NOM pushing junk science about gays, cigar smoking

It appears that the loss in New York has affected the National Organization for Marriage intensely.

Is it just me or is the organization seemingly more vindictive on its blog. Yesterday, it took a cheap shot at NY governor Andrew Cuomo's mother. And today comes this bit:

From a Catholic Culture summary:

In a powerful editorial for The Anchor, the official newspaper for the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, Father Roger Landry calls attention to the pastoral damage done by priests who refuse to convey the Church’s teaching on human sexuality, fearful of opposition from gay-rights activists.

A sample:

If doctors and nurses at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute were aware that a patient was chain-smoking cigars and out of a desire not to displease him said nothing, they would be guilty of unconscionable neglect. If the patient was flaunting his cigar-smoking and attempting to persuade others that, rather than harmful, cigar-smoking was a great practice deserving of celebration instead of censure, the destructive consequences of their reticence would be magnified. Similarly, pastors and parishes who are aware that parishioners are unabashedly engaging in practices contrary to the practice of the faith and who do not strive, with patient, tender and firm preaching and accompaniment, to help them eliminate whatever in them is leading them to sin, are culpable of the worst type of pastoral malpractice.

You mean NOM is citing the work of a Catholic priest after all of the rumors and speculation involving the Catholic church in NOM's activities? I'm shocked, really I am.

But that part about cigar smoking is nothing new. NOM and its affiliate organizations in New York encouraged supporters to make the same sort of claims in letters to the editor.

The idea of comparing homosexuality to cigar smoking is rooted in junk science. The first person who made this comparison (even though he was talking about cigarettes) was Paul Cameron, the infamous discredited researcher who, amongst other things, was either dismissed or censured by several medical professional groups.

What's next, NOM? Citing Cameron's work on gay men and gerbils?

Bachmann endorsed 'ex-gay' group and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Bachmann Endorsed ‘Ex-Gay’ Group In 2004, Said They ‘Will Present The Truth About Homosexuality’ - Surely Bachmann had to know that this would come up when she decided to run for president, as well questions about her husband's sexuality. That's the weirdest thing about ambition. It will blind to you to the presence of fully loaded freight train headed in your direction.

Why is NOM so into hiding Thomas Peters' role? - NOM caught hiding allegiances again.

Brenda 'Sue' Fulton, Openly Gay Veteran, Named To West Point Advisory Board - Not a bad achievement at all!

California lawmakers pass bill to teach gay history - Good for California! It's something which is needed nationwide.

Introducing The NOM Files

Brian Brown of NOM

The National Organization for Marriage thinks of itself as the preeminent organization to stop marriage equality.

However under its so-called Christian exterior is a vast forest of secrets, lies and blatantly dirty tactics.

NOM has quickly become a controversial group not only because its anti-marriage equality zeal, but also because of the lengths it has gone to in hiding its donors from public view.

Unfortunately a lot of folks, particularly folks in the gay community, aren't aware of this group. There are various resources out there about NOM if one took the time to search for them.

However, wouldn't it be nice if there was a place where one could find information regarding all of NOM's underhanded tactics (particularly inferring that gays want to either recruit or confuse children through marriage equality), chronicles its attempts to hide its donors, and provides resources to other sites and folks fighting NOM?

That's what I hope to accomplish with the NOM Files.

The NOM Files is a new facebook group dedicated to shedding a light on NOM's activities. Every distortion of the group will be trotted out, every lie will be remembered, and every time NOM tries to hide its donors, it will be given front page coverage.

The rules for The NOM Files are simple. Anyone can join and anyone can post. But I reserve the right to edit posts - which I will only do if the posts don't fit the mission of the facebook group.

NOM has a lot to answer for. But until the lgbtq community and our allies make it a point to demand these answers, then we're aren't going to get them.

Click here to join.

Linda Harvey and Gary Glenn - the sad meeting of two homophobic people

Linda Harvey

According to People for the American Way's Right-Wing Watch, a very nauseating but interesting incident recently took place.

