they forget is that  the Klan and white supremacists have a history of violence that they can't run away from. That's where we make a mistake.  Anti-gay groups may be accused of creating circumstances of violence against lgbts but when compared with the Klan or white supremacists in terms of violent acts, their hands are pure as the driven snow. And they have an undeserved reputation of standing up for religious beliefs. So therefore when it comes to anti-gay groups, our weapon to defeat them lies in rhetoric. What's wrong with spirited debate with people like Tony Perkins when they are featured? What's wrong with someone pointing out that neither Perkins nor any other anti-gay spokesman doesn't represent Christianity in its true form, but a bastardized version?  So he may get a good soundbite off. Big deal. The point is to be able to create a chink in his armor of lies in which a little truth may shine through. Rip away the phony religious veneer and show him for the exploiter of Christians that he is. And even if we aren't invited, our groups should take advantage of Perkins' appearance on television by sending out press releases on his anti-gay statements. Instead of waiting for the media to our work for us in decrying anti-gay hate groups and spokespeople, we need to do it. Stop resting on our asses and complaining. Be more aggressive in controlling the message. And above all, don't wait for folks like Perkins to strike at us with lies. This is a war of rhetoric and talking points vs. truth. We have the truth and we should be battering these folks over the head with it every chance we get. Every. Chance. We. Get.

Cool examples, Peter Sprigg. Except none of them have anything to do with ENDA - THIS is what I'm talking about. We should ask ourselves why isn't information like this spread out far and wide. Us bloggers are on the ball when it comes to aggressively taking on the anti-gay right. But sometimes it's not enough to be just bloggers doing this.  

Don't Trust Louisiana Newspapers To Hold Anti-Gay Hate Group Leader Accountable- Another prime example. Now that we know about this, what are we prepared to do about it?  

CADC Needs $30,000 To Spread 'Incriminating Evidence' Against Judge In Scott Lively Case - The old game of "blame the activist judge." How strange. It's usually played after the trial is over.

The Most Powerful Quotes From LGBT Icons And Allies In 2013 - Let's end today's news briefs on a happy note. 

Photo courtesy of Equality Matters.

Politifact calls anti-gay claims about ENDA false

For years, the lgbt community have known that religious right claims regarding ENDA (i.e. it destroys "religious freedom) were bogus.

And now we have official notification to say so, thanks to Politifact.

Recently, Politifact labeled anti-gay claims about ENDA as false. The organization took a close look at the claim because of an email sent out by anti-gay group the Traditional Values Coalition which attacked Democratic Senator Mark Pryor because of his vote for ENDA:

The ENDA bill would prohibit private-sector employers and government employers on the local, state and federal levels from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity. That protects people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.

Under the law, employers can’t fire or refuse to hire people based on actual or perceived sexuality and gender identity (which need not align with a person’s biological identity).

Churches and other institutions with religious purposes (like schools and daycares) are exempt from the ENDA rules, just as they are from the religious discrimination portion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s Title VII.

Under Title VII, and therefore under ENDA, religious organizations, which need not be church-run, would be exempt. Additionally, all businesses with fewer than 15 employees are exempt, whether they’re religious or not.

Nelson Tebbe, a professor at Brooklyn Law School who specializes in religious liberty, said ENDA’s religious exemption exceeds Title VII’s.

"It’s broader because the religious exemption in Title VII only allows religious organizations to discriminate on the basis of religion," he said. But it doesn’t allow religious groups to discriminate based on factors like an employee’s gender or race.

Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber praises foreign countries for their anti-gay persecution

Reasonable people would get alarmed when they hear about anti-gay persecution and violence in foreign countries such as Jamaica and Russia.

I guess that would leave the Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber out:

Barber

. . . there has been, of late, great weeping and gnashing of teeth among mainstream media – and other circles of intolerant “tolerance” – over successful efforts by several foreign governments to stem the tide of “LGBT” propaganda within their own sovereign borders. Russia, India, Croatia, Peru, Jamaica and even Australia, for instance, along with other nations, are now moving to inoculate themselves from the fast-metastasizing cancer of sexual relativism. Having witnessed, from afar, the poisonous results of such propaganda here in the U.S. (the hyper-sexualization of children, the deconstruction of natural marriage and family, the rampant spread of sexually transmitted disease, religious persecution and the like), there seems an emerging global recognition that the radical “LGBT” agenda – a pet cause of Obama’s – is not about securing “human rights,” but, rather, is about promulgating moral wrongs.

 How ironically sad that Barber praises countries who persecute lgbts such as Russia days after Russian sitcom star Ivan Okhlobystin made the shocking comment of throwing gays in ovens:

“I would put all the gays alive into an oven,” the one-time Orthodox priest has been quoted as saying. “This is Sodom and Gomorrah! As a religious person, I cannot be indifferent about it because it is a real threat to my children!” Okhlobystin later tweeted to confirm his comments. “The meaning was rendered correctly,” he said. “Everyone has the right to express their opinions.”

I'm certainly not accusing Matt Barber of having the same genocidal desires of Okhlobystin when it comes to gays, but he does come across as extremely tone deaf. I would hope that he publicly opposes those awful comments with as much fervor as he supports the environment which would give someone the audacity to make such comments.

'The world protests India's ban on same-sex intercourse' and other Monday midday news briefs

Many Hurdles Ahead for Transgender Rights Movement - Good job Associated Press for awesome article on our transgender brothers and sisters. 

95 Incredible Images Of The World Raging Against India’s Ban On Same-Sex Intercourse - 96 reasons why the lgbt struggle for equality is multinational and multicultural. 

  No, The Court Victory For Polygamy Has Nothing To Do With Marriage Equality - Stop an anti-marriage equality factoid before it can start. Good job, Think Progress.  

Uganda national football manager arrested for gay sex - What our Ugandan brothers and sisters have to deal with. This is awful.

Mary Cheney speaks out against effort to hinder marriage equality in Indiana

Mary Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, seems to be stepping up her efforts in speaking out for marriage equality via a recent speech against a proposed anti-marriage equality amendment in Indiana.

The irony here? Her sister, Liz Cheney, is running for a Senate seat in Congress against incumbent Mike Enzi and she has made public her opposition to marriage equality.

The larger irony? Many, if not all political observers and pundits, credit the huge push against marriage equality as a major factor for Bush and Cheney's 2004 election victory.

