Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: 08/01/2009

Monday, August 31, 2009

South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer outed?

I was in the middle of writing something good about the Carrie Prejean situation but then I got knocked on my ass by the following:

A South Carolina politician with a lengthy antigay voting record who has denied that he is gay is lying, according to blogger Mike Rogers.

Rogers, whose work outing closeted politicians who vote antigay figures heavily into the documentary Outrage, reports that South Carolina Lieutenant Andre Bauer has reportedly flirted with several gay men, and one source has admitted to having sex with him.

Two former Bauer staffers said the Lt. Governor spent hours alone with young men in hotel rooms on at least three occasions. The staffers also said the men he spent time with were not staff members with no particular reason to spend time with him.

Bauer, who is unmarried, told The State newspaper in June that he was not gay.

"One word, two letters. 'No.' Let's go ahead and dispel that now," he said in the interview. "Is Andre Bauer gay? That is now the story. We're a long way from where we were a week ago. We have diverted what the real topic should be here: Is the governor capable for carrying on the duties for which he was elected?"

However, openly gay South Carolina legislator Linda Kentner has been vocal about the secrecy of such gay lawmakers in her state who prefer to keep quiet... like the Lieutenant Governor.

More here

Being an lgbt resident of South Carolina and therefore privy to certain things . . .

I ain't saying jack until things are confirmed. I'm too pretty to be sued.

Okay - just one thing but not necessarily about Bauer. Being an lgbt resident of this state, I am privy to information regarding many public figures who are in the closet. Some discussions may be just rumors, but trust me when I say that there are a lot of closeted public figures in this state. Some names will shock you.

It's a bizarre conundrum

Don't worry. My piece on Carrie Prejean's counsel will be coming soon. But being a resident of South Carolina, this was too good not to mention.

More attention means more trouble for anti-gay group and other Monday midday news briefs

NOM finds out that more attention isn't exactly a good thing:

Fine-toothed combs scour NOM's unfair hair

NOM's 2007 tax return...and who is behind 'consultant' Common Sense America

The two posts are from Goodasyou.org and Pams House Blend. I wanted to put them both in one location to focus attention on how much attention the National Organization for Marriage is getting. No doubt at first the group thought that the recent Washington Post profile on one of its leaders, Brian Brown, was a good thing. It's nice to see them learn the flipside of attracting attention, especially when you are doing something morally wrong and potentially shady.

New impetus for bill banning anti-gay bias at work - ENDA could pass this year and I know the religious right is just chewing on the bit to oppose it. I'm chewing on the bit to oppose them. Let's get it started!

Congregation embraces transgender minister as his secret is revealed - Here is a positive story you don't hear about every day.

MA: First out black lesbian mayor in the U.S., Denise Simmons, marries partner - It probably won't make BET, Jet or Ebony magazine - the %!*#!

Getting rebuked in the name of Jesus and called a twit - is this the best the anti-gay folks can do?

I got two interesting negative letters that I want to share with you. After almost three years of doing this thing, it's nice to see my work paying off (sarcasm alert).

Liar !

I don't see how you learned through prayer to accept being gay, because i know GOD never told you it is ok for you to be gay. You need to STOP misleading people in GOD's name because he never told you to accept homosexuality otherswise he would be a liar and you can't make a liar out of GOD. I rebuke you in Jesus name for the lie you told.

When I opened my email and read this message, I nearly fell out laughing. I didn't quite do so because I was busy trying to remember just exactly what I did to garner such an interesting response.

Then I remembered the email I wrote on youtube answering someone's question as to how I was so sure that God had accepted me as a gay man. Apparently someone didn't share my views.

The person didn't elaborate just what happens when one is rebuked in Jesus's name. My guess is that I win some lifetime supply of polyester leisure suits or get eternally strapped down in a doorless room and forced to continously listen to the Osmonds "One Bad Apple."

Either would be pure hell.

My other letter comes from one of my favorite anti-gay spokespeople (and yours), Peter LaBarbera. Apparently he is not appreciative of my latest piece, Peter LaBarbera - the self-destruction of an anti-gay activist.

Now in all honesty, his comments didn't come unsolicited. I emailed LaBarbera my column in order to garner a response. This is what he said:

You are officially a twit, Alvin. You can't even recognize that your own obsession betrays your argument. Adios.

Between you and, me, this is LaBarbera's second or third time with answering my email by calling me a "twit" and using that words "adios" as a signal that he will not return any of my emails.

And yet he continues to answer my emails. I guess he doesn't "know how to quit me."

This is the same guy who allegedly has more gay porn than most people. So you can understand why I'm spooked.

If anyone would know about being obsessed, it's him.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Peter LaBarbera - the self-destruction of an anti-gay activist

What if you gave a press conference attacking the President of the United States and no one showed up, especially the media?

What if you sue a major hotel chain and no one cares, except for those who oppose you and they only take note to laugh at you?

Such is the lot of self-proclaimed anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera.

One thing that the lgbt community doesn't seem to be giving that much attention to (with the planning of marches, fighting against anti-gay marriage laws, etc.) is the rapid and continued fall of LaBarbera from steadfast anti-gay activist to man with a serious problem.

The bio on his Americans for Truth webpage brags about his participation in groups such as Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council, and his short stint as leader of the Illinois Family Institute.

It also talks about how many times he was interviewed by the national media and show such as James Dobson's Focus on the Family.

LaBarbera has gone from those so-called extreme highs to the lowest of low - featuring obscene pictures on his webpage.

Those pictures are what he is known for. They are why he is referred to in some circles as "Porno Petey."

No matter how many changes and nuances the religious right goes through, the lgbt community can always count on LaBarbera to attend leather events and "street fairs" with his camera, looking for "filthy images" to publicize on his webpage as an example of the so-called real face of lgbt America. And he always makes sure to give "loving detail" to the acts featured in the pictures.

