Wayne Besen does it again

Another nail in the anti-gay industry coffin courtesy of Wayne Besen and Truth Wins Out:

Dr. James Dobson
Focus on the Family
Colorado Springs, CO 80995

April 30, 2008

Dear Dr. Dobson,

I want to draw your attention to a gross misrepresentation of our research at the website of "Focus on the Family" (see http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000682.cfm). In the third paragraph of the article, "Myths and Facts," our research is cited in support of the statement: "During early adolescence, many children experience a period of sexual-identity confusion when they can easily be influenced in either direction."

First, please note that the citation itself is incorrect. The original article was published in Pediatrics, not Journal of Pediatrics. The correct reference is: Remafedi G, Resnick M, Blum R, Harris L. Demography of sexual orientation in adolescents. Pediatrics. 89(4):714-721, 1992. More important, had the authors of "Myths and Facts" actually read the article, they would have found no support for their contention that "many children experience a period of sexual-identity confusion when they can be influenced in either direction." The word confusion does not appear in our article; nor did we find that anyone can influence a young person's sexual identity.

The purpose of our study was to explore patterns of sexual orientation in a representative sample of more than 34,000 Minnesota students in grades 7 to 12. We found that the percentage of student who reported being "unsure" about their orientation steadily declined with age from 25.9% in 12-year-old persons to 5% in 18 year-old students (p. 716). Youth who were "unsure" were more likely than others to entertain homosexual fantasies and attractions and less likely to have had heterosexual experiences (p. 720). These and other data suggested that uncertainty about sexual orientation "gradually gives way to heterosexual or homosexual identification with the passage of time and/or with increasing sexual experience" (p. 720).

Please ask the authors of the misstatements to correct them as soon as possible. In the interest of accurate translation of research into practice, a copy of this letter will be posted at www.truthwinsout.org. Thank you for your attention.
Respectfully yours,

Gary Remafedi, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Minnesota
428 Oak Grove St.
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Riddle me this: how long will it take before Dobson, Matt Barber, Peter LaBarbera and company claim that this doctor was "pressured by radical gay activists?"

Day after the Day of Truth - another Day of Silence

I echo the sentiments of the webpage goodasyou.org:

The so-called "Day of Truth" went by yesterday with less than a whimper. While last Friday's pro-acceptance, anti-bullying Day of Silence attracted considerable attention, there was barely a mention of Monday's anti-gay endeavor on either mainstream or "pro-family" news sites, and none of the usual social conservative groups issued so much as a press release celebrating the event. In fact, a Google News search doesn't turn up even one "DOT" mention posted after 4/27.

I remember how quickly members of the anti-gay industry sent out press releases celebrating the Sally Kern rally.

Maybe they are practicing restraint this time?

I doubt it.

Unless things change, I am going to file the 2008 Day of Truth as a HUGE FLOP.

Please bear in mind that I am not gloating. I had a feeling that this would happen.

The messages the anti-gay industry sent were very conflicted. Was the focus of attention supposed to be on boycotting the Day of Silence or participating in the Day of Truth?

I think that there were some inner conflicts between various anti-gay industry groups and the lgbt community benefitted from these conflicts.

While it is true that our friend Peter is trying to spin Ken Hutcherson's protest into a huge event, no one is really buying that lie.

Both the Day of Truth and boycotting the Day of Silence were failures.

Score one for the good guys.

So what's the next option for the anti-gay industry?

Probably pleading ennui and victimhood:

Illinois, teachers threatened students with suspension and called the Day of Truth a “hazing” incident. A North Carolina school told a student he could not wear a Day of Truth shirt or hand out literature.

In the coming days, we will probably see more of this.

Victimhood is truly the last refuge of scoundrels.

Day of Silence a huge success despite the efforts of some people

Geez, Peter LaBarbera can lie through his teeth:

Hutcherson Leads 500 Out of School on Pro-Homosexual ‘Day of Silence’

Congratulations to Pastor Ken Hutcherson for showing America how to take on the forces that are stealing the education system to indoctrinate children in left-wing and anti-Christian ideologies. Hutcherson led a full one-third of Mt. Si High School students OUT of school Friday to protest the pro-homosexuality “Day of Silence.”

Peter LaBarbera telling a lie against the lgbt community?

The sun must have come up today.

But I would suggest that folks read the actual article Peter alludes to.

For the record, Hutcherson did not lead one-third of the students out of the school. His protest only had 100 people, which was one-tenth of the number of people he wanted to be there (Hutcherson was asking for 1,000 attendees for his so-called prayer vigil.)

The school reported that 495 students did not attend school, including 85 athletes, who were excused for personal beliefs.

Now it could be that many of the students were trying to avoid the controversy altogether. That is their right. However, for Peter to infer that the students did not attend school to show Hutcherson some type of support is incorrect. The article does not say that these students were showing Hutcherson any support.

Peter intentionally ignored the fact that over 80 parents showed up to give their support to the Day of Silence at the school.

Also, organizers of the event at the school are calling it a success.

And how did the Day of Silence do nationally?

Well check out these links:

275 students participated at this school - Day of Silence peaceful at Desert Ridge High

Hundreds of students participated in North Carolina - Gay rights protest at schools is quiet

And last but not least, my favorite - Record Number Of Schools Observe Day Of Silence

No matter how much Peter and his cohorts try to manipulate the facts to claim that their opposition to the Day of Silence was successful, no one is buying it.

The Day of Silence this year a huge success.

UPDATE - And the lies continue from Peter:

We received a call yesterday from Pastor Ken Hutcherson, who led the successful student boycot of the pro-homosexuality “Day of Silence” (DOS) at Mt. Si High School in Redmond, Washington. It turns out that 638 students out of a total of 1,410 walked out to make a statement against the DOS, not 495 as the Seattle Times reported (relying on Principal Randy Taylor’s count).

Now Peter is inferring that the students "walked out" in support of Hutcherson. The lies keep coming.

Of course rumor control has it that Peter is spinning this story to take focus away from the failure of yesterday's "Day of Truth."

There were no articles or comments regarding just who, if anyone, participated in that mess.

Day of Silence about our children

With all of the fighting between us and the anti-gay industry, it's easy to forget what the Day of Silence is about.

It's about our lgbt children being able to attend school safely. It's about them being able to learn and grow without fear of physical reprisal just because some ignorant individual has a problem with their orientation.

When I was young, the rumor of someone being gay was enough for the person to get a harsh beatdown.

It's changing a little but more needs to be done.

