Controlling the semantics

While everyone seems to be talking about the gay porn star who spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference, I will ignore it.

I will also purposefully ignore the Ann Coulter/John Edwards controversy. Every time I see or hear Ann Coulter, a part of me tunes her out because I know that what comes out of her mouth is designed to shock, not progress dialogue.

I find her boring.

I would prefer to talk about something more important and vital to our community. Earlier today, I mentioned an upcoming anti-gay fest in Illinois. This is why that event is going to take place:

Several parents are claiming that mandatory freshman orientation class at Deerfield High School in Illinois which includes a segment where teens from the Straight and Gay Alliance, a school club, speak about there experiences as gay high school is encouraging homosexuality.

The classes are designed to help students adjust to high school; parents who object to the content can have their children excused.

However, a resident of Deerfield, Lora Sue Hauser, wants the panel discontinued. Hauser, the leader of a group called North Shore Student Advocacy, says that parents and trained counselors are better equipped to handle the issues brought up in the classes.

Gay issues is only one part of this orientation, but it is the only part that parents object to.

Hence our friend Peter LaBarbera will be paying a visit to the area to spin all of his conspiracy theories and lies about the lgbt community.

What is happening in Illinois is something that the anti-gay industry is attempting in various places in the country. If schools or any other entity don't approach discussions of gay people using their narrow-minded interpretations, then somehow the discussions are actually indoctrinations.

And please note the semantics here. In the mouths of the anti-gay industry (be they Concerned Women for American, Americans for Truth (in name only), the American Family Association, etc.), the use of words and phrases like "promoting homosexuality" or "indoctrinating children into the homosexual lifestyle" are designed to pull the emotional strings of people, and thereby motivate them through a combination of fear and their religious beliefs rather than truth.

To call this a skilled technique in huge plan to portray the lgbt community as angry alien outsiders is not paranoia on my part.

How is it when these folks try to define who we are based on their lies, they are telling the truth, but when we are explaining our lives, we are trying to "recruit."

I find it ironic that they spin tales of gay people trying to silence Christians because in this case, just who is trying to silence who?