Religious right reveals bigoted hand in Boy Scouts situation

My buddy Zack Ford at Think Progress just wrote an incredibly good piece which I think needs more attention.

 In How The ‘Scouts’ Safety’ Argument Reveals Conservatives’ Complete Anti-Gay Agenda, Ford says that how the religious right and some conservatives addressed the situation about the Boy Scouts reveals the depths of their bigotry against the lgbt community.

I especially like this part:

Though BSA refused to share any of the details of the two-year review that resulted in keeping the policy, plenty of conservatives voices have attempted to make the case on behalf of the organization, including Mike Huckabee, Bill O’Reilly, Rick Perry, the Family Research Council, the Liberty Counsel, the American Family Association, the National Organization for Marriage, and the Southern Baptist Convention, to name a few. While some have made weak appeals to “traditional values,” the overwhelming argument against changing the policy has been a claim that Scouts will be more vulnerable to abuse if gays are allowed to participate in the organization, an argument that doesn’t even address the question of gay Scouts. Here is a sampling of the underlying assumptions about gay people that inform this point of view:

• The LGBT community is viewed entirely as adult gay men.

• The only aspect of a person that defines a gay identity is participation in same-sex sexual behavior.

• Nothing is apparently more important to gay men than having as much sex as possible and talking about it at all times.

• For gay men, there is no difference between being attracted to other adult gay men and being attracted to underage boys.

• Gay men are so obsessed with having sex that consent means nothing to them.

• Even though the men most commonly found abusing boys identify as heterosexual, the fact that their victims were boys means that they must be secretly gay, as opposed to just being pedophiles.

• It’s impossible for a child to learn that gay people even exist without becoming “sexualized” and somehow put at risk.

• So long as homosexuality is prohibited, all Boy Scouts will remain totally chaste and never think, learn about, or talk about the existence of sex.

'FRC continues the gay = pedophilie lie' and other Thursday midday news briefs

STUDY: Coming Out Is Good For Gays’ Mental Health - Well duh. 

 CNN Devotes Three Segments In Three Days To Debating The “Gays Are Pedophiles” Myth - While I enjoyed watching the folks at CNN refute the religious right, this article brings up a good point.

  Thanks for the shout out, Ms Roback Morse! - Doggone it, Jeremy Hooper! You always get the good shout outs. LOL  

16 Must-See Black LGBT Films - Sweet! 

Lake County School Board May Slash All Student Clubs To Blockade Gay-Straight Alliance - Not so sweet.

Perkins: 'Ironic' That Critics of Pedophilia in Catholic Church Want Boy Scouts to Lift Gay Ban - Finally, there are some folks who feel that my post yesterday (Family Research Council is to blame for near massacre at its headquarters) went over the line. I said that by the vindictively demonizing language that it uses against lgbts and the lies it tells about us, FRC created a wheel of hatred which turned on the group. And I stand by it. I did not absolve the young man who attempted the violence of his culpability but I be damned if FRC will exploit his hatred as an excuse to pander its hatred. Let this news brief be proof of my statement.

The anti-gay hate group and Congress

Some in the lgbt community have publicly asked why should we be concerned about the doings of the Family Research Council. Apparently some of us figure that if we close our eyes and put our fingers in our ears, FRC will do us no actual harm as a community.

Think again, especially after you read this from the organization's webpage:

Congress may not always act responsibly, but there are plenty of members who do! Today, we honored the House and Senate leaders who stood on principle and notched a perfect 100% on FRC Action's annual scorecard. Almost 30 of the 93 congressional "True Blue" winners dropped by the Capitol Hill Club for our special reception, and it was encouraging to see the camaraderie in the room among the leaders who take the slings and arrows for the rest of us as they stand for family values.
As part of this year's event, we also welcomed new members of Congress, who will be valuable reinforcements for the pro-family cause. This year, FRC Action scored votes on everything from repealing ObamaCare and protecting DOMA to the President's court nominees and safeguarding conscience rights. I appreciate the members who took time out of their busy schedules to join us--as well as the FRC and FRC Action staff, Tom McClusky, Connie Mackey, Sherry Crater, Mike Mears, and Tim Potter, for your tireless efforts for our values. Congratulations to the 112^th Congress's class of True Blue winners! Thank you for all you accomplished in the name of faith, family, and freedom.

This ridiculous award underscores the simple fact that in spite of all of the highly specious things FRC has done to undermine gay equality, it has a degree of credibility to some members of Congress.

And it is Congress which passes laws (well duh). That's why it is so important for us to continue to publicly debate and denounce FRC,  as well as show all of the reasons why the organization is a hate group.

And on that last point, FRC always makes it easy for us.

Related post - 16 reasons why the Family Research Council is a hate group