So I commend all of those taking part in tomorrow's Day of Silence for standing up for themselves and their fellow classmates. In the long run, they are the only thing that matters here; not Peter LaBarbera, not Linda Harvey, not Ken Hutcherson, nor any of the other distorters of truth and Christianity

The following article brings it all home as far as I'm concerned:

Students Plan Speechless Friday to Protest Treatment of Gays

Students thrive on communication, whether it's instant-messaging, e-mailing, text-messaging, talking by cell phone or, when all else fails, chatting face to face. Sarah DeSimone, a gregarious senior at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, is no exception. On Friday, though, DeSimone hopes to make a statement by going speechless.

She and several other Florida Southern students plan to take part in the Day of Silence, during which students across the nation from middle school through college remain quiet to bring attention to harassment and violence directed toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth. The event, organized by students and sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), suggests that intimidation in schools silences nonheterosexuals from being open about their orientation.

Students from several middle and high schools in Polk County also have registered to participate, according to a GLSEN spokesman.

DeSimone, a biology major from Rhode Island, is the president of Allies, an FSC organization for gay, lesbian and bisexual students and their straight friends and supporters. She said the 2-year-old club has about 10 active members and another 50 or so supporting members.

"We were talking to members, saying it's OK if you only do part of the day," said DeSimone, 20. "Some classes like communications, where you have speeches, you can't really keep silent the whole time, so just do your best. Personally, I will be keeping silent the whole day. I know there are a couple other people in the executive board of Allies who are going to do the same thing."

Several members of Allies printed cards explaining the reason for their silence. DeSimone said they will wear the cards on strings around their necks or carry them. She said some Allies members wore T-shirts bearing the Day of Silence logo last year. . .

More at this link.

Ken Hutcherson - Protests, Prayers and Beating people up with their own arms

I hear Pastor Ken Hutherson (who never met a self-aggrandizing adjective he didn’t like) is going to be protesting the Day of Silence.

This is the same guy who has joked about beating up an “effeminate man.” I believe his exact words were ". . .I’d rip his arm off and beat him with the wet end.”

In the past, Hutcherson has engaged in some absolutely un-Christian behavior including threatening a librarian with the loss of her job, allying himself with a nasty international anti-gay group, and staging a phony boycott against Microsoft.

However, in light of what happened to little Lawrence King, his joke about beating up an “effeminate man” stands out.

So attacking a man for being “effeminate” is okay but an event designed to stop the bullying of our lgbt children is wrong?

Does anyone else see the irony in this?

If Hutcherson wasn’t so busy feathering his own cap, perhaps he could see the irony in his words.

Maybe instead of protesting against the Day of Silence, Hutcherson should pray for humility for a change.

Box Turtle Bulletin has a complete list of Hutcherson's "greatest hits."

Day of Truth? Give me a break!!

Dan Gonzales of Box Turtle Bulletin has come out with an excellent video combatting the Day of Truth.

I'm sure my readers have probably already seen it, but it never hurts to post it.

The more hits this video gets, the better.

And speaking of our very unworthy opponents, it has been very clear that many of them think repetition is an adequate substitute for truth.

Despite the fact that many bloggers (such as my humble self) have taken them to task for distorting the 1997 Canadian study to claim that gays have a short life span and

despite the fact that the researchers in 2001 complained about the distortion of their work,

the anti-gay industry continues to repeat this lie. Witness the words of your friend and mine, Janet Folger:

But here's the best response to schools advocating an agenda that knocks an average of 20 years off your child's lifespan: Inform the school district that if they participate in promoting behavior that is harmful to minors, they are in violation of state law and that you, as a parent or citizen, will pursue all legal consequences available to you.

What's funnier about this? The fact that Folger continues to repeat this lie or the fact that she is giving bad advice?

The webpage Good As You takes Folger to task better than I ever could (that is without inserting cuss words):

where the holy hell does she get off threatening schools with legal action if they recognize this secular, universal call to stop bullying and harassment?! Public schools have a right and even DUTY to protect every one of their students. And if they provide a supportive atmosphere for students to hold their peaceful demonstration without punishment, then they are not only acting in accordance with the law, but also in accordance with DECENCY! The "Day of Silence" is about ending a problem towards which we've turned a blind eye for far too long. It's not a gay/straight, Christian/atheist, Democrat/Republican, liberal/conservative tit for tat. It's a rational call to end irrational complacency!

Janet Folger, we understand why you are resorting to more vehement tactics in days of recent, as it's becoming more and more apparent that the era of religious right dominance that has provided your discriminatory side with cover for the past few decades is quickly going the way of Reaganomics. But dear, your vocal protestations are only increasing the speed at which the anti-gay community is heading toward the Annals of Unfortunate Civil Rights History. "Change" is becoming the narrative for Americans on both sides of the aisle. And in terms of gay rights, that "change" is not an emboldening of your side's ideas that gays can morph into something called an "ex-gay." The change as it applies to you is one that is bringing greater peace and acceptance for not only the queer community, but also the friends, neighbors, and loved ones with whom they share the world.

And last but not least, let's talk about one of the folks attacking Day of Silence.

On various anti-gay industry pages, readers are encouraged to go the Mission America site for more information about the Day of Truth and Day of Silence.

Mission America is a site that supposedly:

. . .research(es) social trends inside and outside Christianity. The picture often reveals an America that is slowly being dismembered, because the Body of Christ is becoming another creature--one made in the image of corruptible man. We need knowledge, then repentance, prayer, fasting, followed by action.

In other words, it repeats anti-gay industry propaganda ad naseum.

Interestingly enough, the site has a list of schools participating in Day of Silence. I guess the connotation is that parents should call and repeat the standard lies about the "gay agenda" in order to keep Day of Silence from taking place.

The founder of Mission America is a woman by the name of Linda Harvey. Harvey touts herself as a former advertising executive who became a Christian and is now on a mission to save America from the "forces of evil."

Want to see some of her work? Check this out:

When people have views supporting homosexuality they should not be involved with youth in any way, period. Because they:

will provide inaccurate, misleading information to kids;

may limit a student’s opportunity to hear warnings about the behavior;

may advocate or model inappropriate behavior;

may be directly involved in the molestation of kids themselves; or

may be in a position to allow others to do so" - Fairy Tales Don’t Come True, February 13, 2006

Personally, I would be fearful with intrusting children to someone like Harvey.

But to the anti-gay industry, she is an "expert."

Don't take much with those folks, do it?

