Something worth knowing about the Jim Naugle controversy
By now the controversy over anti-gay Florida Mayor Jim Naugle is probably wearing thin, except for in anti-gay industry circles.
But today, something came out that needs to be said yet again.
As I stated before, an effective anti-gay industry tactic is to distort something about the lgbt community and repeat it ad naseum.
With that in mind, I saw an article today that yet again clearly shows that Naugle and his supporters are attempting to create a moral panic about "public sex" to yet again demonize the gay community:
When Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle linked the purchase of new toilets for beach parks to gay sex in public places, he uncorked a torrent of protest. But just how prevalent is public sex?
No one keeps detailed statistics on sex in public restrooms and parks. South Florida law enforcement agencies say they receive occasional complaints and make a few arrests, but they don't spend much time cracking down on it. Since 2005, Fort Lauderdale has reported two arrests for sexual activity in a public restroom.
''I don't know whether it's the perception or the reality, but it doesn't seem like it's that much of a problem,'' Broward Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Leljedal said.
Miami-Dade Police cracked down on public sex at Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th St., in August 2001 and made 17 arrests. Police spokesman Juan Villalba said he knows of no current sting operations.
And check out this quote from Anthony Verdugo, executive director of the Christian Family Coalition of South Florida:
''The majority of homosexuals and heterosexuals don't engage in public sex, and if you poll them they would say it's wrong,'' Verdugo said. ``But the issue is a valid issue that the mayor brought up in terms of public sex and listings on the website.''
No matter how valid the issue seems to be, it is not an issue that should be used to demonize an entire community for alleged actions of a few.
Someone alert Janet Folger!!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
It's Monday so it's time for another lie courtesy of Minister Harry Jackson
A popular and effective distortion technique of the anti-gay industry is to misrepresent something about the lgbt community and repeat that misrepresentation irregardless of the correction of said fact.
A perfect case in point is the latest column by Minister Harry Jackson. Jackson is railing yet again about adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation.
In this column, he is upset because U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn sent him a letter asking him to stop distorting the issue. Jackson said he sent a letter back to Clyburn detailing for him the following exchange:
In the congressional subcommittee, Republican Congressman Louis Gohmert of Texas moved to remove "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" from the bill. It failed on a recorded vote of 19 to 13. Next, Congressman Mike Pence from Indiana offered an important amendment on Freedom of Religion.
A number of Republicans spoke in support of it. But the Democrats, Jerrold Nadler, Tammy Baldwin and Chairman John Conyers kept evading the issue.
Finally Congressman Gohmert asked, "If a minister was giving a sermon, a Bible Study or any kind of written or spoken message saying that homosexuality was a serious sin and a person in the congregation went out and committed a crime against a homosexual would the minister be charged with the crime of incitement?"
Gohmert was attempting to clarify and emphasize that the legislation would have an effect on the constitutional right to religious freedom and thus the Pence amendment was needed to protect religious speech. The Democrats continued to explain why they could not accept the amendment.
Lundgren continuously shot down their answers. He said, "What is your answer? Would there be incitement charges again the pastor?"
And finally Democrat Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama spoke up and said, ‘Yes.’ ”
Jackson's version this exchange is a lie. And it has been refuted repeatedly.
The following is the actual exchange (courtesy of the webpage Good As You):
GOHERT: ...If a minister preaches that sexual relations outside of marriage of a man and woman is wrong, and somebody within that congregation goes out and does an act of violence, and that person says that that minister counseled or induced him through the sermon to commit that act, are you saying under your amendment that in no way could that ever be introduced against the minister?
DAVIS: No.
You see how Jackson distorted the exchange?
And I should point out the fact that in matters of violent crime, if the alleged perpetrator claims that certain individuals were involved, then it is the duty of the police to question that person.
This goes for ministers or anyone else and it happens irregardless of hate crimes legislation.
Rep. Clyburn asked Jackson to stop distorting the issue.
Apparently he didn't pay attention to the request.
New webpage, same old lies
Unassuming people alarmed that gay/straight alliances are in their children's schools generally fall victim to the lies of the anti-gay industry.
And it's usually their fault.
Rather than attempting to try to educate themselves on the lives of lgbt children and their needs, these parents go trolling online for sources that enhance their negative point of view about homosexuality. And there are many out there.
Unfortunately, there is now a new one.
Linda Harvey of the so-called "pro-family" group Mission America has started another group, Truthatschool.org, that seeks to "stop the promotion of homosexuality" in schools.
This webpage follows the same lying anti-gay industry mantra, particularly in the section that gives parents warnings of how "homosexuality has infiltrated schools:"
3. A homosexual club for students - Students are trained to be activists who will pressure school boards, be very "out" and visible to other students, and become the darlings of their sympathizers in the media. Club meetings feature "X" rated topics and dwell on rejection of traditional values, particularly religious beliefs that don’t accept homosexuality. “Straight” supporters also attend and may be encouraged to explore alternate sexuality. Students with same sex attractions will be cheered on by club members if they begin this behavior.
8. AIDS speakers, “safe sex” health education classes - This was the first avenue into the schools. Validity of alternate “families” and homosexual practices are often basic assumptions of today's health ed, and graphic instruction in condom use is typical as a method for AIDS "prevention." Actually, such lessons encourage promiscuous sex among teens, including experimentation with homosexuality.
10. Openly homosexual teachers and staff - These teachers then become role models, in-house activists, and possible confidants for students who want to start homosexual behavior. Student molestation becomes a real risk.
Harvey, who by the way is featured slightly in my book as an anti-gay industry propaganda technique (i.e. the phony expert) is a former ad executive who transformed herself to a sounding board for the usual anti-gay industry lies:
Homosexuality is associated with destructive outcomes, including AIDS, a much higher risk of STDs, roughly three times the rate of alcoholism and drug abuse, much more promiscuity and domestic abuse, and a shortened life span. The staggering health consequences observed for decades among homosexuals are referenced in much more detail in our Resources
And just what are these "resources?" Here are two:
The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality - Timothy Dailey, Family Research Council
The Health Risks of Gay Sex - Dr. John R. Diggs
As luck would have it, I talk about both studies in my book. The studies are slanderous diatribes full of distortions and cherry-picked studies.
You know. The ones that's keeping James Holsinger from becoming surgeon general.
But let me elucidate further:
The Negative Effects of Gay Sex
Twice, John R. Diggs includes the study done by Alan Bell and Martin Weinberg in their book, Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women, as indicative of the entire gay population. In one passage, he even refers to it as “a far ranging study of homosexual men . . .” But Bell and Weinberg never said that their findings were indicative of all gay men. They actually said “. . . given the variety of circumstances which discourage homosexuals from participating in research studies, it is unlikely that any investigator willever be in a position to say that this or that is true of a given percentage of all homosexuals.”
Diggs cites a Canadian study twice in order to claim that gays have a shorter lifespan than heterosexuals. But his citation of the study is a mischaracterization. In 2001, the six original researchers (Robert S. Hogg, Stefan A. Strathdee, Kevin J.P. Craib, Michael V. O’Shaughnessy, Julion Montaner, and Martin T. Schechter) who conducted that study have gone on record saying that religious conservatives (like Diggs) was distorting their work.
In another section entitled Physical Health, Diggs claims that gays are victims of “gay bowel syndrome.” The term is an obsolete medical term. exist and even the CDC does not use it. In fact, if one was to look at the endnotes of Diggs’ study, he would find that two of the sources he quoted concerning “gay bowel syndrome” were from articles in published in 1976 and 1983, which is consistent with the years that the term existed. One last source was a letter to the editor printed in 1994 but Diggs does not make it clear as to whatwere the circumstances surrounding it.
He generalizes convenience sample studies as indicative of the gay population at large. Diggs takes studies done in foreign countries and claims that they are indicative of the gay population at large.
Diggs claims that there are five distinctions between heterosexual and homosexual populations including levels of promiscuity, physical health, mental health, lifespan, and monogamy. However, he spends very little time comparing the two dynamics. He uses all of his time castigating gay populations.
He uses an out of date book, The Gay Report (published in 1979) to claim that gays are engaging in deviant sexual practices. Only once does he attempt to tie the alleged deviant practices of gays in 1979 to present day; and to do so, he cites two events that took place regarding bondage workshops. However, there is a strong indication that heterosexuals took part in these events as well as gays. Diggs ignores this dynamic.
The Negative Effects of Homosexuality
Timothy Dailey use a 1985 survey of lesbians at a Michigan music festival to claim that lesbians have a high rate of domestic violence. However, according to the reviewer of the study, Suzana Rose, Ph.D., of the 1099 lesbians participants, most were white and between the ages of 20-45. She also said: “Questions concerning perpetrating abuse need to distinguish between actions taken in self-defense and actions initiated by the aggressor. This point was not assessed here. Findings are limited by the selective recruiting of participants.”
Dailey also uses the Weinberg and Bell book to claim that all gay men are promiscuous despite the fact that both authors said their work was not indicative of all gay men.
Dailey uses the term “gay bowel syndrome”
Dailey cites a study that says young gay men are in danger of catching disease at a high rate. He omits the part of the study that said they need places to build their self esteem as homosexuals. In addition, he performs mathematical manipulation on percentages gauged in legitimate studies in order to push forth a higher image of gay men catching diseases.
He generalizes convenience sample studies as indicative of the gay population at large.
The sad thing is that guillible parents are going to read Linda Harvey's mess complete with her bad sources and think of it as credible.
Truly an ignorant person can cause more damage than a learned fool.
A popular and effective distortion technique of the anti-gay industry is to misrepresent something about the lgbt community and repeat that misrepresentation irregardless of the correction of said fact.
A perfect case in point is the latest column by Minister Harry Jackson. Jackson is railing yet again about adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation.
In this column, he is upset because U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn sent him a letter asking him to stop distorting the issue. Jackson said he sent a letter back to Clyburn detailing for him the following exchange:
In the congressional subcommittee, Republican Congressman Louis Gohmert of Texas moved to remove "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" from the bill. It failed on a recorded vote of 19 to 13. Next, Congressman Mike Pence from Indiana offered an important amendment on Freedom of Religion.
A number of Republicans spoke in support of it. But the Democrats, Jerrold Nadler, Tammy Baldwin and Chairman John Conyers kept evading the issue.
Finally Congressman Gohmert asked, "If a minister was giving a sermon, a Bible Study or any kind of written or spoken message saying that homosexuality was a serious sin and a person in the congregation went out and committed a crime against a homosexual would the minister be charged with the crime of incitement?"
Gohmert was attempting to clarify and emphasize that the legislation would have an effect on the constitutional right to religious freedom and thus the Pence amendment was needed to protect religious speech. The Democrats continued to explain why they could not accept the amendment.
Lundgren continuously shot down their answers. He said, "What is your answer? Would there be incitement charges again the pastor?"
And finally Democrat Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama spoke up and said, ‘Yes.’ ”
Jackson's version this exchange is a lie. And it has been refuted repeatedly.
The following is the actual exchange (courtesy of the webpage Good As You):
GOHERT: ...If a minister preaches that sexual relations outside of marriage of a man and woman is wrong, and somebody within that congregation goes out and does an act of violence, and that person says that that minister counseled or induced him through the sermon to commit that act, are you saying under your amendment that in no way could that ever be introduced against the minister?
DAVIS: No.
You see how Jackson distorted the exchange?
And I should point out the fact that in matters of violent crime, if the alleged perpetrator claims that certain individuals were involved, then it is the duty of the police to question that person.
This goes for ministers or anyone else and it happens irregardless of hate crimes legislation.
Rep. Clyburn asked Jackson to stop distorting the issue.
Apparently he didn't pay attention to the request.
New webpage, same old lies
Unassuming people alarmed that gay/straight alliances are in their children's schools generally fall victim to the lies of the anti-gay industry.
And it's usually their fault.
Rather than attempting to try to educate themselves on the lives of lgbt children and their needs, these parents go trolling online for sources that enhance their negative point of view about homosexuality. And there are many out there.
Unfortunately, there is now a new one.
Linda Harvey of the so-called "pro-family" group Mission America has started another group, Truthatschool.org, that seeks to "stop the promotion of homosexuality" in schools.
This webpage follows the same lying anti-gay industry mantra, particularly in the section that gives parents warnings of how "homosexuality has infiltrated schools:"
3. A homosexual club for students - Students are trained to be activists who will pressure school boards, be very "out" and visible to other students, and become the darlings of their sympathizers in the media. Club meetings feature "X" rated topics and dwell on rejection of traditional values, particularly religious beliefs that don’t accept homosexuality. “Straight” supporters also attend and may be encouraged to explore alternate sexuality. Students with same sex attractions will be cheered on by club members if they begin this behavior.
8. AIDS speakers, “safe sex” health education classes - This was the first avenue into the schools. Validity of alternate “families” and homosexual practices are often basic assumptions of today's health ed, and graphic instruction in condom use is typical as a method for AIDS "prevention." Actually, such lessons encourage promiscuous sex among teens, including experimentation with homosexuality.
10. Openly homosexual teachers and staff - These teachers then become role models, in-house activists, and possible confidants for students who want to start homosexual behavior. Student molestation becomes a real risk.
Harvey, who by the way is featured slightly in my book as an anti-gay industry propaganda technique (i.e. the phony expert) is a former ad executive who transformed herself to a sounding board for the usual anti-gay industry lies:
Homosexuality is associated with destructive outcomes, including AIDS, a much higher risk of STDs, roughly three times the rate of alcoholism and drug abuse, much more promiscuity and domestic abuse, and a shortened life span. The staggering health consequences observed for decades among homosexuals are referenced in much more detail in our Resources
And just what are these "resources?" Here are two:
The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality - Timothy Dailey, Family Research Council
The Health Risks of Gay Sex - Dr. John R. Diggs
As luck would have it, I talk about both studies in my book. The studies are slanderous diatribes full of distortions and cherry-picked studies.
You know. The ones that's keeping James Holsinger from becoming surgeon general.
But let me elucidate further:
The Negative Effects of Gay Sex
Twice, John R. Diggs includes the study done by Alan Bell and Martin Weinberg in their book, Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women, as indicative of the entire gay population. In one passage, he even refers to it as “a far ranging study of homosexual men . . .” But Bell and Weinberg never said that their findings were indicative of all gay men. They actually said “. . . given the variety of circumstances which discourage homosexuals from participating in research studies, it is unlikely that any investigator willever be in a position to say that this or that is true of a given percentage of all homosexuals.”
Diggs cites a Canadian study twice in order to claim that gays have a shorter lifespan than heterosexuals. But his citation of the study is a mischaracterization. In 2001, the six original researchers (Robert S. Hogg, Stefan A. Strathdee, Kevin J.P. Craib, Michael V. O’Shaughnessy, Julion Montaner, and Martin T. Schechter) who conducted that study have gone on record saying that religious conservatives (like Diggs) was distorting their work.
In another section entitled Physical Health, Diggs claims that gays are victims of “gay bowel syndrome.” The term is an obsolete medical term. exist and even the CDC does not use it. In fact, if one was to look at the endnotes of Diggs’ study, he would find that two of the sources he quoted concerning “gay bowel syndrome” were from articles in published in 1976 and 1983, which is consistent with the years that the term existed. One last source was a letter to the editor printed in 1994 but Diggs does not make it clear as to whatwere the circumstances surrounding it.
He generalizes convenience sample studies as indicative of the gay population at large. Diggs takes studies done in foreign countries and claims that they are indicative of the gay population at large.
Diggs claims that there are five distinctions between heterosexual and homosexual populations including levels of promiscuity, physical health, mental health, lifespan, and monogamy. However, he spends very little time comparing the two dynamics. He uses all of his time castigating gay populations.
He uses an out of date book, The Gay Report (published in 1979) to claim that gays are engaging in deviant sexual practices. Only once does he attempt to tie the alleged deviant practices of gays in 1979 to present day; and to do so, he cites two events that took place regarding bondage workshops. However, there is a strong indication that heterosexuals took part in these events as well as gays. Diggs ignores this dynamic.