Now some folks will commence with their negative talk. I say "better late than never" when it comes to Mary Cheney being a vocal ally for marriage equality. There is a time and a place for all things and right now, attacking Mary Cheney for her past silence simply isn't wise.

Pictures courtesy of Buzzfeed. To see the video of Cheney's speech, go to Buzzfeed.

Booklet on anti-gay propaganda nears its first anniversary after successful year

A year ago around this time, I was working hard to complete what I called my most ambitious project.

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America was to be a controversial and distinctive booklet taking a graphics-intensive look at anti-gay rhetoric and dispel the notion that attacks on the lgbt community are merely of a religious nature.

It was to be completed by January 8th and thanks to the help of friends (thank you Joe Sudbay and Van Le), it met the deadline.

Subsequently, I spent the rest of 2013 promoting the booklet as best I could via press releases, constant tweets, reliance on good friends who also sent the word out, blogs who either wrote about it or embedded it on their sites, radio interviews,  passing out hard copies at pride events (thank you David Stewart, Joe Sudbay, Michael Carr, Charley Dodd, Sandra Elaine McGee Thomas, Eddie Thompson, and Jayson Myers), and whatever else I could think of.

Now as How They See Us nears its one year anniversary, I think it's safe to say that with 764 downloads, 726, 801 embedded reads and 64, 848 direct reads (making a grand total of 791, 649
reads), and close to 100 copies either given out or emailed to interested individuals, the booklet is a huge success.

Of course it was not without its problems. A major problem was  generating press from the the lgbt and mainstream press. I'm not exactly a Sue Mengers type press agent. Plus, to some people, the issue of anti-gay propaganda isn't exciting as other issues which dominated the lgbt media this year.

I haven't figured out what I am going to do to celebrate the anniversary of How They See Us, that is if I do any celebration at all. However, I hope to have very good news by the middle of January. I'm not at liberty to say what it is as of yet, but please keep your fingers crossed and pray for good news.

To the right is an embedded copy of How They See Us. Enjoy reading it, if you have a blog, feel free to embed it, and if you wish to download it,  please do so because it's free. However,  should you have any problems at all with the downloading, email me at charlekenghis@aol.com and I will email you an adobe acrobat copy.  Just put the words "anti-gay propaganda booklet" in the subject line.

And thank you all for your support. This project would not have been successful without you.

''You Down with LGBT' rap and video should be required viewing' and other Friday midday news briefs

This absolutely SWEET pro-lgbt rap song and video courtesy of the Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’ Peer Advocate program is the right panacea to the notion that rap and hip-hop are naturally homophobic genres. And it serves to remind us about a necessary point that many of us in the lgbt community tend to forget. Sometimes we give in to stereotypes when allies in the communities we stereotype have NO ONE listening to their voices. Let's pay attention to our invisible communities as much as we pay attention to our "appointed" communities. 

In other news:

YouTube Bans Teen Homophobe For Life - Just how homophobic do you have to be as a teenager to be banned from youtube for life? Talk about your double dubious "honors." 

 Bob Newhart, don't become the next Kirk Cameron! - Pay attention to this situation. It looks like it's going to blow up like a volcano any minute. 

 Indiana Bishops: Support Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment For The ‘Well-Being Of Children’ - And here we go again with the "won't someone think of the children" excuse. 

 India ‘goes gay for a day’ to protest gay sex ban - Way to go folks in India! 

 28 Heartwarming Photos Of Indians Being #GayForADay To Protest The Ban On Same-Sex Intercourse - More about this protest from Buzzfeed, including pictures.

Bryan Fischer forgets what the Bible says about pride

It seems to me that Bryan Fischer is so adept on the Biblical verses which speaks about the so-called sin of homosexuality that he forgot the one about pride going before a fall:



Now Bryan. How can you be the "truth detector" when you are already the bullshit artist?

'Pat Robertson: Lesbian friend may turn your children gay' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Robertson: Lesbian Friend Might Turn Your Kids Gay - I did NOT get that memo from National Headquarters. When did the Gay Mafia vote on this? 

 In other news: 

 Republican Senators Introduce ‘License To Discriminate’ Against Married Same-Sex Couples - Words fail me . . .

Fox's Favorite Right-Wing Legal Group Applauds India's Ban On Gay Sex - Oh those poor 
"persecuted" bigots on the right. 

Planting Peace Launches 'Uganda Underground' Safe-Housing Initative For LGBT Community - And you can help with this effort, too.

Peter LaBarbera blames Jamaican lgbts for their own persecution

Editor's note: It's a rare two post day on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters due to the fact that today's news briefs will be pre-empted. After reading this post, pan down to read how Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association undermine complaints about the Southern Poverty Law Center:

LaBarbera

Apparently the criticism due to his Jamaican trip is getting to Peter LaBarbera.  It was reported this week that LaBarbera recently attended a conference in that country in which he advised folks there to fight to retain the laws against sodomy (called "buggery laws). These laws form the building blocks of anti-gay oppression in Jamaica. In part, LaBarbera said:

I do not stand with my government. I’m a patriotic American, but I do not stand with the current United States government in its promotion of homosexuality and gender confusion. But I do stand with the Jamaican people … I pray that you will learn from our mistakes and from lessons of history and avoid the inevitable moral corruption and health hazards and the danger to young people that come from capitulating to this sin movement that calls itself gay. It is almost now can be predicted with 100 percent accuracy, if the law is a teacher: If you take down this law, it will only lead to more demands. Appeasement does not work.

LaBarbera received lots of deserved criticism, particularly from pro-lgbt sites and blogs, not only because of his rhetoric, but also how his rhetoric can be used to fuel anti-gay violence in Jamaica. Jamaica is unfortunately known for its homophobic violence. According to Truth Wins Out:

Just this year, a gay man was stabbed to death, after which his home was set on fire while the body was inside. The article also reports that the week prior, a mob tried to attack a man they perceived as gay. The month before, a gender-nonconforming teen was “chopped and stabbed” to death. Those are just incidents that happened between July and September of this year. In 2006, Time Magazine labeled Jamaica “the most homophobic place on earth,” and for good reason.

In a post on his Americans for Truth webpage, LaBarbera sought to minimize the idea that his rhetoric could cause further violence against Jamaican lgbts. 