Just say the word "Jesus" a lot and leave your common sense at the door.

I wonder how much does being an "expert" pay?

Just kidding, folks.

I would rather be a stripper than a "homosexuality expert" for the anti-gay industry.

At least with stripping, I would have some dignity.

Who is it, Liberty Counsel?

The Day of Silence is coming this Friday and of course the anti-gay industry is firing up their cannon of bullshit. As they do every year, the anti-gay industry likes to claim that the Day of Silence actually disrupts the school day and students are forced to participate.

. . . in one school district a principal told a father if his son was not at school on the "Day of Silence," the student would be given a failing grade for the year. In Indiana, parents were told by public school officials it was "against the law" for them to cancel the program or excuse absences that day. And in Iowa, a school board member said a student refusing to speak throughout a school day was no more disruptive than a "Christian wearing a cross."

All of these are vague examples, especially the first one. It's the only one that doesn't list a state.

Maybe I shouldn't be so skeptical, but when dealing with members of the anti-gay industry, I have learned to keep one eye open.

On so many occasions, they have exploited possible controversies by either out-and-out lying or leaving out critical details that would change the connotation the situation.

So I don't think I'm totally blameless for being highly skeptical of the Liberty Counsel's claim of Day of Silence coersion tactics.

If anyone has any information about these situations or can point me where I can receive information, please let me know.

Otherwise, I am going to chalk it up to another lie.


And now, from the Department of Ewwwwwwwwwwww

A good friend of mine, Joe Brummer, recently had a discussion with a "Christian activist" by the name of Stacy Harp.

Stacy, in her eternal wisdom, took it upon herself to tape the conversation. She claimed that it was to protect herself.

If you ask me, she would have gotten the same result by playing on a busy freeway. I think what the conversation proves is that in matters of Christianity, calling yourself a child of God and being one are two different things.

If you want to hear the entire mess, go here. But I found this part to be totally hilarious in what it says about Harp's character, or lack thereof in the lovely un-Christ-like words she uses:

Stacy: Putting your penis in somebody's asshole...

Joe: ...to have a sexual conversation with you.

Stacy: ...is all about anal sex, and that's what you do...

Joe: Stacy, you have a nice day.

Stacy: ...right? That's exactly what you do.

Joe: Have a nice day, thank you for calling.

Stacy: That's what you do.

Stacy Harp: Ladies and gentlemen, that was Joe Brummer, denying, that homosexuality, is all about putting his penis, in somebody's asshole. You know, and uh, it's really interesting, that you know, he doesn't have the guts to admit that, but now he wants to make it all about, not that. So, you know, there ya go, I mean this is just evidence that somebody who supports the fact that homosexuality is about um-is about um, you know having kids, having sex with kids, 'n stuff, unbelievable.

Sometimes I really don't think we need to do that much work.

Just give our opponents room while they hang themselves.

Who needs truth when you have an echo chamber?

Editor's note - My mother is doing well after her operation. Thank you all for your prayers.

The war of words between me and the anonymous commentator I talked about yesterday is still going on.

He swears up and down that Letellier is not being truthful in his complaint of distortion. And he even finds time to attack Mitt Romney.

I don't even know how Romney got involved in this situation.

Stubborn is one thing. Pathetic is something else entirely.

But onto something very interesting that a blogger sent me.

The anti-gay industry seems to be having a fight behind the scenes against the Day of Silence.

There have been letters to the editor sent to various newspapers protesting the Day of Silence. The letter are from supposed "concerned citizens."

The letters are in various places - here, here, here, and here.

You can read them all if your stomach allows. But if not, then go here to the American Family Association's web page. It pretty much says the same thing, even using some of the same sentences.

This illustrates how conservative Christians aid and abet their being led astray by the anti-gay industry.

It is apparent that none of these people know anything about the Day of Silence. They probably just heard that "gays are having an event at their children's schools." And rather than trying to find out the truth, they went to a web page that not only exploited their ignorance, but gave them words to say.

And now they are allowing themselves to be used in an echo chamber of lies.

If they have so much of a concern, why couldn't they find their own words?

It just goes to prove that the Day of Silence is not the problem.

Ignorance and fear are.

A big hat tip to Scott in Long Beach for the information.

A history of 'worthless fluff' courtesy of the anti-gay industry

Two days ago, Matt Barber (Concerned Women for America) dismissed a 2001 letter from six researchers. The researchers had complained the anti-gay industry was distorting a 1997 study they conducted in order to say that gays have a short life span.

Among other things, Barber said the letter was "worthless fluff."

I will not speculate how Barber, who has no training in such matters, can dismiss the complaints of researchers about the misusage of their work.

I want to examine the history of "worthless fluff."

In this case, "worthless fluff" is defined as all the times legitimate researchers and physicians have complained that the anti-gay industry has distorted their work.

Let's take a trip down the timeline:

1998 - Pediatrician Robert Garafalo complains that the anti-gay industry distorted his study regarding at-risk behavior amongst gay youth. He said the groups omitted the part of his study that said the at-risk behavior is the result of a homophobic society. Curiously enough, Robert Knight (Barber's predecessor in Concerned Women for America) dismissed Garafalo's complaint, calling him a "thrall of political correctness."

- Assistant Professor of Sociology Lisa Waldner tells Frank Rich of the New York Times that the anti-gay industry is distorting a study she wrote while in 1992 in order to claim that lesbians relationships have a high rate of domestic violence.

2001 - Patrick Letellier complains that Gary Glenn of the American Family Association cherry picked passages from his book (Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them) in order to assert that domestic violence is high in gay relationships. Years after this, the book continues to be cited by the anti-gay industry in the same way Glenn cited it.

- Robert Spitzer publishes a study that says a small number of people can change their sexual orientation. The anti-gay industry cites the study as proof that homosexuality is a choice. Spitzer complains as to how his work was being used, even publishing a piece in the Wall Street Journal complaining about how his work was being distorted.

2002 - A. Nicholas Groth writes a letter to the Family Research Council claiming that the group distorted his work in a study to prove that gays molest children at a high level. Groth, in 1983, complained that anti-gay researcher Paul Cameron had done the same thing. The study published by the Family Research Council is almost similar to the one published by Cameron.

2006 - Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc of the University of British Columbia complains that Focus on the Family distorted her study on lesbian teen suicide.

- Dr. Kyle Pruett, a clinical professor of psychiatry in the Yale Child Study Center and School of Nursing accuses Focus on the Family head James Dobson of distorting his work.

