This and that, Odds and ends
Since announcing the publication of my book, I have received an outpouring of support and congratulations.
And I find that very gratifying for one reason.
I self-published this book and I don't really expect to make money off of it. I have no publishing house behind me working publicity. I have no salacious story to tell that would reel in readers.
All I offer is truth; plain truth.
I have often heard that the battle for lgbt rights can be compared to that of the African-American civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s. This overview is correct but the devil is always in the details.
Racists back then primarily used violence to keep African-Americans in place. The forces who attack lgbts are a bit more covert. They don't use physical violence, but ideological violence.
They use lies and distortions to rob us of our spiritual and psychological well-being. And the way to defeat them is the beat them down with the truth as often as possible.
So I wish to thank everyone who ordered my book so far and registered a note of support to me for my efforts.
And speaking of the anti-gay industry, I did something unorthodox yesterday. I mass emailed a press release publicizing my book. Various folks such as Americans for Truth (in name only), the Traditional Values Coalition, Concerned Women for America, Kevin McCullough, etc were included in this mass emailing.
Why did I do it? Because I wanted them to know about my book. I really don't expect them to answer me back or address my book.
But at least they can't claim that they weren't aware of it.
And one more thing.
In a show of distorted vision that served him well when he was with Concerned Women for America, my ole pal Robert Knight wrote a column whining that the Congressman Craig controversy is taking attention away from the Jim Naugle situation in Florida:
Knight says the Larry Craig scandal is a "perfect" story for the mainstream media because the senator has a pro-family voting record, yet engages in behavior he ostensibly opposes. Senator Craig resigned from the U.S. Senate on Saturday amidst the bathroom sex scandal.
Naturally neither Knight's column nor the article quoting him cited comments from the area police (who said that public gay sex is not a problem in Naugle's area) or Florida lgbt activists.
Should we really be surprised?
Apparently for Knight, old habits of lying die hard.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters on sale now!!!
I am pleased to announce that my book, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Exposing the Lies of the Anti-Gay Industry, just went on sale. I have already sent out many press releases announcing this.
As you all know, this has been a long process for me. I originally wanted to write this book in 1992 while in college.
Coming out is a difficult process. Realizing that there are people out there who, through lies, will try to convince you that you have a negative future as a gay man only makes the process worse. Hearing people cite the work of Paul Cameron and other lies did much damage to my psyche at that time. I have since gotten over it, but I will never forget it.
So I finally sat down three years ago and began the process of writing this book. My purpose is to show how the anti-gay industry distorts studies to prove the lie that "homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle."
I also outline their propaganda techniques and give examples of how they distort current events to lie on the lgbt community.
This book is my way of striking back not just for myself but for the next generation; the next young lgbt who will be forced to listen to the standard lies about the supposed gay life span or gay men molesting children.
I am smarter than I was in 1992 and my community is more pro-active. In that spirit, I hope this book answers a lot of questions, exposes a lot of lies, and turns this "cultural battle" into one in which the anti-gay industry has to answer for their tactics rather than us lgbt having to explain our lives.
Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters or reading an excerpt can go here.
And one more thing - thank you all for your suppport.
I am pleased to announce that my book, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Exposing the Lies of the Anti-Gay Industry, just went on sale. I have already sent out many press releases announcing this.
As you all know, this has been a long process for me. I originally wanted to write this book in 1992 while in college.
Coming out is a difficult process. Realizing that there are people out there who, through lies, will try to convince you that you have a negative future as a gay man only makes the process worse. Hearing people cite the work of Paul Cameron and other lies did much damage to my psyche at that time. I have since gotten over it, but I will never forget it.
So I finally sat down three years ago and began the process of writing this book. My purpose is to show how the anti-gay industry distorts studies to prove the lie that "homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle."
I also outline their propaganda techniques and give examples of how they distort current events to lie on the lgbt community.
This book is my way of striking back not just for myself but for the next generation; the next young lgbt who will be forced to listen to the standard lies about the supposed gay life span or gay men molesting children.