The Negative Effects of Homosexuality
Timothy Dailey use a 1985 survey of lesbians at a Michigan music festival to claim that lesbians have a high rate of domestic violence. However, according to the reviewer of the study, Suzana Rose, Ph.D., of the 1099 lesbians participants, most were white and between the ages of 20-45. She also said: “Questions concerning perpetrating abuse need to distinguish between actions taken in self-defense and actions initiated by the aggressor. This point was not assessed here. Findings are limited by the selective recruiting of participants.”
Dailey also uses the Weinberg and Bell book to claim that all gay men are promiscuous despite the fact that both authors said their work was not indicative of all gay men.
Dailey uses the term “gay bowel syndrome”
Dailey cites a study that says young gay men are in danger of catching disease at a high rate. He omits the part of the study that said they need places to build their self esteem as homosexuals. In addition, he performs mathematical manipulation on percentages gauged in legitimate studies in order to push forth a higher image of gay men catching diseases.
He generalizes convenience sample studies as indicative of the gay population at large.
The sad thing is that guillible parents are going to read Linda Harvey's mess complete with her bad sources and think of it as credible.
Truly an ignorant person can cause more damage than a learned fool.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Shedding more light on yet another anti-gay industry lie
I have talked the situation involving a lawsuit some Christian employees had with the city of Oakland many times on this blog.
These employees, the Allied Defense Fund, and other members of the anti-gay industry have claimed that they were discriminated against simply because they wanted to start a Christian organization in response to other employees starting a gay tolerance group.
The employees and the Allied Defense Fund sued while the rest of the anti-gay industry distorted the case as "another" example of the supposed gay agenda trying to shut down Christians.
The situation had nothing to do with them being able to form their group, but with a flyer the organizers put up. The flyer used language in a manner that bashed gay employees. The city told the organizers that they could submit another flyer but the two women in the middle of the situation refused.
The Ninth Circuit Court ruled against them so they have been appealing to the Supreme Court.
I ran across something else that sheds light on the story and I want to share with everyone. The following is from an article printed on July 4:
. . . the seemingly harmless flier was not an isolated incident but part of a deliberate pattern of harassment. The association's flier was specifically posted outside of a lesbian co-worker's cubicle, placed on her desk and in the restroom. The plaintiffs went out of their way to harass their lesbian co-worker as well as to proselytize about their belief on city time and on the taxpayer's dime.
Just how tacky can a man get?
And our friend Peter LaBarbera and the Americans for Truth (in name only) have done it again.
In attempting to defend Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle for his rantings regarding gay men and public bathroom sex, LaBarbera published an absolutely long list of postings from gay men looking for sex in public places.
He says he received the list from a web page, which he did not mention. He made allusions to another page called Craig's list but it is not clear where he got the postings from.
What is clear is Peter's attention to detail.
Furthermore, he has the nerve to say:
by reprinting this information, Americans For Truth’s “gay” critics – in typical “shoot-the-messenger” fashion – will again accuse me of reveling in the homosexual perversions described below.
To that, I say hell yeah!
How else would one describe a man who not only searched through sex listings but meticulously cataloged and added cute little comments to a few entries.
To paraphrase a popular comedian:
That trick is nasty!!!!!!!
Really though, if one looks hard enough, one will find trash anywhere. And usually when folks like Peter look for evidence of "perversion" in the gay community, they seem to always ignore evidence of "perversion" in the heterosexual community.
It's the same mentality that leads them to call anal sex "gay behavior" while ignoring the fact that heterosexuals also engage in anal sex.
No doubt Peter's latest hot mess will appeal to those already with biases against the gay community. But to the rest of us, it demonstrates more excesses from a man seems to be having a much more fun time with gay sex than the rest of us.
I have talked the situation involving a lawsuit some Christian employees had with the city of Oakland many times on this blog.
These employees, the Allied Defense Fund, and other members of the anti-gay industry have claimed that they were discriminated against simply because they wanted to start a Christian organization in response to other employees starting a gay tolerance group.
The employees and the Allied Defense Fund sued while the rest of the anti-gay industry distorted the case as "another" example of the supposed gay agenda trying to shut down Christians.
The situation had nothing to do with them being able to form their group, but with a flyer the organizers put up. The flyer used language in a manner that bashed gay employees. The city told the organizers that they could submit another flyer but the two women in the middle of the situation refused.
The Ninth Circuit Court ruled against them so they have been appealing to the Supreme Court.
I ran across something else that sheds light on the story and I want to share with everyone. The following is from an article printed on July 4:
. . . the seemingly harmless flier was not an isolated incident but part of a deliberate pattern of harassment. The association's flier was specifically posted outside of a lesbian co-worker's cubicle, placed on her desk and in the restroom. The plaintiffs went out of their way to harass their lesbian co-worker as well as to proselytize about their belief on city time and on the taxpayer's dime.
Just how tacky can a man get?
And our friend Peter LaBarbera and the Americans for Truth (in name only) have done it again.
In attempting to defend Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle for his rantings regarding gay men and public bathroom sex, LaBarbera published an absolutely long list of postings from gay men looking for sex in public places.
He says he received the list from a web page, which he did not mention. He made allusions to another page called Craig's list but it is not clear where he got the postings from.
What is clear is Peter's attention to detail.
Furthermore, he has the nerve to say:
by reprinting this information, Americans For Truth’s “gay” critics – in typical “shoot-the-messenger” fashion – will again accuse me of reveling in the homosexual perversions described below.
To that, I say hell yeah!
How else would one describe a man who not only searched through sex listings but meticulously cataloged and added cute little comments to a few entries.
To paraphrase a popular comedian:
That trick is nasty!!!!!!!
Really though, if one looks hard enough, one will find trash anywhere. And usually when folks like Peter look for evidence of "perversion" in the gay community, they seem to always ignore evidence of "perversion" in the heterosexual community.
It's the same mentality that leads them to call anal sex "gay behavior" while ignoring the fact that heterosexuals also engage in anal sex.
No doubt Peter's latest hot mess will appeal to those already with biases against the gay community. But to the rest of us, it demonstrates more excesses from a man seems to be having a much more fun time with gay sex than the rest of us.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Anti-gay tactic - Ignore the truth and maybe it will go away
Yesterday, I talked about the controversy involving Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle and his robo-toilet idea. Naugle wanted the city to pay $250,000 for a robo-toilet that he claimed would curb anonymous gay sex in public restrooms.
Of course the city didn't accept the proposal and the lgbt community were furious. Apparently his idea of a robo-toilet was the latest in a long line of nasty comments and proposals Naugle lodged against the lgbt community.
Yesterday, he called a press conference claiming to issue an apology.
Which he did. Of course the apology was not to the lgbt community but for allegedly underestimating the "problem" of anonymous gay sex in public restrooms.
That's right. Naugle used the press conference to insult the lgbt community yet again. Needless to say that lgbts and other citizens in Ft. Lauderdale are banding together to voice their displeasure with him.
As they should.
I have been reading about the entire controversy and noticed something that you probably already know but I still want to make you aware of.
The following comment is one I posted yesterday. It is by an area sergeant when he was asked about the problem of "gay public sex" :
. . . one problem Naugle had in trying to justify buying a robo-john due only to his belief that it will stop the rampant anonymous t-room sex he's been thinking about is that the rampant anonymous t-room sex he's been thinking about isn't a problem. According to Sgt. Frank Sousa, "There's no evidence, no reports or arrests made for any men having sex in any restrooms." - Robo-johns and stereotypes, Sun-Sentinel, July 20, 2007
You would think that the word of a police sergeant would be enough. Think again. Apparently some folks feel that if they ignore the sergeant's comments, then their view of the issue will be the correct one:
Hurrah for Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle for telling it like it is. The mayor is absolutely correct about gay men over taking the public restrooms as they troll for sex and drugs.Gays having sex in public is becoming an epidemic, not just in Florida but all over the U.S. - letter to the editor, Sun-Sentinel, July 22, 2007
I am not homophobic in any sense of the word. I count gays and lesbians among my closest friends and acquaintances, and respect them no less for their sexual orientation.That having been said, there's no reason the government needs to sanction behavior that the vast majority of Americans find morally reprehensible. That "cruising" in public areas is a problem in the gay community is well-known, especially among gays. To note that gays disproportionately engage in this activity (for whatever reason) is not homophobic, it's honest. Naugle has every right to his concerns. - letter to the editor, Sun-Sentinel, July 22, 2007
Instead of asking whether the laws against sex in the public restroom should be obeyed (as the mayor and the people of Ft. Lauderdale would like) The Sun Sentinel, a pawn for the homosexual lobby, asked if the mayor should resign for his stand against this illegal activity. He also voted against pornography in the public libraries. And for that, he's being protested against at Ft. Lauderdale City Hall today. - News Flash! Sex in Public Still Illegal, Janet Folger, World Net Daily, July 24, 2007
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle is catching a lot of flack for taking on the problem of public homosexual sex in his city, especially in public restrooms. - The Dakota Voice blogspot, July 24, 2007 (this site, of course, did not print the comment by Sgt. Frank Sousa)
Every now and then, a politician stands up and does the right thing no matter how loudly leftist activists spew. As you'll see from the link below, Mayor Jim Naugle in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, has his hands full with homosexual activists who are trying to bully their way, as usual. To his credit, Mayor Naugle is standing his ground and doing exactly the opposite of what they're demanding (that is if you can understand them through their spittle). They're even shouting out "shame on you" to the mayor, when in fact THEY'RE the ones who ought to be ashamed. - The Seventh Sola, July 25, 2007
Finally, a strong public official! City was overwhelmed by homosexuals having anonymous sexual encounters in public parks & restrooms, angering parents and community. Mayor announced a crackdown - that the city won't take it any longer. Homosexual activists (supported by local press, of course) demonstrated against mayor, held rally, called him a "bigot", etc., but mayor held his ground. - Mass Resistance webpage, July 25, 2007
Homosexual Activists Continue to Attack Mayor Naugle - a headline from Active Christian Media, July 25, 2007
Watch yesterday’s Sun-Sentinel video of Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle’s press conference in which he apologizes for not doing more to stop homosexual “sex” in the city’s public and beach restrooms . . . A note on the Naugle story: will the day ever come when LEADERS of the proud “gay” lobby apologize for their community’s own excesses — e.g., tolerating or encouraging men to commit anonymous sodomies with other men in public restrooms, parks, and bathhouses (sex clubs)? - Americans for Truth web page, July 26, 2007
I think you all will understand why I choose not to read any comments from Free Republic.
Yesterday, I talked about the controversy involving Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle and his robo-toilet idea. Naugle wanted the city to pay $250,000 for a robo-toilet that he claimed would curb anonymous gay sex in public restrooms.
Of course the city didn't accept the proposal and the lgbt community were furious. Apparently his idea of a robo-toilet was the latest in a long line of nasty comments and proposals Naugle lodged against the lgbt community.
Yesterday, he called a press conference claiming to issue an apology.
Which he did. Of course the apology was not to the lgbt community but for allegedly underestimating the "problem" of anonymous gay sex in public restrooms.
That's right. Naugle used the press conference to insult the lgbt community yet again. Needless to say that lgbts and other citizens in Ft. Lauderdale are banding together to voice their displeasure with him.
As they should.
I have been reading about the entire controversy and noticed something that you probably already know but I still want to make you aware of.
The following comment is one I posted yesterday. It is by an area sergeant when he was asked about the problem of "gay public sex" :
. . . one problem Naugle had in trying to justify buying a robo-john due only to his belief that it will stop the rampant anonymous t-room sex he's been thinking about is that the rampant anonymous t-room sex he's been thinking about isn't a problem. According to Sgt. Frank Sousa, "There's no evidence, no reports or arrests made for any men having sex in any restrooms." - Robo-johns and stereotypes, Sun-Sentinel, July 20, 2007
You would think that the word of a police sergeant would be enough. Think again. Apparently some folks feel that if they ignore the sergeant's comments, then their view of the issue will be the correct one:
Hurrah for Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle for telling it like it is. The mayor is absolutely correct about gay men over taking the public restrooms as they troll for sex and drugs.Gays having sex in public is becoming an epidemic, not just in Florida but all over the U.S. - letter to the editor, Sun-Sentinel, July 22, 2007
I am not homophobic in any sense of the word. I count gays and lesbians among my closest friends and acquaintances, and respect them no less for their sexual orientation.That having been said, there's no reason the government needs to sanction behavior that the vast majority of Americans find morally reprehensible. That "cruising" in public areas is a problem in the gay community is well-known, especially among gays. To note that gays disproportionately engage in this activity (for whatever reason) is not homophobic, it's honest. Naugle has every right to his concerns. - letter to the editor, Sun-Sentinel, July 22, 2007
Instead of asking whether the laws against sex in the public restroom should be obeyed (as the mayor and the people of Ft. Lauderdale would like) The Sun Sentinel, a pawn for the homosexual lobby, asked if the mayor should resign for his stand against this illegal activity. He also voted against pornography in the public libraries. And for that, he's being protested against at Ft. Lauderdale City Hall today. - News Flash! Sex in Public Still Illegal, Janet Folger, World Net Daily, July 24, 2007
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle is catching a lot of flack for taking on the problem of public homosexual sex in his city, especially in public restrooms. - The Dakota Voice blogspot, July 24, 2007 (this site, of course, did not print the comment by Sgt. Frank Sousa)
Every now and then, a politician stands up and does the right thing no matter how loudly leftist activists spew. As you'll see from the link below, Mayor Jim Naugle in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, has his hands full with homosexual activists who are trying to bully their way, as usual. To his credit, Mayor Naugle is standing his ground and doing exactly the opposite of what they're demanding (that is if you can understand them through their spittle). They're even shouting out "shame on you" to the mayor, when in fact THEY'RE the ones who ought to be ashamed. - The Seventh Sola, July 25, 2007
Finally, a strong public official! City was overwhelmed by homosexuals having anonymous sexual encounters in public parks & restrooms, angering parents and community. Mayor announced a crackdown - that the city won't take it any longer. Homosexual activists (supported by local press, of course) demonstrated against mayor, held rally, called him a "bigot", etc., but mayor held his ground. - Mass Resistance webpage, July 25, 2007
Homosexual Activists Continue to Attack Mayor Naugle - a headline from Active Christian Media, July 25, 2007
Watch yesterday’s Sun-Sentinel video of Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle’s press conference in which he apologizes for not doing more to stop homosexual “sex” in the city’s public and beach restrooms . . . A note on the Naugle story: will the day ever come when LEADERS of the proud “gay” lobby apologize for their community’s own excesses — e.g., tolerating or encouraging men to commit anonymous sodomies with other men in public restrooms, parks, and bathhouses (sex clubs)? - Americans for Truth web page, July 26, 2007
I think you all will understand why I choose not to read any comments from Free Republic.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
A stupid and misleading question courtesy of Janet Folger
If homosexuals aren't having illegal sex in the public restrooms why are they so upset about a mayor trying to stop it?
That ridiculous question comes from Janet Folger. She is referring to a situation involving Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle. Naugle seems to be intent on attacking the lgbts in his community with a series of ugly comments and proposals.
This includes a plan to install a $250,000 robo toilet. Naugle claims that the toilet will curb activities of gay sex in public restrooms; something he says is rampant.
I should tell you that area police have refuted Naugle's claim:
According to Sgt. Frank Sousa, "There's no evidence, no reports or arrests made for any men having sex in any restrooms."
But Naugle soldiers on with his claims and backing him is Folger in a column today where she announced that Naugle was the recipient of a "Protector of the Family" award.
It was in this column that Folger asked that stupid question.
Well let me answer it.
Janet, if there is any problem with public sex (which the police have said there isn't), then it should be handled in a way that is quick and effective and does not stigmatize a group of people for the actions of a few.
I am a black gay men.
I do not have sex in public restrooms.
And when I say that, I speak for a huge number of lgbts.