- New York University educational psychologist Carol Gilligan, Ph.D. writes Focus on the Family head James Dobson a blistering letter accusing him of distorting her work.

Gotta love the "worthless fluff."

Sooner or later, it will be the very thing that exposes the anti-gay industry for the liars they are.

UPDATE: Definition of pitiful

A commentator disagreed with what I said. And he took it upon himself to try and correct me.
What makes it so funny is that he repeats the same error that Gary Glenn made when distorting Patrick Lettelier's work.

Apparently he wasn't aware that I have in my possession a letter by Mr. Letellier outlining just HOW Gary Glenn distorted his work.

It's all in the comments section of this post.

First Kevin McCullough's flimsy defense of his ENDA lie and now this.

These so-called "Christians" can't accept the fact that their beliefs can't turn their bullshit into facts.

Lord, if these are truly Your people called by Your name, then why do they lie so much?

Editor's note - Please keep my mother in your prayers as she is in the hospital for a surgical procedure today and tomorrow.

Also, Kevin McCullough responded to yesterday's post about him, ENDA, and Barack Obama. He says his claim that ENDA would make it difficult to fire a youth pastor found to be in inappropriate relationship with a young boy is correct. He says he consulted "three legal experts."

Read his response to my post and my response to him in the comments section of yesterday's post.

One News Now distorts a story- should we be surprised?

Usually in the case of gay/straight alliances in schools, the lgbt community has come out consistently on top.

However, we lost in a recent case.

And One News Now claims to know why:

Federal judge K. Michael Moore has said a Florida high school was within its rights when it banned a student-led pro-homosexual club.

That's the lead. Further down, the story says:

Also, David Gibbs, founder of the Christian Law Association, says a long-standing school policy helped administrators make the right decision. "The Okeechobee High School has a policy that bans all sex-based clubs. Any club that deals with sexual orientation or identity are [sic] not allowed. In this case, the students lost interest and the clubs dissolved, and the federal court recognized that there was no issue to continue pushing," Gibbs contends.

He also says the school board had a policy in place to teach abstinence. "School boards nationwide need to realize that they do have the opportunity to indeed act in the best interest of their students. And in this particular case, Okeechobee high school's decision to honor abstinence and stand against the promiscuity that is so encouraged in so many quarters of our land was honored by this federal court decision, completely dismissing the lawsuit that had been filed against them," Gibbs points out.

But neither of these assumptions are true. The article also says:

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Moore said since the student has already graduated, she is no longer affected by the school's decision to ban the club.

You got that? Judge Moore did not say the school was well within its rights to ban the gay/straight alliance. And also, that ridiculous explanation that the school's policy against "sex-based" clubs helped Moore to make this ruling is also a lie.

Judge Moore ruled that since the student (i.e. plantiff) has graduated, she is no longer affected by the school's policy, thereby making the lawsuit useless.

Perhaps One News Now feels that since they are fighting against the forces of the supposed gay agenda, little things like accuracy and news integrity are light casualties.

Kevin McCullough attacks Barack Obama with an ENDA lie

Barack Obama scares the right-wing.

Obviously, everyone figured this campaign was going to be a coronation for Hilary Clinton. Everyone but Obama and his supporters.

I like what's going on. It puts everyone in a tailspin. And it teaches folks to not take the American voter for granted.

And it seems that no one is more surprised than the right-wing. I'm sure they had a lot of slings and arrows ready for Clinton. But with Obama looking like he is going to be the nominee, they have to scramble hard to get the "goods" on him.

That doesn't mean that they aren't trying. I have been paying slight attention to the Reverend Wright situation. I'm not too sure about what has been going on, but one thing that I do know is the right-wing has written so much about the situation that my head is spinning.

The conservative site Town Hall probably set a record with the number of hit pieces formulated to hurt Obama.

And speaking of which, conservative writer Kevin McCullough has written his own hit piece.

Apparently he is not happy that Obama supports ENDA. His entire piece is best served by focusing on the following lie:

So stifling would ENDA be in fact that if a Youth Pastor who works with young boys in a church program got caught in an inappropriate relationship with them, ENDA would make it nearly impossible for the church involved to fire the youth pastor. ENDA would directly challenge and seek to limit religious expression, doctrine, theology, and practice.

McCullough obviously thinks that people are stupid enough to fall for that faulty line of "logic." ENDA does not protect someone against unlawful behavior (i.e. a youth pastor having an inappropriate relationship with young boys).

In fact, no anti-discrimination law does. No law barring discrimination on the basis of race, religon, or national origin gives anyone cover to engage in unlawful behavior. And the same is for laws barring discrimination on the basis on sexual orientation.

The funniest thing is that McCullough is getting taken to task by the comments on the site. I rather like this one:

I'm pleasantly surprised to find some TH readers criticizing McCullough for his utterly loony rants. He assumes that whatever he fears or hates must be something liberals support--like school shootings, for instance.

Read stuff like this and weep, conservatives, because this is what conservatism has come down to. Your glory days of intelligent commentary are far behind you now, and McCullough is now what passes for a real conservative.

Actually, I would suggest that he, and his style, are quite appropriate for the present day. Today a conservative is very, very likely to be a theocratic hate-monger like McCullough. Today's conservatives, after all, are really right-wing populists, combining in equal amounts crudity, ignorance, and meanness in one very unattractive package. So, embrace McCullough; today he really does speak for most of you.

How true indeed.


Matt Barber tries to disavow credible researchers

I have talked several times about how the anti-gay industry distorted a 1997 Canadian study in order to claim that gays have a short life span.

They always omit the fact that in 2001, the researchers of the study went on record saying that their work has been distorted.

Matt Barber from Concerned Women for America has finally addressed this situation in a new piece written today:

Not surprisingly, that same homosexual lobby and its codependent enablers in the mainstream media moved quickly to sweep the IJE study under the rug. Under tremendous pressure, the researchers who conducted the study even jumped into the political damage control fray issuing a statement which read, "[W]e do not condone the use of our research in a manner that restricts the political or human rights of gay and bisexual men or any other group."

Naturally Barber does not go into detail talking about what "tremendous pressure" the researchers received.

I'm curious to see how much pressure, if any, was exerted in a four-year-period. The study came out in 1997. The letter was written in 2001.

Then to top it off, Barber (who is not a researcher) says this:

Of course, that's all just worthless fluff. All the political spin in the world doesn't change reality, nor does it eliminate the study's disturbing conclusions or practical implications. The research left ZERO wiggle room for anyone who would argue that homosexuality is a "perfectly normal and healthy alternative sexual orientation."

