Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Bigot doesn't want gay doctors to care for children

I've come to the conclusion that the "former ad executive who found Jesus" Linda Harvey is the homophobic version of the Designing Women character Suzanne Sugarbaker, but light on the charm and extra heavy on the crazy.

The following comment she made today about children and gay doctors more than illustrate my point:



Transcript:

How do you feel about open homosexuals tending to your child in a health care setting? Do you think these folks provide good role modeling at a time when your child is very vulnerable? I was thinking about this recently when I heard that Children’s Hospital in Columbus has a homosexual employees group called NCHARGE, which stands for Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Advocates Representing Gay Employees. The meeting minutes of this groups reveal that they participated in last June’s gay pride parade, that they participated in a health expo on adolescent health this summer and that they’re concerned about same-sex partner benefits. They’re also planning to be identified with rainbow lapel pins.

But let’s say your eleven year-old has broken her leg rather badly and needs to be in the hospital a few days, which would you prefer: a nurse who’s proud of her lesbianism, who has rainbow identifiers on her work clothing, or a nurse who does not?

I would like to suggest that parents think long and hard about this. If you want your children to admire people who proclaim a homosexual lifestyle, they’re involvement with your child during a hospital stay is sure to be an influence. And let me be clear that folks involved in these behaviors can be certainly competent workers but they are tacking on to their workplace identity one that is highly offensive to many people and can be erroneously influential to children who won’t, or shouldn’t, see the whole picture of how this behavior really manifests itself.

Here’s what parents can do: select your pediatrician very carefully, first of all. There are a few homosexual doctors treating kids, there are far more nurses, LPNs, technicians and other health care workers in these lifestyles so you may want to consider writing a letter that you file with your pediatrician that should your child ever be hospitalized, you do not want your child to be treated or cared for by one of these members of the Children’s Hospital gay employees group except in the case of an emergency situation. But for routine in-hospital care where contact with your child would be required, your values should be respected.

Harvey confuses the hell out of me. A while back, she claimed that gay people don't exist. So if there are no gay people, then there can be no gay doctors. And if there are no gay doctors, then parents are "worrying" needlessly, aren't they?

I know you all want to say rude things about Harvey, but don't. As for me, I've long stopped getting upset at Harvey's comments.

I now look at her as our friend. Nay, she is one of our best ally in fighting the religious right.

You see, there are people like Tony Perkins, Brian Brown, Maggie Gallagher, and Peter Sprigg who formulate the deceptive idea gays are aggressive bullies and that we aren't the targets of some folks attempting to push us back in the closet.

They come with junk science, half-baked anecdotes, and carefully phrased talking points designed to obscure the truth.

But Harvey lets her homophobic "freak flag fly." Forget the talking points, Harvey just flat don't like us and is not afraid to say it.

She is the true face of the religious right and thus the face we need to remind people of when they come with their phony stories of "bullying gays" or "religious persecution."

Harvey voices what a lot of them actually think. As more Americans see and hear of  people like Harvey, they will get a correct indication of what the gay community has to deal with day after day after day.

So at least try to suppress your desires to call Harvey every name in the book. Try not to get too angry at her nonsensical claims.

Just let girlfriend do the work for us.



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'Porno Pete is always good for a laugh' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Excellent video:




LaBarbera Warns That If "Homosexual Activists" Gain Power, "Evil Will Rush In" - Porno Pete is always good for a laugh.


Democrats Eyeing DOMA Repeal - Excellent!

HRC President sends letter to GOP candidates: ‘You’ve been duped’ by NOM - Unfortunately I don't think they care but get it out there anyway.

Hundreds Protest, Defend Teacher Over Anti-Gay Facebook Remarks at NJ School Board Meeting: VIDEO - I'm less concerned about this teacher and more concerned about the student potentially hurt by her comments. If NOM even tries to make her the next "victim" of so-called "gay persecution," I am so ready for it. I already have a piece written.