Bryan Fischer, India, the SPLC, and the big irony of homophobia

Define irony:

At the same time several groups, including the American Family Association complain to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel attacking the Southern Poverty Law Center for declaring various anti-gay organizations as hate groups,  Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association is praising India Supreme Court for its ruling criminalizing "gay sex"



Someone is obviously trying to have it both ways.

When funny anti-gay statements become tools for oppression

Anti-gay pastor from Uganda, Solomon Male

"Homosexuality is dangerous . . .I have counseled young men who's rectums have protruded, and young women who have lost uteruses because of indulging in lesbianism. There are no facilities to treat them since they would have ruptured anus. I have counselled so many people who say they are homosexuals and they have since changed their ways of living. I don't hate homosexuals but the acts of homosexuality. I will fight homosexuality, not the people." - Solomon Male, Ugandan pastor

If this a statement by an American pastor said in this country, it would be "ha! ha! homophobic." However, seeing that Male is a pastor in Uganda, a country which persecutes lgbts and is still considering passing a bill which would penalize lgbts for being who they are, things aren't so funny.

For the record, I have never heard of any woman losing her uterus because of lesbian sex. And I have never heard of protruding rectums. I have unfortunately been the recipient of a vile picture of a gay man with his alleged intestines wrapped around him with the sender claiming that it was the result of gay sex, but the picture was an obvious fake. Nauseating but fake.

Male is very influential in Uganda and has sworn to eradicate homosexuality out of the country. And he is catching a lot of attention due to a trial involving Bernard Randall, a retired British gay man on trial in Uganda after two men stole his computer, which contained images of him having sex, and gave the images to Male.

If convicted, Randall could serve two years behind bars while the other man in the video faces a worse sentence.

'Lgbt heroine Edie Windsor receives Time Magazine honor' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Edie Windsor

Edie Windsor Is Time Magazine's 'Person Of The Year' Runner Up - The woman behind the end of DOMA. She should have gotten Time's 'Person of the Year,' but runner up ain't no slouch. 

Gov. Snyder: Dave Agema's antigay remarks 'extreme and discriminatory' - Yes, a Republican official said something so homophobically NASTY that a Republican governor had to call him out. It's about time because Dave Agema needs a time out. I mean I can't stand someone who will cite anti-gay junk science, but I "hates" someone who will cite anti-gay junk science as it was written over 20 years ago. More on the Dave Agema mess. He has quite a history of using junk science:

 Anti-gay legislation rooted in lies, not Scripture

  Dave Agema saga exposes the lies of the anti-gay right 

 Dave Agema controversy gets worse for lgbt community  

India’s Supreme Court: It’s Still Illegal To Be Gay - Just a reminder. The lgbt struggle for equality is worldwide and multicultural.  

“A Great Day for Prejudice and Inhumanity” - More on the situation in India from Box Turtle Bulletin.  

Obamacare Success Story: Man With HIV Thought He'd Be 'Dead Within 6 Months,' Now Has Awesome, Cheaper Insurance - An Obamacare success story that you probably won't hear about in certain places of the media.

The 'War on Christmas' is real . . . dumb

Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian, gives us her view about the 'War on Christmas'

Family Research Council smears judge for decision in bakery lawsuit

I could have sworn that one of the 10 commandments was "thou shalt not bear false witness."

Perhaps the Family Research Council has special permission from God to ignore this commandment. Today in an email, the organization smeared Colorado judge, Robert Spencer, simply because he ruled against Masterpiece Cakes owner Jack Philips. Philips was sued by a gay couple, Charlie Craig and David Mullins, when he wouldn't sell them a cake. Craig and Mullins were going to use the cake to celebrate the wedding they had in Massachusetts since gay marriage is illegal in Colorado.

In his decision, Spencer outlined several very good reasons why Philips broke Colorado's non-discrimination law, including the fact that baking a cake does not constitute religious conduct and selling cakes does not constitute speech.

However, the Family Research Council has pushed all of these reasons aside because apparently the real reason why Spencer ruled against Philips was because he is an "activist judge" :

 Like most activist judges, Spencer tries to equate sexual behavior with skin color, a comparison with no basis in science -- or logic. What's more, he tied the case to a Supreme Court suit involving Bob Jones University, in which the justices stripped the college's tax status over its rule against biracial relationships.

I don't have to tell anyone that FRC offered no proof of its charges against Spencer. That goes without saying. Right now, the organization is simultaneously playing defense while exploiting its followers' fears and sense of entitlement via buzzwords. And the phrase "activist judge" is a powerful one to those on the right.

It's a phrase they use when they lose court cases.  It's akin to a football team blaming the referee after it loses the game. And in this case, it sends a message to FRC's supporters to not consider the fact that perhaps their positions are wrong. God forbid that these folks would do a little introspection. No, they are not wrong. The entire system is rigged against them because the system is evil and supposedly against Christians.

While FRC's caterwauling doesn't change Spencer's decision, it still makes me sad because it has the potential of changing many people's idea of Christianity. I know many Christians and they consider their faith as one of love and hope. The Family Research Council reduces Christianity to paranoia, fear, lies and a false sense of superiority.  Perhaps those who truly consider themselves followers of the Christian faith should ask themselves just who is their friend. And their enemy.

Open letter to Christians who claim that they are being 'persecuted'

Dear  Christians who think they are being persecuted,

I don't expect you to be swayed by my open letter. I don't expect to change your mind with my words. But certain things have to be said.

Now I understand how some of you don't agree with marriage equality (some of you call it gay marriage, I call it marriage equality) and I respect your opinion. I have tolerance for your opinion.  I even have tolerance for your opinion that homosexuality is a sin.

However, please note - and don't take this the wrong way -  that every time you gripe about being persecuted for simply for being ordered to treat gay couples like you would heterosexual couples by the rule of law, you make damn fools of yourself.

I'm serious. I don't say this to be mean or nasty. I mean no malice intended.

But don't you think that automatically seizing the "persecution card"  simply because you have to treat gays the same as heterosexuals in accordance to the law is just a bit too much? Don't you think that you are taking dramatic license a little too far?  Or at least overacting just a little?

Let's talk about this. When I think about "religious persecution," I think about the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witchcraft Trials, how Mary I of England had over 280 people burned at the stake for supposed heresy, the mass slaughter of the Huguenots.