I get angry at any inferrence that public sex is my nature as a gay man just like I get angry with any inferrence that criminal behavior is my nature as a black man.
The way Naugle has addressed the situation is no different than a white woman tiptoeing around me because she heard of a purse snatching in another city involving a black man.
As a proud gay black man, I will not allow anyone to stigmatize me and my lgbt brothers and sisters as oversexed fiends.
Because we aren't.
And the sad thing is that many so-called Christians don't seem to care that Naugle was not telling the truth about public gay sex. Many of them have written letters to the editor and responded online preaching admonitions against homosexuality.
I get it. Homosexuality is wrong but lying about lgbts is perfectly okay.
This is just par for the course for Folger by the way. She and her group, Faith2Action, have been strident in their attempts to defeat the new hate crimes legislation, including pushing the lie that lgbts seek to criminalize pastors for speaking out against homosexuality in the pulpit.
Last week, she reached the upper echelon of hypocrisy.
Folger has made a career out of claiming that Christians are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. She even wrote a book, The Criminalization of Christianity, that continues to press this theory.
However, she thinks its perfectly alright for Christians to act in a persecuting manner towards other religions.
Check out what she said about the incident of the Hindu minister being interrupted as he gave the opening prayer in the Senate:
"If you look and see what God's position is on idolatry, he's not fond of it, to put it lightly," says the Christian activist. "And what we've got to do is side with where God is on this -- and he is not for praying to millions of false gods on the floor of the United States Senate, which incidentally was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to one nation under God."
Folger says the three Christian activists who were arrested for disrupting the Hindu prayer "are heroes and history will show them as such."
I guess in Folger's world, mischaracterization and persecution should be tolerated if Christians are doing them.
It's not a world that I want to live in and I don't care what anyone's religious view of homosexuality is, you cannot tell me that this is a world God advocates.
If homosexuals aren't having illegal sex in the public restrooms why are they so upset about a mayor trying to stop it?
That ridiculous question comes from Janet Folger. She is referring to a situation involving Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle. Naugle seems to be intent on attacking the lgbts in his community with a series of ugly comments and proposals.
This includes a plan to install a $250,000 robo toilet. Naugle claims that the toilet will curb activities of gay sex in public restrooms; something he says is rampant.
I should tell you that area police have refuted Naugle's claim:
According to Sgt. Frank Sousa, "There's no evidence, no reports or arrests made for any men having sex in any restrooms."
But Naugle soldiers on with his claims and backing him is Folger in a column today where she announced that Naugle was the recipient of a "Protector of the Family" award.
It was in this column that Folger asked that stupid question.
Well let me answer it.
Janet, if there is any problem with public sex (which the police have said there isn't), then it should be handled in a way that is quick and effective and does not stigmatize a group of people for the actions of a few.
I am a black gay men.
I do not have sex in public restrooms.
And when I say that, I speak for a huge number of lgbts.
I get angry at any inferrence that public sex is my nature as a gay man just like I get angry with any inferrence that criminal behavior is my nature as a black man.
The way Naugle has addressed the situation is no different than a white woman tiptoeing around me because she heard of a purse snatching in another city involving a black man.
As a proud gay black man, I will not allow anyone to stigmatize me and my lgbt brothers and sisters as oversexed fiends.
Because we aren't.
And the sad thing is that many so-called Christians don't seem to care that Naugle was not telling the truth about public gay sex. Many of them have written letters to the editor and responded online preaching admonitions against homosexuality.
I get it. Homosexuality is wrong but lying about lgbts is perfectly okay.
This is just par for the course for Folger by the way. She and her group, Faith2Action, have been strident in their attempts to defeat the new hate crimes legislation, including pushing the lie that lgbts seek to criminalize pastors for speaking out against homosexuality in the pulpit.
Last week, she reached the upper echelon of hypocrisy.
Folger has made a career out of claiming that Christians are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. She even wrote a book, The Criminalization of Christianity, that continues to press this theory.
However, she thinks its perfectly alright for Christians to act in a persecuting manner towards other religions.
Check out what she said about the incident of the Hindu minister being interrupted as he gave the opening prayer in the Senate:
"If you look and see what God's position is on idolatry, he's not fond of it, to put it lightly," says the Christian activist. "And what we've got to do is side with where God is on this -- and he is not for praying to millions of false gods on the floor of the United States Senate, which incidentally was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to one nation under God."
Folger says the three Christian activists who were arrested for disrupting the Hindu prayer "are heroes and history will show them as such."
I guess in Folger's world, mischaracterization and persecution should be tolerated if Christians are doing them.
It's not a world that I want to live in and I don't care what anyone's religious view of homosexuality is, you cannot tell me that this is a world God advocates.
Monday, July 23, 2007
The end is near and I am so glad
Today I sent my last batch of corrections to my publisher. And if all comes together, my book will be ready to be run by next week.
I should get the prototype in a month and by the middle of September, it should ready for the public.
It's not exactly the easiest thing to self-publish a book. For one thing, you don't have the backing of a publishing house. This means you have write, edit, and market it by yourself.
And I hate the editing process. Everytime I felt my galleys were complete, I would find another way to make my points better or find that I need to make a change concerning a current event (i.e. the death of Jerry Falwell or the dissolution of the Center for Reclaiming America).
And then there is always a point you wished you expanded on further.
For example, there is one controversy regarding Paul Cameron I wanted to cover in more detail.
Cameron has claimed that he was not in fact dismissed from the American Psychological Association. He claims that he resigned from the group before it had a chance to dismiss him.
And he allegedly has a letter to prove this.
Cameron claimed that he wrote a letter of resignation to the president of the APA at the time, William Bevan, and that Bevan accept the letter.
This is not necessarily true.
This link shows what Bevan told Cameron.
It is clearly not an acceptance of a resignation. In fact, Bevan tells Cameron that he forwarded Cameron's letter to APA's executive officer "to arrange the necessary details."
What happened then regarding Cameron's "resignation?" Was the "necessary details" taken care of?
This is not known.
But what is known is that Cameron received an official letter from the APA dismissing him.
What I want to know is where is the letter from the APA as an official body accepting his resignation.
You see at the time of his alleged resignation, Cameron was under investigation for misconduct and APA rules prohibit a resignation while a member is under investigation.
I don't cover this in as much detail as I would have liked to, but how I covered it is sufficient to prove my point. Also, I do have Cameron on record saying that he was in fact dismissed by the APA.
But getting back to my point, I will be glad when this entire process is over.
Trying to get this book out while recovering from that house fire two weeks ago has taxed me big time.
But all I can do is hang in there.
Today I sent my last batch of corrections to my publisher. And if all comes together, my book will be ready to be run by next week.
I should get the prototype in a month and by the middle of September, it should ready for the public.
It's not exactly the easiest thing to self-publish a book. For one thing, you don't have the backing of a publishing house. This means you have write, edit, and market it by yourself.
And I hate the editing process. Everytime I felt my galleys were complete, I would find another way to make my points better or find that I need to make a change concerning a current event (i.e. the death of Jerry Falwell or the dissolution of the Center for Reclaiming America).
And then there is always a point you wished you expanded on further.
For example, there is one controversy regarding Paul Cameron I wanted to cover in more detail.
Cameron has claimed that he was not in fact dismissed from the American Psychological Association. He claims that he resigned from the group before it had a chance to dismiss him.
And he allegedly has a letter to prove this.
Cameron claimed that he wrote a letter of resignation to the president of the APA at the time, William Bevan, and that Bevan accept the letter.
This is not necessarily true.
This link shows what Bevan told Cameron.
It is clearly not an acceptance of a resignation. In fact, Bevan tells Cameron that he forwarded Cameron's letter to APA's executive officer "to arrange the necessary details."
What happened then regarding Cameron's "resignation?" Was the "necessary details" taken care of?
This is not known.
But what is known is that Cameron received an official letter from the APA dismissing him.
What I want to know is where is the letter from the APA as an official body accepting his resignation.
You see at the time of his alleged resignation, Cameron was under investigation for misconduct and APA rules prohibit a resignation while a member is under investigation.
I don't cover this in as much detail as I would have liked to, but how I covered it is sufficient to prove my point. Also, I do have Cameron on record saying that he was in fact dismissed by the APA.
But getting back to my point, I will be glad when this entire process is over.
Trying to get this book out while recovering from that house fire two weeks ago has taxed me big time.
But all I can do is hang in there.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Paul Cameron pops up yet again
(For those who read my recent blog on Jesse Dirkhising and Mary Stachowicz, I apologize. What you read was a rough draft that I composed this morning with a full intent of working on later. However I forgot that my blog has a self saving function. Therefore when I pressed a control in order to save it, I inadvertently posted it. I have corrected the blog entry.)
Yesterday, I talked about how commentator and think tank troll Dinesh D'Souza tried to link gays and pedophilia.
He was talking about the recent decision by the Los Angeles Catholic Diocese to pay over $600 million to the victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests.
I am surprised that D'Souza did not cite "research" to prove his point. And you know whose "research" I speak of.
Well today, someone else did.
In a piece that out-and-out blames gay men for sexual abuse in the Catholic church, Philip Magnan, president of Family Bible Advocates says the following:
What is not being reported by the news media is that the majority of those who were sexually abused across the nation were most likely adolescent boys, which makes the case that these precious minors were abused by homosexual men.
Magnan, who is not a not a medical professional or researcher, is pushing the lie that if a man molest a boy, then that automatically makes the man gay.
This is not true. In fact, there is no link between pedophilia and homosexuality. This comes from the mouths of the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Academy of Child Psychiatrists and the Child Welfare League of America.
And since these bodies have training in such things, I will trust their word more than that of Magnan.
Magnan also says the following:
"I now wonder if the general public will consider that children in other institutions like public schools are at higher risk by allowing homosexual teachers to associate with their children? "
The link that Magnan used (and clearly shown in the above sentence) comes from the web page of Paul Cameron, our discredited friend.
It's sad when so-called Christian people continue to lie for their own point of view.
Perhaps Magnan should remember that Biblical verse about pride.
(For those who read my recent blog on Jesse Dirkhising and Mary Stachowicz, I apologize. What you read was a rough draft that I composed this morning with a full intent of working on later. However I forgot that my blog has a self saving function. Therefore when I pressed a control in order to save it, I inadvertently posted it. I have corrected the blog entry.)
Yesterday, I talked about how commentator and think tank troll Dinesh D'Souza tried to link gays and pedophilia.
He was talking about the recent decision by the Los Angeles Catholic Diocese to pay over $600 million to the victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests.
I am surprised that D'Souza did not cite "research" to prove his point. And you know whose "research" I speak of.
Well today, someone else did.
In a piece that out-and-out blames gay men for sexual abuse in the Catholic church, Philip Magnan, president of Family Bible Advocates says the following:
What is not being reported by the news media is that the majority of those who were sexually abused across the nation were most likely adolescent boys, which makes the case that these precious minors were abused by homosexual men.
Magnan, who is not a not a medical professional or researcher, is pushing the lie that if a man molest a boy, then that automatically makes the man gay.
This is not true. In fact, there is no link between pedophilia and homosexuality. This comes from the mouths of the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Academy of Child Psychiatrists and the Child Welfare League of America.
And since these bodies have training in such things, I will trust their word more than that of Magnan.
Magnan also says the following:
"I now wonder if the general public will consider that children in other institutions like public schools are at higher risk by allowing homosexual teachers to associate with their children? "
The link that Magnan used (and clearly shown in the above sentence) comes from the web page of Paul Cameron, our discredited friend.
It's sad when so-called Christian people continue to lie for their own point of view.
Perhaps Magnan should remember that Biblical verse about pride.
Jesse Dirkhising and Mary Stachowicz : Pawns in the game
In 1999, a 13-year-old boy by the name of Jesse Dirkhising was raped and murdered by two men
In 2002, mother of four, Mary Stachowicz, was viciously raped and murdered.
These two crimes are terrible in and by themselves but the repercussions continue to be felt by people who had nothing to do with the cases.
You see, the men who killed Dirkhising were gay. And the man who killed Stachowicz was allegedly gay. Supposedly he killed her after she continued to question his orientation.
There is no excuse for the murders of Dirkhising and Stachowicz. Having lost my father to violence, I know the grief and pain of having a murdered love one. I know that no matter how many years passes, these emotions never go away.
But like I said in a past column, I would be angry if my father's death was used to distort world views. And unfortunately, since my father's murderers were African-American (like he and myself), I am sure that there are some racists out there who have used his murder to denigrate black people on the whole.
When Dirkhising was murdered, he became a cause celebre to the anti-gay industry.
Rather than focus on the fact that a child was murdered, they focused on the orientation of the murderers.
They claimed that because the murderers were gay, the media were hesitant to pursue the story. This was a lie of course, but when have you ever known the anti-gay industry to be truthful about our community.
Our friend Peter LaBarbera had field day with the case, even devoting a special web page to the sordid affair, complete with a picture of Dirkhising.
Please bear in mind that since Dirkhising's death, there have been several high profile cases of murdered children, including that of Samantha Runnion and Dantrell Davis; the latter one happening when Davis was caught in gunfire while walking to school.
Strangely enough, the anti-gay industry did not talk about these stories.
Probably because the perpetrators weren't gay.
Nor is it known whether or not they have pushed for laws that would protect children from predators, whether these predators are gay or heterosexual.
And I definitely know that none of them have vocal on gang violence, except for that recent ridiculous moral panic on "lesbian gangs."
But just as he hysterically pushed the Jesse Dirkhising case as an example of the "gay menace" towards children, LaBarbera is claiming that Mary Stachowicz murder proves that lgbts should not be added to hate crimes legislation.
Never mind that the case had nothing to do with hate crimes, but of a young mentally ill young man who took his aggression out on an innocent women.
But who cares about the facts when you have something you can exploit.
And what else can you expect from a man who has a page on his web site devoted to the "Victims of Homosexuals Murderers."
Don't forget to ask for donations, Peter.
It's sad when someone's life is taken away due to violence.
It's even worse when someone uses those crimes to attack people not even involved.
And it's equally sad that lgbts are not judged by our contributions to society but by the criminal behavior of a few who share our orientation.
That confuses me and perhaps those black pastors who speak out against the gay community can answer this question.
Just how aren't black people and gay folks alike?
In 1999, a 13-year-old boy by the name of Jesse Dirkhising was raped and murdered by two men
In 2002, mother of four, Mary Stachowicz, was viciously raped and murdered.
These two crimes are terrible in and by themselves but the repercussions continue to be felt by people who had nothing to do with the cases.
You see, the men who killed Dirkhising were gay. And the man who killed Stachowicz was allegedly gay. Supposedly he killed her after she continued to question his orientation.
There is no excuse for the murders of Dirkhising and Stachowicz. Having lost my father to violence, I know the grief and pain of having a murdered love one. I know that no matter how many years passes, these emotions never go away.
But like I said in a past column, I would be angry if my father's death was used to distort world views. And unfortunately, since my father's murderers were African-American (like he and myself), I am sure that there are some racists out there who have used his murder to denigrate black people on the whole.
When Dirkhising was murdered, he became a cause celebre to the anti-gay industry.
Rather than focus on the fact that a child was murdered, they focused on the orientation of the murderers.
They claimed that because the murderers were gay, the media were hesitant to pursue the story. This was a lie of course, but when have you ever known the anti-gay industry to be truthful about our community.
Our friend Peter LaBarbera had field day with the case, even devoting a special web page to the sordid affair, complete with a picture of Dirkhising.
Please bear in mind that since Dirkhising's death, there have been several high profile cases of murdered children, including that of Samantha Runnion and Dantrell Davis; the latter one happening when Davis was caught in gunfire while walking to school.
Strangely enough, the anti-gay industry did not talk about these stories.
Probably because the perpetrators weren't gay.
Nor is it known whether or not they have pushed for laws that would protect children from predators, whether these predators are gay or heterosexual.