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Congressman wants hearing on Boehner's defense of DOMA

Just a little note about DOMA via Think Progress:

Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), the ranking member on the House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, is requesting a hearing on House Speaker’s John Boehner’s (R-OH) “irresponsible, backdoor use of taxpayer money to pay the private law firm Bancroft PLLC to represent the House in support of the constitutionally-questionable Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),” he announced in a press release. The legal team that Boehner and the Republicans hired has come under harsh criticism for arguing that homosexuality is a choice, misrepresenting research, and relying on such experts as ex-gay advocate George Rekers and the National Organization for Marriage’s Maggie Gallagher. House Democrats are also calling on Boehner to hold a a briefing on his efforts, which are have cost taxpayers more than a million dollars.  

The continued defense of DOMA is slow-moving train wreck which continues to pick up speed.

Related posts:

House Republicans Continue To Allege That Homosexuality Is A Choice

Boehner set to waste $1 million of taxpayer money on bad DOMA defense

Democratic lawmakers not happy with Boehner's DOMA defense

Religious right doom - DOMA trial a repeat of the Prop 8 trial?

Boehner's DOMA defense contains junk science, bad sources
  
Top Five Homophobic Statements From Boehner’s DOMA Briefs


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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Paul Cameron - why the religious right can't keep him 'in the closet'

Paul Cameron

From a favorite site of mine, Box Turtle Bulletin, comes news that an old adversary of the gay community is taking a trip to Moldavia:

Scott Long, former director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, has learned that American anti-gay extremist Paul Cameron is headed to Moldova to oppose proposed anti-discrimination legislation which would include sexual orientation. Long writes:
Moldova is a splinter of a country between Romania and Ukraine, a point of contention between Russians, Turks, and others for centuries, and one of the poorest states in Europe. An anti-discrimination bill that prohibits unequal treatment on grounds including sexual orientation is before its Parliament, due for debate at month’s end.
In the days before the debate starts, Paul Cameron is coming to town. An e-mail from the AlianÅ£a pentru Salvarea Familiilor din Moldova (Alliance to Save the Family in Moldova) announces that the “U.S. sociologist, founder and president of Family Research Institute” will stay from October 24-29, and “will share the U.S. experience in implementing anti-discrimination legislation.” There will be a roundtable with “representatives of various parliamentary committees, ministries and other institutions of the state,” plenty of lobby meetings with lawmakers — and, of course, media will be saturated with Cameron’s fake statistics.

For the younger folks in the gay community and for the rest of the folks who may not be aware of Paul Cameron, allow me to introduce you to a little bit of sordid anti-gay history. Every lie, every piece of distorted of junk science about the gay community, even some ways in which religious right groups distort actual science to demonize the gay community were either formulated or "improved upon" by Paul Cameron.

He is the man is responsible for pushing the following myths about the gay community:

Lesbians are more likely to die in car wrecks,

Gay men molest children at a high rate and are more likely to be serial killers,

Gay men stuff gerbils up their rectums,

Gays and lesbians in the military are more likely to rape their heterosexual counterparts.

Basically, it was Cameron who in the 80s came up with the idea of aggressively using science to prove that homosexuality is a "dangerous lifestyle." The problem is to do this, Cameron attained a reputation for either distorting legitimate science or distorting his own work to gain the conclusions he wanted from his "studies." He has also been discredited and censured by many group and individuals on the left, the right, and in the middle due to his bad research techniques. Several of his studies have been criticized for such errors as having small sample sizes, showing an anti-gay bias in interviews, and not having enough responses to establish a suitable analysis.


'NOM called out on hypocrisy' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

For Children of Same-Sex Couples, a Student Aid Maze - If receiving student aid is this much of a problem, just think of the other problems children in same-sex households have to deal with. You see this is what NOM and the rest of the religious right and their phony victims want to take attention away from - real victims of discrimination and prejudice.