When I think of persecution in general, I think of mutilated corpses littering the streets, screaming victims being dragged away by brutal soldiers to suffer harsher fates.  I think about vandalized places of business, burning homes, mobs throwing rocks at innocent folks, the smell of death, violence, and anarchy in the air.

I fail to see how having your day in court and losing your case fairly as a result of due process and then being interviewed on the most watched news programs in the country by a leggy - if slightly scatterbrained - blonde in a tight dress fits amongst the images of violence, death, and the general mayhem which comes with religious persecution.

I fail to see how being the cause celebre of various multi-million dollared morality groups (and getting a decent income with a speaking gig if you can get a good "Christian" agent) ranks up there with being slaughtered.

Come on guys. In the early days of your faith, the Romans fed you to lions. They crucified several of you. They dipped you in tar and set you on fire. They even distorted the words of the Holy Communion to claim that you practiced cannibalism (which kinda reminds me to later mention how some of you distort science to demonize gays, but that's for another time.)

Do you think God will punish you for simply making a cake for a gay wedding or even marrying a gay couple if you are elected to do such a job?

After all, it is gay tax dollars who is paying the police force to keep your business safe or the fire department to save your business if it should catch on fire.

And it is gay dollars which is paying your salary as an elected official who oversees weddings.

So it seems to me that you are already deep with us as it is. Do you hear any voices above asking you to cease?  Have you been struck by lightning yet?

Well then that should tell you something.

Lgbts aren't out to persecute you. We aren't asking that you like us or that you "endorse" us. All we ask is fairness in accordance to the law.  After all, this is our country too. And when we appear in public with partners or families or when we talk about issues that affect us, we certainly aren't shoving anything in your faces. We are merely acting like normal human beings going through the regular process of existing on this Earth. You know that process, don't you? It's called having a life.

I hope I haven't bored you or gotten you so upset that you don't consider what I'm saying.

Because next time, I want to talk to you about this "War on Christmas" thing.

Yours truly,

Alvin McEwen

'Fairness vs. so-called religious liberty' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Presenting both sides of the religious liberty argument. In one corner we have:

Discriminatory cake baker posts editorial on bakery's website; goes after 'illegal' weddings that are 'contrary to biblical teachings' - A bakery owner who thinks he has the to discriminate in accordance to his personal religious beliefs. 

And in the other corner:

It Was Never About the Cake - The mother of the man who sued a bakery who points out that it's not about a cake, but about dignity and fairness. 

Fox News: It’s ‘The Death Of Free Enterprise’ If Bakery Can’t Discriminate Against Gay Couples -  And speaking of  the 'Christian' baker, he is now on his 'I'm being persecuted' tour with the first stop being 'Fox and Friends.' Maybe it's just me but baking a cake for a gay couple doesn't exactly rank up on the persecution chart next to being burned at the stake by Mary I of England.
 
Georgia Falls In Line With Providing National Guard Same-Sex Benefits - And Mississippi is all alone in NOT doing the right thing for our fighting men and women.  

Klingenschmitt Kindly Informs Us That He Recently Obtained A Concealed Carry Permit - After losing in his attempts to ban Right Wing Watch's videos of him acting like a fool from youtube, anti-gay activist Gordon Klingenschmitt (forgive me but I just can't get the desire to call him Klingenshitt out of my head) now informs us all that he recently obtained a concealed carry permit. In street terms Mr. Klingenschmitt, allow me to put it this way - "ain't nobody want you."

Elton John denounces Russia's anti-gay laws during Moscow concert

I'll be honest.

 I have on many, many occasions railed against the extensive fascination of celebrities in the lgbt community. I have called out how many of us don't seem about important issues until someone like Lady Gaga or Ellen DeGeneres talks about it. And there is a reason why this blog will not talk about the alleged relationship between a certain young Olympic athlete and an older, Oscar-winning screenwriter.

But I also believe in giving credit where its due and for Elton John to speak out against Russia's anti-gay laws during concert in Moscow took a lot of chutzpah.

Why I Get a Nagging Feeling Every Time I Hear the Phrase 'Religious Liberty'

Editor's note - From time to time whenever the opportunity presents itself, I like to repost pieces I published. In light of the discussion regarding those who feel that discrimination against lgbts should be allowed on the grounds of "religious liberty," I am resposting this piece from 2011:

Those who are my friends know that I am a serious fan of the 1970s detective drama Columbo. The thing I really love about this show is how police detective Columbo never considers a murder case completely simple. He never buys into the idea of an "open-and-shut" case if he has a nagging feeling, no matter how insignificant it is.

That nagging feeling is what I get when I hear about marriage clerks, hotel owners, Catholic adoption agencies, and, recently, cake bakers who refuse to serve gay couples. No doubt you have heard about them and will probably hear a lot more as religious right groups trying to hinder marriage equality canonize these folks as "saints and martyrs" besieged by so-called radical gay activists supposedly trying to force them to choose between their livelihood and religious freedom.

In fact, they have a term for this sort of thing. They call it "religious liberty."

There is a certain simplicity to these cases, which garners them a degree of support. Some of these folks (excluding Catholic charities, who have no right to taxpayer money if they discriminate, and marriage clerks, who should put the needs of constituents over their own desires) seems to have a right to serve whomever they wish. And one could even make the case that they are in fact forced to choose between their livelihoods and their "religious liberty."

But then there goes that nagging feeling again. These cases aren't as simple as they are made out to be. What about the rights of couples refused service? No matter how you attempt to soften the blow, the idea that someone will not serve you because of how they inaccurately view you still hurts. It's dehumanizing, it's cruel, and it's embarrassing.

In a recent situation in Iowa, a cake baker scheduled an appointment with a lesbian couple who desired her services, only to use that time to not only tell them "no" but also criticize their sexual orientation.

Then that same cake baker made several news appearances to complain about how she was a victim, backed by several religious right groups spinning the same talking points.

And I haven't even talked about what a message of "I will not serve you" would send to a child in a same-sex family who may be present at the time. Nor have I mentioned the unnecessary inconvenience same-sex couples will have to endure if they live in an area where the so-called religious martyr is the only one who can address their needs.

Then you have to consider just how gay couples will tell who will or won't serve them. How would they be able to tell without the courtesy of signs saying, "We don't serve gays." Of course, if such signs did exist, I'm sure those who put them up wouldn't think that they were being cruel -- just like folks who put up "No Irish Need Apply" signs didn't think they were being cruel.