I'm not one to usually make psychological judgements on people, so don't hold it against me when I call LaBarbera a living breathing Freudian slip.

I would love to know how many have looked on LaBarbera's page and moved from disgust over the pictures to wondering just what is in the mind of the person who took the pictures.

I guess it's better than wondering how many folks looked at LaBarbera's page in attempts to "pleasure themselves." I'm sure there are some of those out there.

LaBarbera is also a perfect example of how stridency can backfire. Uusually when someone falls in the mud, they lift themselves up and try to wipe the mud from their bodies.

LaBarbera has not only remained in the mud, but he has taken the iniative to rub it all over clean parts of his body.

And it is having an effect on his reputation amongst his peers, whether they want to admit it or not.

LaBarbera claims to have spent many, many years fighting the alleged gay agenda but it was the hate group Mass Resistance that was invited to lead a workshop on this so-called agenda during next month's conservative conference, Take Back America.

Also, notice how quickly another anti-gay spokesperson, Matt Barber, has moved up in the religious right food chain.

Barber has gone from fired AllState employee to a spokesperson of Concerned Women for America, to a "dean" at the conservative Liberty University and a promiment position at the equally conservative Liberty Counsel. And to top it off, every now and then, he writes a column for the widely read Town Hall.

And all the while this was happening, the most LaBarbera has accomplished is to fish for donations for his Americans for Truth webpage.

LaBarbera is an embarrassment to the religious right. He is their "Bull Connor," throwing a monkey wrench into their fascade of "love the sinner, but hate the sin."

The only places he is taken seriously is One News Now (which probably publishes his comments out of pity), various conservative blogs (which are as strident as he), and blogs like mine, Goodasyou.org and Pams House Blend (in actuality, we don't take him that seriously. He is good for a laugh or pointing out the hypocrisies of the religious right).

Deep down, I like LaBarbera . . . as a relic.

No matter how bad things seem, his bleatings and single minded attempts of "digging deep" into the so-called gay subculture is a reminder of how far we have come as a people. And provides a good laugh amongst me and my friends.

But by no means should the lgbt community dance on LaBarbera's grave. LaBarbera is inflicted with that type of steadfast crazy seen only in horror movies where the monster continues to stalk even after being shot, stabbed, karated, etc.

In other words, he doesn't know when to quit and he doesn't know when or how to change. The lgbt community might as well get used to it and work it for our own purposes.

But all in all, I envision a future where LaBarbera is an old man sitting on a stoop somewhere, his body bent and quivering with age (and hopefully his chin drooling unwiped spittle and corn mush) while muttering about those "damn homosexuals."

Mentally, I think he is already there.

Picture taken from Pams House Blend.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Know your lgbt history - To Wong Foo and Priscilla

Not too many people are aware of the fact that the motion picture To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar was actually an Americanized version of the Australian movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Both are road movies.

To Wong Foo (1995) tells the story of three drag queens (Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo) who travel on a cross country trip to a competition. After a very ugly encounter with a police officer, their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. As they set up residence in the nearby town, their presence change the humdrum existence of the town's residents.

The Adventures of Priscilla (1994) was slightly different. It's the tale of two drag queens (Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce) and a transgender woman (played excellently by Terrence Stamp, who should have gotten an Oscar nomination) who is traveling across the Australian outback to a gig. As they make their way to the gig, we learn more about their lives and attain a degree of respect for them (Although Guy Pearce's character was extremely annoying. I won't even talk about the "ABBA turd.")

While To Wong Foo was a bit more comedic, both I found both movies to be enjoyable features in their own way. However, if I were to compare the two, I found To Wong Foo a bit shallow. It went for the easy laughs rather than to explore the characters' complexities.

Interesting fact to note - Priscillia is actually an Oscar winner. It won Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel the 1995 Oscar for Best Costume Design.

Gardiner stole the Academy Awards show with her dress made solely of old American Express Gold Cards.

Anyway, enjoy the clips. First, To Wong Foo:

Now here is Priscilla:

Utah governor opposes anti-discrimination protection for gays and other Friday midday news briefs

Utah governor: No special rights for gay people - That's right. You should be fired and denied housing because you are gay (sarcasm alert).

Race-Based Protests Directed At Obama Continue To Rise - Oh no! It's simply not true. It's just a case of "playing the race card." Where in the hell did that phrase come from anyway?

Court orders Oklahoma City teacher reinstated - We win one!

Gay Group Sues Washington Secretary of State - Things get interesting up in Washington.

Understanding the "How" In "How To Take Back America" - Featuring no less than THREE workshops on how to lie on lgbts.

Ask Maggie Gallagher about successful lgbt families

Make no mistake about it. When people like Maggie Gallagher and Tony Perkins pontificate about "the family," when organizations such as the National Organization for Marriage talk about the word "family," they don't want to talk about lgbt families.

You see, that's the one thing that will destroy all of their lies about marriage and the lgbt community - the fact that lgbt families are raising children to be successful and thriving American citizens.

Not once have I ever seen Gallagher, Perkins, or any of that bunch ever questioned about the existence of lgbt families.

Who will be the first to directly ask them?

Thursday, August 27, 2009

And now more fun bits from the National Organization for Marriage

Maybe I'm the last one to post this video (which means you probably have seen it already) but I think it's funny and factual.

The only thing it's missing is the "Gathering Storm" ad.

'Bash Back' hurts the lgbt community (again), Ex-gay group threatens legal action, and other Thursday midday news briefs

Audio: Right-wing extremist continues to help our cause - Yes, Jeremy. I am paying attention. I just hope that others are.

Ex-Gay Group Threatens Legal Action To Keep Secrets Hidden - I wonder what they are hiding.

Bash Back "Queer Anarchist" Busted For Smashing Denver Democratic Offices - Way to be counterproductive you idiots! Count on this being a front pager on One News Now, Americans for Truth and other various religious right sites and blogs (who, I might point out have been silent on the Arizona "Christian pastor" saying that gays should be killed.)

