As many of you already know, I am working on an update of my 2013 online booklet, How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America.
I had wanted How They See Us to be a booklet that anyone could pick up and begin to understand the inner workings of anti-lgbt propaganda. I'm of the opinion that our community and leaders have not fully done the right job of educating the masses (instead of our cliques and circles who seem to approach this material with an annoying jadedness) as to what exactly is anti-gay propaganda and how do the purveyors of this propaganda exploit people of faith.
I think I accomplished just a little of this. My booklet was a huge smash with over 50,000 hits and downloads. With this update, I hope to excise some things, add new things, and in general talk about marriage equality and the religious liberty farce. I'm not going for shock with this update, but I don't intend to hold anything back. I make NO promises that I won't offend some folks on our side of the spectrum with some of the images I will show. Nothing violent, mind you. But I want a reaction. Anything which can yank some of us out of our apathy about anti-lgbt propaganda.
Don't worry regarding Kim Davis. I'm trying not to include much of her because we've seen enough of THAT woman already. However, one thing we haven't talked about enough is how anti-gay groups, personalities, and their supporters exploit people's fear of lgbts around children. That's one subject we really need to discuss because the hallmark and center of almost every anti-lgbt campaign is the lie that gays want to recruit, indoctrinate, have sex with, or basically harm kids.
One of the additions to the update will be an entire page devoted to images over the years of this lie. Below are just a few of the images I will be presenting, as well as some words of truth from an anti-lgbt leader himself about how the folks on his side are clearly lying. But I won't tell you about those words. Just look at the images. Even in rough draft form, they make me ill. And about that last image from the Equality Ordinance fight in Houston? The image which demonizes the transgender community? Oh, it will be used.
I had wanted How They See Us to be a booklet that anyone could pick up and begin to understand the inner workings of anti-lgbt propaganda. I'm of the opinion that our community and leaders have not fully done the right job of educating the masses (instead of our cliques and circles who seem to approach this material with an annoying jadedness) as to what exactly is anti-gay propaganda and how do the purveyors of this propaganda exploit people of faith.
I think I accomplished just a little of this. My booklet was a huge smash with over 50,000 hits and downloads. With this update, I hope to excise some things, add new things, and in general talk about marriage equality and the religious liberty farce. I'm not going for shock with this update, but I don't intend to hold anything back. I make NO promises that I won't offend some folks on our side of the spectrum with some of the images I will show. Nothing violent, mind you. But I want a reaction. Anything which can yank some of us out of our apathy about anti-lgbt propaganda.
Don't worry regarding Kim Davis. I'm trying not to include much of her because we've seen enough of THAT woman already. However, one thing we haven't talked about enough is how anti-gay groups, personalities, and their supporters exploit people's fear of lgbts around children. That's one subject we really need to discuss because the hallmark and center of almost every anti-lgbt campaign is the lie that gays want to recruit, indoctrinate, have sex with, or basically harm kids.
One of the additions to the update will be an entire page devoted to images over the years of this lie. Below are just a few of the images I will be presenting, as well as some words of truth from an anti-lgbt leader himself about how the folks on his side are clearly lying. But I won't tell you about those words. Just look at the images. Even in rough draft form, they make me ill. And about that last image from the Equality Ordinance fight in Houston? The image which demonizes the transgender community? Oh, it will be used.
Why did you turn "how they see us" into a strictly image file? Its not inaccessible to people like me. No reading aid can read an image.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pdf file, it's probably not formatted properly for screen readers but it should be at least somewhat accessible if you download it?
DeleteI find the first "cartoon" very offensive, not to say the others aren't. While the religious anti-gays scare tactics using children are despicable, some of the other fringe stuff is just as scary.
ReplyDeleteToday I followed some links to Walid and Theodore Shoebat and to put them in a NUTshell, they are scary crazy. Teddy talks about putting gays and lesbians to death because the bible says. But Teddy is so cute and "normal" looking.
One of the things that struck me was how they transform religious scripture and "Catholic" dogma into a string of conspiracy theories and eschatological scenarios and that so many people buy into it.They would be considered heretical in mainstream Catholic circles, but they believe the Roman Jesuits and the CIA are controlling things so, of course the Roman clerics are minions of the Anti-christ or something. How do you argue with that? And the Shoebats have the corner on truth, of course.
That is one of the pitfalls of religion in general I think - that, because of built-in ambiguities and contradictions and wild interpretations it is so easy to get into a kind of circular thinking - and arguing from assumptions that cannot be refuted because they rely on false assumptions which cannot be refuted... or something like that.
I think it is important to call these people out - and reveal them for the wingnuts they are.
I also think that the "mainstream" gay blogs need to pay more attention to your articles and posts. They seem so caught up in humdrum politics and Hollywood gossip. You need to get the word out. Maybe the title "Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters" is not attention grabbing enough. Just a thought.
hi Erica. I'm confused. It was always an adobe acrobat file. That's what the link in the post is as well as the two links on the side.
ReplyDeleteHey Frank,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the support ;p. With people like the Shoebats, you don't argue with them, you show America what they are all about. That's always been the point. Never argue with the anti-gay right. You expose them. I think I do alright. I would like to have a little more exposure but behind the scenes, I've gotten quite a few things done ;p
I forgot to say, "Keep up the good work." Your voice on these issues is invaluable.
ReplyDelete