I am smarter than I was in 1992 and my community is more pro-active. In that spirit, I hope this book answers a lot of questions, exposes a lot of lies, and turns this "cultural battle" into one in which the anti-gay industry has to answer for their tactics rather than us lgbt having to explain our lives.
Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters or reading an excerpt can go here.
And one more thing - thank you all for your suppport.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Don't we ever learn?
In an excellent show of guts, officials in Broward County, Fla., voted unanimously Tuesday to boot Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle from their tourism board.
I am happy about that but I read something about an event in another state that got me sad.
In Tennessee, Congressman Steve Cohen finally met with a group of black ministers who have been after him because of his voting for the federal hate crimes bill.
The meeting got ugly and will best be remembered for the following:
"He's not black and he can't represent me, that's just the bottom line," said Rev. Robert Poindexter of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. "I don't care how people try to dress is up, it always comes down to race and he can't know what it's like to be black."
It always saddens me as an lgbt of color when I see the gay and black community played against one another. Unfortunately since Bush's re-election, there has merged a wannabe army of black ministers who march in lockstep with the propaganda of the anti-gay industry, eager for the rewards of faith based money and notoriety that comes with their stances.
But with their stances comes ugly realities. No matter how hard they try, their prejudices are coming through. And these prejudices are embarrassing them.
Before their meeting, these black ministers were successful in putting Representative Cohen on the defensive. Now, they are on the defensive:
Comments and outbursts like that caused leaders to say the group will send Cohen a letter of apology.
"We didn't control it well, but it was never our intention to offend anybody," said Rev. Stanford L. Hunt, the group's secretary and pastor at Beulah Baptist Church. "Things definitely got out of hand."
Cohen agreed.
"I was not treated the way a congressman or an elected official or an invited guest should have been treated," Cohen said afterward. "It was supposed to be my time to come and address this issue. I never expected anything like this."
From reading the comments below the article, these ministers have done more damage to themselves. Not only were they unable to change Representative Cohen's mind, but their credibility as leaders in the black community has been questioned.
I have heard many white lgbts wonder how can heterosexual African-Americans stand for discrimination against gays when they have a history of being the victims of intolerance.
The answer is easy: because they are human and must be educated.
We would like to think that the victims of discrimination develop some sort of compassion that would enable them to not take on the role of oppressors. But such a thought is purely idealistic.
The fact of the matter is that human beings are not infalliable creatures. We are like cars; we need tune ups from time to time. Or in other words, we need consistent reminders.
We need to be reminded of what happens when a group of us are attacked and discriminated against for just being different. We need to be reminded that prejudice and hate should not be determined by actions but the reasonings behind those actions.
And we need to be reminded that in the long run, we all want the same thing: comfort, love, and the right to self-determination.
Without these reminders, we fall into chaos.
In an excellent show of guts, officials in Broward County, Fla., voted unanimously Tuesday to boot Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle from their tourism board.
I am happy about that but I read something about an event in another state that got me sad.
In Tennessee, Congressman Steve Cohen finally met with a group of black ministers who have been after him because of his voting for the federal hate crimes bill.
The meeting got ugly and will best be remembered for the following:
"He's not black and he can't represent me, that's just the bottom line," said Rev. Robert Poindexter of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. "I don't care how people try to dress is up, it always comes down to race and he can't know what it's like to be black."
It always saddens me as an lgbt of color when I see the gay and black community played against one another. Unfortunately since Bush's re-election, there has merged a wannabe army of black ministers who march in lockstep with the propaganda of the anti-gay industry, eager for the rewards of faith based money and notoriety that comes with their stances.
But with their stances comes ugly realities. No matter how hard they try, their prejudices are coming through. And these prejudices are embarrassing them.
Before their meeting, these black ministers were successful in putting Representative Cohen on the defensive. Now, they are on the defensive:
Comments and outbursts like that caused leaders to say the group will send Cohen a letter of apology.
"We didn't control it well, but it was never our intention to offend anybody," said Rev. Stanford L. Hunt, the group's secretary and pastor at Beulah Baptist Church. "Things definitely got out of hand."