Barber's claim is bullshit. More than that; it's not only a blatant lie but a repeated drumbeat that the anti-gay industry is always sounding when they are caught lying:

No, we aren't wrong. It's those evil gays exerting pressure and forcing people to change their words.

The audacity of the anti-gay industry drives me insane. From Peter LaBarbera to Barber to James Dobson and even to those who cite their lies (Sally Kern), why is it that these people can't admit when they are wrong?

Oh no. They can't be wrong. They have a special pipeline to God so anything they say, no matter how incorrect or stupid it is, becomes correct.

It's happened so many times; a researcher or physician goes on record claiming that the anti-gay industry has distorted their work and then the anti-gay industry attacks the physician or researcher. Or downplays the complaint.

Or in some cases, totally ignores it.

Keep it up, guys. You can only tell a lie so long before it bites you in the ass. And I'm going to make sure I am around to point out the bite marks.

The webpage goodasyou.org has tracked this story , including posting the letter from the researchers crying foul over the distortion of their work.

Forgive me for copying, but I want to do the same thing:

Gay life expectancy revisited

Robert S Hogg, Steffanie A Strathdee, Kevin JP Craib, Michael V O'shaughnessy, Julio Montaner and Martin T Schechter

Over the past few months we have learnt of a number of reports regarding a paper we published in the International Journal of Epidemiology on the gay and bisexual life expectancy in Vancouver in the late 1980s and early 1990s. From these reports it appears that our research is being used by select groups in US and Finland to suggest that gay and bisexual men live an unhealthy lifestyle that is destructive to themselves and to others. These homophobic groups appear more interested in restricting the human rights of gay and bisexuals rather than promoting their health and well being.

The aim of our research was never to spread more homophobia, but to demonstrate to an international audience how the life expectancy of gay and bisexual men can be estimated from limited vital statistics data. In our paper, we demonstrated that in a major Canadian centre, life expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 21 years less than for all men. If the same pattern of mortality continued, we estimated that nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged 20 years would not reach their 65th birthday. Under even the most liberal assumptions, gay and bisexual men in this urban centre were experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by men in Canada in the year 1871. In contrast, if we were to repeat this analysis today the life expectancy of gay and bisexual men would be greatly improved. Deaths from HIV infection have declined dramatically in this population since 1996. As we have previously reported there has been a threefold decrease in mortality in Vancouver as well as in other parts of British Columbia.

It is essential to note that the life expectancy of any population is a descriptive and not a prescriptive mesaure. Death is a product of the way a person lives and what physical and environmental hazards he or she faces everyday. It cannot be attributed solely to their sexual orientation or any other ethnic or social factor. If estimates of an individual gay and bisexual man's risk of death is truly needed for legal or other purposes, then people making these estimates should use the same actuarial tables that are used for all other males in that population. Gay and bisexual men are included in the construction of official population-based tables and therefore these tables for all males are the appropriate ones to be used.

In summary, the aim of our work was to assist health planners with the means of estimating the impact of HIV infection on groups, like gay and bisexual men, not necessarily captured by vital statistics data and not to hinder the rights of these groups worldwide. Overall, we do not condone the use of our research in a manner that restricts the political or human rights of gay and bisexual men or any other group.

B. Brian Blair distracts me

As a child of the south, I love my pro wrestling.

My love of professional wrestling dates back to when Ric Flair had just begun to dye his hair and Ricky Steamboat was a rookie.

So imagine my confusion when I read the following:

Hillsborough County commissioner Brian Blair has picked up Ronda Storm's gay-bashing mantle. The The Former Bubble Bee is venting mock outrage that Tampa high school students will protest violence against LGBT.

The April 25th Day of Silence was started in tribute to Lawrence King, whom was gay and murdered at age 15. Students will not speak and hand out cards explaining their silence. All this sounds rather harmless and hardly a disruption to schools. Blair is running for re-election against Kevin Beckner. The latter is openly gay and heavily-backed by the Democratic establishment. Blair is also being investigation for a possible ethics violation. Time for Blair to play the religious card.

"I have always believed that all citizens are equal and should be treated accordingly. On the other hand, no group of citizens should be given government sanction and support to promote their social and sexual agenda upon the rest of us and especially, on our children."

B. Brian Blair is a former professional wrestler. He was never up to the level of fame that reached Hulk Hogan, Flair, Steve Austin or the Rock.

His claim to fame was being a member of the Killer Bees, a tag team that included (much more talented and more title-winning) "Jumping" Jim Brunzell.

I want to talk about just how stupid his claims are.

I want to say that the Day of Silence usually doesn't cause any problems until folks like Blair start with their "gay agenda" nonsense.

I want to talk about how the Day of Silence is a student-led event that no one is required to participate in.

But I can't.

When I first heard of what Blair said, my mind pushed back to the point I have always thought of about the Killer Bees long before Blair even became a council member.

Those shorts were too damned tight.

I know my mind should be on the ignorance flowing from Blair's mouth, but . . .

Those shorts were too damned tight.

But my mind tends to gravitate. Blame it on my gay sensibilities.

Those shorts were too damned tight.

I hear that not only is Blair a council member but he is also the chaplain.

I don't care if he is the Pope. I can't take his words seriously.

Every time I read the following words:

"I have always believed that all citizens are equal and should be treated accordingly. On the other hand, no group of citizens should be given government sanction and support to promote their social and sexual agenda upon the rest of us and especially, on our children."

My mind can't help but to gravitate to the following link.

Maybe I'm getting desperate in my approaching middle-age.

Despite the fact that the words coming out of his mouth are dumb as hell, it would be more interesting if more anti-gay industry spokespeople wore such tight trunks.

Then again scratch that.

I may be desperate and I may think that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill are hot . . .

But no one could get me drunk enough to drool over Peter LaBarbera or Matt Barber in tight trunks.

Hat tip to Pam Spaulding and Pushing Rope.

A little bragging for Thursday

I apologize for the short post today. I am due to hear my little cousin sing at a concert.

So I thought I would pat myself on the back real quick.

I apologize for the indulgence.

My other webpage, Anti-Gay Lies and Liars reached over 1,000 hits a while back.

While compared to other blogs, this may not seem much, but it is a success as far as I'm concerned.

Anti-Gay Lies and Liars began in January and it is my way of breaking down the distortions of the anti-gay industry into easy-to-understand points for use by those who are concerned with the well-being of lgbts.