Group that opposes gay marriage now targeting Iowa - I said it once and I will say it again. Just who is funding the National Organization for Marriage?

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Proof that homophobes and racists aren't that different

This post is dedicated to Rev. Harry Jackson, Ken Hutcherson, and the rest who play the "gay rights" aren't the same as "African-American civil rights" game.

The argument about whether one can compare the struggles of the lgbt community to that of the African-American community will probably be an eternal one.

I've talked about the situation from many angles but I think I've nailed down one sure way to convey the fact that those pushing fear and hatred does not care if you are black, white, straight, or gay.

It's short and quick. If you blink, you may miss it.

First let's look at a handout from the racist group the National Alliance which talks about black men and HIV:

Now let's look at this lovely piece via the anti-gay group the Traditional Values Coalition criticizing ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act):

In the long run, it doesn't matter who had to ride in the "back of the bus" or who gets chased down a street.

As long as there are entities willing to exploit fear and stereotypes, we all suffer.

Are there any questions?

Editor's note - The Traditional Values Coalition is yet another anti-gay hate group as designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Related posts:

Interracial dating and homosexuality - two health risks?

Harvey Milk is entering the California Hall of Fame. Get over it

Not everyone in California is happy with the news that Harvey Milk has been selected for the California Hall of Fame:

"Harvey Milk was a notorious sexual predator, advocated multiple sexual relationships at the same time, was a public liar, and is in no way a good role model for children," said Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com.

In addition, Milk also squeezed the Charmin and pulled tags off of matresses.

Seriously, SaveCalifornia has created a webpage detailing Milk's "evils" in an attempt to get California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators to reject SB 572, the bill that would create "Harvey Milk Day" in California.

I personally hope that the bill passes, but to me it's no consequence whether it does or doesn't.

Milke will be entering the California Hall of Fame, an honor that will showcase him as an inspirational person in the history of the state.

In addition, Milk has already received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

So basically any nonsense that SaveCalifornia or Thomasson can think up to bash his legacy is irrelevant, ballast, cocktail canape.

Milk is an American hero and he has the honors to prove it. And no one can take that away from him.

End of story.

Related articles:

Let the Harvey Milk bashing begin courtesy of Focus on the Family

Religious right tries to smear Harvey Milk on his day of honor

Religious right shows Ted Kennedy no respect, Mark Sanford can kiss his job goodbye, and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Kennedy leaves 'sad legacy' on traditional values - From One News Now comes the notion of why should you show respect for those who have passed on when its more fun to be sanctimonious and self-righteous?

Young Gays in West of England Stand to Gain from Big Lottery Fund Cash Award - This is good news. I wish something like this would happen in the United States.

Florida's Gay Adoption Ban Headed to Appeals Court - Works for me if the state wants to fight this thing. I doubt they will be calling on George Rekers this time.

Split Decision on "Ex-Gay" Protections - Split decision my behind. PFOX lost this one and is trying to spin a victory out of this Bizarro-world style.

Anderson: Every Homosexual in the World is a Deviant Predator Who is out to Recruit Others Through Molestation and Rape - I get it now. If I just get on youtube shouting outrageous crap, I get media attention. Forget fighting for intelligent debate and truth.

Bauer: I won’t run in 2010 if Sanford resigns - Lt. Governor Andre Bauer is calling for SC Governor Mark Sanford to resign. Man, this has been an interesting summer.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Conservapedia's unbelievable defense of the discredited Paul Cameron

My prayers are with the Kennedy family in the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy. He was an intelligent and strong advocate for the rights of all people, including lgbts. History dealt him a nasty blow with the death of his brothers. But like all men of destiny, Kennedy rose above it to make the world a better place for us all.

He will be missed.

I was reading an excellent piece in Newsweek as to why some people were quick to believe the lie about health care death panels even after they were informed of the truth:

Some people form and cling to false beliefs about health-care reform (or Obama's citizenship) despite overwhelming evidence thanks to a mental phenomenon called motivated reasoning, says sociologist Steven Hoffman, visiting assistant professor at the University at Buffalo. "Rather than search rationally for information that either confirms or disconfirms a particular belief," he says, "people actually seek out information that confirms what they already believe." And God knows, in the Internet age there is no dearth of sources to confirm even the most ludicrous claims (my favorite being that the moon landings were faked). "For the most part," says Hoffman, "people completely ignore contrary information" and are able to "develop elaborate rationalizations based on faulty information."

And naturally my mind began thinking about those lovely individuals and groups concerned with supposedly winning "America for Christ, " colloquially known as the religious right.

Specifically, my mind began thinking about a certain conservative bastardization of the popular site Wikipedia.

I've written about Conservapedia before; about how the site used repeated and bad information to claim that "gay bowel syndrome" is an actual medical term rather than an antiquated term used to denigrate the lgbt community.

Well this new thing I found on the site tops that one.

This is what Conservapedia says about discredited researcher Paul Cameron:

Dr. Paul Cameron, Ph.D. is a scientist who has presented disturbing information about homosexual behavior in the United States. Professional associations have responded by making vague, unsupported accusations about his personal character.

. . . The APA and ASA have issued statements denouncing Cameron for holding positions contrary to theirs. They have not, however, pointed out any specific flaws in his published peer-reviewed scientific papers. So it is patently obvious that they are trying to suppress his findings for political reasons.

Conservapedia's explanation is extremely inaccurate.

The APA (American Psychological Association) dismissed Cameron for not cooperating when the group began investigating his research methodology. Various psychologists complained about how he was distorting their data.

I sincerely doubt that Conservapedia did any research into the matter, so to help the site out, I've attached the link of the letter from the APA officially dismissing Cameron.

And the (ASA) American Sociological Association denounced Cameron because of his bad research techniques. The group was concerned that Cameron was inaccurately being labeled as a sociologist.

The ASA's statement came after a task force looked at Cameron's history and techniques. You can read the findings here. And I might point out, the ASA task force did point to specific flaws regarding Cameron's work and specific complaints made about him.

The irony of Conservapedia's whitewash of Cameron is felt when one takes into account one of the guidelines of the site:

Everything you post must be true and verifiable.

I found a bigger irony when I looked over the list of Conservapedia Administrators. A good many of them have on their profile that they "have accepted Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior."

Apparently they love their version of Christian principles so much that they are willing to lie for them.

Editor's Note - APA letter and ASA report taken from the webpage of Dr. Gregory Herek.

Mike Huckabee - definitely not 'pro-sodomy' but extremely 'pro-ignorant'

I'm on a Mike Huckabee tear today. So sue me already.

The fact that former Arkansas Governor and talk show host Mike Huckabee will be attending a conference in which a workshop on combating the so-called homosexual agenda is to be co-led by a SPLC designated hate group shouldn't be surprising.

Also, the fact that he has aligned himself with former SPLC hate group, the Illinois Family Institute also is not shocking.

That is if you are aware of Huckabee's ugly history of stigmatizing the lgbt community.

In 1992 when he ran for Senate, he advocated quarantining AIDS patients. Huckabee was answering an Associated Press survey when he said the following:

"If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague," he wrote. "It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents."

In 2007, Huckabee was confronted with his past statements when he ran for president. According to an ABC News article, he chalked up the statement to being ignorant in regards to how AIDS is spread:

"Fifteen years ago, the AIDS crisis was just that, a crisis," he said. "There was still a great deal of, I think, uncertainty about just how widespread AIDS was, how it could be transmitted. So we know more now than we did in 1992, all of us do -- hopefully."

However, the same ABC News article brings up this fact:

Four years before Huckabee's statement, however, President Ronald Reagan's surgeon general, C. Everett Koop, sent out a brochure about AIDS to American homes in which Koop wrote, "No matter what you may have heard, the AIDS virus is hard to get and is easily avoided. You won't just catch AIDS like a cold or flu because the virus is a different type. The AIDS virus is transmitted through sexual intercourse, the sharing of drug needles or to babies of infected mothers before or during birth."

In that same 1992 survey, he said the following about homosexuality:

"homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk."

In the ABC News article, Huckabee maintained that what he said about homosexuality was still his belief except for the part about it being a health risk.

But if you want get a good indication as to where Huckabee stands on the lgbt community, check out this 2009 exchange on his talk show between him and guest Ann Coulter (starting at 4:00):

Huck to Coulter: I am not, as you characterize me in one article, pro-gay and pro-sodomy -- that is SO not me.

Coulter: Yes, there was a Supreme Court decision you agreed or disagreed with...yes, I got you on that one Mike Huckabee...

Huck: Nope, you didn't. I am definitely not pro-sodomy -- I promise, scout's honor. There are many things I might be but that is not one of them.

I've watched how Huckabee manuevers through the talk show circuit and parses his comments into feel good soundbites. The problem is that no one, except for that ABC News article, has really confronted him with his statements and especially not his allegiances.

And I wonder if anyone ever will.

Big hat tip to Pams House Blend.

What's with Mike Huckabee's fascination with anti-gay hate groups and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Huckabee Hearts the Illinois Family Institute - Is there any extreme group with whom Mike Huckabee won't associate himself with? (Editor's note - see earlier post about Huckabee and anti-gay hate group Mass Resistance)

Insurgent congressional candidate Anthony Woods' life story reads like Aaron Sorkin wrote it—he's a gay, black Iraq veteran with a Harvard degree. - Bet you if he wins, he won't make the cover of Ebony or Jet. I also bet you they won't talk about him on BET.

CA: Arnold takes his inductees with Milk - Another well-deserved honor for Harvey Milk!!

I Wonder What Chris Buttars Thinks His "Sexual Orientation" Is - Not this so-and-so again!

Love That Dares to Tweet Its Name Sparks Web Series - This is going to be interesting for those who love soap operas.

Mike Huckabee and Congressional leaders to attend conference with hate group

The anti-gay Massachusetts group Mass Resistance is in a bragging mood.

Apparently its leader, Brian Camenker, has been asked to co-run a workshop on How to counter the homosexual extremist movement during the conservative "Take Back America" conference next month.

You do know Mass Resistance, don't you? One of the officially designated anti-gay hate groups as deemed by the Southern Law Poverty Center.

Mass Resistance is the group behind the David Parker situation (in which they and Parker orchestrated a phony moral panic against Estabrook Elementary School) and the fallacious "Fistgate" mess that came back to haunt President Obama appointee Kevin Jennings; unsuccessfully I might point out.

Co-hosting this workshop will be a perennial favorite of mine, The Holy Bullies and Headless Monster Misinformer of the Year for 2008 Matt Barber.

Barber, employed by the anti-gay Liberty Counsel, has done so many things to "endear" himself to the lgbt community.

Originally, he was fired from AllState Insurance for anti-gay columns he wrote. Although Barber claimed to have written them on his own time, it was alleged that he used company equipment to do so. Also he did involve the company in his nonsense by listing the fact that he was an employee in his columns.

Barber parlayed that furor into becoming a spokesman for Concerned Women for America, where he scrapped with folks like Wayne Besen and Keith Boykin on coast to coast television, despite often times being in way over his head. And now, he has this position at Liberty Counsel as the director of Cultural Affairs.

Barber's attacks on the lgbt community have bordered on fanatic and loony, including (information taken from Sourcewatch):

A January 2007 column on gays in the military: "Move over National Guard and Green Berets – make way for the avant-garde and Lavender Berets."

A March 2007 column bashed "left-wing storm troopers" and referenced a "6-foot-4-inch homosexual linebacker who likes to wear lipstick and high-heels."