Cohen agreed.
"I was not treated the way a congressman or an elected official or an invited guest should have been treated," Cohen said afterward. "It was supposed to be my time to come and address this issue. I never expected anything like this."
From reading the comments below the article, these ministers have done more damage to themselves. Not only were they unable to change Representative Cohen's mind, but their credibility as leaders in the black community has been questioned.
I have heard many white lgbts wonder how can heterosexual African-Americans stand for discrimination against gays when they have a history of being the victims of intolerance.
The answer is easy: because they are human and must be educated.
We would like to think that the victims of discrimination develop some sort of compassion that would enable them to not take on the role of oppressors. But such a thought is purely idealistic.
The fact of the matter is that human beings are not infalliable creatures. We are like cars; we need tune ups from time to time. Or in other words, we need consistent reminders.
We need to be reminded of what happens when a group of us are attacked and discriminated against for just being different. We need to be reminded that prejudice and hate should not be determined by actions but the reasonings behind those actions.
And we need to be reminded that in the long run, we all want the same thing: comfort, love, and the right to self-determination.
Without these reminders, we fall into chaos.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The die is cast. Let’s party.
There is a lot going on today.
Janet Folger is distorting again in another attempt to defend Mayor Jim Naugle.
Peter LaBarbera is going all crazy over a "bathhouse" in Chicago among other things.
And another Republican Congressman has gotten into trouble for being getting frisky in a public "terloit."
But you all need to forgive me while I indulge a little bit over a personal victory.
It’s done.
Today I faxed the final approval form to my publisher. This means that by next month, my book (Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Exposing the Lies of the Anti-Gay Industry) will go on sale.
It has been a long struggle to get to this final point. And I am exhausted.
Tomorrow, I should be back slinging bombs at my usual speed.
But tonight, I want to simply rest.
There is a lot going on today.
Janet Folger is distorting again in another attempt to defend Mayor Jim Naugle.
Peter LaBarbera is going all crazy over a "bathhouse" in Chicago among other things.
And another Republican Congressman has gotten into trouble for being getting frisky in a public "terloit."
But you all need to forgive me while I indulge a little bit over a personal victory.
It’s done.
Today I faxed the final approval form to my publisher. This means that by next month, my book (Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Exposing the Lies of the Anti-Gay Industry) will go on sale.
It has been a long struggle to get to this final point. And I am exhausted.
Tomorrow, I should be back slinging bombs at my usual speed.
But tonight, I want to simply rest.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Moving closer to the Rubicon
Saturday night, I had a crisis involving my book.
In looking over my author’s copy, I thought I had omitted two letters from a source. Normally, this would still be a huge error as far as I am concerned, but in this particular case, the two letters changed the name of my source considerably. This would make the error a calamity of Biblical proportions (and I am not exaggerating).
My mother thought I had finally gone off the deep end as I went through my notes like a madman, muttering to myself. She was ready to get on the phone to State Hospital when I found the notes I needed. My laugh of relief was something out of the ending of a horror movie where you find out that the psychopath not only lived but has the heroine trapped.
To her, I sounded like that psychopath.
As you can tell by that last paragraph, I not only found what I was looking for, but as it turns out, I was correct about the name of my source.
Problem solved. But new problem develops. Or to be more specific, an underlaying problem rises to the surface.
My mad search over a source Saturday night accentuated a fear I have kept since starting this project.
I have read and re-read. I have edited and re-edited. I have checked and checked and checked everything repeatedly. Tomorrow, I fax the final approval form to the publisher so that the book will be on sale hopefully by next month.
And I am scared to death about what is going to happen next.
Will this book be successful or will it fail? Will my lgbt brothers and sisters gravitate towards it or ignore it?
Can this book make at least a small difference in how we have been lied on?
I am walking into the unknown and all I can do is what I have been doing for the past three and a half years, which is pray.
But whatever you do, don’t tell Peter LaBarbera.
He probably thinks gay folks don’t pray.