And I definitely know that none of them have vocal on gang violence, except for that recent ridiculous moral panic on "lesbian gangs."
But just as he hysterically pushed the Jesse Dirkhising case as an example of the "gay menace" towards children, LaBarbera is claiming that Mary Stachowicz murder proves that lgbts should not be added to hate crimes legislation.
Never mind that the case had nothing to do with hate crimes, but of a young mentally ill young man who took his aggression out on an innocent women.
But who cares about the facts when you have something you can exploit.
And what else can you expect from a man who has a page on his web site devoted to the "Victims of Homosexuals Murderers."
Don't forget to ask for donations, Peter.
It's sad when someone's life is taken away due to violence.
It's even worse when someone uses those crimes to attack people not even involved.
And it's equally sad that lgbts are not judged by our contributions to society but by the criminal behavior of a few who share our orientation.
That confuses me and perhaps those black pastors who speak out against the gay community can answer this question.
Just how aren't black people and gay folks alike?
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
When all else fails, blame gay men for it all
In the wake of the Catholic Diocese of Los Angeles paying out over 600 million to the victims of sexual abuse by its priests, you just know someone had to attempt bring up the lie that gay men molest boys at a high rate.
And surprisingly, the person is not one of the usual suspects. The person lodging the accusation is a new player in the politics of being anti-gay - Dinesh D’Souza:
In the vast majority of [abuse] cases we aren’t dealing with pedophilia–an extremely rare disorder that is no more prevalent in the Catholic church than it is elsewhere in society–but rather with homosexual priests taking advantage of their authority to seduce teenage parishoners and altar boys.
D’Souza even claims that based upon this, the country is in for negative consequences if "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" is repealed:
Now consider what would happen to that other predominantly-male organization, the U.S. military, if it got rid of "don't ask, don't tell" and allowed open homosexual relations between soldiers. We can easily imagine all the problems, but is there an upside? The Spartans are one of the few groups in history to allow homosexuals in the military. They tried to use it to fighting advantage. The idea was that men would be more willing to die for the sake of partners to whom they had become sexually attached. So the Spartans fought as couples, with each young soldier romantically linked to an older veteran. Typically the older veteran played the "male" or dominant role and the youthful recruit the "female" or passive role in the relationship.
Now before folks like Harry Jackon and Ken Hutcherson offically welcome D’Souza into the brotherhood of homophobia, perhaps they should read his book, The End of Racism.
You see Dinesh belongs to that breed of intellectual thinkers collecting huge paychecks courtesy of conservative think tanks for pushing "interesting" ideas under the guise "encouraging debate."
"Interesting" ideas such as claiming that segregation was created to protect African-Americans (i.e. The End of Racism).
Imagine waking up and thinking that Bull Connor and Lester Maddox were actually heroes of the civil rights movement.
No doubt, the irony of all of this will be lost on Jackson, Hutcherson and company. I guess as long as he is blaming another group for societal ills, it is all good with them.
And speaking of scapegoating, apparently the anti-gay industry are still pissed about the James Holsinger situation:
This is from our Concerned Women for America friend Matt Barber:
"We're looking for a surgeon general who is going to give unfettered and nonpolitical scientific information," he states, "and the reality is, based on a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that, for instance ... 71 percent of people with HIV/AIDS in the United States are male homosexuals -- and that is up 11 percent from 2001."
Now check out this post from a commentator from the One News Now site. He was responding to another person claiming that Barber was misusing statistics:
. . So your argument is that just because 71% of homosexual men have AIDS does not mean the homosexual lifestyle is unhealthy? Wow.
The statistic actually says:
MSM accounted for 71% of all HIV infections among male adults and adolescents in 2005 (based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting)
That statistic tells us that we need to do more to curb HIV and AIDS.
One thing that needs to be done is stopping misinformation.
The statistic is bad but it is a long way from saying 71 percent of people with HIV/AIDS in the United States are homosexual males or 71 percent of homosexual men have AIDS.
But like I have said so many times before, who cares about facts when you are fighting for the kingdom of God?
In the wake of the Catholic Diocese of Los Angeles paying out over 600 million to the victims of sexual abuse by its priests, you just know someone had to attempt bring up the lie that gay men molest boys at a high rate.
And surprisingly, the person is not one of the usual suspects. The person lodging the accusation is a new player in the politics of being anti-gay - Dinesh D’Souza:
In the vast majority of [abuse] cases we aren’t dealing with pedophilia–an extremely rare disorder that is no more prevalent in the Catholic church than it is elsewhere in society–but rather with homosexual priests taking advantage of their authority to seduce teenage parishoners and altar boys.
D’Souza even claims that based upon this, the country is in for negative consequences if "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" is repealed:
Now consider what would happen to that other predominantly-male organization, the U.S. military, if it got rid of "don't ask, don't tell" and allowed open homosexual relations between soldiers. We can easily imagine all the problems, but is there an upside? The Spartans are one of the few groups in history to allow homosexuals in the military. They tried to use it to fighting advantage. The idea was that men would be more willing to die for the sake of partners to whom they had become sexually attached. So the Spartans fought as couples, with each young soldier romantically linked to an older veteran. Typically the older veteran played the "male" or dominant role and the youthful recruit the "female" or passive role in the relationship.
Now before folks like Harry Jackon and Ken Hutcherson offically welcome D’Souza into the brotherhood of homophobia, perhaps they should read his book, The End of Racism.
You see Dinesh belongs to that breed of intellectual thinkers collecting huge paychecks courtesy of conservative think tanks for pushing "interesting" ideas under the guise "encouraging debate."
"Interesting" ideas such as claiming that segregation was created to protect African-Americans (i.e. The End of Racism).
Imagine waking up and thinking that Bull Connor and Lester Maddox were actually heroes of the civil rights movement.
No doubt, the irony of all of this will be lost on Jackson, Hutcherson and company. I guess as long as he is blaming another group for societal ills, it is all good with them.
And speaking of scapegoating, apparently the anti-gay industry are still pissed about the James Holsinger situation:
This is from our Concerned Women for America friend Matt Barber:
"We're looking for a surgeon general who is going to give unfettered and nonpolitical scientific information," he states, "and the reality is, based on a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that, for instance ... 71 percent of people with HIV/AIDS in the United States are male homosexuals -- and that is up 11 percent from 2001."
Now check out this post from a commentator from the One News Now site. He was responding to another person claiming that Barber was misusing statistics:
. . So your argument is that just because 71% of homosexual men have AIDS does not mean the homosexual lifestyle is unhealthy? Wow.
The statistic actually says:
MSM accounted for 71% of all HIV infections among male adults and adolescents in 2005 (based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting)
That statistic tells us that we need to do more to curb HIV and AIDS.
One thing that needs to be done is stopping misinformation.
The statistic is bad but it is a long way from saying 71 percent of people with HIV/AIDS in the United States are homosexual males or 71 percent of homosexual men have AIDS.
But like I have said so many times before, who cares about facts when you are fighting for the kingdom of God?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Repercussions and broken records
When I talked about the situation involving Peter LaBarbera's exploitation of Russell Groff's death, I left out an important detail.
His partner, Kevin Olive, fighting Groff's parents over burial arrangements and being the executor of Mr. Groffs' will.
The fight is hard on him financially but he is determined to see it through. If anyone wishes to donate, they can do so sending contributions to:
Kevin Olive Defense Fund
c/o Homewood Friends Meeting
3107 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21218
I am glad that the other blogs who reported the incident included this information. Speaking of which, many of them having been giving their opinions of this situation.
One of the best postings comes from Good As You.
I am hopeful that something positive will come out of this situation. However, I can't help but continue to feel angry. I am sure that LaBarbera is probably giddy over the trouble he caused. And the worse thing about it is that he probably doesn't think he did anything wrong.
Meanwhile black minister Harry Jackson has written yet another diatribe against adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation:
Labeling politically incorrect views as “hate” will have a chilling effect on the free speech and religious liberty of our churches and of our members. . . Such laws will ultimately establish, as a matter of legal principle, that any opposition to homosexual or other unbiblical behavior is inherently a form of “hate,” a direct threat to every American citizen’s freedom of conscience.
This legislation is constitutionally suspect, unnecessary, unfair, and ultimately un-American. We are African Americans, though we represent thousands of Christian leaders of all races. We understand more clearly than most the dangers of racially motivated violence.
It is sad how Jackson continues to exploit his racial heritage to tell lies. It has been pointed out repeatedly to him and others that adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation will not lead to pastors being jailed for preaching against homosexuality. Hate crimes legislation deals with violent action, not thought.
Amazingly, throughout all of Jackson's rantings, he has never repudiated the hate crimes legislation in place that deals with race. Seems to me that there should be some degree of consistency.
If Jackson opposes hate crimes legislation for lgbts then why doesn't he oppose it for African-Americans?
As far as I know, Jackson has never said what he feels about this contradiction.
And you know what I think?
I think that he is aware of it, but as long as no one talks about it, he won't bring it up.
Nice, deceptive, but not very Christian.
When I talked about the situation involving Peter LaBarbera's exploitation of Russell Groff's death, I left out an important detail.
His partner, Kevin Olive, fighting Groff's parents over burial arrangements and being the executor of Mr. Groffs' will.
The fight is hard on him financially but he is determined to see it through. If anyone wishes to donate, they can do so sending contributions to:
Kevin Olive Defense Fund
c/o Homewood Friends Meeting
3107 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21218
I am glad that the other blogs who reported the incident included this information. Speaking of which, many of them having been giving their opinions of this situation.
One of the best postings comes from Good As You.
I am hopeful that something positive will come out of this situation. However, I can't help but continue to feel angry. I am sure that LaBarbera is probably giddy over the trouble he caused. And the worse thing about it is that he probably doesn't think he did anything wrong.
Meanwhile black minister Harry Jackson has written yet another diatribe against adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation:
Labeling politically incorrect views as “hate” will have a chilling effect on the free speech and religious liberty of our churches and of our members. . . Such laws will ultimately establish, as a matter of legal principle, that any opposition to homosexual or other unbiblical behavior is inherently a form of “hate,” a direct threat to every American citizen’s freedom of conscience.
This legislation is constitutionally suspect, unnecessary, unfair, and ultimately un-American. We are African Americans, though we represent thousands of Christian leaders of all races. We understand more clearly than most the dangers of racially motivated violence.
It is sad how Jackson continues to exploit his racial heritage to tell lies. It has been pointed out repeatedly to him and others that adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation will not lead to pastors being jailed for preaching against homosexuality. Hate crimes legislation deals with violent action, not thought.
Amazingly, throughout all of Jackson's rantings, he has never repudiated the hate crimes legislation in place that deals with race. Seems to me that there should be some degree of consistency.
If Jackson opposes hate crimes legislation for lgbts then why doesn't he oppose it for African-Americans?
As far as I know, Jackson has never said what he feels about this contradiction.
And you know what I think?
I think that he is aware of it, but as long as no one talks about it, he won't bring it up.
Nice, deceptive, but not very Christian.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Peter LaBarbera sinks to a new low
It is obvious that Peter LaBarbera cannot stand the lgbt community. No matter how many times he claims that he only wants to help us, his stridency and singleminded attempts to devalue our lives always gives him away.
But now he has sunken to a new low by devaluing the life of a man who cannot fight him back and using that man's memorial from his friends for political purposes.
In a recent posting in criticizing Surgeon General nominee James Holsinger for repudiating his 1991 paper about homosexuality, Peter said the following:
Statistics are easier to dismiss than the human victims of homosexuality: just ask Carolyn Groff, whose son Russell died at age 26 from AIDS after getting involved in a homosexual “relationship.
For those who don't know Russell Groff, a little background is in order.
Mr. Groff was an aspiring playwright who died of a staph infection in 2004. He was also HIV positive. Since his death, his partner has been in a time and money consuming legal fight with his parents over his burial site and who should be executor of his will.
And this is not just a simple battle:
Russell Groff’s parents have been virulently anti-gay, which is ostensibly motivating them in their pursuit to deny their son’s expressed wishes. They even did a Fred Phelps-like protest during Knoxville, TN’s LGBT "Come Out Knoxville" celebration.
According to the Knoxville Metro Pulse, Carolyn Groff blames the "destructive gay lifestyle" for the death of her son, an aspiring playwright. "He wasn’t like that until he got involved in the theater group at Maryville College," she explains. Several other members of her Bible Baptist Church brought signs denoting that gays are destined to hell. Their brand of Christianity drove Russell away from the Christian church and joined Kevin as a Quaker after they met.
While Peter references Mr. Groff's mother, the site he directs people to does not come from her.
It was created by a friend of Mr. Groff who wanted give a memorial to his life. If you click on Peter's link, you will see the following:
I have deleted content from my web page because I learned that someone was using it to further a cause I DO NOT believe in. I will not allow my love and compassion to be twisted into anything else. I will no longer add anything to this site for fear of its misuse. Thank you.
I had the pleasure of seeing the page before the information was removed and it was a moving tribute. Mr. Groff was a young man who had a lot of love from his friends and his partner. There was sadness about his passage but joy about the ability to be with someone (even for a brief time as it was) with so much going for him.
But what did it matter to Peter? To him, Groff was just another homosexual who died; another symbol to point to in his war against lgbts.
I also had the pleasure of talking to the person who set up the memorial and unfortunately choose to take it down. She is not happy about what happened.
I don't blame her. Her tribute had nothing to do with a cultural war. She was just celebrating the life of a someone who meant a lot to her. If Peter had any decency, he should have left her out of his mess.
My father was a prison guard who was murdered in 2000 by some inmates seeking to escape. I would be highly upset if any tribute I set up for him was used by a racist group to claim that African-Americans are violent individuals who kill each other.
What Peter did belongs solely in the realm of bad taste, pure and simple.
It is obvious that Peter LaBarbera cannot stand the lgbt community. No matter how many times he claims that he only wants to help us, his stridency and singleminded attempts to devalue our lives always gives him away.
But now he has sunken to a new low by devaluing the life of a man who cannot fight him back and using that man's memorial from his friends for political purposes.
In a recent posting in criticizing Surgeon General nominee James Holsinger for repudiating his 1991 paper about homosexuality, Peter said the following:
Statistics are easier to dismiss than the human victims of homosexuality: just ask Carolyn Groff, whose son Russell died at age 26 from AIDS after getting involved in a homosexual “relationship.
For those who don't know Russell Groff, a little background is in order.
Mr. Groff was an aspiring playwright who died of a staph infection in 2004. He was also HIV positive. Since his death, his partner has been in a time and money consuming legal fight with his parents over his burial site and who should be executor of his will.
And this is not just a simple battle:
Russell Groff’s parents have been virulently anti-gay, which is ostensibly motivating them in their pursuit to deny their son’s expressed wishes. They even did a Fred Phelps-like protest during Knoxville, TN’s LGBT "Come Out Knoxville" celebration.
According to the Knoxville Metro Pulse, Carolyn Groff blames the "destructive gay lifestyle" for the death of her son, an aspiring playwright. "He wasn’t like that until he got involved in the theater group at Maryville College," she explains. Several other members of her Bible Baptist Church brought signs denoting that gays are destined to hell. Their brand of Christianity drove Russell away from the Christian church and joined Kevin as a Quaker after they met.
While Peter references Mr. Groff's mother, the site he directs people to does not come from her.
It was created by a friend of Mr. Groff who wanted give a memorial to his life. If you click on Peter's link, you will see the following:
I have deleted content from my web page because I learned that someone was using it to further a cause I DO NOT believe in. I will not allow my love and compassion to be twisted into anything else. I will no longer add anything to this site for fear of its misuse. Thank you.
I had the pleasure of seeing the page before the information was removed and it was a moving tribute. Mr. Groff was a young man who had a lot of love from his friends and his partner. There was sadness about his passage but joy about the ability to be with someone (even for a brief time as it was) with so much going for him.
But what did it matter to Peter? To him, Groff was just another homosexual who died; another symbol to point to in his war against lgbts.
I also had the pleasure of talking to the person who set up the memorial and unfortunately choose to take it down. She is not happy about what happened.
I don't blame her. Her tribute had nothing to do with a cultural war. She was just celebrating the life of a someone who meant a lot to her. If Peter had any decency, he should have left her out of his mess.
My father was a prison guard who was murdered in 2000 by some inmates seeking to escape. I would be highly upset if any tribute I set up for him was used by a racist group to claim that African-Americans are violent individuals who kill each other.
What Peter did belongs solely in the realm of bad taste, pure and simple.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Willfully ignoring the obvious about James Holsinger
James Holsinger was never a favorite of the anti-gay industry.
They didn’t necessarily rush to his defense when the controversy came about his 1991 study. I personally think that they didn’t want to bring too much attention to themselves because its obvious that Holsinger copied their tactics of creating "research": authoring studies full of cherry picked sources to discredit the lgbt community.
Now they seem to be angry at his testimony, specifically the fact that he disavowed the 1991 study. Check out our friend Matt Barber from Concerned Women for America:
Holsinger gave several non-answers when asked if he still believed that homosexuality was “unnatural” and “unhealthy.” He seemed to try to distance himself from his 1991 paper by saying, “First of all, the paper does not represent where I am today,” he said. “It does not represent who I am today.” (What does that mean? Does it mean he no longer believes that homosexuality is “unhealthy” and “unnatural,” or does it mean that he is now MORE certain than ever that homosexuality is “unhealthy” and “unnatural”?) He completely dodged the question and provided a non-answer (which I suppose he was coached to do). His answer was prefaced by saying that he used the best medical information available at the time.
Incredibly, Barber seems to be angry at Fox News for reporting that Holsinger repudiated his paper. Now that is something I thought I would never see:
But I think the MSM [mainstream media], including Fox, have grossly exaggerated his statement. They’re reporting what they wanted to hear, not what he actually said.
Barber wrote this passage in order to clarify a point he made in an earlier email:
Enter the Mainstream Media. They are widely reporting that Holsinger has “disavowed” his belief that homosexuality is “unnatural” and “unhealthy.” They’ve apparently made that extrapolation based upon Holsinger’s above referenced quote (quite a stretch I think). Brit Hume, reporting on the Fox News Channel, said, “Holsinger also told senators in a confirmation hearing that he no longer holds the views about homosexuality that he expressed in a controversial paper in 1991, in which he called it unnatural and unhealthy.” Unless I totally missed something, he never even came close to saying that.
The entire Holsinger affair has been a serious smack in the face to the anti-gay industry. Nevertheless, Barber and the rest are stubbornly trying to find a victory out of this.
This stridency illustrates why it's easy for the anti-gay industry to create lies lgbts:
No, Holsinger didn't repudiate his paper, the lazy media made it seem that way.
No, Paul Cameron is not a bad researcher. The APA, the American Sociological Association, and William Bennett are conspiring to bring him down because they have been highjacked by the radical gay agenda.
If we cite research in a way that it was not intended, then we are not at fault. It is the researcher's fault.
Keep it up guys. Your bullheadedness is your biggest weakness and our biggest strength.
Give Gloria Gaynor the benefit of the doubt
Some of us are angry at diva Gloria Gaynor because she recently commented that she uses her concerts to try and bring lgbts to Christ.
Understandably, with all lgbts have had to deal with regarding so-called religious people, some of us have gotten ugly towards Ms. Gaynor, calling her everything but a child of God.
Lighten up folks.
Gaynor didn’t bash us a community. Her desire to lead us to Christ doesn’t necessarily mean she wants us to abandon our lgbt identity.
Many lgbts are Christians because they have learned to reconcile their faith to their orientation.
But the bottom line is that so many of us have bought into anti-gay industry lies. We believe the lie that God does not want us to be lgbt.
Why listen to wannabe substitute spokespeople when the real deal is there for you? We should embrace any and all chances to talk to God regarding who we are.
Christianity, or any type of religion for that matter, and the lgbt orienation aren’t necessarily independent of each other.
The behavior of some of us towards Gaynor only underscores how the anti-gay industry has damaged our community.
They are not the proxy voices of God, no matter how much they claim to be. In actuality, they are ticks to the body of Christianity, sucking out the spiritual blood for their own personal agendas.
So sheath your claws and save your catty comments until at least we know what she meant. Until Gloria Gaynor comes out specifically attacking us, let’s give her the benefit of the doubt.
Don’t let the anti-gay industry’s hatred of us transform us into a carbon copy of them.
As long as we attack Gaynor for her comments without any clarification as to what she meant, the closer we become to being exactly what the anti-gay industry wants us to be rather than who we should be.
James Holsinger was never a favorite of the anti-gay industry.
They didn’t necessarily rush to his defense when the controversy came about his 1991 study. I personally think that they didn’t want to bring too much attention to themselves because its obvious that Holsinger copied their tactics of creating "research": authoring studies full of cherry picked sources to discredit the lgbt community.
Now they seem to be angry at his testimony, specifically the fact that he disavowed the 1991 study. Check out our friend Matt Barber from Concerned Women for America:
Holsinger gave several non-answers when asked if he still believed that homosexuality was “unnatural” and “unhealthy.” He seemed to try to distance himself from his 1991 paper by saying, “First of all, the paper does not represent where I am today,” he said. “It does not represent who I am today.” (What does that mean? Does it mean he no longer believes that homosexuality is “unhealthy” and “unnatural,” or does it mean that he is now MORE certain than ever that homosexuality is “unhealthy” and “unnatural”?) He completely dodged the question and provided a non-answer (which I suppose he was coached to do). His answer was prefaced by saying that he used the best medical information available at the time.
Incredibly, Barber seems to be angry at Fox News for reporting that Holsinger repudiated his paper. Now that is something I thought I would never see:
But I think the MSM [mainstream media], including Fox, have grossly exaggerated his statement. They’re reporting what they wanted to hear, not what he actually said.
Barber wrote this passage in order to clarify a point he made in an earlier email:
Enter the Mainstream Media. They are widely reporting that Holsinger has “disavowed” his belief that homosexuality is “unnatural” and “unhealthy.” They’ve apparently made that extrapolation based upon Holsinger’s above referenced quote (quite a stretch I think). Brit Hume, reporting on the Fox News Channel, said, “Holsinger also told senators in a confirmation hearing that he no longer holds the views about homosexuality that he expressed in a controversial paper in 1991, in which he called it unnatural and unhealthy.” Unless I totally missed something, he never even came close to saying that.
The entire Holsinger affair has been a serious smack in the face to the anti-gay industry. Nevertheless, Barber and the rest are stubbornly trying to find a victory out of this.
This stridency illustrates why it's easy for the anti-gay industry to create lies lgbts:
No, Holsinger didn't repudiate his paper, the lazy media made it seem that way.
No, Paul Cameron is not a bad researcher. The APA, the American Sociological Association, and William Bennett are conspiring to bring him down because they have been highjacked by the radical gay agenda.
If we cite research in a way that it was not intended, then we are not at fault. It is the researcher's fault.
Keep it up guys. Your bullheadedness is your biggest weakness and our biggest strength.
Give Gloria Gaynor the benefit of the doubt
Some of us are angry at diva Gloria Gaynor because she recently commented that she uses her concerts to try and bring lgbts to Christ.
Understandably, with all lgbts have had to deal with regarding so-called religious people, some of us have gotten ugly towards Ms. Gaynor, calling her everything but a child of God.
Lighten up folks.
Gaynor didn’t bash us a community. Her desire to lead us to Christ doesn’t necessarily mean she wants us to abandon our lgbt identity.
Many lgbts are Christians because they have learned to reconcile their faith to their orientation.
But the bottom line is that so many of us have bought into anti-gay industry lies. We believe the lie that God does not want us to be lgbt.
Why listen to wannabe substitute spokespeople when the real deal is there for you? We should embrace any and all chances to talk to God regarding who we are.
Christianity, or any type of religion for that matter, and the lgbt orienation aren’t necessarily independent of each other.
The behavior of some of us towards Gaynor only underscores how the anti-gay industry has damaged our community.
They are not the proxy voices of God, no matter how much they claim to be. In actuality, they are ticks to the body of Christianity, sucking out the spiritual blood for their own personal agendas.
So sheath your claws and save your catty comments until at least we know what she meant. Until Gloria Gaynor comes out specifically attacking us, let’s give her the benefit of the doubt.
Don’t let the anti-gay industry’s hatred of us transform us into a carbon copy of them.
As long as we attack Gaynor for her comments without any clarification as to what she meant, the closer we become to being exactly what the anti-gay industry wants us to be rather than who we should be.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
You will always reap what you sow
I don’t know how the vote on James Holsinger will turn out but I am glad that he repudiated that study on lgbts he wrote:
Holsinger said the 1991 writing was not intended to be a scientific paper and relied on the information available to him at the time.
"First of all, the paper does not represent where I am today. It does not represent who I am today,'' Holsinger said.
I have to ask a question to our friend Peter LaBarbera, Matt Barber and the rest of the anti-gay industry: now that Holsinger repudiated his study, what is taking you so long to do the same?
The question is strictly rhetorical.
I know that many in the anti-gay industry won’t take back the discredited studies and the cherry picked legitimate studies they always cite when seeking to demonize lgbts.
In particular, they seem to not be able to help themselves in repeating Paul Cameron’s discredited studies.
In a recent appearance on the O’Reilly Factor, Concerned Women for America’s Sandy Rios said the following:
" . . .we all know that smoking is really harmful to your health. Well, what people don't understand is that the homosexual lifestyle, especially for men, is deadly. It takes their life 10 to 20 years earlier than straight men."
No matter how many times must we repeat the fact that this study has been discredited on several occasions, I don’t it matters to Rios and company. As long as the information puts the lgbt community in a negative light, then they are going to use it.
Maybe they own a secret copy of the Bible that advocates lying in the name of God.
Also Rios tried to slip in a little comment about David Parker, the parent in Massachusetts who manufactured a media event based on the lie that he was trying to guard his son from being forced to listen to talks about gay sexual intercourse in his kindergarten class.
One lie after another.
Meanwhile, I hear that some "Christian" folks disrupted the opening prayer in the U.S. Senate. Apparently they were upset because a Hindu minister was invited to give the prayer.
I'm not surprised their behavior.
After all, according to people like James Dobson and Rick Scarborough, this country belongs to them. All of us "heathens" are just here by their will and pleasure.
So much for Christian humility.
It’s kinda sad how these pseudo-Christians operate. First many of them go on news programs repeating to be studies they know to be incorrect.
Meanwhile, others are shouting down those who don’t share their beliefs.
And finally to top it off, they all whine about being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
What's next?
Are they going to compare their actions to the African-American civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s?
Sorry folks, but the comparison just doesn't wash.
The African-American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s was about fighting for the right to exist. Some psuedo-Christians in this country are fighting for something that doesn’t belong to them or anyone else - the right to dominate.
They don’t seem to understand that they are doing more to turn people against Christianity than any of the collective actions of the usual boogeymen (i.e. lgbts, ACLU) that they like to conjure up.
Sooner or later, their stridency and obnoxious way of acting is going to come back and haunt them. And rest assured, I will be there to make sure as many people as possible pays attention.
I don’t know how the vote on James Holsinger will turn out but I am glad that he repudiated that study on lgbts he wrote:
Holsinger said the 1991 writing was not intended to be a scientific paper and relied on the information available to him at the time.
"First of all, the paper does not represent where I am today. It does not represent who I am today,'' Holsinger said.
I have to ask a question to our friend Peter LaBarbera, Matt Barber and the rest of the anti-gay industry: now that Holsinger repudiated his study, what is taking you so long to do the same?
The question is strictly rhetorical.
I know that many in the anti-gay industry won’t take back the discredited studies and the cherry picked legitimate studies they always cite when seeking to demonize lgbts.
In particular, they seem to not be able to help themselves in repeating Paul Cameron’s discredited studies.
In a recent appearance on the O’Reilly Factor, Concerned Women for America’s Sandy Rios said the following:
" . . .we all know that smoking is really harmful to your health. Well, what people don't understand is that the homosexual lifestyle, especially for men, is deadly. It takes their life 10 to 20 years earlier than straight men."
No matter how many times must we repeat the fact that this study has been discredited on several occasions, I don’t it matters to Rios and company. As long as the information puts the lgbt community in a negative light, then they are going to use it.
Maybe they own a secret copy of the Bible that advocates lying in the name of God.
Also Rios tried to slip in a little comment about David Parker, the parent in Massachusetts who manufactured a media event based on the lie that he was trying to guard his son from being forced to listen to talks about gay sexual intercourse in his kindergarten class.
One lie after another.
Meanwhile, I hear that some "Christian" folks disrupted the opening prayer in the U.S. Senate. Apparently they were upset because a Hindu minister was invited to give the prayer.
I'm not surprised their behavior.
After all, according to people like James Dobson and Rick Scarborough, this country belongs to them. All of us "heathens" are just here by their will and pleasure.
So much for Christian humility.
It’s kinda sad how these pseudo-Christians operate. First many of them go on news programs repeating to be studies they know to be incorrect.
Meanwhile, others are shouting down those who don’t share their beliefs.
And finally to top it off, they all whine about being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
What's next?
Are they going to compare their actions to the African-American civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s?
Sorry folks, but the comparison just doesn't wash.
The African-American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s was about fighting for the right to exist. Some psuedo-Christians in this country are fighting for something that doesn’t belong to them or anyone else - the right to dominate.
They don’t seem to understand that they are doing more to turn people against Christianity than any of the collective actions of the usual boogeymen (i.e. lgbts, ACLU) that they like to conjure up.
Sooner or later, their stridency and obnoxious way of acting is going to come back and haunt them. And rest assured, I will be there to make sure as many people as possible pays attention.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
And speaking of health, more lies from the Bush Administration
I ran across an item today via Think Progress that I have to comment on:
Govt Website: Abortions Make Women Feel ‘Sad,’ Resort To ‘Drugs’ And ‘Alcohol’
Yesterday, NARAL discovered that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had revised a government website, 4parents.gov, with biased and misleading ideological claims about abortion. From new website:
Some teen pregnancies end in abortion. Abortions can have complications. There may be emotional consequences, as well: some women say that they feel sad and some use more alcohol or drugs than before.
The previous version of the site contained factual information about the rates of teen pregnancy. But these new “facts” on the site are misleading. As the Guttmacher Institute’s May 2006 report noted:
[T]he APA [American Psychological Association] found that “women who are terminating pregnancies that are wanted or who lack support from their partner or parents for the abortion may feel a greater sense of loss, anxiety and distress. For most women, however, the time of greatest distress is likely to be before an abortion; after an abortion, women frequently report feeling ‘relief and happiness.’”
. . . This is not the first time 4parents.gov has put forth misleading information. When the site launched in 2005, it told parents “to convince their teens to stop having sex by telling their children that they are ‘worth it.’” But no resources were provided for “parents whose teen remains sexually active, implying that these youth are not ‘worth it.’” It also referred to a “fetus” as an “unborn baby.”
UPDATE: In 2005, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) sent Leavitt a letter with reviews by scientific experts who concluded that 4parents.gov’s content appeared “to have been guided by ideology.” He also noted that the website was not created by government scientists, as the administration claimed, “but rather through a no-bid contract to the National Physician’s Center for Family Resources, an obscure organization that has taken positions against scientific agencies on important matters of public health.”
So why is this signficant? Because the National Physician's Center for Family Resources also pushes incorrect information about the lgbt community.
The following is a passage from my upcoming book (with information taken from the article, Specter seeks review of teen health site, The Washington Blade, July 29, 2005):
In July 2005, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter asked that the national Health and Human Services look at a certain web site because it allegedly showed inaccurate information about homosexuality and contraception.
The web site, 4parents.gov, received information from an organization called the National Physicians Center for Family Resources. The chairman of the National Physicians Center for Family Resources board, John Whiffen, said the organization was correct regarding what it had printed about homosexuality.
He said:
“It’s fairly well-accepted that smoking is not a good idea. It takes seven years off of your life. It appears that male homosexuality takes more than that off your life."
That claim, as many of you know, comes from a Paul Cameron study. Our discredited friend strikes again.
With former Surgeon General Richard Carmona claiming that the Bush Administration impeded him from doing his job combined with James Holsinger's hearing tomorrow, I can't help but to wonder about this administration's commitment to health care not ruled by psuedo-Christian ideology.
I ran across an item today via Think Progress that I have to comment on:
Govt Website: Abortions Make Women Feel ‘Sad,’ Resort To ‘Drugs’ And ‘Alcohol’
Yesterday, NARAL discovered that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had revised a government website, 4parents.gov, with biased and misleading ideological claims about abortion. From new website:
Some teen pregnancies end in abortion. Abortions can have complications. There may be emotional consequences, as well: some women say that they feel sad and some use more alcohol or drugs than before.
The previous version of the site contained factual information about the rates of teen pregnancy. But these new “facts” on the site are misleading. As the Guttmacher Institute’s May 2006 report noted:
[T]he APA [American Psychological Association] found that “women who are terminating pregnancies that are wanted or who lack support from their partner or parents for the abortion may feel a greater sense of loss, anxiety and distress. For most women, however, the time of greatest distress is likely to be before an abortion; after an abortion, women frequently report feeling ‘relief and happiness.’”
. . . This is not the first time 4parents.gov has put forth misleading information. When the site launched in 2005, it told parents “to convince their teens to stop having sex by telling their children that they are ‘worth it.’” But no resources were provided for “parents whose teen remains sexually active, implying that these youth are not ‘worth it.’” It also referred to a “fetus” as an “unborn baby.”
UPDATE: In 2005, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) sent Leavitt a letter with reviews by scientific experts who concluded that 4parents.gov’s content appeared “to have been guided by ideology.” He also noted that the website was not created by government scientists, as the administration claimed, “but rather through a no-bid contract to the National Physician’s Center for Family Resources, an obscure organization that has taken positions against scientific agencies on important matters of public health.”
So why is this signficant? Because the National Physician's Center for Family Resources also pushes incorrect information about the lgbt community.
The following is a passage from my upcoming book (with information taken from the article, Specter seeks review of teen health site, The Washington Blade, July 29, 2005):
In July 2005, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter asked that the national Health and Human Services look at a certain web site because it allegedly showed inaccurate information about homosexuality and contraception.
The web site, 4parents.gov, received information from an organization called the National Physicians Center for Family Resources. The chairman of the National Physicians Center for Family Resources board, John Whiffen, said the organization was correct regarding what it had printed about homosexuality.
He said:
“It’s fairly well-accepted that smoking is not a good idea. It takes seven years off of your life. It appears that male homosexuality takes more than that off your life."
That claim, as many of you know, comes from a Paul Cameron study. Our discredited friend strikes again.
With former Surgeon General Richard Carmona claiming that the Bush Administration impeded him from doing his job combined with James Holsinger's hearing tomorrow, I can't help but to wonder about this administration's commitment to health care not ruled by psuedo-Christian ideology.
James Holsinger hearings
Tomorrow begins the James Holsinger hearings. Hopefully there will be an explanation regarding his anti-gay biased study that doesn't involve him clinging to the cross like a martyr.
I can only wish that my esteemed Senator Lindsay Graham doesn't repeat his behavior from the Supreme Court hearings and ask Holsinger strictly tongue-in-check:
"Mr. Holsinger, you don't hate gay people, do you?"
The issue is not about whether or not Holsinger hates gay people. The issue is about his credibility. Can he be trusted as the head physician of the United States and not let his personal religious beliefs warp his professional ethics?
He certainly failed that test when writing the Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality and he needs to answer for it.
For an excellent critique of that piece of rot, go to Box Turtle Bulletin.
Hate crimes legislation
And now this from HRC. I urge everyone to take action because the anti-gay industry will be out in numbers against it:
Today Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) offered the Senate hate crimes bill, the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, as an amendment to the Department of Defense Reauthorization bill currently being debated on the Senate floor. The House of Representatives version of the bill passed with strong bipartisan support on May 3. The Senate bill, S. 1105, could be voted on as early as today. Joe Solmonese issued a statement on today's filing.
The right wing is in high gear on Capitol Hill today to fight the bill's passage and Senate leaders need to hear strong - and repeated - messages of support for the hate crimes bill from our side.
Call your senators ASAP at 202/224-3121 and urge them to vote in favor of the Matthew Shepard Act, S. 1105.
Cheap personal attack courtesy of Americans for Truth (in name only)
Lastly, I see that my friend Peter and the Americans for Truth (in name only) has stooped to a new low, proving that there are more than nine circles in hell.
The group is personally attacking Amy Andre, Manager of Training and Professional Development for Out & Equal. Out & Equal is a group devoted to issues of lgbt in the workplace.
So what did Andre do?
Nothing. Apparently on her own time, Andre has a site devoted to and has written articles regarding bisexual health and sexual health.
But leave it to our friend Peter to make it sound sleazy:
You might be interested in understanding the philosophy and politics of this woman who is pressing for radical change in employer-paid benefits – especially if you happen to be a corporate executive or a human resources director dealing with the Out & Equal agenda in your company. Consider whether your employees and customers share Amy Andre’s perspective…
Amy Andre is one of four co-authors credited with authoring the report entitled “bisexual health,” published Mar 13, 2007, by the Task Force. Here are a few quotes excerpted from Amy Andre’s own website:
My mission in life, and the goal of this website, is to encourage the safe exploration of pleasure and create political change. Are these two separate things? I think they’re one and the same.
My philosophy on pleasure is that consenting adults should be able to engage in whatever activities they desire to do safely with one another.
But, whether you find pleasure in watching – or making – pornography, taking a sex ed class in college, being able to express a sexual minority identity, or having hot safe sex with your lover(s), in reality, going for any of these is a political act.
Peter infers that Andre is linked to introducing all sorts of wild sexual activity to children. Strange how he does not provide any concrete proof of these charges.
Whatever the case maybe, it has nothing to do with her work at Out & Equal. And I personally think what she is doing is no different than the actions of Dr. Ruth or any other sex advice columnist.
There is nothing wrong with advocating good healthy sexual behavior, which is possible irregardless of your sexual orientation.
So is this the next step in attacking the gay community, Peter?
Is trolling online and finding things you can spin as "smut" against someone a Christian principle all of the sudden?
Please show me where in the Bible did Jesus advocated such trash?
Tomorrow begins the James Holsinger hearings. Hopefully there will be an explanation regarding his anti-gay biased study that doesn't involve him clinging to the cross like a martyr.
I can only wish that my esteemed Senator Lindsay Graham doesn't repeat his behavior from the Supreme Court hearings and ask Holsinger strictly tongue-in-check:
"Mr. Holsinger, you don't hate gay people, do you?"
The issue is not about whether or not Holsinger hates gay people. The issue is about his credibility. Can he be trusted as the head physician of the United States and not let his personal religious beliefs warp his professional ethics?
He certainly failed that test when writing the Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality and he needs to answer for it.
For an excellent critique of that piece of rot, go to Box Turtle Bulletin.
Hate crimes legislation
And now this from HRC. I urge everyone to take action because the anti-gay industry will be out in numbers against it:
Today Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) offered the Senate hate crimes bill, the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, as an amendment to the Department of Defense Reauthorization bill currently being debated on the Senate floor. The House of Representatives version of the bill passed with strong bipartisan support on May 3. The Senate bill, S. 1105, could be voted on as early as today. Joe Solmonese issued a statement on today's filing.
The right wing is in high gear on Capitol Hill today to fight the bill's passage and Senate leaders need to hear strong - and repeated - messages of support for the hate crimes bill from our side.
Call your senators ASAP at 202/224-3121 and urge them to vote in favor of the Matthew Shepard Act, S. 1105.
Cheap personal attack courtesy of Americans for Truth (in name only)
Lastly, I see that my friend Peter and the Americans for Truth (in name only) has stooped to a new low, proving that there are more than nine circles in hell.
The group is personally attacking Amy Andre, Manager of Training and Professional Development for Out & Equal. Out & Equal is a group devoted to issues of lgbt in the workplace.
So what did Andre do?
Nothing. Apparently on her own time, Andre has a site devoted to and has written articles regarding bisexual health and sexual health.
But leave it to our friend Peter to make it sound sleazy:
You might be interested in understanding the philosophy and politics of this woman who is pressing for radical change in employer-paid benefits – especially if you happen to be a corporate executive or a human resources director dealing with the Out & Equal agenda in your company. Consider whether your employees and customers share Amy Andre’s perspective…
Amy Andre is one of four co-authors credited with authoring the report entitled “bisexual health,” published Mar 13, 2007, by the Task Force. Here are a few quotes excerpted from Amy Andre’s own website:
My mission in life, and the goal of this website, is to encourage the safe exploration of pleasure and create political change. Are these two separate things? I think they’re one and the same.
My philosophy on pleasure is that consenting adults should be able to engage in whatever activities they desire to do safely with one another.
But, whether you find pleasure in watching – or making – pornography, taking a sex ed class in college, being able to express a sexual minority identity, or having hot safe sex with your lover(s), in reality, going for any of these is a political act.
Peter infers that Andre is linked to introducing all sorts of wild sexual activity to children. Strange how he does not provide any concrete proof of these charges.
Whatever the case maybe, it has nothing to do with her work at Out & Equal. And I personally think what she is doing is no different than the actions of Dr. Ruth or any other sex advice columnist.
There is nothing wrong with advocating good healthy sexual behavior, which is possible irregardless of your sexual orientation.
So is this the next step in attacking the gay community, Peter?
Is trolling online and finding things you can spin as "smut" against someone a Christian principle all of the sudden?
Please show me where in the Bible did Jesus advocated such trash?
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Hypocrisy is so un-Christian
I hope no one thinks that I am attacking Christians, but I ran across a few things today that has to be commented on. The following is from People for the American Way:
Recently we noted the blatant double standard exhibited by religious-right groups in the case of Albemarle County, Virginia schools’ "backpack mail" program: Last year, Liberty Counsel told the school that if it distributed secular materials by giving them to students to take home, it had to allow religious materials as well. The school complied. But when a summer camp for "atheists, freethinkers, [and] humanists" used the "backpack mail" program, Rick Scarborough’s Vision America pounced, directing its supporters to flood the school superintendent’s e-mail account and eventually causing the school to drop "backpack mail" altogether.
Scarborough declared a "major victory" for Vision America, but lamented that the victory was only partial: He would prefer that the school reject material from atheists while continuing to distribute material from Christian programs. Scarborough explained:
People for the American Way says we’re hypocrites who want to establish a different standard for Christians and atheists. Hypocrites, no. Different standards? Yes. Again, the court said the district didn’t have unbridled discretion, not that it shouldn’t exercise any discretion.
Why should a fringe minority have the same status as Christians? This country was not established by secular humanists. The Declaration of Independence appeals to the "Creator" and the "Supreme Judge of the World" -- not to Buddha or Mohammad or Madalyn Murray O’Hair. Christians constitute 90% of the American people. The people whose taxes pay for the Albemarle County School System are overwhelmingly Christian.
It gets worse.
Apparently the readers of One News Now are upset because for the first time, the US Senate will open with a prayer from a Hindu minister. Some of their comments are as follows:
The invocation of idolatrous gods is inherently offensive to members of the Judeo-Christian majority of the United States. The Second Commandment states, "You shall not make for yourselves and idol." Therefore, we should let our senators know that while we defend the right of others to practice their religions, we do not accept the imposition of minority religious practices upon us and our elected representatives.
"God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7). The same goes for a nation.
Inclusiveness NEVER was a part of God's will for His people. When the Israelites assimilated other religious beliefs, God turned a deaf ear to their crys. It cost Solomon his soul. Christianity likewise is an EXCLUSIVE religion. There is One God and One Savior. He is the Creator.
Are you serious? Why is it in this nation founded on Christian truth is prayer mentioned in Jesus' name the only one that offends? Now we must kowtow to a pagan false religion by allowing prayer to hindu gods? What is happening here? Why is our senate sticking a finger in the Most Holy God's eye? Doesn't anyone fear God anymore? One more big step on that slippery slope to divine judgement.
Sorry majority rules in this country and Christians are the majority. Please take your seat now.
And these some of the same people who claim that adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation discriminates against Christians?
So perceived discrimination against Christians is wrong but actual discrimination by Christians is okay.
Kind of hypocritical, don’t you think?
But unfortunately the mindsets of these folks are the reason why the anti-gay industry have been so successful in their lies about an alleged gay conspiracy to undermine American values.
Many people reading the comments of Scarborough and the commentators of One News Now will think that what was said is totally appropriate.
And that is a serious problem. Not for us so-called "Godless activists" but for those who call themselves people of faith.
Some Christians claim that they are viewed negatively in this country. If is a problem regarding people having a negative view of Christianity, it has nothing to do with gays, "secular humanists," the ACLU or the usual boogeymen called out by James Dobson and company.
The blame is solely on the lap of those Capitalistic Christians who have tied the Gospel of Jesus to the world view of success and conquest.
That is the type of Christian who, as demonstrated by the above examples, can speak out both sides of their mouths about discrimination and not feel the least bit guilty.
Why should they?
God blesses them above everyone else. They know this for sure because people like Rick Scarborough, James Dobson, James Kennedy, One News Now and so many others tells them so on a daily basis.
Well, this has never been a Christian country.
I don’t care how many Founding Fathers you find who claimed to have practiced the Christian religion, this country hasn’t necessarily been that close to God.
Those who cite the fallacy of a Christian nation seem to always forget slavery and segregation of African-Americans, as well as the grand scale genocide of Native Americans; practices that were many times aided and abetted by people of faith willing to either look the other way or rationalize these offenses.
And let’s not forget the Salem Witchcraft Trials, which is a perfect example of how some self-righteous people of faith ignored the voice of God and spiritually cannibalized each other.
So I question the idea that the United States is a Christian nation. I view this notion as an egotistical flight of fancy.
And, with all due respect, allow me to address those Christians in this country who seem to think that God mandated for them to replace the Israelites as the "chosen people:"
I hope no one thinks that I am attacking Christians, but I ran across a few things today that has to be commented on. The following is from People for the American Way:
Recently we noted the blatant double standard exhibited by religious-right groups in the case of Albemarle County, Virginia schools’ "backpack mail" program: Last year, Liberty Counsel told the school that if it distributed secular materials by giving them to students to take home, it had to allow religious materials as well. The school complied. But when a summer camp for "atheists, freethinkers, [and] humanists" used the "backpack mail" program, Rick Scarborough’s Vision America pounced, directing its supporters to flood the school superintendent’s e-mail account and eventually causing the school to drop "backpack mail" altogether.
Scarborough declared a "major victory" for Vision America, but lamented that the victory was only partial: He would prefer that the school reject material from atheists while continuing to distribute material from Christian programs. Scarborough explained:
People for the American Way says we’re hypocrites who want to establish a different standard for Christians and atheists. Hypocrites, no. Different standards? Yes. Again, the court said the district didn’t have unbridled discretion, not that it shouldn’t exercise any discretion.
Why should a fringe minority have the same status as Christians? This country was not established by secular humanists. The Declaration of Independence appeals to the "Creator" and the "Supreme Judge of the World" -- not to Buddha or Mohammad or Madalyn Murray O’Hair. Christians constitute 90% of the American people. The people whose taxes pay for the Albemarle County School System are overwhelmingly Christian.
It gets worse.
Apparently the readers of One News Now are upset because for the first time, the US Senate will open with a prayer from a Hindu minister. Some of their comments are as follows:
The invocation of idolatrous gods is inherently offensive to members of the Judeo-Christian majority of the United States. The Second Commandment states, "You shall not make for yourselves and idol." Therefore, we should let our senators know that while we defend the right of others to practice their religions, we do not accept the imposition of minority religious practices upon us and our elected representatives.