NEW YORK: State GOP Senator Rips NOM's Hypocrisy Over Campaign Donations - Sen. Grisanti calls out NOM's lies.

Story to Watch: Va. Residents Show Support for LGBT-Inclusive Adoption Measures - Good for Virginians!

Black and Transgender: A Double Burden - Kudos to The Root for running this very important piece.

Fox Host Attacks College For Voluntary LGBT Application Question - The way Fox News misrepresented this situation should serve as a warning to the gay community. Imagine a highly-watched news network aggressively pushing anti-gay half-stories and homophobic guests. Fox isn't doing it with the fierceness it is using to undermine President Obama. But imagine one day if it does.



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Please forgive me Mr. Rick Santorum for not feeling sorry for you



Rick Santorum feels like he has been bullied by a recent episode of Saturday Night Live which made fun of his run for president:

Santorum -- depicted by actor Andy Samberg in the sketch, titled "Yet Another GOP Debate" -- suggested that the segment was "bullying" during an interview with New Hampshire radio station WGIR on Sunday. The former Pennsylvania senator said he had been "hammered" by "the left" for his support of conservative principles.

"The left, unfortunately, participates in bullying more than the right does," Santorum said. "They say that they’re tolerant, and they’re anything but tolerant of people who disagree with them and support traditional values."

I don't feel the least bit sorry for Santorum. He is a public figure which makes him a target for comedians. Over the years SNL has made fun of  many public figures from President Obama to Star Jones.

And when Santorum acts like he is Joan of Arc at the stake, it makes it harder for me to sympathize with what a mockery his name has become.

Yesterday, another child committed suicide because he couldn't deal with the bullying which comes with being openly gay.

And unfortunately he is the latest in a long line of children who feel that there will not be a better tomorrow for them because of the ignorance of others.

I hate that. Any decent person would hate that. Any decent Christian would hate that.

So you will have to forgive me if I don't feel sorry for you, Mr. Santorum.  You are a self-righteous phony who deserves every bit of mockery rained down upon you.

In the early days of Christianity, their oppressors crucified them, fed them to lions, and burned them like torches. Somehow, I don't think that being made fun of by a late-night comedy show compares to these atrocities.

Mr. Santorum, you are not being bullied. Your ignorance is indicative of the reasons why others think its okay to bully.

So please get over yourself and stop acting like a straight-up BIYAAAATCH.



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Monday, October 17, 2011

Catholic Church is overstepping its bounds against marriage equality in Minnesota

Minneosta Archbishop John Nienstedt

The Catholic Church in Minnesota is continuing a dangerous precedent:

Archbishop John Nienstedt sent a letter to every priest in the state at the start of October urging them to put every Catholic church in Minnesota to work passing a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

“It is imperative that we marshal our resources to educate the faithful about the Church’s teachings on these matters, and to vigorously organize and support a grass roots effort to get out the vote to support the passage of the amendment,” the letter read. It went out on Oct. 4 to every priest in the state.

The archbishop said it wants priests in every parish to identify a “church captain” in order to create an “ad hoc committee” in every church in the state. The “church captain” is a component of the Schubert Flint strategy used in 2008′s divisive Proposition 8 battle in California.

The strategy mirrors a similar one used by conservative Christians in California to pass Proposition 8 and end marriage rights for same-sex couples.

 . . .  According to Nienstedt’s letter, the church captains will be organized by the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the Catholic church, which will in turn report to the Minnesota for Marriage coalition for statewide efforts. Minnesota for Marriage is made up of the Minnesota Family Council, MCC and the National Organization for Marriage.

“A major issues will be placed before the State of Minnesota in the November 2012 election. a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” Nienstedt wrote. “The sanctity of marriage and vital role of the family is at stake. It is a firmly-held teaching of our church that a marriage is a union of a husband and a wife, and that they together are the ones suited to be a father and a mother.”

First of all, I wonder if this is legal for a tax-exempt organization to take such a role in the political process?