Write Chris Matthews and Hardball to complain about Tony Perkins's lies

The news of the Pentagon study confirming the repeal of DADT is awesome. Now while attention is focused on that, allow me to get a little of your attention to something that needs our participation.

The following is an email I sent to Chris Matthews and the staff of Hardball in regards to Tony Perkins's appearance on the show yesterday. It is imperative that as many of us also submit emails. You can feel free to use my letter or submit your own. The email address is hardball@msnbc.com


To: Chris Matthews and the staff of Hardball,

Dear Mr. Matthews,

On November 29, you had Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council on your show speaking against the designation of his organization as an official anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. In making his point, Mr. Perkins committed several distortions which need to be brought to your attention.

1. When he cited work from the American College of Pediatricians as proof that homosexuality is a "dangerous lifestyle," he did not mention that this organization is not a legitimate medical group. The American College of Pediatricians is not a legitimate medical group. It is a sham organization dedicated to the laundering of junk science about the lgbt community, i.e. the kind of "science" which demonizes the lgbt community. One of its chief researchers was George Rekers, that is before he got caught coming from a European trip with a "rentboy."

Earlier this year, the American College of Pediatricians tried to push a webpage, Facts About Youth, to American schools.

Among other things, this site made the following claims about gay men:

Some gay men sexualize human waste, including the medically dangerous practice of coprophilia, which means sexual contact with highly infectious fecal wastes

2. Perkins claimed according to a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, 86 percent of men who molest children identified as gay.  He conveniently did not mention that in the study of 229 convicted child molesters,  63 victims were male, and 166 victims were female.  Eighty-six percent of 63 isn't a drop in the bucket and it's certainly not enough to make a generalization in regards to the gay community.

I am well aware of the fact that when discussing controversial issues, journalists have a duty to show a degree of parity and present "both sides." However, journalists also have a duty to call out any distortions made by either side of the issue.

At the very least, I would hope that you and your staff come to the realization that when it comes to discussing gay issues, neither Tony Perkins nor anyone else in the Family Research Council can be trusted to be accurate or truthful.


Thank you for your time,

Alvin McEwen

www.holybulliesandheadlessmonsters.blogspot.com

Feel free to copy what is in this letter or send your own. But by all means, please be polite. We have a right to be angry with how Perkins distorts facts to demonize us, but we are still a people with dignity. The point is to let Matthews know how Perkins and FRC lie about lgbt issues.

Family Research anti-DADT repeal poll demonstrates sloppy work and other Tuesday midday news briefs

That poll referred to by the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins that supposedly shows that 63 percent of the military opposes the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell? It's a lie. Check out this interesting statistic via Goodasyou.org:

43% [of respondents] are supporters of the Tea Party movement (3,691 people).

Demographically, 62% are pro-life, 70% support traditional marriage 70% are historical contributors, 45% are male and 71% are 50 years of age or older.

*FULL POLL DATA: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF10K46.pdf

Talk about your skewed poll. And bear in mind also that comes on the heels of legitimate work which says while most Americans support the repeal of DADT, the tea party doesn't. Of course FRC is going to get the result it wants against the DADT repeal when almost half of those polled are from a group against the repeal in the first place.


And in other news briefs:

Colorado urged not to hire coach over gay views - This is interesting.

ACLU sues Miami Beach on behalf of gay man wrongly arrested by police near Flamingo Park - And I hope that the ACLU wins. The case is ugly.

Panic among Kenya's gays and lesbians after prime minister's threat to have them arrested - Things may be bad for us here in America but it's worse overseas. Please keep these folks in your prayers.

The end of gay men being camp - Not while I'm alive, honey!

Senator McCain's opposition to DADT repeal contradicts his earlier statements

To the surprise of no one:

The Pentagon study that argues that gay troops could serve openly without hurting the military's ability to fight is expected to re-ignite debate this month on Capitol Hill over repealing the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Officials familiar with the 10-month study's results have said a clear majority of respondents don't care if gays serve openly, with 70 percent predicting that lifting the ban would have positive, mixed or no results. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings hadn't been released.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, who have both said they support repealing the law, were scheduled to discuss the findings with Congress Tuesday morning and with reporters Tuesday afternoon.

Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain of Arizona, have mostly opposed repealing the law because they say efforts to do so are politically driven and dangerous at a time of two wars.

It's interesting that McCain would take this tone. In 2009, he said the following:

My opinion is shaped by the view of the leaders of the military. The reason why I supported the policy to start with is because General Colin Powell, who was then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the one that strongly recommended we adopt this policy in the Clinton administration. I have not heard General Powell or any of the other military leaders reverse their position, just like when on other issues, that people are expert and knowledgeable of, I rely on their opinion. But this is unique. These military leaders are responsible for the very lives of the men and women under their command, and that's why I am especially guided, to a large degree, by their views.

And in 2006 (via John Aravosis of Americablog), he said:

And I understand the opposition to it, and I've had these debates and discussions, but the day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, Senator, we ought to change the policy, then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it because those leaders in the military are the ones we give the responsibility to.

Seems to me that McCain is ducking and dodging.