Two homophobes conducted a radio interview and agreed the gay community is full of disease-ridden folks who should be discriminated against:

Linda Harvey of Mission America interviewed Gary Glenn, the head of the American Family Association’s Michigan chapter, during her radio show on how the Religious Right should respond to gay rights victories. Glenn, a prominent activist that Mike Huckabee calls his “very special friend,” warned that companies should be wary of hiring lesbian and gay employees because of what Glenn calls the “severe medical consequences” of being gay. Approvingly, Harvey argued that employers should take note that gays lives unstable lives and added, “I would not think of a homosexual person as a good employment risk”.

People for the American Way has the audio, but I won't pollute this blog with that mess. I will just post the pertinent part of the transcript:

Gary Glenn

Glenn: What ridiculous folly to suggest that only those individuals who engage in homosexual behavior given all of its severe medical consequences constitute the best and the brightest. It’s not really bright to engage in behavior that puts you at dramatically higher risk of mental illness and substance abuse and AIDS and cancer and hepatitis, and according to various sources, premature death. So to suggest that engaging in that type of behavior defines someone as the best and brightest, which seems to be the line coming out of corporate America, is just ridiculous.

Harvey: You’re right. And higher rates of domestic violence and unstable relationships. I would not think of a homosexual person as a good employment risk, I just wouldn’t.

First of all, let's get Harvey out of the way. She is a woman masking her ignorance behind a religious identity. She is merely a former ad executive who "found Jesus." Of course in her supposed "discovery of Jesus," Harvey seems to have intentionally forgotten his comments about love and truth.

NOM takes silly cheap shot at Gov. Cuomo's mother

Some may disagree but I think this recent bit on NOM's blog is simply stupid:

Gov. Cuomo's Mom: Don't Redefine Lasagna

We love how Andrew Cuomo's Italian mom loves him no matter what, even for passing gay marriage. But we could not help noticing Mrs. Cuomo's firm belief that some things just cannot be redefined.

... no, not marriage, lasanga:

"I did not criticize her lasagna," [Matilda] Cuomo said. "All I said is it's not Italian. Cottage cheese and tomato soup might be low on calories, but it's not Italian lasagna."

The original article in question consisted of Gov. Cuomo's mother praising her son's persistence in getting marriage equality passed in New York, so maybe some folks would consider her "fair game."

But I still say that NOM's little cheap shot was dumb and unnecessary.

First NOM's president acts like a spoiled child when marriage equality is passed. And now the organization has taken to immature shots at Gov. Cuomo's mother.

What's next? Shooting spitballs at Governor Cuomo during his next public speech?

How the 'ex-gay' lie led a young man to embrace his homosexuality

Recently, an ugly incident - which I didn't cover at the time - took place. A preacher by the name of Damon Thompson had this hideous revival which he talked about "deliverance from homosexuality"



It's an awful thing to watch when one considers just how many young lgbtqs are lured by a charlatan like Thompson to hate themselves.

But in the case of one in attendance, Thompson's madness backfired. A young man by the name Ashton Elijah Pittman attended the services and learned, because of it, to embrace his God-given sexual orientation. He wrote an excellent piece about it here.

And later on The David Pakman Show, he went into detail about Thompson's lies:



No matter how homophobes dress up their lies in religion, the things they say are pure hatred. And hatred always has a way of backfiring against the one who slings it.

Rick Santorum hates same-sex families and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Santorum: Marriage Equality And Civil Unions Would Destabilize Society, Men, Women, And Families - Oh sure. Rick Santorum isn't a homophobic bully. He simply likes to pick on same sex families.

In an unrelated but very appropriate aside: Rick Santorum’s Math Fail: Blasts Obama For Creating ‘Only 240 Million Jobs’ - Who knew being a "God warrior" involved so much stupidity?

Social conservs still denying Cuomo's religious freedom, still missing the irony - So gays are the bullies even though some folks on the other side are slyly implying to some Catholics that they should intimidate NY Governor Cuomo. Okay.
  
Tehachapi schools to revise policies after gay student's suicide - Good, yes. But still a child had to die before they got off of their behinds and did something.

Barber: "GLSEN Tacitly Advocates Child Sexual Abuse" - It's always good to clean one's eyes with holy water before and after reading something coming from the mouth of the Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber.