Peter LaBarbera makes our case for us (again)

Sometimes I can't help wondering whether or not Peter LaBarbera is a mole working for HRC.

Either that or he can't grasp the idea that his words help our cause more than his.

For example, his post advertising an appearance on the Liberty Counsel's radio program:

I will be the guest on Liberty Counsel’s outstanding new radio program, “Liberty Live” – airing today at 4:00-5:00 PM Eastern Time (3:00-4:00 Central). The host (in Liberty Counsel Founder Mat Staver’s absence) will be my good friend, Matt Barber, LC’s Director of Cultural Affairs and an AFTAH Board Member. (Matt is the guy who was fired by Allstate a few years back after writing a private web article against “gay marriage”– on his own time; this was God’s way of launching him into full-time pro-family work!)

For the record, Peter is being highly deceptive. Barber may have written his article on "his own time," but he included his place of employment in his bio, thereby involving AllState in his screed.

So the idea that Barber was blameless in that matter is up for conjecture. However, Peter's careful omission of that fact isn't.

Judging from Peter's advertisement, he is going to whine about President Obama's potential plans for aiding the lgbt community, including (Peter's words):

Transsexuality-Promoting ENDA (think men in dresses entering corporate female restrooms);

The pro-homosexual immigration bill euphemistically called the “United American Families Act of 2009” – which would allow Americans caught up in immoral homosexual relationships to sponsor their foreign-living homosexual lovers for immigration into the United States. We might rename this last bill the “Foreign Homosexual Lovers Importation Act of 2009.”

The linking of ENDA (which would give lgbts protection against discrimination in housing, employment, etc.) to men "dressed as women" invading bathrooms is no different than racists claiming that integration will lead to black men having sex with white women.

And spare me the nonsense about how homosexuality is different from race. That's not the issue here. The issue is that Peter's claim is a cynical tactic and while it may be successful, it's highly un-Christian. And it's untruthful too. I know this for a fact.

My city, Columbia, passed a transgender inclusive nondiscrimination policy and there has not been a problem of "men invading women's restrooms." For the record, there has never been a problem with "men invading women's restrooms" due to transgender inclusive nondiscrimination laws.

If there is, then I challenge Peter to show me.

Then there is the “United American Families Act of 2009." Peter's rather immature phrasing of this bill is yet another attempt by him and folks on his side to reduce the validity of lgbt relationships to that of sex acts.

According to HRC:

The legislation amends the definitions sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act to include definitions for “permanent partner” and “permanent partnership.” The Act defines “permanent partner” as an individual who is at least 18 years of age who is in a committed relationship with another individual at least 18 years of age who is not a first, second or third-degree blood relative, with the intent that this be a lifelong commitment. The individual must be financially interdependent with his or her partner, cannot be married or in another permanent partnership and must be unable to enter into a marriage recognized under the INA with the partner.

UAFA will provide lesbian and gay individuals the same opportunity as different-sex, married couples to sponsor their partner. Like different-sex couples, there are requirements such as providing proof of the relationship — including affidavits from friends and family or evidence of financial support. As with current immigration laws for married couples, UAFA would impose harsh penalties for fraud, including up to five years in prison and as much as $250,000 in fines.

The irony of the entire thing is that on occasion, Peter has whined that the gay community attacks him personally rather than give reasonable arguments to his opposition of gay rights.

He should talk, huh.

Personally I'm all for him talking. The more LaBarbera (and for that matter - Sally Kern, Chris Buttars, Matt Barber) talk, the more they reveal just what their true motives are.

Sooner or later, America is going to get tired of these phony Christian activists, their conspiracy theories, and especially their need to stoop to the lowest hyperbole.

UPDATE - Jeremy from GoodAsYou has just published the transcript and the audio from the show. He is a better man than I. And has a stronger stomach too.

Thursday mid-day news briefs

And One News Now still has not reported on President Obama being against the Fairness Doctrine.

GOP Governors Consider Turning Down Stimulus Money - Not necessarily an lgbt issue per se but isn't it interesting how two of these governors (Jindal and Sanford) have potential future presidential aspirations. And neither are lgbt's best friends.

UPDATE - Sanford will take the money - I guess every now and then, the big bad wolf has to let everyone know that he exists by blowing the smoke.

The Blend picks up a Lezzy - Much congrats to Pam's House Blend and a big thanks for all of the support you have given me and my blog.

Bigotry on parade - Geez, not another anti-gay adoption bill disguised as something "good for the children."

Will the religious right defend Chris Buttars?

Quick note - For days One News Now has been speculating about the return of the Fairness Doctrine - about how it will harm Christian broadcasters and lead to censorship.

Yesterday, President Obama said he was against reinstating the Fairness Doctrine.

And there isn't even one article about it at One News Now.

How typical.

But the events over the past few days remind me about how delicious irony can be on occasion.

Last year around this time, Oklahoma legislator Sally Kern gave a speech where she said gays were worse than terrorists.

When the lgbt community complained, the religious right made her into the modern Joan of Arc.

It culminated into a huge rally for Kern at the Oklahoma State House that was attended by over 1,500 people.

A year later comes Utah State Senator Chris Buttars. In an interview with a documentary filmmaker, he said the following:

– To me, homosexuality will always be a sexual perversion. And you say that around here now and everybody goes nuts! But I don’t care.

– They say, I’m born that way. There’s some truth to that, in that some people are born with an attraction to alcohol.

– They’re mean! They want to talk about being nice — they’re the meanest buggers I ever seen. It’s just like the Moslems. Moslems are good people and their religion is anti-war. But it’s been taken over by the radical side. And the gays are totally taken over by the radical side.

– I believe that you will destroy the foundation of American society, because I believe the cornerstone of it is a man and a woman, the family. … And I believe that they’re, internally, they’re probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of. Yep, the radical gay movement.

Buttars has never been a friend to the lgbt community. In the interview, he also claimed that he "killed" gay/straight alliances in high schools, calling them places where gays "recruit."

But now he seems to be using the Donnie McClurkin defense (i.e. saying you were misquoted even when you are on video saying the remarks), so it's obvious that he realizes just how much trouble he is in.

Last year, the attention over Kern's remarks, especially the way she hid her lies (i.e. citing Paul Cameron studies) behind her religious beliefs and how some in the lgbt community dwelled on nonsense (i.e. whether or not her son was gay) bummed me out.

I refuse to be bummed out this year. I'm waiting for the religious right to defend Buttars.

But I suspect that they won't though for two reasons.

His comments were just ignant (i.e. something so dumb it doesn't deserve more than two syllables in the description of its ineptitude). I don't think anyone Christian (even if the person didn't "approve" of homosexuality) would want to associate themselves with Buttars's comments.

Most importantly, Buttars's comments ruins the religious right's schtick. Their entire image depends on being portrayed as innocent Christians being attacked by "rabid homosexual activists" simply because they are trying to uphold traditional values and morality.

Kern reminded people of a nice grandmother who occasionally gives out quarters and penny candy to children because of the nature of goodness in her heart.

Buttars reminds people of a crotchety old man who wildly waves his cane as he spews venom and tries to keep from soiling himself.

Everyone wants to defend the sweet old grandmother. But no one cares about the pissy old fart.

It just goes to show that sooner or later, kismet has a way of coming around.