Central to this page is my time-line of how the anti-gay industry have relied on bad studies, lies, and out-and-out deceptions to dehumanize lgbts and deny us what is rightfully ours.

I periodically add more examples of lies and distortions. This year has been very fruitful so far thanks to Sally Kern, Matt Barber, and Peter LaBarbera.

And I find it interesting that no one has challenged any of my assertions.

Every now and then, I get challenges on this blog, but for some reason no one challenges me on the veracity of the information on Anti-Gay Lies and Liars.

I wonder why that is.

Seriously, thank you everyone who made Anti-Gay Lies and Liars a success.

And by all means, use it to educate yourself and others.

Lastly, if there is something that you wish for me to add, please let me know.

Apparently we are winning the culture war

I would be remiss if I did not mention the new item about our friend Sally Kern.

It would seem that PFLAG has a tape of its meeting with her. And this tape contradicts her claims that PFLAG took her statements out of context.

Well duh.

Still, it's good to have this thing on record. But what else can I say about this woman, who has lied, distorted, attacked an innocent group of people and then hid behind her faith when called to the carpet?

Not a thing, so I will just direct you all to the link. It's a doozy.

And on that topic, I have been ignoring our friend Peter since he has been busy with his "I wanna be just like Sally" fest.

But it would seem that he is playing the "Oh we are going to lose to those nasty homosexuals" game again:

My friend Laurie Higgins below has hit on a microcosm of why our movement is on the brink of an astounding cultural defeat — the triumph of immoral same-sex behavior as a “civil right.” In the last decade, some of our leaders, and many conservatives, chose to “downplay” the very force — homosexualism — that was leading the assault on marriage, normalcy and children in our culture.

About three years ago, I sat in a roomful of evangelical leaders at a major ministry where it was taught that you should not criticize homosexual behavior in advocating against “same-sex marriage.” The “expert” speaker cited poll data and negative audience reaction to the issue being raised.

Meanwhile, with each passing year, the other side CELEBRATES homosexual and gender-confused lifestyles with ever greater fervor, and happily promotes the same to kids, as if they are doing God’s work (when it is actually Satan’s). Their play book is simple: always stay on the offensive, even when it comes to advocating “transgender” identity/behavior to children (e.g., the 2nd-grade Colorado boy who was encouraged to come to school in a dress). We moral-minded express the requisite shock and horror; they continue to move forward.

Tell me: which side is destined to win the Culture War according to these lopsided Rules of Engagement?

So we are winning against Peter and company. Who knew?

Well all I can say is that if we are winning, then we should thank Peter and company.

If people are turning against them, it's because they are seeing through their bullshit, particular on the issue of lgbt rights.

But tell me, just how long can anyone push the following degree of propaganda before they are caught in their lies:

Religious right: Homosexuality is a sin

Okay, that is your right to believe that.

Religious right: Gay men have a short life span because of the diseases they catch.

Say what!

Religious right: Lesbians have a high rate of alcohol abuse. Generally all gays and lesbians have a high rate of alcohol abuse and suicide.

Now hold up. Where are you getting that?

Religious right: Gays and lesbians are trying to recruit children into their lifestyle.

What in the hell are you talking about?

Religious right: Gays have an organized campaign going to silence Christians and destroy marriage.

Hold it! Where is your proof of these claims about homosexuality? What’s the difference between what you are saying about gays and what the Nazis said about Jews?

Pause

Religious right: I believe that homosexuality is a sin. Why are you calling me a hater when all I am doing is speaking God’s word.

Let's talk about Mass Resistance for a second

This situation regarding Paul Ash (see yesterday's post) underscores just how bullheaded some people are.

I read that Ash, despite being threatened, will continue the curriculum. And I hope he does.

But it amazes me that throughout all the comments I read on various pages, no one wants to answer the following question:

What is wrong with teaching children the truth that other family situations exist? It has nothing to do with sexual intercourse.

I don't see the answer to this question. What I see is the following (taken verbatim):

visit www.massresistance.org. Also google Boston Children's Hospital Sex Change Clinic. See for yourself what sick people these devaints really are.

I guess I am a homophobe, It must be a good and nessecary emotion as it keeps me clean, not like the homosexuals whom deceive children about human sexuality, of the family nature and marriage. two men, two women that have intimate relations, are mutiplating the natural course of sex and family.

Children must be afforded respect and protection of their innocence and childhood. Respectful adults do not involve children in talk of devaint sexual practices, nor do they involve children in adult sexual concerns. Responsible and intelligent adults realize children are not sexual creatures, they need time to grow and mature before they learn about adult matters

Hello, Hello, Hello, James, Reality is A man and a woman, come together as one to produce children the family. This is real reality as you see life cannot be without this reality. This is the reality of life itself. So tell the children the truth, man and woman= children= family. And when man realizes this truth and bonds with woman then he will live in reality. Amen!!! Praise Jesus!!!

We seem to be dealing with people who don't want to even admit that their ideas of family aren't the only ones. They seem to want to evade the question and push the conversation into the realm of sexual intercourse.

And helping them along with the way is the group Mass Resistance.

For many who don't know, Mass Resistance is a vile group in Massachusetts whose reputation for lying is so bad that I think even our buddy Peter won't vouch for them.

They are responsible for some of the most mean-spirited attacks on lgbts that I have ever seen. The only thing that separates them from Fred Phelps group is lack of notoriety.

Yesterday, I said that they were behind the David Parker controversy but I didn't go into detail about it.

When Parker was arrested (he eventually refused to leave his son's elementary school after a meeting.) Mass Resistance members just happened to be there to take pictures of him being led away in handcuffs.

Coincidence? You tell me.

Then a year after the initial nonsense, the group sent out a press release claiming that Parker's son was attacked because of his dad's stance. Mass Resistance claimed that the child was dragged behind a building and beat up by a bunch of students who were angry at the controversy Parker started.

The press release got significant play throughout many anti-gay industry web pages and blogs.

The incident was investigated by the school, the area police, and the area social services.

The results of the investigations are here and here.

There was no gang attack.

The real story was that Parker's son had gotten into a fight with a friend over a cafeteria seat.

And furthermore, Parker was told of the incident after it happened, so he had full knowledge of the incident before Mass Resistance's press release went out.

His son and the friend made amends and even had a "play date" after the incident.

Mass Resistance conveniently omits this distortion of truth when they talk about the Parker situation. And to make matters worse, they continue to tell the lie that Parker's son was gang attacked.