A May 2007 WorldNetDaily article quoted Barber describing cross-dressers as people who "get their jollies from wearing a dress, high heels and lipstick."

Barber asserted that former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey "admitted in his memoirs that he fancied doing the toilet bowl tango with strange men at truck stops."

In a column, Barber told the story of a "burly truck driver" who "got twitterpated by the way pantyhose felt against his skin and eventually made the self-determination that he was, in fact, a woman trapped in a man's body," which somehow means that "parents may well be forced to explain to Junior why Ms. Johnson at parochial school has a five o'clock shadow, calves like Schwarzenegger, an Adam's apple the size of a golf ball and is stuffed into a miniskirt like a 10-pound turkey in a 5-pound bag." He further asserted that a federal ban on discrimination against gays and transsexuals means that female employees will be "forced to share bathroom facilities with any male employee who got his jollies from wearing a dress."

Then there was this column comparing lgbts and progressives in general to idol worshippers and child sacrificers of Biblical times.

For comedic purposes, I would love to be at that workshop held by Camenker and Barber.

The two will be telling such conservative dignitaries as Mike Huckabee, Phyllis Schafly,Rick Scarborough, Mat Staver, Rep. Tom McClintock, Rep. Michele Bachmann, and others how to lie on the lgbt community.

As if these folks really needed any urging or help in that department.

But one has to wonder why how do they feel about attending the same conference as an officially designated hate group.

I don't think Huckabee has any problems with that.

According to him, lgbts aren't having our civil rights violated because we haven't had our heads sufficiently cracked in.

Editor's note - Before anyone gets it twisted, the Southern Poverty Law Center does not deem groups as anti-gay hate organizations simply because said organizations work from the belief that homosexuality is a sin. The SPLC site clearly says:

Anti-gay groups are organizations that go beyond mere disagreement with homosexuality by subjecting gays and lesbians to campaigns of personal vilification.

Related articles:

Mike Huckabee - definitely not 'pro-sodomy' but extremely 'pro-ignorant'

'Fistgate' and President Obama - religious right pushes a pitiful attempt of guilt by association

The legend of the Mad Dad of Massachusetts or how to distort a situation religious-right style

The 2008 Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters Misinformers of the Year Awards

Monday, August 24, 2009

The Freepers want to see President Obama's 'manhood,' transgender woman fights discrimination, and other Monday afternoon news briefs

Freeper birthers want to see the wingwang of the POTUS - Help me, Jebus!

2 teens charged in beating of gay Portage teen - This has gotta stop!

The Gender Police Strike Again - I almost missed this story. It's a shame and a disgrace how some folks are treated just because some want them to conform to their stupid ideas of normalcy.

Utah Transgender Woman Takes Action Against Workplace Discrimination After Losing Job - Good for her!

Anti-Obama article reveals depth of Christian corruption

Allow me to forego today's news briefs for the time being. Something I read this morning has been on my mind. And you know when that happens, I have to write about it.

Anti-gay phony news service One News Now has been doing all it can to help various groups derail President Obama's idea for health care reform.

But a recent "article" reveals more about the nature of One News Now and it's "Christian" audience than it does about the President.

The piece Healthcare for illegals part of Dems' plan, lays out the assertion that the President supports healthcare for illegal immigrants. The article does admit that Obama has said that his health plan does not support illegal immigrants.

But then the article says the following:

However, he also said during a radio interview that he has no problem with illegal immigrants receiving emergency room care in certain situations under his plan.

The article then quotes Congressman Spencer Bachus (Republican of course) taking the President and the Democrats in Congress for this position.

So the President thinks that illegal immigrants should be allowed to receive emergency room care in certain situations. What in world is wrong with that?

Would any self-respecting physician turn anyone away needing emergency room care? I don't think any physician would do this and I think that all reasonable people would agree with the position that anyone needing emergency room care should receive it.

But then again, this "article" is standard fare for One News Now.

One News Now articles generally aren't geared to showing both sides of an argument but to reinforce a position of exclusion.

And yet this news service is supposed to speak for the American Christian community?

So it's come to this. From "thou shalt love your neighbor as you would thyself," to the Good Samaritan stooping down to ask the man robbed and beaten on the lonely road his "legal" status before administering health care.

Really this isn't about the President's position, "illegal immigrants," or even health care in general. It's about how One News Now embraces an ugly form of Christianity in this country; a form that no one wants to talk about.

There is much spotlight on the most extreme nature of Islam, i.e. those who think that the religion advocates violence. And this is a good thing. However, I would like to see some attention devoted to just how some political/religious leaders have corrupted Christianity in this country.

Granted, they don't endorse violence, but their actions are insidious. They reduce Christianity to a coldblooded clique that embraces the desire to be the majority and also the desire to "take America for Christ."

This form of Christianity embodies megachurches full of precisely coiffed people in expensive suits who mistake wealth and position as evidence of God's favor rather than His grace.

It embodies having the "right" political and social affiliations, where people are brainwashed to think that there is a verse in the Bible saying "And Jesus said pick up your cross and follow me and I will give you a nice car, a nice house, 2.5 kids and a Republican President and Congress."

This form of Christianity not only embraces but encourages the use of the Bible as a weapon for passing judgement, explaining away blatant hypocrisies, and covering up lies told about various communities who are not the approved "chosen people."

It's this bastardized form of Christianity that gives all Christianity a bad name. If people have a negative view of the religion, it's not the fault of President Obama "illegal immigrants," the lgbt community or the other supposed forces of " Godless humanism."

It's the fault of organizations like One News Now and those whom the phony news service speaks to and whose causes it embraces.

It's time for One News Now and its allies (i.e. the religious right organizations, conservative bloggers, and various so-called pro-family spokespeople) to stop blaming everyone else for what they are causing.

The Bible itself tells Christians "no weapons formed against you shall prosper."