Saturday night, I had a crisis involving my book.
In looking over my author’s copy, I thought I had omitted two letters from a source. Normally, this would still be a huge error as far as I am concerned, but in this particular case, the two letters changed the name of my source considerably. This would make the error a calamity of Biblical proportions (and I am not exaggerating).
My mother thought I had finally gone off the deep end as I went through my notes like a madman, muttering to myself. She was ready to get on the phone to State Hospital when I found the notes I needed. My laugh of relief was something out of the ending of a horror movie where you find out that the psychopath not only lived but has the heroine trapped.
To her, I sounded like that psychopath.
As you can tell by that last paragraph, I not only found what I was looking for, but as it turns out, I was correct about the name of my source.
Problem solved. But new problem develops. Or to be more specific, an underlaying problem rises to the surface.
My mad search over a source Saturday night accentuated a fear I have kept since starting this project.
I have read and re-read. I have edited and re-edited. I have checked and checked and checked everything repeatedly. Tomorrow, I fax the final approval form to the publisher so that the book will be on sale hopefully by next month.
And I am scared to death about what is going to happen next.
Will this book be successful or will it fail? Will my lgbt brothers and sisters gravitate towards it or ignore it?
Can this book make at least a small difference in how we have been lied on?
I am walking into the unknown and all I can do is what I have been doing for the past three and a half years, which is pray.
But whatever you do, don’t tell Peter LaBarbera.
He probably thinks gay folks don’t pray.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Bad news, Good news
Before I start, let me point something out about the Jim Naugle situation.
Isn't it "convenient" that all of the so-called "pro-family" sites and blogs talking about the situation are omitting the comments of the area police. You know, the comments that say "gay public sex" is not a problem in Fort Lauderdale.
And isn't is also "convenient" that so-called Christians are using the issue to condemn homosexuality on the whole when the situation is about "gay public sex."
Just another example as to how the anti-gay industry (i.e. Janet Folger, Peter LaBarbera, One News Now, etc.) and their supporters are lying and distorting in the name of God.
Now onto my bad news, good news.
Bad news - My interview on the radio show The Agenda (that was supposed to take place on Monday) has been postponed to next month. Actually I don't see it as bad news. By next month, my book should be out.
Good news - and speaking of my book, my author's copy (my book in it's final form) came yesterday. It looks good! My mother looked at it and is afraid that I am going to get sued by the groups and persons I accuse of distortions.
I say let them try. I have proof of my charges.
Of course seeing that this is my first book, I am wary of looking at it too much for fear that I am going to find a HUGE grammatical error. After a few more books under my belt, I will have more confidence in my work.
The main fact of the matter is that my book should be out by next month and the anti-gay industry is going to have a lot of explaining to do.
And I am looking forward to that.
Before I start, let me point something out about the Jim Naugle situation.
Isn't it "convenient" that all of the so-called "pro-family" sites and blogs talking about the situation are omitting the comments of the area police. You know, the comments that say "gay public sex" is not a problem in Fort Lauderdale.
And isn't is also "convenient" that so-called Christians are using the issue to condemn homosexuality on the whole when the situation is about "gay public sex."
Just another example as to how the anti-gay industry (i.e. Janet Folger, Peter LaBarbera, One News Now, etc.) and their supporters are lying and distorting in the name of God.
Now onto my bad news, good news.
Bad news - My interview on the radio show The Agenda (that was supposed to take place on Monday) has been postponed to next month. Actually I don't see it as bad news. By next month, my book should be out.
Good news - and speaking of my book, my author's copy (my book in it's final form) came yesterday. It looks good! My mother looked at it and is afraid that I am going to get sued by the groups and persons I accuse of distortions.
I say let them try. I have proof of my charges.
Of course seeing that this is my first book, I am wary of looking at it too much for fear that I am going to find a HUGE grammatical error. After a few more books under my belt, I will have more confidence in my work.
The main fact of the matter is that my book should be out by next month and the anti-gay industry is going to have a lot of explaining to do.