Go on their page now and see the claim. When caught in that lie, they spin more lies.

And just so you know, none of the anti-gay industry groups or bloggers who ran the Mass Resistance press release issued any type of retraction.

Luckily, there are two things that work against Mass Resistance.

Their antics have pretty much alienated them from the majority of the public in Massachusetts.

Also, there is a group constantly watching them and making sure people know the truth - Mass Resistance Watch.

But still, it's sad to see a how a bunch of liars can prey on the fears and insecurities of so many.

Another attack on same-sex families and those who support them in Massachusetts

I have written on several occasions about David Parker, the parent in Massachusetts who tried to make it seem that his child was being “taught about homosexuality” in his kindergarten class.

Parker started a huge controversy several years ago, including being arrested because he claimed that the school would not give assurances that his child would not be taught about homosexuality.

In reality, he tried to push a incorrect definition of the state’s “opt-out”policy that said parents could opt-out their children when schools were teaching sex education.

Parker and his supporters tried to claim that the “opt-out” included discussions or even mentions of same-sex families.

This was not true and it has been the saving grace for the school, Joseph Estabrook Elementary, throughout the controversy, the lawsuits and all of the mess.

Let’s hope this continues because it looks like the situation is coming up again.

Apparently Mass Resistance, the group behind Parker and his controversy, is trying to start something up again.

The superintendent of schools, Paul Ash, sent out a letter to the editor to a local newspaper that in part said the following:

On March 18, we presented to the School Committee this new, formalized diversity curriculum in preparation for next year, when we plan to pilot four to five short units in each elementary grade. Some units will focus on families, including families with single parents, foster parents, and gay and lesbian parents. Other units will focus on racial and ethnic diversity and other areas in which human beings differ from one another. Resources in this curriculum include books, materials, and discussion points that help children feel welcome and allow them to talk about their families and the families of their friends. Some units will focus on stereotyping, historical roots of discrimination, and bullying.

Sounds nice, don’t it. Think again. It seems the part about same-sex parents got someone’s knickers in a dither. Allegedly a parent sent the following letter to the principal of Joseph Estabrook Elementary:

I will absolutely require prior notification to any discussion, education, training, reading or anything at all related (even remotely) to homosexuality. It is quite clear by the email I just received that you have a very specific agenda and my family will be exercising our rights to be notified and not to participate. This goes against everything we believe and practice. Thank you in advance for your expected cooperation.

The letter was forwarded to Paul Ash, who sent the following letter back:

Ms. Batten has forwarded to me your recent email. Ms. Batten told me that you are new to town and perhaps you are not aware of the lawsuit decided by the United States Court of Appeals (Parker vs. Hurley). This case established Lexington's right to teach diversity units, including stories that show same gender parents. The court decided we are not required to inform parents in advance of teaching units that include same gender parents or required to release students when such topics are discussed. The Appeals Court dismissed the claim that parents have a right to require the school provide advance notice or the right to remove their children. In addition, the School Committee has decided that teachers must be able to teach topics they feel are appropriate without the requirement parents be notified in advance.

Ash even said the following:

Based on your email, I know you strongly disagree with this policy. I can, however, offer you the opportunity to examine the curriculum. I invite you to visit the Estabrook School to look at the materials before they are piloted next year. If your child happens to be placed in a class with a teacher who will be teaching the four of five diversity units, you will then know what will be taught and will be able to talk to your son or daughter about the topics at home.

Our goal is to develop a curriculum that includes the many faces and backgrounds of all students in our community.

The parent conveniently sent the entire exchange to Mass Resistance, who gave their incorrect spin on the situation:

Ash arrogantly tells (the parent) that he will NOT be allowed to be notified when his child is taught about homosexuality, but that he may look at the broad curriculum. This is very insulting. The curriculum and the "materials" can be as general and non-specific as the school chooses.

That’s not only a lie, but it’s a blatant distortion. No one is teaching this man’s child about homosexuality. Acknowledging the existence of different families is NOT the same as teaching sex education.

And Mass Resistance has the nerve to complain when the Southern Poverty Law Center proclaims them an official "hate group."

This exchange reveals what lgbt families have to deal with. It’s one thing for people like Peter LaBarbera, Mass Resistance, Sally Kern, and the rest to have a negative idea of lgbts because that is their right.

But the line must be drawn when they attempt to codify their incorrect definitions of who we are into law. To them, we have no concept of the word family. To use the words of anti-gay activist Janet Parshall, we are “pretend families.”

To the anti-gay industry and those dense enough to support them, homosexuality is wrong not just because it is a Biblical sin. To them, we are outsiders trying to take away what they see as their country and their values.

But we can’t take away these things from them because they were never theirs alone to begin with.

They see us as outsiders because they are too ignorant to comprehend and too arrogant to share.

When they ruminate their lies about the “gay agenda” or the “gay lifestyle,” they never seem to mention same-sex families.

And this is not accidental. You see they seek to try and psychologically put a scarlet letter on us. They not only want to push the idea that we are outsiders, they want to codify the idea in laws and in our minds.

They want to make the ability of starting and having a family so difficult for us that we begin to buy into the lies of hedonistic, sex-crazed, and lonely lgbts.

But they won’t be successful, not in Massachusetts because the laws are on the side of lgbt families.

And they won’t be successful in general.

You see, the fact of the matter is that there are many same-sex families that include children. And these families deserve as much love and support as two-parent heterosexual households.

No family deserves a place on a pedestal above other families.

And no matter how many semantic gymnastics they undertake or how many studies they distort, or how many facts they omit, they can never eliminate the actuality of lgbt families.

In the end, that will be OUR saving grace.

UPDATE: Now it seems that the Ash is being threatened for his stance:

Lexington superintendent Paul Ash of Newton has been threatened by a New Jersey radio host urging listeners to “use threats and violence” against Ash for the school district's new diversity curriculum.

The radio host says “I advocate parents using FORCE AND VIOLENCE against Superintendent Paul B. Ash as a method of defending the health and safety of school children presently being endangered through his politically-correct indoctrination into deadly, disease-ridden sodomite lifestyles.” The site lists Ash’s last known addresses, a phone number, and a birth date.

The host, Hal Turner, is a virulent racist whom hardly anyone pays attention to.

But it would only take one fool to listen and cause problems.

Let's all pray for Ash and hope that this situation is taken care and above all, that no one gets hurt.