But it also says that "pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

If you ask me, Christianity in this country has entered a freefall.

Anti-gay Peter LaBarbera proves 'trash is as trash does'

This weekend, "our friend" and reliable anti-gay crusader Peter LaBarbera seems to be on a tear about the bisexual community. On his Americans for Truth webpage (which is the biggest oxymoron in the history of the world), LaBarbera is focusing on the recent BiSummit, which was held downtown in Chicago in conjunction with the 2009 National LGBTI Health Summit.

The purpose of the summit was to "shed light on the alarming health disparities this large segment of the GLBT community faces."

Unfortunately, in the hands of LaBarbera, the information coming from the summit as well as the summit itself will be used to bash bisexuals and by extension, the lgbt community as a whole.

A perfect example is his absolutely ridiculous (I'm sorry but that's the word that comes to mind) interpretation of the following sentence:

The day began with an overview of the current research on bisexual health. Research shows that bisexual people—who make up about half of those who identify as GLB—face huge health disparities.

Now to LaBarbera, that sentence gives him license to put out this headline - Half of Homosexuals are Bisexual: Homosexual Newspaper.

It's a total inaccuracy that's only enhanced by his intentional omission of the passage that follows:

According to bisexual health researchers Cheryl Dobinson and Stewart Landers, compared to both gays, lesbians and heterosexuals, bisexuals report higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use, substance abuse, depression and anxiety, suicidal thoughts, physical and sexual abuse and self harm, among other issues.

With LaBarbera, it's not even funny anymore how he will distort information in his crusade against the lgbt community.

No doubt he will take other information from the summit and twist it to suit his purposes.

And it's sad that in the hands of a supposed Christian, information gathered to help a community will be used to hurt it.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

From the Archives: Jesse Dirkhising and Mary Stachowicz : Pawns in the game

From July 18, 2007 :

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.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Hateful Arizona pastor calls for execution of gays, President Obama, Barney Frank

This is Pastor Stephen Anderson from Arizona's Faithful Word Baptist Church. He doesn't particularly like gays and lesbians.

This sermon exposes the queers for what they really are. All examples of the queers in the Bible they are raping people. In Sodom & Gomorrah they wanted to rape the angels, right off the Ark Noah was raped by his queer son, etc... The truth is God hates the queers & the Bible makes it clear they are reprobates who have lost their chance to be saved.

Leviticus 20:13 "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
The truth is our government should follow the Bible & enforce the death penalty for the queers & this world would be a much better place.

Now on this blog, I rarely talk about extreme nuts (such as Fred Phelps) who go about calling us names and such.

Usually, the point of this blog is to examine the intricate and covert ways religious right groups demonize the lgbt community.

But every now and then, I run across something that is so disturbing that I simply must post about it so as to make more people aware.

This man astounds me to the point of nausea.

And people wonder why lgbts sometimes seem to be too pushy or strident in pursuit of our rights. It's not just our rights that we are concerned about; it's our safety.

It really doesn't matter if he is speaking to an empty church or a full church. It doesn't matter if he is speaking to five people or five hundred people. What the hell is wrong with America when any nut can masquerade as a pastor?

This is the real "Gathering Storm," Maggie Gallagher.

And it's definitely food for thought the next time members of the religious right whine about "the gay agenda."

And just so you know, Anderson also called for the execution of President Obama and Congressman Barney Frank.

What he says about Barney Frank:

"The sodomites are recruiters and you know who they are after? Your children. They are being recruited by the sodomites. They are being molested by the sodomites. They recruit through rape, they recruit through molestation, they recruit through violation"

"Our country is run by faggots. You know who was the man who was the architect of the bailout? His name is Barney Frank, he is a pedophile..."

"That's who just sold our country into fascism. That's who just sold our corporations to the government. That's who sold out our country, a faggot!"

What he says about President Obama because his stance on reproductive freedom:

"God Hates Barack Obama, I hate Barack Obama. I hate Him. God wants me to Hate Barack Obama." "Someone who commits murder should get the death penalty."

The standard for being a Christian in America seems to be low these days.

A BIG hat tip to Pam Spaulding and Jeremy from Goodasyou.org for their covering this awful man and his nonsense and for supplying me with information.

Log onto their sites if you want more information about him. Have your barf bag in hand.

Know your lgbt history - Blazing Saddles

I've tried and tried to get angry but I simply can't get offended by Blazing Saddles.

It's the most offensive, most politically incorrect, and the funniest movie I have ever seen. So that makes it a favorite of mine.

Blazing Saddles, directed by legendary comedian Mel Brooks, is a takeoff of Western movies. In a nutshell, it tells the story of a town, Rockridge, and its African-American sheriff (Cleavon Little) who has to fight the forces of corruption looking to evict town residents so that a railroad can be built.

And through telling the story of the struggle between the two parties, Mel Brooks manages to make fun of racism, black people, white people, homophobia, gays, rape, foreigners, Hitler, movie musicals, violence, interracial relationships, women, etc. etc.

There are so many anecdotes connected with this movie, but for the purpose of this blog, let's focus on the huge scene at the end where the climactic battle between the forces of corruption and the townspeople crash a studio lot where a movie musical is being filmed.

Don't ask. Just watch. And I repeat, try as I might, I simply cannot get offended by this because it's too hilarious. Please don't hold it against me:

Protecting our lgbt children, my little piece about President Obama's approval numbers, and other Friday midday news briefs

LGBTs are being bullied. 'Pro-family' denialists are aiding and abetting - Our lgbt children need to be protected. Period.

Tobias Wolff (and Lou Dobbs!) slay NOM's Gallagher on DOMA - Twilight Zone time. Lou Dobbs helps the lgbt community. Calling Rod Serling!

Arizona pastor's sermons call for execution of gays, Barney Frank and the President -We've got too many stupid people in the pulpits.