And I am looking forward to that.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Jim Naugle returns (ugh)
Maybe Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle felt pushed to the side because of the San Diego firefighters lawsuit.
Or maybe he just likes looking like an idiot.
For whatever reason, yesterday, Naugle passed the threshold of nauseatingly annoying to being a complete moron when he held yet another press conference. And just like his last one, Naugle used this opportunity to rail against Florida's lgbt community.
And this time, he brought a posse, including John R. Diggs (author of the distorted study The Health Risks of Gay Sex) and Janet Folger (the wannabe 20th century version of Joan of Arc).
However we found out something new from this press conference. Apparently Naugle was using outdated studies (surprise, suprise) in his claims about AIDS in his area:
A health department official said some of the statistics used by the mayor are outdated.
For example, the county is no longer first in the nation in AIDS cases per 100,000 residents, said the official, AIDS surveilliance manager Pat Callahan Taylor.
Broward County does have an HIV/AIDS crisis, she said, and has had one for years. But it's not isolated to gay men.Black, heterosexual women make up a significant number of new HIV cases. Women make up a third of the 6,913 HIV cases diagnosed in Broward in the past 10 years."
I think it's really important when you're looking at the numbers to not just look at parts of it,'' said Taylor. "One of our favorite quotes is if you torture a statistic long enough, it will confess to anything. And I think that's what we've seen.''
But hey, why let a little thing like correct statistics stand in the way of getting into the kingdom of God. Naugle is obviously learning the tricks of the trade from Diggs and Folger.
The press conference left me confused. Is Naugle and company complaining about gay sex in public places (which area police continues to say is not a problem) or homosexuality in general.
I tend to think that they are intentionally distorting the issue. Naugle and company are doing this because they don't care about truth. As long as people come away with image of lgbts as disease ridden oversexed fiends, then their work is done.
And it's downright vulgar how they take a self righteous view of their own behavior:
"We are concerned of the moral fiber of this city,'' said Pastor Willie McBride, of the Lauderdale Christian Center in Plantation. " ... We have no hatred in our hearts toward you,'' he said. "When I lie, steal or cheat, God doesn't start hating me. But he hates the act.''
Meanwhile, expect a bunch of positive press to come Naugle's way from the anti-gay industry media machine.
Our friend Peter LaBarbera and his group, Americans for Truth (in name only) have been practically stewing in their own juices over the press conference. LaBarbera in particular describes Naugle's public sojourn as if it's the Second Coming complete with Gabriel blowing his horn and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in tow.
Of course One News Now has a very biased view of the situation:
The mayor of Fort Lauderdale is standing firm in his conservative beliefs, despite being hammered in the press and by homosexual activists. For one thing, they don't like the fact that the mayor plans to crack down on illegal sexual activity in public.
And at Florida Baptist Witness, there is this bit from Executive Editor James A. Smith, Sr.:
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle happens to believe that sex acts should not be permitted in his city's public restrooms. For that "bigoted" belief and others that have offended South Florida's—indeed, the nation's—homosexual lobby, Naugle is under intense criticism, including protest rallies, a recall effort and the scorn of Broward County elected officials.
I say, thank you, Mayor Naugle.
Of course both pieces makes it seem as if Ft. Lauderdale's lgbt community is angry at Naugle because of his "stand against public sex." Neither piece has any quotes or comments from Ft Lauderdale's lgbt community.
And neither piece has any comments from the area police who (and I repeat) have said again and again that public gay sex is not a problem in Ft. Lauderdale.
Let me state again that the anger over Naugle's behavior is not a defense of any type of public sex.
Ft. Lauderdale's lgbt community and many others (myself included) are angry because Naugle is using a moral panic to demonize an innocent community of people.
His eagerness to pander to ignorance and stereotypes is not the behavior of a decent human being, much less an elected official.
Naugle is a demagogue, pure and simple. He is a vile, media obsessed monster no different than any other figure in history who used religion to control people or torture innocents for their own sadistic purposes.
Sooner or later, if he hasn't already, Naugle is going to overplay his hand.
And I hope to be here to record it.