And then you have to ask yourself just how far the argument of "religious liberty" will go. Today it's hotels and cake shops. Tomorrow it may be restaurants or apartment rentals.

So I almost understand the "religious liberty" argument, but then comes that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that just won't go away, the feeling that "religious liberty" is just another way of saying "allowed discrimination," and that some folks will use the phrase "religious liberty" to deflect attention from the victims of this "allowed discrimination."

Lastly, the thing that bothers me the most is the sad fact that the phrase "religious liberty" has less to do with religion or liberty and more to do with telling gay couples that they are inferior.

Judge: 'Baking cakes is NOT religious conduct' and other Monday midday news briefs

Colorado Judge: Bakery That Refused Wedding Cake To Same-Sex Couple Broke The Law - Even if you already read this awesome post, read it again. "Baking Cakes Is Not Religious Conduct" should be put on a t-shirt. 

The Ruth Institute: Photographing a same-sex marriage like tattooing a swastika - The above ruling will have consequences for other rulings and the anti-gay Ruth Institute is working on an argument against it. It kinda stinks if you ask me.

 Lawyer: Murdering A Transgender Prostitute Not Such A Big Deal - And then the judge went OFF on his trifling ass.  

Our YouTube Page Has Been Restored And Klingenschmitt Has Been Warned To 'Cease And Desist' - Anti-gay activist took on Right Wing Watch and got nailed for his lies.

North Carolina's Myrtle Grove Christian School To Refuse State Money Over Anti-Gay Policy - That's right. You discriminate then you get NO tax dollars.

Reminder - Peter LaBarbera has NO problem knowingly using junk science against lgbts

According to Buzzfeed, anti-gay activist "Porno Pete" LaBarbera was invited to a rally in Jamaica where he encouraged the country to keep its anti-gay law (against "buggery") illegal.

The article said he and another spokesperson at the rally made much use of the discredited claim that homosexuality and pedophilia are connected:

LaBarbera, a longtime activist opposing LGBT rights in America, said he was working on a book on the connection between “homosexual activism and pedophiles.” He said that after winning rights like marriage and protection for gay kids in schools, U.S. activists were now championing the rights of MAPS, or “minor-attracted persons.” “Homosexuals are always on offense,” he said. “It’s another secret that American activists don’t like to tell is that NAMBLA, the North American Man-Boy Love Association, used to march in gay pride parades.” 

If LaBarbera is truly working on a book - rather than boosting his credentials by claiming to be "working on a book" - one could only guess what information he would use to connect homosexuality and pedophilia. Several medical groups, including the American Psychological Association, have proven that the two aren't connected.

However, as the above audio interview from 2010 demonstrates, LaBarbera has been known to not only ignore information that doesn't match his worldview, but also embrace information that backs up his beliefs no matter how discredited the source. In an interview with Concerned Women for America's Martha Kleder, LaBarbera freely admits to using the discredited research of Paul Cameron in order to demonize the lgbt community.

 Cameron is a researcher who has made a name for himself by creating studies designed to demonize the lgbt community.  These studies for the most part have been published in "vanity" or "pay-for-publish" journals and they are not "peer-reviewed" in the normal sense. No "peer" who objects to Cameron's work has the right to remove it from the journal.

He is a major proponent behind many wild arguments such as gays will molest their fellow soldiers in the military, lesbians get into more car accidents, gay men stuff gerbils up their rectums, and - of course - the false link between pedophilia and homosexuality.

He has also been discredited and censured by many group and individuals on the left, the right, and in the middle due to his bad research techniques. Several of his studies have been criticized for such errors as having small sample sizes, showing an anti-gay bias in interviews, and not having enough responses to establish a suitable analysis.

Even Barbera's claim in the interview that another researcher proved Cameron's thesis about children in same-sex households is also incorrect. LaBarbera failed to mention that the researcher, Walter Schumm, used the same bad methodology Cameron used to come to his original thesis.

Of course who needs facts when you are "working for Jesus," right Peter?  LaBarbera obviously doesn't care about stoking the fires of homophobia in a Jamaica, a country where lgbts are viciously attacked and murdered by anti-gay mobs,  so why should he care that the information he uses to stoke those fires is wrong.

If LaBarbera is truly writing a book, then it deserves to be in the fiction section.

Know Your LGBT History - Culture Club

Back in the 80s, I loved me some Culture Club, an English band fronted by George Alan O'Dowd, or rather Boy George, whose androgynous appearance and incredible voice set many tongues wagging but also created a multitude of teen imitators.

If you want to read the history of Culture Club, go to Wikipedia. I prefer to post several of their videos and enjoy my memories:

  
 

And let's not forget when Culture Club won the 1993 Grammy for Best New Artist:



Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'Family Research Council's credibility problem needs more attention' and other Friday midday news briefs

16 reasons why the Family Research Council is a hate group - Past reference material to go with this morning's post about the Family Research Council's latest deception. It all goes to question FRC's credibility. A Christian organization has absolutely no business using such tactics and lies. 

Credible science vs. Peter 'I'd prefer to export homosexuals from the United States' Sprigg - And speaking of FRC distortions, their spokesman Peter Sprigg is a former actor and present-day pastor. He has no business having as much credibility on any issue as the American Medical Association.  

FRC's Sprigg Desperately Tries To Justify Discriminating Against Gay Blood Donors - More on Sprigg's lack of expertise from Equality Matters.

 Gay Weddings Now Make Up 17 Percent Of Marriages In Washington State - Not bad at all for the first year of its legality.  

Transgender cop in Conn. files complaint - And I hope she wins.  

Truth Wins Out Praises Congresswoman Jackie Speier For Reintroducing Resolution Protecting Minors From ‘Reparative’ Therapy - This would be so awesome if we get it through Congress.

Anti-gay group distorts researcher's work a decade after he demanded a retraction

Simple question. If the Family Research Council's opposition to lgbt equality is rooted in Biblical foundation rather than animus, why does the organization distort scientific data to attack the lgbt community.

On the FRC webpage is an original "study" entitled Homosexuality and Child Sexual Abuse. This piece of "work" was published by former FRC employee Timothy Dailey.

It puts forth the theory that:

Pedophiles are invariably males: Almost all sex crimes against children are committed by men.

Significant numbers of victims are males: Up to one-third of all sex crimes against children are committed against boys (as opposed to girls).