"God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7). The same goes for a nation.
Inclusiveness NEVER was a part of God's will for His people. When the Israelites assimilated other religious beliefs, God turned a deaf ear to their crys. It cost Solomon his soul. Christianity likewise is an EXCLUSIVE religion. There is One God and One Savior. He is the Creator.
Are you serious? Why is it in this nation founded on Christian truth is prayer mentioned in Jesus' name the only one that offends? Now we must kowtow to a pagan false religion by allowing prayer to hindu gods? What is happening here? Why is our senate sticking a finger in the Most Holy God's eye? Doesn't anyone fear God anymore? One more big step on that slippery slope to divine judgement.
Sorry majority rules in this country and Christians are the majority. Please take your seat now.
And these some of the same people who claim that adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation discriminates against Christians?
So perceived discrimination against Christians is wrong but actual discrimination by Christians is okay.
Kind of hypocritical, don’t you think?
But unfortunately the mindsets of these folks are the reason why the anti-gay industry have been so successful in their lies about an alleged gay conspiracy to undermine American values.
Many people reading the comments of Scarborough and the commentators of One News Now will think that what was said is totally appropriate.
And that is a serious problem. Not for us so-called "Godless activists" but for those who call themselves people of faith.
Some Christians claim that they are viewed negatively in this country. If is a problem regarding people having a negative view of Christianity, it has nothing to do with gays, "secular humanists," the ACLU or the usual boogeymen called out by James Dobson and company.
The blame is solely on the lap of those Capitalistic Christians who have tied the Gospel of Jesus to the world view of success and conquest.
That is the type of Christian who, as demonstrated by the above examples, can speak out both sides of their mouths about discrimination and not feel the least bit guilty.
Why should they?
God blesses them above everyone else. They know this for sure because people like Rick Scarborough, James Dobson, James Kennedy, One News Now and so many others tells them so on a daily basis.
Well, this has never been a Christian country.
I don’t care how many Founding Fathers you find who claimed to have practiced the Christian religion, this country hasn’t necessarily been that close to God.
Those who cite the fallacy of a Christian nation seem to always forget slavery and segregation of African-Americans, as well as the grand scale genocide of Native Americans; practices that were many times aided and abetted by people of faith willing to either look the other way or rationalize these offenses.
And let’s not forget the Salem Witchcraft Trials, which is a perfect example of how some self-righteous people of faith ignored the voice of God and spiritually cannibalized each other.
So I question the idea that the United States is a Christian nation. I view this notion as an egotistical flight of fancy.
And, with all due respect, allow me to address those Christians in this country who seem to think that God mandated for them to replace the Israelites as the "chosen people:"
Jesus never said "pick up your Cross and follow me and I will give you a nice job, a nice house, 2.5 children and a Republican in the White House every four years.
Not getting a Constitutional Amendment passed outlawing same sex marriage doesn’t exactly rank up there with being crucified, stoned, or being fed to wild beasts.
Having your child go to a school that allows a gay/straight alliance doesn’t exactly put you in the category of "suffering for your faith." In fact even if Hilary Clinton or any other Democrat was elected president and you have to deal with a Democratic Congress to go with said election, you would still rank zero on the martyrdom scale.
Lastly, if Scarborough is correct and you do comprise a vast majority, then are you really being persecuted? Either you suffer from a serious narcissism complex or maybe God is trying to tell you something about your attitudes.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Did you miss me?
Well I’m back online at home via dial up. It’s not DSL and I am hating it. This phone line is slow as hell.
But the important thing is that I’m back online and just in time for the James Holsinger hearings, too.
My book
In the midst of all of this turmoil, I have been steadily working to publish my book. If all goes well, it should be out in the middle of September.
I am currently working on a press packet and would love to send it out to as many people as possible.
The press packet will contain:
press release,
excerpt from Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters,
a one page outline of anti-gay industry tactics and lies
two flyers,
and an interview with me
If you are interested in receiving this packet in the mail or email, please email me at CharleKenghis@aol.com
I am also working on a list who will receive the galleys of my book.
As you all know, the whole point of my book is not to make money but to arm the lgbt community with information and get the anti-gay industry to explain their tactics, rather than us explaining the validity of our lives for a change.
Retreat from hysteria yields a challenge
From the site my online buddy Joe Brummer, one of Bill O'Reilly's sources for his lesbian gang hysteria has retreated from his claims.
That’s good.
But what is bad is one of the comments he posted on his site reportedly coming from one of us. Allegedly a gay person sent him a nasty email attacking African-Americans on the whole.
The racist diatribe does nothing but play into the "divide and conquer" mentality that the anti-gay industry uses against the black and gay communities.
No matter how the anti-gay industry angers us, we shouldn’t stoop to the level of showing our asses more than our inteligence.
That "ACT-UP" mentality of protesting was useful back in the day, but it's wasn't useful all of the time.
And sometimes, like now, it's rather counterproductive.
This is an intellectual battle so any form of visibility is not necessarily a good thing. Let's practice positive visibility.
So I ask that if you feel the need to write and challenge those who oppose us, speak from your mind and with righteous indignation, but don't let their lies reduce you to their level.
If you feel that you have to call the opposition cheap names, then you really need to examine yourself.
Paul Cameron keeps popping up
Check out this diatribe from World Net Daily:
Even school boards, like that in Montgomery County, Md., are urging young students to accept this deadly habit and plying them with the message that anyone who perceives himself/herself as being of a certain sexual orientation is in fact stuck with that orientation and cannot escape. That's tantamount to a group of educators telling smokers that they were born to smoke, can't quit and shouldn't even try.
Of course, the promulgation of knowledge and data concerning the link between alternative sex and disease is hampered by the bullying tactics of the elite. Thus, only a few facts are known at all to some of the public (such as the results of a study in Scandinavia showing that men in same-sex marriages die 24 years earlier than their counterparts in the general population) . . .
As I am sure that many of you know, that claim about a short gay life span in Scandinavia comes from our pal Paul Cameron. It was his latest set of lies.
Gay blogs from my own to Box Turtle Bulletin beat down this latest lie of Cameron's months ago.
And it was fun.
But like a weed, Cameron's lies continue to come up.
And every time weeds come up, we need to knock them down.
Well I’m back online at home via dial up. It’s not DSL and I am hating it. This phone line is slow as hell.
But the important thing is that I’m back online and just in time for the James Holsinger hearings, too.
My book
In the midst of all of this turmoil, I have been steadily working to publish my book. If all goes well, it should be out in the middle of September.
I am currently working on a press packet and would love to send it out to as many people as possible.
The press packet will contain:
press release,
excerpt from Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters,
a one page outline of anti-gay industry tactics and lies
two flyers,
and an interview with me
If you are interested in receiving this packet in the mail or email, please email me at CharleKenghis@aol.com
I am also working on a list who will receive the galleys of my book.
As you all know, the whole point of my book is not to make money but to arm the lgbt community with information and get the anti-gay industry to explain their tactics, rather than us explaining the validity of our lives for a change.
Retreat from hysteria yields a challenge
From the site my online buddy Joe Brummer, one of Bill O'Reilly's sources for his lesbian gang hysteria has retreated from his claims.
That’s good.
But what is bad is one of the comments he posted on his site reportedly coming from one of us. Allegedly a gay person sent him a nasty email attacking African-Americans on the whole.
The racist diatribe does nothing but play into the "divide and conquer" mentality that the anti-gay industry uses against the black and gay communities.
No matter how the anti-gay industry angers us, we shouldn’t stoop to the level of showing our asses more than our inteligence.
That "ACT-UP" mentality of protesting was useful back in the day, but it's wasn't useful all of the time.
And sometimes, like now, it's rather counterproductive.
This is an intellectual battle so any form of visibility is not necessarily a good thing. Let's practice positive visibility.
So I ask that if you feel the need to write and challenge those who oppose us, speak from your mind and with righteous indignation, but don't let their lies reduce you to their level.
If you feel that you have to call the opposition cheap names, then you really need to examine yourself.
Paul Cameron keeps popping up
Check out this diatribe from World Net Daily:
Even school boards, like that in Montgomery County, Md., are urging young students to accept this deadly habit and plying them with the message that anyone who perceives himself/herself as being of a certain sexual orientation is in fact stuck with that orientation and cannot escape. That's tantamount to a group of educators telling smokers that they were born to smoke, can't quit and shouldn't even try.
Of course, the promulgation of knowledge and data concerning the link between alternative sex and disease is hampered by the bullying tactics of the elite. Thus, only a few facts are known at all to some of the public (such as the results of a study in Scandinavia showing that men in same-sex marriages die 24 years earlier than their counterparts in the general population) . . .
As I am sure that many of you know, that claim about a short gay life span in Scandinavia comes from our pal Paul Cameron. It was his latest set of lies.
Gay blogs from my own to Box Turtle Bulletin beat down this latest lie of Cameron's months ago.
And it was fun.
But like a weed, Cameron's lies continue to come up.
And every time weeds come up, we need to knock them down.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
It's the lesbian gangs I tells ya!!!!
Thank you to Peter LaBarbera and Bill O'Reilly for taking my mind off of my recent trials and tribulations.
Their attempts to start a moral panic by attacking our lesbian sisters (and I mean the community in general) has stirred me out of my Saturday doldrums and into the Barnes and Noble bookstore which was the only place I can be online right now.
I am sure everyone has heard Peter's latest:
Lesbian gangs are raping and bullying girls and engaging in criminal activity, but you probably haven’t heard about this story, right? Now a Memphis TV station and FOX News’ Bill O’Reilly have broken the silence
This lovely piece of nonsense is courtesy of Bill O'Reilly taking a situation and blowing it out of proportion (like he always does).
Peter even tries to claim that GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) tried to shut the story down.
For the record, Peter is lying (yet again).
GLAAD was only calling into question O'Reilly taking this story and making it sound as if an epidemic of female lesbian gangs is plaguing the country. The organization investigated and found the following:
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) contacted the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department to research the statistics Wheeler cited and found that the information he reported is highly suspect. Sgt. Brett Parson, a member and the former commander of the D.C. Metro Police Department?s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, says the numbers are grossly exaggerated.
Parson is quoted along with GLAAD in a Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Report article titled, ?The Oh-Really Factor,? which debunks the June 21 report, pointing out its numerous flaws and highlighting its sensationalistic tone.
"We have 150 to 175 total gangs in the D.C. area, and out of those only nine where the predominance of members are female," Parson said. "You simply can't make the jump that they are lesbians. I think it is fair to talk about violence and female gangs. But to sensationalize or marginalize a community by making a statement like that seems irresponsible."
Gaithersburg, Md., Detective Patrick Word is President of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Gang Investigators Network, an intelligence-sharing organization of 400 criminal justice professionals in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Virginia. He told the Intelligence Report, "there is no evidence whatsoever of a lesbian gang epidemic in this region...our membership reports only one lesbian gang."
So this is another case of our friend Peter whose singleminded purpose of dehumanizing gay people has led him to yet again look like a wild-haired looney on a street corner, complete with a "REPENT FOR THE END IS NEAR" sign.
But to me, it's more than that.
Check out how Peter tries to link the situation with another pet peeve of his:
Maybe the young lesbian thugs got some inspiration from “Vagina Monologues,” the vulgar feminist-lesbian play celebrated by liberal elites and performed by many female Hollywood stars.
I can see the scenario now:
Scene: A bathroom in a high school in Memphis. Gang member 1 is holding down a young girl. Gang member 2 is helping her.
Gang member 1: (to the young girl): Shut and don't make any noise. (to Gang member 2): I'm going to try something I saw from the Vagina Monologues.
Gang member 2: Girl, what is that?
Gang member 1: It's a play I heard about on Oprah. Then I went to see it when it played Off-Broadway (to young girl) Shut up. (to Gang member 2): Girl it was good. It's way existential. Gillian Anderson, Alanis Morrissette, Rita Moreno, Rosie Perez, Nell Carter, and Joy Behar was in it. When we get done with this trick, I want to have a deep philosophical discussion about our vaginas.
Yeah, Peter. That sounds about right.
Then to top it off, Peter engages in an old anti-industry trick: distorting a study to implicate the lesbian community:
“A study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence examined conflict and violence in lesbian relationships,” says the report. “The researchers found that 90% of the lesbians surveyed had been recipients of one or more acts of verbal aggression from their intimate partners during the year prior to this study, with 31% reporting one or more incidents of physical abuse.”
That citation came from a "study" written by Timothy Dailey of the Family Research Council.
The following passage from my book talks about what Dailey did:
From this perspective, it sounds as if lesbians have a problem with partner violence. But if you looked at the source of Dailey’s citation, you get an entirely different perspective.
According to the Journal of Interpersonal Violence’s own web page:
The Journal of Interpersonal Violence offers the most up-to-date information on domestic violence, rape, child sexual abuse and other violent crimes . . . Focusing on both victims and perpetrators, the journal examines theoretical links between all types of interpersonal violence,
exploring the similarities and differences between these types of crimes.
In other words, the Journal of Interpersonal Violence tracks domestic violence, as well as other violent crimes. Of course those surveyed in it had been recipients of violence, verbal or otherwise, because this is what the journal is designed to track.
What is done here is the equivalent of taking the rate of a domestic violence study of African-Americans cited in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and judging that entire African-American community solely on it.
It always amazes about how people like Peter LaBarbera can complain that they are "unfairly" thought of as homophobic. What do you expect for people to call you when you do things like denigrating all lesbians because of the actions of some?
If you look like a duck and act like a duck, I refuse to apologize for calling you a duck.
Thank you to Peter LaBarbera and Bill O'Reilly for taking my mind off of my recent trials and tribulations.
Their attempts to start a moral panic by attacking our lesbian sisters (and I mean the community in general) has stirred me out of my Saturday doldrums and into the Barnes and Noble bookstore which was the only place I can be online right now.
I am sure everyone has heard Peter's latest:
Lesbian gangs are raping and bullying girls and engaging in criminal activity, but you probably haven’t heard about this story, right? Now a Memphis TV station and FOX News’ Bill O’Reilly have broken the silence
This lovely piece of nonsense is courtesy of Bill O'Reilly taking a situation and blowing it out of proportion (like he always does).
Peter even tries to claim that GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) tried to shut the story down.
For the record, Peter is lying (yet again).
GLAAD was only calling into question O'Reilly taking this story and making it sound as if an epidemic of female lesbian gangs is plaguing the country. The organization investigated and found the following:
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) contacted the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department to research the statistics Wheeler cited and found that the information he reported is highly suspect. Sgt. Brett Parson, a member and the former commander of the D.C. Metro Police Department?s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, says the numbers are grossly exaggerated.
Parson is quoted along with GLAAD in a Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Report article titled, ?The Oh-Really Factor,? which debunks the June 21 report, pointing out its numerous flaws and highlighting its sensationalistic tone.
"We have 150 to 175 total gangs in the D.C. area, and out of those only nine where the predominance of members are female," Parson said. "You simply can't make the jump that they are lesbians. I think it is fair to talk about violence and female gangs. But to sensationalize or marginalize a community by making a statement like that seems irresponsible."
Gaithersburg, Md., Detective Patrick Word is President of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Gang Investigators Network, an intelligence-sharing organization of 400 criminal justice professionals in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Virginia. He told the Intelligence Report, "there is no evidence whatsoever of a lesbian gang epidemic in this region...our membership reports only one lesbian gang."
So this is another case of our friend Peter whose singleminded purpose of dehumanizing gay people has led him to yet again look like a wild-haired looney on a street corner, complete with a "REPENT FOR THE END IS NEAR" sign.
But to me, it's more than that.
Check out how Peter tries to link the situation with another pet peeve of his:
Maybe the young lesbian thugs got some inspiration from “Vagina Monologues,” the vulgar feminist-lesbian play celebrated by liberal elites and performed by many female Hollywood stars.