Fox Nation Thread About McDonald’s Black Website Generates More Racism And Ignorance - How dare McDonalds reveals the fact that black people contributed to the greatness of America!

Faith In Obama Drops As Reform Fears Rise - I'm sorry for this not being lgbt-related per se but I felt the need to put this in here so that I can comment on it's stupidity.

Obama has had a very rough August; the Republicans with their disinformation blew him away on health care reform and it seems that he was taking a wishy-washy approach, but I must remind people that HIS FIRST YEAR AS PRESIDENT ISN'T EVEN UP YET AND ALREADY YOU DUMB ASSES ARE SOUNDING THE SHOFARS (it's a Jewish term, look it up). FOR GOODNESS SAKE, GIVE THE MAN SOME SLACK.

Do you think progress is ever going to be easy? If it were, everyone would be doing it. Sometimes I think the biggest problem of progressives is our need to second guess everything at the first sign of trouble. If you aren't happy with Obama, put a fire under his butt. But for God's sake, sit on your butt just making smarmy comments and grousing about how he is "hurting our causes."

Religious right tries to smear the American Psychological Association

Not happy with the American Psychological Association (APA) coming out against reparative (ex-gay) therapy, some religious right members are now accusing the organization of bias and "approving of pedophilia."

Religious right online publication Lifesite News has come out with a piece, The Psychological Profession and Homosexuality: Lunatics Running the Asylum?, which I guess is supposed to "nail" the APA.

Well I'm sure it does to those not informed enough to look at some of the charges. Those who are informed enough can see several errors with Lifesite News' wannabe smear piece.

Let's see if I can break this down. The piece says the following:

The APA's latest report, done by a task force composed of psychologists with long records of homosexualist activism, also claims as "scientific facts" that "same-sex sexual attractions, behavior, and orientations per se are normal and positive variants of human sexuality-in other words, they are not indicators of mental or developmental disorders" and "no empirical studies or peer-reviewed research supports theories attributing same-sex sexual orientation to family dysfunction or trauma."

These unbelievable statements fly in the face of more than a century of scientific, peer-reviewed studies and clinical observation that indicate that much homosexual behavior originates in deficient family relationships and is associated with a wide range of diseases and pathological behaviors.

A century of scientific and peer-reviewed studies? Hardly.

If one would click on the link, it would take him (or her) to one source: What Research Shows: NARTH's Response to the APA Claims on Homosexuality.

NARTH stands for National Association for the Research & Therapy of Homosexuality and the piece in question comes from NARTH's Journal of Human Sexuality.

According to the online publication Box Turtle Bulletin:

The Journal of Human Sexuality is actually a booklet published by NARTH themselves. In fact, it’s structured more like a book than a journal, with only one article whose title matches the title on the front cover. This journal is billed as “volume 1,” and was, according to its acknowledgment, conceived back when Joseph Nicolosi was still president at NARTH. At this rate, I would expect volume 2 to show up sometime in 2011.

This is very similar to another stunt pulled by George A. Rekers in 1996. He too created a one-off journal, also called The Journal of Human Sexuality which seems never to have made it to a second volume. It looks like NARTH decided to recycle Rekers old idea.

And as for this new journal’s “peer reviewed” status? Well, I guess when you have a paper written by an anti-gay activist posing as a therapist, and you send that paper off to other anti-gay activists posing as therapists, all of whom are members of your tight little NARTH club with no possibility of an actual independent review taking place, then maybe I would have to concede that the effort was “peer reviewed.” Unfortunately, that’s not the definition accepted by the scientific community.

This publication is not a dispassionate study of changes in sexual orientation. It is a cannon-blast of anti-gay animus in a long 94-page screed, a veritable anti-gay propaganda omnibus touching on all sorts of unrelated subjects including HIV/AIDS, alcohol and drug abuse, violence, psychiatric disorders, and “promiscuity as the new social norm.” As far as anti-gay propaganda goes, there’s little that’s missing here.

So that's distortion number 1.

Distortion Number 2:

The Lifesite News piece also says:

Studies have shown that homosexuals disproportionately come from families in which sons or daughters lack a healthy relationship with one or both of their parents, or in situations in which the homosexual was the victim of child sex abuse by a same-sex adult.

Homosexual behavior is also statistically associated with a host of diseases, disorders, and pathological behaviors, including venereal and other diseases, promiscuity and unstable relationships, anxiety disorders, depression and suicide, alcoholism and drug abuse, domestic violence, pederasty, and early death.

Notice that the Lifesite report includes links to all of these claims. However, many of these links are to dubious sources:

The "unstable relationships" link connects to an inaccurate Family Research Council piece, Comparing the Lifestyles of Homosexual Couples to Married Couples. I broke down the flaws of that piece, including unfair comparisons between unmarried lgbt couples and married heterosexual couples and a reliance on outdated work, here.

The "pederasty" link connects to a NARTH report on a book published in the late 1970s, The Gay Report.

The Gay Report cannot be considered as indicative of the sexual habits of the lgbt community for a number of reasons that I laid out in this link, including the fact that the authors of The Gay Report were only working with 5,400 responses from questionnaires they sent out regarding lgbt sexual habits.

They even said so themselves:

We agreed at the outset not to pretend that these percentages represented the practices and views of all gay people—they reflected only our respondents.

The "depression and suicide" and "early death" links connect to work by discredited researcher Paul Cameron.

Distortion 3:

Even when the Lifesite News piece does connect to legitimate sources, it leaves out crucial details as to what these sources are actually saying:

Even the homosexual Gay and Lesbian Medical Association admits that homosexuals suffer disproportionate rates of disease and self-destructive behavior.

The link in question, TEN THINGS GAY MEN SHOULD DISCUSS WITH THEIR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, also says:

Following are the health issues GLMA’s healthcare providers have identified as most commonly of concern for gay men. While not all of these items apply to everyone, it’s wise to be aware of these issues.