The 10 percent fallacy: Studies indicate that, contrary to the inaccurate but widely accepted claims of sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, homosexuals comprise between 1 to 3 percent of the population.

Homosexuals are overrepresented in child sex offenses: Individuals from the 1 to 3 percent of the population that is sexually attracted to the same sex are committing up to one-third of the sex crimes against children.

Some homosexual activists defend the historic connection between homosexuality and pedophilia: Such activists consider the defense of "boy-lovers" to be a legitimate gay rights issue.


Pedophile themes abound in homosexual literary culture: Gay fiction as well as serious academic treatises promote "intergenerational intimacy."

These points are junk.  More credible sources, i.e. the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Academy of Child Psychiatrists and the Child Welfare League of America, all say that gay men are not more likely to molest children than heterosexual men.

I'm glad that Nelson Mandela was here

Nelson Mandela

Today the world mourns one of our greatest heroes.

Nelson Mandela died today at the age of 95. Mandela's fight against the awful system of apartheid in South Africa led to his 27-year imprisonment after which in 1994, he became the first black president of the country, helping to dismantle apartheid and inequality.

Mandela never gave in to the demons of revenge or resentment, choosing to use his time as president as well as his status to be a statesman for peace and equality for all, including lgbts.

The Human Rights Campaign issued the following statement:

Nelson Mandela tore down oppression, united a rainbow nation, and always walked arm-in-arm with his LGBT brothers and sisters—and with all people—toward freedom. Though every man, woman and child who seeks justice around the world mourns this loss, his vision of an equal future lives on undimmed. Mandela, who was South Africa’s first post-Apartheid president, was an outspoken advocate for LGBT equality. He appointed an openly-gay judge to South Africa's High Court of Appeal and during his presidency, South Africa became the first nation in the world to constitutionally prohibit sexual orientation-based discrimination. Mandela will be remembered for his social justice activism and commitment to equality for all people. 

While there is sadness over Mandela's passing, I'm not really mourning. I never met him but I am so glad that he wasn't taken from the world before he could fully impact it like other leaders such as John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mandela lived a long life and leaves a great legacy. And now he is at peace, taking his well-deserved rest. So while there is a void in our hearts, let there also be a bit of contentment and gladness. Let's not waste so much time mourning the fact that Mandela is gone that we forget how thankful we should be that he was here in the first place.

Magic and Cookie Johnson's unconditional acceptance of their gay son is wonderful

The following snippet is from an interview that former basketball superstar Magic Johnson and his wife, Coookie, had with Oprah Winfrey. I was very happy to see this because we don't hear conversations about African-American lgbts and our families. Instead we hear the lazy narrative about how the African-American community is supposedly more homophobic than other communities.

That's really not the truth. What Magic Johnson said about accepting his son is not an anomaly in the black community. In fact, it mirrors how I came out to my father and I'm sure it mirrors experiences of other African-American lgbts.

While it is true that some African-American families do not accept their lgbt children, let's not forget that many others do with no conditions at all.

That's something which should always be kept in mind

The saddest anti-gay letter you will ever read

Police detective Kat Cooper was in the news earlier this year because of an ugly incident which took place regarding her family. Her family was asked to leave their Tennessee church because she helped to pass legislation which would give benefits to same-sex couples in her town.

Now comes something a bit more alarming and almost amusing if it weren't so disturbing. She received the following very nasty letter which she posted on her facebook page:

 

Oh Lawd, did the writer say he/she is in college? 

 UPDATE - A commentator just informed me that the writer isn't saying that he/she is in college. Collegedale is actually the name of a city in Tennessee, which to me is even more embarrassing. For the city that is.

Hat tip to the Huffington Post.

''Stand your ground' group pushed vile anti-gay propaganda' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Newly Uncovered Documents Expose ALEC's Anti-Gay Past - Decades before pushing those awful "Stand Your Ground" laws and restrictions to voting rights, ALEC was pushing extremely homophobic nonsense like such:

ALEC classified all gay people into six categories: “the blatant, the secret lifer, the desperate, the adjusted, the bisexual and the situational.” The “blatant” gay person was "obvious and ‘limp-wristed’” . . . . Yet no matter what category a gay person fell into, ALEC argued, the most dominant practice within “the homosexual world is pedophilia, the fetish for young children.” This tendency, the group claimed, was the product of the fact that “the homosexual cannot reproduce themselves biologically, so they must recruit the young.”

Ah yes. No homophobic propaganda is complete without an inference to the following image, the constant lying monkey on the back of lgbt equality:

Editor's note - This image is not from the report on ALEC but originally from a book entitled Deathstyle

In other news: 

 How Junk Science and Anti-Lesbian Prejudice Got Four Women Sent to Prison for More than a Decade - And this is one of the end results of people believing the above crap.

 Meet Alliance Defending Freedom, Fox's Favorite Anti-LGBT Legal Organization - A major news network (even if it is Fox) giving an anti-gay group an unrestricted and unchallenged forum is going to spell worse problems for our community. Trust me on this one. 

 Rep. Karen Clark plans to introduce bill banning ex-gay therapy - And this is Minnesota. What would Marcus Bachmann think?  

Dick Cheney Was 'Surprised' By 'Attack' On Liz Cheney Over Anti-Gay Marriage Stance - This is giving me flashbacks to childhood when sibling friends of mine would fight so viciously that their parents had to break it up. What did I say back then? "OOOOOOOO! Somebody's gonna get it!!"

Dear One Million Moms, not all black drag queens are RuPaul

One Million Moms think that all black drag queens are RuPaul.

Religious right groups seemed to determined to milk this phony "Kinky Boots performance at Macy's Thanksgiving parade" controversy to its fullest.

If you ask me, they should quit while they're ahead. The latest so-called morality group to register "anger and shock" is that bastion of failed protests, the American Family Association's One Million Moms.

There is no need to rehash the group's entire faked outraged email but I wanted to point out two very interesting parts:

"Raise You Up" was not suitable for families for many reasons. The inappropriate act starred Kinky Boots, referencing a musical written to celebrate the differences in each other and included: (all) the men and women in thigh-high boots [mostly red pleather while others were sparkly "hooker" boots], a man in boxer shorts and men in burlesque and Moulin rouge costumes prancing around expressing themselves, RuPaul (famous drag queen) along with several men dressed in drag, transgender and transvestites, singing and dancing as an expression of "diversity" and honoring whatever sexuality you want.