I can see the scenario now:
Scene: A bathroom in a high school in Memphis. Gang member 1 is holding down a young girl. Gang member 2 is helping her.
Gang member 1: (to the young girl): Shut and don't make any noise. (to Gang member 2): I'm going to try something I saw from the Vagina Monologues.
Gang member 2: Girl, what is that?
Gang member 1: It's a play I heard about on Oprah. Then I went to see it when it played Off-Broadway (to young girl) Shut up. (to Gang member 2): Girl it was good. It's way existential. Gillian Anderson, Alanis Morrissette, Rita Moreno, Rosie Perez, Nell Carter, and Joy Behar was in it. When we get done with this trick, I want to have a deep philosophical discussion about our vaginas.
Yeah, Peter. That sounds about right.
Then to top it off, Peter engages in an old anti-industry trick: distorting a study to implicate the lesbian community:
“A study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence examined conflict and violence in lesbian relationships,” says the report. “The researchers found that 90% of the lesbians surveyed had been recipients of one or more acts of verbal aggression from their intimate partners during the year prior to this study, with 31% reporting one or more incidents of physical abuse.”
That citation came from a "study" written by Timothy Dailey of the Family Research Council.
The following passage from my book talks about what Dailey did:
From this perspective, it sounds as if lesbians have a problem with partner violence. But if you looked at the source of Dailey’s citation, you get an entirely different perspective.
According to the Journal of Interpersonal Violence’s own web page:
The Journal of Interpersonal Violence offers the most up-to-date information on domestic violence, rape, child sexual abuse and other violent crimes . . . Focusing on both victims and perpetrators, the journal examines theoretical links between all types of interpersonal violence,
exploring the similarities and differences between these types of crimes.
In other words, the Journal of Interpersonal Violence tracks domestic violence, as well as other violent crimes. Of course those surveyed in it had been recipients of violence, verbal or otherwise, because this is what the journal is designed to track.
What is done here is the equivalent of taking the rate of a domestic violence study of African-Americans cited in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and judging that entire African-American community solely on it.
It always amazes about how people like Peter LaBarbera can complain that they are "unfairly" thought of as homophobic. What do you expect for people to call you when you do things like denigrating all lesbians because of the actions of some?
If you look like a duck and act like a duck, I refuse to apologize for calling you a duck.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Michael Glatze emails me
Apparently recently "converted ex-gay" Michael Glatze got online and looked up all the blogs that talked about his story. I received the following email from him:
Dear sir,
This is Michael Glatze. I just want to tell you that, yes, you can be entirely free of the lie of homosexuality. I am a normal, heterosexual man. Yes. It can be done. With true faith and love of Christ.
Amen and God bless.Michael Glatze (P.S. If you don't believe me, pray.)
Now let me state for the record that I have no problems with someone thinking of themselves as "ex-gay." I don't agree with the notion but it's a free country.
I do have a problem with there being an industry of "ex-gay" spokespeople walking hand-in-hand with the anti-gay industry and attempting to make life more difficult for those of us who are comfortable with our lgbt orientation.
I do have a problem with "ex-gays" trying to use their so-called transformation as political leverage to turn back the passage of pro-lgbt laws and ordinances.
And I do have a problem with "ex-gays" who think that their negative experiences with their "former" lgbt orientation gives them the right to make judgements of my lgbt experiences.
Not all lgbts are promiscuous, abuse drugs and alcohol, and engage in all-around negative behaviors. These things are NOT indicative of the lgbt orientation. And I don't care who you are or what you "were," if you try to denigrate me or my lgbt brothers and sisters by inferring that negative behavior is indicative of lgbt orientation, I am going to scream foul because you don't know what you are talking about.
Live your life, but don't blame anyone or anything else for the choices you have made.
With that in mind, I wrote Michael the following as an answer to his letter:
Let me make this simple.
I respect your personal choices, but I resent your inability to accept responsibility for your personal behavior. I further resent you scarlet lettering an entire community of people based on your personal behavior. For the record, I am a happy gay male.
Homosexuality is NOT a lie.
My sexual orientation is as God made me.
And for the record, I acheived this peace with my gay orientation due to my relationship with God. When I was questioning my self, I turned to God rather than an outside source with a bias and He told me that I am as He made me so I should be proud of who I am.
I am sorry that your life has been negative and I wish you luck in your personal decisions, but I will not allow you to denigrate me or my lgbt brothers and sisters.
Good Luck To You but you need to check yourself. Your experiences as a gay man are not my experiences. So please do not disrespect me and mine.
Apparently recently "converted ex-gay" Michael Glatze got online and looked up all the blogs that talked about his story. I received the following email from him:
Dear sir,
This is Michael Glatze. I just want to tell you that, yes, you can be entirely free of the lie of homosexuality. I am a normal, heterosexual man. Yes. It can be done. With true faith and love of Christ.
Amen and God bless.Michael Glatze (P.S. If you don't believe me, pray.)
Now let me state for the record that I have no problems with someone thinking of themselves as "ex-gay." I don't agree with the notion but it's a free country.
I do have a problem with there being an industry of "ex-gay" spokespeople walking hand-in-hand with the anti-gay industry and attempting to make life more difficult for those of us who are comfortable with our lgbt orientation.
I do have a problem with "ex-gays" trying to use their so-called transformation as political leverage to turn back the passage of pro-lgbt laws and ordinances.
And I do have a problem with "ex-gays" who think that their negative experiences with their "former" lgbt orientation gives them the right to make judgements of my lgbt experiences.
Not all lgbts are promiscuous, abuse drugs and alcohol, and engage in all-around negative behaviors. These things are NOT indicative of the lgbt orientation. And I don't care who you are or what you "were," if you try to denigrate me or my lgbt brothers and sisters by inferring that negative behavior is indicative of lgbt orientation, I am going to scream foul because you don't know what you are talking about.
Live your life, but don't blame anyone or anything else for the choices you have made.
With that in mind, I wrote Michael the following as an answer to his letter:
Let me make this simple.
I respect your personal choices, but I resent your inability to accept responsibility for your personal behavior. I further resent you scarlet lettering an entire community of people based on your personal behavior. For the record, I am a happy gay male.
Homosexuality is NOT a lie.
My sexual orientation is as God made me.
And for the record, I acheived this peace with my gay orientation due to my relationship with God. When I was questioning my self, I turned to God rather than an outside source with a bias and He told me that I am as He made me so I should be proud of who I am.
I am sorry that your life has been negative and I wish you luck in your personal decisions, but I will not allow you to denigrate me or my lgbt brothers and sisters.
Good Luck To You but you need to check yourself. Your experiences as a gay man are not my experiences. So please do not disrespect me and mine.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
What a drag! I can't get internet access and One News Now distorts like there is no tomorrow
It's Thursday and I'm mad at Time Warner.
To make a long story short, I don't have my DSL connected and I don't know how it is looking for the future. Looks like it's back to dial-up. I am currently looking into wireless connections, so I am optimistic.
And there are always coffee shops.
While I go through my trials and tribulations, I thought I would leave everyone with a little deception courtesy of our friends at One News Now.
The news organization used to be known as Agape Press and back in the day, it frequently cited Paul Cameron as a "pro-family expert."
I think with Cameron's history of lying being made more public, those days are gone.
However this does not keep the "news service" that began through the efforts of another friend of ours (Donald Wildmon and the American Family Association) from practicing some questionable journalistic tactics.
I ran over this recent passage in an article from the site criticizing Maryland State School Board for approving Montgomery County's sex education curriculum:
According to the Washington Post, many parents in Montgomery County oppose the new curriculum, which opponents say presents a favorable viewpoint of homosexuality and restricts religious expression by suppressing the view that homosexuality is a sin. The attorney believes the new curriculum may also be subject to litigation.
This is a misdirection. The original statement from the Washington Post reads as follows:
A spokeswoman for the community group Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, which led a consortium of opposition groups, said it was too soon to say whether it might take the matter to federal court. "There are many parents here in Montgomery County who are opposed to the curriculum," Michelle Turner said. She also said a growing number of parents outside the county are expressing concern with the lessons, which could be adopted in other Maryland counties.
So the Washington Post did state technically say that parents oppose the new curriculum. But the newspaper was quoting a spokeswoman of the group opposing the curriculum.
What One News Now did may not seem like a lie but it is bad journalism.
But hey, who cares about Earthly journalistic standards (i.e integrity and correct quote attribution) when you are fighting for the kingdom of God?
It's Thursday and I'm mad at Time Warner.
To make a long story short, I don't have my DSL connected and I don't know how it is looking for the future. Looks like it's back to dial-up. I am currently looking into wireless connections, so I am optimistic.
And there are always coffee shops.
While I go through my trials and tribulations, I thought I would leave everyone with a little deception courtesy of our friends at One News Now.
The news organization used to be known as Agape Press and back in the day, it frequently cited Paul Cameron as a "pro-family expert."
I think with Cameron's history of lying being made more public, those days are gone.
However this does not keep the "news service" that began through the efforts of another friend of ours (Donald Wildmon and the American Family Association) from practicing some questionable journalistic tactics.
I ran over this recent passage in an article from the site criticizing Maryland State School Board for approving Montgomery County's sex education curriculum:
According to the Washington Post, many parents in Montgomery County oppose the new curriculum, which opponents say presents a favorable viewpoint of homosexuality and restricts religious expression by suppressing the view that homosexuality is a sin. The attorney believes the new curriculum may also be subject to litigation.
This is a misdirection. The original statement from the Washington Post reads as follows:
A spokeswoman for the community group Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, which led a consortium of opposition groups, said it was too soon to say whether it might take the matter to federal court. "There are many parents here in Montgomery County who are opposed to the curriculum," Michelle Turner said. She also said a growing number of parents outside the county are expressing concern with the lessons, which could be adopted in other Maryland counties.
So the Washington Post did state technically say that parents oppose the new curriculum. But the newspaper was quoting a spokeswoman of the group opposing the curriculum.
What One News Now did may not seem like a lie but it is bad journalism.
But hey, who cares about Earthly journalistic standards (i.e integrity and correct quote attribution) when you are fighting for the kingdom of God?
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Don't get discouraged by the new model
I knew that something would happen while I am on hiatus.
Apparently one of our own has joined the other side.
Michael Glatze, called a rising star in gay leadership (and I will attribute this to him being former editor of Young Gay America rather than the fact that he is young, thin and blond like so many of our so-called leaders), has become an ex-gay.
Naturally this means that we will be inudated by Peter LaBarbera, One News Now, so-called "pro-family" webpage and blogs talking about how another person has found "freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus."
Was Glatze gay in the first place? I don't know because I never met the young man.
But I am disturbed by how he is now beating the drumbeat lies of the so-called promiscuous "homosexual lifestyle" complete with intestinal disorders.
So am I shocked by Glatze's change?
No.
Am I depressed at the company he now keeps?
No. A bit saddened but not depressed.
Let's face facts about the anti-gay industry and their partner in crime, the ex-gay industry. I have seen so many of these ex-gay spokespeople come and go. From Anthony Falzarano to John Paulk to Michael Johnston.
The anti-gay industry goes through ex-gay spokespeople like Henry VIII went through wives.
Glatze is just the latest model; a pretty boy whose story will allow the anti-gay industry to denigrate the lives of lgbts who have happy lives, unencumbered by the stereotypes and lies of oversexed gay men and violent lesbian women.
For the time being that is.
Glatze will have a time in the sun. But remember the light of that same sun also shines on us who are proudly gay and lesbian. So we must never forget who we are.
And by all means, do not fall for the lie that God does not want you to embrace your lgbt orientation. Homosexuality is not the enemy of faith or religion. I speak from personal experience when I say that this.
God created us all; heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered, to be exactly the way we are. What we do with the orientation that God gives us is our choice.
But as long as this cultural war over gay rights continues, we can expect to see more Michael Glatzes and unfortunately the Michael Glatzes of today will probably turn into the Ted Haggards of tomorrow.
But never forget that there are more of us than of them.
I knew that something would happen while I am on hiatus.
Apparently one of our own has joined the other side.
Michael Glatze, called a rising star in gay leadership (and I will attribute this to him being former editor of Young Gay America rather than the fact that he is young, thin and blond like so many of our so-called leaders), has become an ex-gay.
Naturally this means that we will be inudated by Peter LaBarbera, One News Now, so-called "pro-family" webpage and blogs talking about how another person has found "freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus."
Was Glatze gay in the first place? I don't know because I never met the young man.
But I am disturbed by how he is now beating the drumbeat lies of the so-called promiscuous "homosexual lifestyle" complete with intestinal disorders.
So am I shocked by Glatze's change?
No.
Am I depressed at the company he now keeps?
No. A bit saddened but not depressed.
Let's face facts about the anti-gay industry and their partner in crime, the ex-gay industry. I have seen so many of these ex-gay spokespeople come and go. From Anthony Falzarano to John Paulk to Michael Johnston.
The anti-gay industry goes through ex-gay spokespeople like Henry VIII went through wives.
Glatze is just the latest model; a pretty boy whose story will allow the anti-gay industry to denigrate the lives of lgbts who have happy lives, unencumbered by the stereotypes and lies of oversexed gay men and violent lesbian women.
For the time being that is.
Glatze will have a time in the sun. But remember the light of that same sun also shines on us who are proudly gay and lesbian. So we must never forget who we are.
And by all means, do not fall for the lie that God does not want you to embrace your lgbt orientation. Homosexuality is not the enemy of faith or religion. I speak from personal experience when I say that this.
God created us all; heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered, to be exactly the way we are. What we do with the orientation that God gives us is our choice.
But as long as this cultural war over gay rights continues, we can expect to see more Michael Glatzes and unfortunately the Michael Glatzes of today will probably turn into the Ted Haggards of tomorrow.
But never forget that there are more of us than of them.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Almost there but not quite
Thank you all of those who sent me kind words and emails expressing your sympathy for my situation.
To reiterate the facts: My apartment was burned out. No one was harmed but my mother and I had to find a new place to stay.
We now reside at a new location so I am thankful that we are not homeless. However, it will be later this week before I am able to get my DSL and cable hooked back up. Therefore, I will be posting sporadically via the Public Library.
Nothing pretty much to tell. I hate that I am unable to post but I am patient. I will be roaring soon.
There is another bit of good news about the fire. Definitely the fact that no one was hurt tops the good news chart, but I am also happy to report that we didn't lose that much of anything. We received just a little smoke and water damage.
That means our personal possessions, and especially the notes for my book, are safe and moved to our new apartment.
It also means that my book continues to be on schedule to be published this fall.
Again, I want to thank you all for the support and love you have given me and my mother during this stresful time.
I also want to thank (in a offhand, sarcastic way) the Paul Cameron supporter who posted to my page. While I am not at full strength, I'm glad to see that I can still knock down your lies.
Will post again soon. Keep your fingers crossed as to me getting back online.
Thank you all of those who sent me kind words and emails expressing your sympathy for my situation.
To reiterate the facts: My apartment was burned out. No one was harmed but my mother and I had to find a new place to stay.
We now reside at a new location so I am thankful that we are not homeless. However, it will be later this week before I am able to get my DSL and cable hooked back up. Therefore, I will be posting sporadically via the Public Library.
Nothing pretty much to tell. I hate that I am unable to post but I am patient. I will be roaring soon.
There is another bit of good news about the fire. Definitely the fact that no one was hurt tops the good news chart, but I am also happy to report that we didn't lose that much of anything. We received just a little smoke and water damage.
That means our personal possessions, and especially the notes for my book, are safe and moved to our new apartment.
It also means that my book continues to be on schedule to be published this fall.
Again, I want to thank you all for the support and love you have given me and my mother during this stresful time.
I also want to thank (in a offhand, sarcastic way) the Paul Cameron supporter who posted to my page. While I am not at full strength, I'm glad to see that I can still knock down your lies.
Will post again soon. Keep your fingers crossed as to me getting back online.
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