And naturally, David Parker, taking a page from Mass Resistance, spins lies:

Parker said he's not surprised by the threats. "You can put it under any guise you want but little children don't need other adults asserting sexual proclivities to them and normalizing it and parents are in an outrage," he said.

Again, teaching about different families is not the same as teaching about sex education, no matter how Parker and his cohorts try to spin the situation.

Day of Silence coming up. Let's get ready

Bet you thought I was going to post another entry on Sally Kern.

No, that little controversy is one for the ages. I'm sure it will come up again but for now, there is nothing new to add.

Especially in light of the fact that there are so many more important things to focus on.

On the 25th of this month is the annual Day of Silence. Its webpage says:

The Day of Silence (www.dayofsilence.org), a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), is a student-led day of action where those who in which concerned students, from middle school to college, take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to the name-calling, bullying and harassment -- in effect, the silencing -- experienced by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students and their allies.

Naturally the anti-gay industry will have their hooks out trying to disrupt the day. This year, they will be launching a two-prong attack.

Anti-gay industry groups are encouraging parents to keep their children out of school during the Day of Silence.

Then the day after, they hold what they call "The Day of Truth."

According to the Allied Defense Fund, the group sponsoring it, Day of Truth:

was established to counter the promotion of the homosexual agenda and express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective.

This of course is a huge lie.

ADF actually encourages children to repeat Paul Cameronesque lies about lgbts during this day. One of their resources is The Ten Biggest Myths of Homosexual Behavior.

The only myth is that the information in this packet is accurate.

The handout claims that "homosexual behavior is at much higher risk for many sexually transmitted diseases, including not just HIV, but also syphilis, gonorrhea, human papilloma virus (HPV), hepatitis, chlamydia, and a whole group of infections called ‘gay bowel syndrome.’ But "gay bowel syndrome" is an obsolete medical term that medical practitioners do not use.

The handout also uses two bad studies put out by anti-gay industry groups. The studies, The Negative Effects of Gay Sex by John R. Diggs and The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality by Timothy Dailey, contains a multitude of errors:

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.

For more information, check out this excellent video by Wayne Besen who breaks it down on a level we can all understand.

The Day of Truth is anything but truth.

The Rally and What We Can Learn

The Associated Press is reporting that over 1,000 people showed up for the pro-Sally Kern rally. It doesnt' surprise me.

The first rally, held in opposition of her remarks, was a bit more spontaneous and featured mostly constituents who were concerned with how an elected official was demonizing them.

This recent one was no doubt more planned to the last detail - from the groups bussed in to the guest speakers, to the pro-Kern banner, to the press releases (that were probably written before the rally took place) and pictures that are now making their way through the blogsphere.
And I noticed that Kern just happened to make an appearance at this rally.

Other than on anti-gay industry webpages, this controversy seems to be on its last leg. But as Oklahoma slowly gets back to normal, let me leave you all with some final (I hope) thoughts on the matter.

Kern has damaged her effectiveness as a legislator. She now has an unfortunate stigma attached to her as "that legislator who said gays are worse than terrorists."

No matter how many rallies are staged for her benefit, that is what people are going to remember.

And it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person.

Now the BIG lesson we must all carry from this is - KNOW your legislators and make sure they know you.

This entire controversy began because Kern gave a speech saying things she claimed were backed up with facts.

As it turns out, her statements were not backed up with facts, but anecdotes and lies she gleaned from anti-gay industry studies and propaganda films.

So the question is just how many Sally Kerns exist in legislatures across the country? I don't mean people who have a belief that homosexuality is a sin.

I mean legislators who are not only plugged into the anti-gay industry's web of lies but are willing to pass them along as fact.

And are willing to pass legislation that will harm the well-being of lgbts.

All politics is local and no matter how much press the national fights over ENDA and hate crimes legislation gets, the real story is what's happening on a state-by-state basis.

In Florida, Ronda Storms is doing all she can to make sure that lgbts cannot adopt children,

In Utah, Chris Buttars tried to ban GSAs in public schools,

In Tennessee, Stacey Campfield tried to pass legislation to keep public schools from even mentioning lgbts.

It is imperative that we get to know our local elected officials because despite what is said, things like that DO matter.

It's election day in Columbia, SC

Right now in Columbia, there is a huge city council election. I'm still not sure as to why but the candidates have been pulling out all of the stops, including television commercials which is something I have never seen in a city election.

We even have one candidate running unopposed but he still put out a bunch of campaign signs. Talk about covering your bases.

Here is what I am sure of and happy about. LGBTs are not an election issue, not even with the anti-discrimination ordinance that passed unanimously through city council. We even had some candidates actually sit down and talk with us.

And to me, that is refreshing. It's equally refreshing to see candidates introduce his or her family in commercial and know that they are not doing it to distance themselves from the gay community.

Columbia isn't a bad city to live.

In contrast (and you all knew this was coming), I hear that many of the so-called main anti-gay industry talking heads will be in Oklahoma tomorrow for the Sally Kern rally. Our friends Peter LaBarbera and Matt Barber will be there.

And it amazes me that they continue to cast this as an issue of free speech. To repeat, no one thinks that Kern should be silenced, but she should be more accurate before opening her mouth.

And Peter knows exactly what I'm talking about based on email messages we sent to each other this weekend regarding Kern citing Paul Cameron as a source for her claims.

No matter. The press release has already been written by Peter and company. No matter what happens, they will use hyperbole to make Kern sound like a 21st century Joan of Arc.

This issue is slowly pettering out, being of use to no one but the anti-gay industry. If Kern is smart, she should let the issue rest. Otherwise, I'm guessing that years from now, she will be complaining as to how she was "used" by Peter and company.

Now to the issue of comedy, our friend Robert Knight, formerly of Concerned Women for America, is angry at ABC for a story on Good Morning America regarding the possible gay gene.

And check out this part of his whine:

The Good Morning America story follows the script proposed in the gay strategic manual After the Ball, by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen. The two Harvard-trained PR experts set out to “overhaul straight America,” which was the title of an article out of which After the Ball was born as a full-length book in 1989.

That book again. How many times are we going to be inudated with the claim that the lgbt community is using that book as a blueprint to take over America? It's a consistent lie that has been used over and over again.

And what makes it funny this time is that Knight is accusing ABC of being in on the plot.

When were they made a part of our conspiracy? Welcome to the gang, guys! Now perhaps one of you can get me the number of that cutie Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Hell, I will take Jonah Hill.

Seriously though, Jeremy from Good As You tears apart Knight's nonsense. It's an excellent read.