Okay, first of all, the "drag queen" in question was not RuPaul, but Tony-award-winning Broadway actor Billy Porter. Now I've heard the offensive adage that to some folks, us black folks all look alike, but never would I have ever thought it meant black drag queens, too.

But that's not all. One Million Moms made it a point to print some of the supposed "sexualized" lyrics from the song the Kinky Boots crew sang:

The performance was sexually charged and quite offensive. Here are some, but not all of the lyrics to the song they chose to sing, to give you a better idea:

Celebrate you to elevate you! Ladies, Gentlemen, and those who have yet to make up their minds. Instill the truth… learn something new. Accept yourself and you'll accept others too. Let love shine… let pride be your guide. Change the world when you change your mind. Just be who you wanna be. You're beautiful; it's beautiful! 

Now I feel comfortable in confessing to you all, my dear readers, that it has been a long time since I've had "relations" (a long, long time, which if we to believe religious right propaganda puts me way under the quota for sexual intercourse for gay men), but I'm sure that things haven't changed so much that the above lyrics about accepting yourself can be taken to mean a hot and steamy roll in the hay.

This controversy was a false flag of moral outrage from the start and we should thank One Million Moms for finally proving it.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

'30 moments from Hawaii's first day of marriage equality' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

30 Moments From Hawaii’s First Day Of Marriage Equality That Prove It Really Is The Aloha State - A little antidote to the anti-gay crazy. Buzzfeed shows us 30 moments from Hawaii's first day of marriage equality. It's all about love, y'all. 

Virginia Tax Policy To Punish Same-Sex Couples And Businesses That Recognize Their Marriages - I'm beginning to think that Virginia isn't exactly approving of marriage equality (snark). 

 PFOX Tricks Parents by Getting Listed In Phone Book as ‘Help Line’ - An 'ex-gay' group with as a "helpline?" Mercy.  

WND: What If Mary Cheney Were A Pedophile? - Eeeeeew! I hope Dick Cheney is paying attention. If there is anytime I wish the Republican Palpatine would strike somebody, it's now.  

Sasha Fleischman, Agender California Teen, Speaks Out After Having Skirt Set On Fire On Bus - You have to read this story!

'Marriage equality exorcism' a bizarre comedy of verbal contradictions

Paprocki

On the same day last month in which Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed that state's marriage equality bill into law,  Illinois Bishop Thomas Paprocki held what was called an exorcism of the law at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

To tell the truth, I really didn't pay attention to this event because I found it silly. However, I read a snippet from what a site, Catholic Vote, highlighted what it called "12 Must-Read Quotes" from his homily.

If Catholic Vote meant to highlight these quotes in order to praise Paprocki, the site failed miserably. Let's look at some of the "must-read" quotes along with a few comments of my own:

The fact is that a “minor exorcism” takes place in every Baptism and Confirmation ceremony when we renounce Satan and all his works and empty promises. This prayer service will be along those lines. I’m not saying that anyone involved in the redefinition of marriage is possessed by the devil, which, if that were the case, would require the remedy of a “Major Exorcism,” but all of us are certainly subject to the devil’s evil influences and in need of protection and deliverance from evil.

Whew!

Our prayer service today and my words are not meant to demonize anyone, but are intended to call attention to the diabolical influences of the devil that have penetrated our culture, both in the state and in the Church. These demonic influences are not readily apparent to the undiscerning eye, which is why they are so deceptive.

Okay, now I'm confused.

The deception of the Devil in same-sex marriage may be understood by recalling the words of Pope Francis when he faced a similar situation as Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 2010. Regarding the proposed redefinition of civil marriage in Argentina, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio wrote on June 22, 2010, “The Argentine people must face, in the next few weeks, a situation whose result may gravely harm the family. It is the bill on matrimony of persons of the same sex. The identity of the family, and its survival, are in jeopardy here: father, mother, and children. The life of so many children who will be discriminated beforehand due to the lack of human maturity that God willed them to have with a father and a mother is in jeopardy. A clear rejection of the law of God, engraved in our hearts, is in jeopardy. . . . Let us not be naive: it is not a simple political struggle; it is an intention [which is] destructive of the plan of God. It is not a mere legislative project (this is a mere instrument), but rather a ‘move’ of the father of lies who wishes to confuse and deceive the children of God.”   The Pope’s reference to the “father of lies” comes from the Gospel of John (8:44), where Jesus refers to the devil as “a liar and the father of lies.” So Pope Francis is saying that same-sex “marriage” comes from the devil and should be condemned as such.

Okay, so it is a major exorcism . . .

The work of discouragement by the Devil in same-sex marriage is apparent in the message being conveyed to defenders of traditional marriage that the universal redefinition of marriage is unstoppable, so we might as well just stop trying. But the legalization of abortion on demand forty years ago did not silence those who believe that abortion is contrary to God’s law. On the contrary, Roe v. Wade only heightened the need for more concerted efforts to protect all human life from conception to natural death. So, too, the legal redefinition of civil marriage does not put an end to the need for discourse and action to defend natural marriage in accord with God’s plan, but only serves to heighten the need for greater efforts in this regard.

Are you surprised? Of course he was going to tie abortion in this sucker somehow.

Politicians responsible for enacting civil same-sex marriage legislation are morally complicit as co-operators in facilitating this grave sin.

That's right. Paprocki is even exorcising civil marriage which has nothing to do with the church because . . . well what the hell. 

We must also affirm the teaching of the Catholic Church that homosexual persons “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.

I checked Paprocki's homily in its uncut version and confirmed that yes, after talking about the Devil and implying that marriage equality is Satanically influenced, he included this lovely CYA statement of how lgbts must be "treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity." Paprocki probably felt that talking nice about lgbts before throwing out all of that stuff about Satan would have seemed hypocritical instead of what it looks like now, which is . . . hypocritical. Okay wait a minute . . .

Paprocki's attempt to play both sides of the fence leaves me conflicted about his "exorcism. And more importantly, it makes me wonder will laughing at it cause me to look like Linda Blair in The Exorcist and spit pea soup? Because not only do I despise pea soup, but green is not my color.