Maybe Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle felt pushed to the side because of the San Diego firefighters lawsuit.
Or maybe he just likes looking like an idiot.
For whatever reason, yesterday, Naugle passed the threshold of nauseatingly annoying to being a complete moron when he held yet another press conference. And just like his last one, Naugle used this opportunity to rail against Florida's lgbt community.
And this time, he brought a posse, including John R. Diggs (author of the distorted study The Health Risks of Gay Sex) and Janet Folger (the wannabe 20th century version of Joan of Arc).
However we found out something new from this press conference. Apparently Naugle was using outdated studies (surprise, suprise) in his claims about AIDS in his area:
A health department official said some of the statistics used by the mayor are outdated.
For example, the county is no longer first in the nation in AIDS cases per 100,000 residents, said the official, AIDS surveilliance manager Pat Callahan Taylor.
Broward County does have an HIV/AIDS crisis, she said, and has had one for years. But it's not isolated to gay men.Black, heterosexual women make up a significant number of new HIV cases. Women make up a third of the 6,913 HIV cases diagnosed in Broward in the past 10 years."
I think it's really important when you're looking at the numbers to not just look at parts of it,'' said Taylor. "One of our favorite quotes is if you torture a statistic long enough, it will confess to anything. And I think that's what we've seen.''
But hey, why let a little thing like correct statistics stand in the way of getting into the kingdom of God. Naugle is obviously learning the tricks of the trade from Diggs and Folger.
The press conference left me confused. Is Naugle and company complaining about gay sex in public places (which area police continues to say is not a problem) or homosexuality in general.
I tend to think that they are intentionally distorting the issue. Naugle and company are doing this because they don't care about truth. As long as people come away with image of lgbts as disease ridden oversexed fiends, then their work is done.
And it's downright vulgar how they take a self righteous view of their own behavior:
"We are concerned of the moral fiber of this city,'' said Pastor Willie McBride, of the Lauderdale Christian Center in Plantation. " ... We have no hatred in our hearts toward you,'' he said. "When I lie, steal or cheat, God doesn't start hating me. But he hates the act.''
Meanwhile, expect a bunch of positive press to come Naugle's way from the anti-gay industry media machine.
Our friend Peter LaBarbera and his group, Americans for Truth (in name only) have been practically stewing in their own juices over the press conference. LaBarbera in particular describes Naugle's public sojourn as if it's the Second Coming complete with Gabriel blowing his horn and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in tow.
Of course One News Now has a very biased view of the situation:
The mayor of Fort Lauderdale is standing firm in his conservative beliefs, despite being hammered in the press and by homosexual activists. For one thing, they don't like the fact that the mayor plans to crack down on illegal sexual activity in public.
And at Florida Baptist Witness, there is this bit from Executive Editor James A. Smith, Sr.:
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle happens to believe that sex acts should not be permitted in his city's public restrooms. For that "bigoted" belief and others that have offended South Florida's—indeed, the nation's—homosexual lobby, Naugle is under intense criticism, including protest rallies, a recall effort and the scorn of Broward County elected officials.
I say, thank you, Mayor Naugle.
Of course both pieces makes it seem as if Ft. Lauderdale's lgbt community is angry at Naugle because of his "stand against public sex." Neither piece has any quotes or comments from Ft Lauderdale's lgbt community.
And neither piece has any comments from the area police who (and I repeat) have said again and again that public gay sex is not a problem in Ft. Lauderdale.
Let me state again that the anger over Naugle's behavior is not a defense of any type of public sex.
Ft. Lauderdale's lgbt community and many others (myself included) are angry because Naugle is using a moral panic to demonize an innocent community of people.
His eagerness to pander to ignorance and stereotypes is not the behavior of a decent human being, much less an elected official.
Naugle is a demagogue, pure and simple. He is a vile, media obsessed monster no different than any other figure in history who used religion to control people or torture innocents for their own sadistic purposes.
Sooner or later, if he hasn't already, Naugle is going to overplay his hand.
And I hope to be here to record it.
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