GLMA's piece also places the blame of certain behaviors on society' s homophobia towards lgbts, like in the case of depression and anxiety:

Depression and anxiety appear to affect gay men at a higher rate than in the general population. The likelihood of depression or anxiety may be greater, and the problem may be more severe for those men who remain in the closet or who do not have adequate social supports. Adolescents and young adults may be at particularly high risk of suicide because of these concerns. Culturally sensitive mental health services targeted specifically at gay men may be more effective in the prevention, early detection, and treatment of these conditions.

Distortion 4:

The Lifesite piece also refers to the study by Dr. Robert Spitzer as proof that reparative therapy works:

Dr. Robert Spitzer, who has been been called the "architect" of the American Psychiatric Association's normalization of homosexuality in the 1970s, provoked outrage from the homosexualist establishment when he admitted in 2001 that his own investigations had convinced him that sexual reorientation therapy can work.

His study, published in the peer-reviewed Archives of Mental Health in 2003, found that a majority of his sample of 247 people had developed heterosexual urges or had ceased to be predominantly homosexual after only one year of therapy. None of the subjects said that they had been harmed in the process.

After presenting his paper before the American Psychiatric Association in 2001, Spitzer said: "I'm convinced from people I have interviewed...many of them...have made substantial changes toward becoming heterosexual. I came to this study skeptical. I now claim that these changes can be sustained."

Of course Lifesite omitted the following:

In 2001, psychologist Robert Spitzer published a controversial study that seemed to claim that small number of people can change their orientation from gay to heterosexual.

In 45-minute individual telephone calls with 143 “ex-gays” and 57 “ex-lesbians,” Spitzer asked them 60 questions dealing with their feelings and behavior before and after they allegedly changed their orientations. They also talked about their strategies, feelings and motives for changing. Many of these individuals were referred to Spitzer by “ex-gay” groups.

When Spitzer’s findings were made public, the anti-gay industry lauded him, making sure to mention that he was one of the principle people who led the American Psychiatric Association’s 1973 decision to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.

Spitzer himself went on record declaring that he was “appalled” at how his work was being simplified. He also published a column in the May 23, 2001 edition of The Wall Street Journal. He said that “complete change is uncommon.”

In addition, in a 2006 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Spitzer said that he now believes that some of those he interviewed for his study may have been either lying to him or themselves. - Ex-Gays Seek a Say in Schools, Los Angeles Times, May 28, 2006

In addition to all of these distortions, the Lifesite piece also attacks one Dr. Theo Sandfort for research he conduted, calling him a supporter of pedophilia The piece also links Sandfort to the APA by calling attention to the fact that he has been a "fellow" of the organization since 2002.

Now I am not aware of the research that was conducted by Sandfort and I have emailed him on clarification as to what in the world is Lifesite talking about.

I have had correspondence with Dr. Sandfort before regarding religious right distortion of his work.

I find it ironic that the religious right is attacking Dr. Sandfort seeing that in the past, various groups (including PFOX) has distorted his work to claim that homophobia does not play a part in the bad life choices that some gays make.

So all in all, rather than using credible information, Lifesite relies on smears and distorted science to make the case against the APA.

Unfortunately to some people, those smears and distorted science will go a long way.

Related posts:

Another professor cries foul over religious right misrepresentation of research

How religious right groups distort legitimate research to demonize the gay community

Another flawed piece of work courtesy of the Family Research Council

More homophobic lies from the Paul Cameron Poland tour

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Videos, blogs key to exposing religious right lies

You've probably already seen this video by Rob Tisinai on how the Traditional Values Coalition manipulates numbers on hate crimes.

If you haven't, take a look because it's an awesome breakdown. If you have, take a look again and jot down some notes.

Not just on what Rob is saying but on what he is doing.

It's the key to what I have been talking about. In exposing the lies of the religious right, we need to break it down on a level that calls attention to how they distort data.

When we appeal to the emotional or religious level, we give them an out. It's easy for the religious right to say "we don't hate you, just your sin."

But very few times (if any at all) have they been confronted with the facts on their reliance on junk science or the manipulation of studies.

And the point is not to convince them that they are wrong. I'm sure many religious right organizations intentionally distort facts and figures.

The point is to bring attention to what they are doing. The point is to put it in the public eye. When I write on my blog, when Rob creates his videos, when the rest of us bloggers and youtubers do our thing to bring attention to the lies of the religious right we aren't doing it for their courtesy or benefit but to put something out there to counter their nonsense.

It's like I have said before: sometimes we think that responding to their lies is beneath us. And this frame of mind has allowed them to go unchallenged as they have built up a wall of lies about the lgbt community.

Now we've got to break down that wall - all of us.

I would love to see more efforts like Rob's video. You can view his entire collection here.

Maine Equality ad rules!!!, Fox News thinks that Barney Frank is a meanie, and other Thursday midday news briefs

Now THIS is a good ad:

Court upholds Boseman adoption - Good news out of North Carolina regarding lgbt adoption rights.

Anti-gay group to fight marriage efforts in D.C. - Where the hell is the National Organization for Marriage getting their funding?

Fox thinks it's "quite rude" to slam anti-Obama Nazi attacks - What Congressman Frank did was NOT rude. Now THIS is rude - FOX NEWS CAN KISS MY !*@% . . . on second thought, never mind. Why should Fox News be rewarded for being such biased nicompoops?

Lutherans adopt more open view on homosexuality - Look out because here comes the whine from One News Now. I want you to pay attention to a particular comment this article received. It may not be on the site later:

"You know who should be the only ones commenting on issues like this?? LUTHERANS. If this isn't your particular flavor of Christianity mind your own business. Try to remember how you feel when someone from outside passes judegement on YOUR particular faith. The world doesn't always bend to your will. Sometimes you have to share real estate with those of many different beliefs and ideaologies. "