Anti-gay talking head gets downright hysterical over 'Kinky Boots'

Austin Ruse

As we all know, a certain performance during Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade of the Tony-award-winning musical 'Kinky Boots' sent some conservatives and religious right talking heads into orbit.

But hands down, the most hysterical response regarding this non-controversy had to come from Austin Ruse, president of The Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM). According to Right Wing Watch, as he guest-hosted on the American Family Association's radio show today, Ruse went on and on about how children will be hurt by this performance. On second thought, that's putting it mildly:


There is pathologically homophobic and then there is hysterical and when I say that Ruse crossed both lines, I am not exaggerating. Ruse, who obviously has not even seen the show, made the performance segment sound less like what it was and more like an alien invasion out of the Twilight Zone. 

It really wasn't that bad. In fact all of the controversy actually worked out in favor of 'Kinky Boots.' According to the Huffington Post, it "smashed ticket sale records."

And I wouldn't be shocked if Ruse comes around looking for a cut of the proceeds.

'The Passion of Dan Choi' and other Monday midday news briefs

The Passion of Dan Choi - As easily the most recognizable face in the fight to overturn DADT, Dan Choi became an lgbt icon. This is the price he paid for his activism and fame. 

Olympic diver Tom Daley is 'dating a guy,' 'couldn't be happier' - Olympic diver Tom Daley is dating a man. Okay, who is Tom Daley. Just kidding.

 How The Pacific Justice Institute Plans To Continue Demonizing Transgender Children - No one can tell me that this is Christian behavior.  

On This World AIDS Day, I Celebrate Black Gay Men - Awesome post which should receive more exposure.

 The 2013 POZ 100: Celebrating Unsung Heroes Fighting To End HIV/AIDS - Easily some of the most awesome people I've read about.

LGBT community should call out anti-gay propaganda instigators instead of their pawns

I received a response to a comment I made in July on a Charisma Magazine online article entitled Why Gays Hate Christians by a writer named David Aikman. The following is the original comment:

Gays do not hate Christians but we are alarmed by the false information put out about us by some folks who call themselves Christians. Mr. Aikman's piece is a perfect example of this.

For example, this sentence - "Life expectancy can be up to 20 years shorter than for the heterosexual population, almost entirely as a result of sexually transmitted diseases." This is a false statement based upon two studies. One is by a discredited researcher by the name of Paul Cameron. The other is from a 1997 Oxford study. In 2001, the authors of the study publicly complained that their work was being distorted to push the false notion that gays live 20 years less than the heterosexual community.

Another distortion is the following - "Depression, attempted suicide and drug abuse are significantly higher among gays and lesbians." Mr. Aikman practices the sin of omission there. The Centers for Disease Control has said when gays suffer from these defects, it is because of a homophobic society and the lack of a support system to deal with the homophobic society.The other claim Mr. Aikman makes about the Netherlands comes from a cherry-picked study by Dr. Theo Sandfort.

The problem is that a lot of well-meaning Christians are being bamboozled by people putting out junk science and cherry-picked research about the gay community. That's the problem here.

Imagine how surprised I was when I received a reply on Saturday (November 30) from someone calling himself  "Sam Spade"

According to the center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), HIV/AIDS rate was at 63% among MSM (men who have sex with men) in the USA in 2010. Another one-third are also infected, but won't know it until they become chronically ill. This is an 81% infection rate. I wonder what it will be in another ten years or so? As unprotected sex is common among MSM, how many other people are being unknowingly infected? MSM are 44 times more likely to acquire the virus than heterosexuals, with the highest risk group being young men between the ages of 13 to 19. Think about that. Who is infecting 13 year old boys with HIV/AIDS? The CDC has further stated that most college-age males will be dead before they reach 50. Other diseases and infections seem to affect MSM more than any other group. Anal cancer is spreading among MSM by 3% per year, and MSM in Vancouver, Canada, are responsible for 95% of all syphilis cases. This is quite simply horrifying, given their tiny numbers. Indeed, most MSM are lucky to reach 65. Even in countries where GBLT rights are fully protected, they still suffer from a higher percentage of mental health issues, addiction problems and shortened lifespans than do heterosexuals. How many gays and lesbians over 80 do you know? The Bible has made it explicitly clear: To engage in unnatural sexual relations has serious, even deadly consequences (Romans 1:27). But quoting from scripture is almost a hate crime these days, isn't it?

Apparently, Mr. Spade didn't read my original response as he should have. But there was something I found interesting in his response and told him so:

It's a matter of seeing what you want, Sam. According to the same Centers for Disease Control, the lgbt orientation is not the root cause of these things. The CDC has said that the root cause of these things, particularly in lgbt youth, is a homophobic society and lack of decent support systems. Lgbt youth who are bombarded with negative images without any positive reinforcement are more likely to engage in bad behaviors. I really think you should come clean. You did not receive your information from the Centers for Disease Control, but rather a supposedly religious webpage or organization which cherry-picks CDC information. I recognized the phrase "Even in countries where GBLT rights are fully protected, they still suffer from a higher percentage of mental health issues, addiction problems and shortened lifespans than do heterosexuals."

That phraseology exists in many anti-gay studies but strangely NO objective studies regarding lgbt health. In addition, there are NO studies which claim that gays have a shorter lifespan than heterosexuals. The CDC has acknowledged this and don't EVEN try to pull out that 1997 Canadian study because the authors have steadily complained about how it has been distorted by the religious right. - http://www.politifact.com/virg...

While the Bible is not as clear as you think about homosexuality, it is VERY clear about false information and bearing false witness. Perhaps you need to consult objective sources before putting stuff out here.

The problem was that "Sam Spade" (and Mr. Aikman for that matter) seemed to have derived their data, not from objective sites, but religious right sites which freely cherry-pick information, making sure to highlight negative lgbt information and eliminate the information which refutes the negativity they are trying to illuminate.

 It has always been my belief that the lgbt community's roadblock when it comes to reaching equality is not necessarily religious folks who believe that homosexuality is a sin, but rather the organizations (i.e. the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, the National Organization for Marriage, etc) who exploit the beliefs of these individuals by giving them inaccurate, negative information about lgbts. This information is designed to cater to their ego and exploit their beliefs about homosexuality.

Refuting Aikman and "Sam Spade," while gratifying, doesn't get us to the root cause. When we begin to take the initiative to call out the instigators of propaganda rather than their pawns, that's when we will begin to see more progress.