THE GAYS ARE COMING - a short history of homophobic documentaries

Batten down the hatches (and keep down your breakfast) because the anti-gay hate group Family Research Council is coming out with a documentary about the so-called dangers of marriage equality:



FRC's documentary is, in reality, one-sided trash will feature such phony horror stories as:

• The British couple whose Christianity supposedly barred them from becoming foster parents - omitting the fact of course that it wasn't their religious beliefs which caused problems, but their ineffective answers as to how they would treat the bullying of lgbtq foster children who may be placed in their care,

• Julea Ward, who not only felt that her personal beliefs that homosexuality is a sin should take precedent over the needs of the patients she will be paid to counsel, but also that Eastern Michigan University should accommodate this madness,

• and other various lies about children being "recruited,"  HIV/AIDS,  interviews with those who want to deport gays or put them jail for sexual behavior (that's you, Peter Sprigg), and junk science from the discredited National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (betcha they won't mention former NARTH associate George Rekers).

I should be upset but instead, I am exasperated. Is this the thousandth "homosexuals are evil space aliens who are plotting to take over the world if we don't stop them" documentary coming from the religious right?

I'm exaggerating but religious right groups do have a history of anti-gay "documentaries."

Let's look at some of the past junk:

There was the 14-part Speechless: Silencing Christians from the anti-gay hate group the American Family Association. Using the same format that FRC is using in its documentary (i.e. spinning anecdotes about "intolerant gays" without giving telling the full story - Ocean Grove Pavilion, anyone?), Speechless put forth the false notion that gays are trying to destroy freedom by "silencing Christians." Check out this last part:



One of the many ironies of Speechless is that it features former Family Research Council head Janet Parshall as host.  Don't be fooled by her non-assuming guise here.  Parshall has a history of going beyond the pale is saying absolutely horrible things about the lgbt community. The following are her words from a discussion on Larry King Live in 2006 about Matthew Shepard's murder.

 . . .in reality, I understand that Matthew was somewhat of a person who hung around some of the gay bars and was coming on to some people. So, was he looking for trouble in all the wrong places?

If I were his mom, I would have given him some counsel, "stay away from that kind of a lifestyle," because there's a way that seems right on demand and the end therein is death, and, unfortunately, it cost Matthew his life.

On that same program, she also called same-sex families "pretend families" and  gay adoption "state-sanctioned child abuse."

Parshall's participation in AFA's documentary is akin to a bully crying because the target of  her  hostility is fighting back.

But even worse than FRC's  and AFA's videos was one put out by Jeremiah Films in 1993 called Gay Rights/Special Rights



This video is best described as a "hot mess," juxtaposing the 1963 March on Washington with the 1993 gay rights march on Washington after Clinton was elected. It was created to exploit the fear and ignorance of the African-American community regarding the lgbtq community, as demonstrated by this partial transcript:

Lester James (Afro-American): [The high-handed attempt on the part of gay and lesbian movements to highjack the 1964 Civil Rights Act in order to try to give national credence to their immoral lifestyle is an offence to Black America.]

Emanuel McLittle : [There are few people willing to stand up and rebut this whole notion that there is any kind of comparison to the ....]

SOUND RETURNS

Emanuel McLittle :... sexuality of homosexuals, and the skin tone (FADE TO A BLACK MAN IN THE 1963 CIVIL RIGHTS MARCH) of Black people. It is a horrendous lie. (CUT TO EMANUEL MCLITTLE) Black people are not born ... choosing to be Black. [But] {the} homosexual[s] on the other hand, despite what all of them seem to want to (CUT TO TWO WHITE MEN, IN WHITE SHIRTS AND BLACK BOW TIES, KISSING) indicate to us, choose their homosexual lifestyle[s].

(CUT TO A SCENE OF THE US SUPREME COURT WITH THE FOLLOWING TITLE ACROSS IT "TO QUALIFY FOR MINORITY CLASS STATUS: THE GROUP MUST HAVE SUFFERED ECONOMIC DISCRIMINATION").

Commentator: The group must have suffered a history of discrimination resulting in the lack of ability to earn an average mean income, obtain [an] adequate education, or enjoy cultural opportunities. (CUT TO A SPLIT SCREEN, WHITE MEN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, BLACK MEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE) Compare these results of a nationwide survey reported in The Wall Street Journal between homosexuals and African Americans regarding, (FADE TO THE TITLE ON SCREEN "AVERAGE HOUSE INCOMES: HOMOSEXUALS $55,430; AFRICAN AMERICANS $12,166") average household incomes, (CHANGE THE TITLE TO "PERCENTAGE OF COLLEGE GRADUATES; HOMOSEXUALS 60%; AFRICAN AMERICANS 5%") .. percentage of College graduates, (CHANGE THE TITLE TO "PERCENTAGE OF PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS: HOMOSEXUALS 49%; AFRICAN AMERICANS 1%") percentage of those holding professional managerial positions, (CHANGE THE TITLE TO "PERCENTAGE OF OVERSEAS VACATIONS: HOMOSEXUALS 66%; AFRICAN AMERICANS 1%") ... percentage of those who have taken overseas vacations. (CHANGE THE TITLE TO "EVER DENIED THE RIGHT TO VOTE: HOMOSEXUALS: NO; AFRICAN AMERICANS: YES") Have either African Americans [or homosexuals] ever been denied the right to vote? (CHANGE THE TITLE TO "EVER FACED LEGAL SEGREGATION: HOMOSEXUALS: NO; AFRICAN AMERICANS: YES") ever faced legal segregation? (CHANGE THE TITLE TO "EVER DENIED ACCESS TO PUBLIC RESTROOMS HOMOSEXUALS : NO; AFRICAN AMERICANS : YES") ever denied access by law to public drinking fountains and restrooms? (CHANGE THE TITLE TO "EVER DENIED ACCESS TO BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS: HOMOSEXUALS: NO; AFRICAN AMERICANS : YES") ever been denied access by law to businesses and restaurants?

(CUT TO JAN RICE, A BLACK WOMAN, WITH TWO OTHER BLACK WOMEN).

Jan Rice : Their high income, (FADE IN TITLE "JAN RICE, COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS") their education, their, their current status in society, compared to the mean, (FADE OUT TITLE) or the median, income in, in minority families today there's just, there's no comparison. So for them to want protection under this law, {is to try to} [and to try to further] beat down the minorities and further lessen their chances of equal protection and equal chances at jobs, I just think is ludicrous.

Gay Rights/Special Rights also feature an interview with former US Senator Trent Lott years before his controversial defense of former segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond. Talk about your ironies.

The point is when religious right groups  like FRC and AFA come out with "documentaries" describing the so-called dangers and scourges of homosexuality, they should NOT be believed. These documentaries are repulsive propaganda pieces akin to what the Nazis put out about those of the Jewish faith in the 1930s and 40s, like so:




 Now there are some who may say that I am trying to silence those who feel that homosexuality is a sin or that I have gone too far by bringing up the Nazi comparison.

However I am not backing down.

In both cases, we are talking about groups of people being scapegoated and unfairly demonized as a nefarious groups bent on cataclysmic mass destruction.

I fail to see the differences, no matter how subtle some may claim that they are.

So to FRC and the rest putting out these untrue documentaries, please know that I don't want you to shut up. I don't want you to be silent. I want you to stand on the mountain tops and trumpet your mess. Hell, I will hold the the megaphone to your mouths.

But do not expect me or anyone else to sit by and say nothing when we notice the disturbing similarities between your horror stories of now to demonize the lgbtq community and those relayed in the past to demonize other innocent groups.


Hat tip to Joe Jervis for giving me this idea for this post.