Seven days . . . .

My post is going to be short today mainly because of my work on my book, hence the title.

In seven days, I will finally go to press. After over two years of research, I will send my book to the publisher. And what I hope to be one of the definitive books on the lies of the anti-gay industry will be in motion to be published.

For years, I have wanted to see something like this; a book that analyzes the deceptions of the religious right as they pertain to the gay and lesbian community.

This book will not be a fast food, cookie cutter deciphering of homophobia. We know that when people like James Dobson and Peter LaBarbera speak against our community, they are masking their homophobia behind slick language and propaganda techniques.

I intend to prove it.

There is nothing (except for two brief comments) in this book about Mr. God Hates Fags Fred Phelps. He is too easy a target. His stridency makes him p0werless.

The ones who give us trouble are people like a concerned mother who hears about a gay/straight alliance forming in her child's school. She has a personal fear and disagreement about homosexuality, so she looks up data about it.

And she goes to the Focus on the Family web page or the Family Research Council web page or the Traditional Values Coalition web page. It doesn't matter where she goes because in all of these locations she will find "scientific proof" for her opposition to the gay/straight club forming in her child's school. The fact that what she will find is junk science is not known to her.

She will take what she finds and use it to rally other parents against the gay/straight alliance. She will stand in front the school board and repeat the lies she has read. She will solicit the advice and help of the anti-gay industry groups whose web pages she got her information from.

Calling this woman homophobic is wrong. Saying and proving that she and so many others like her are misinformed will be what wins this battle for us.

I really hope that my upcoming book will be the first step in this process.

Are we finally catching on?

I'm not one for direct action campaigns. I respect the need for them but I don't like to participate in them.

And I don't believe they should be undertaken if the only goal is to "get attention." Trying to get attention without any idea as to what will be done with the attention is wrong. Too many times, I think that my lgbt brothers and sisters invest too much time and effort in direct action campaigns, enjoying the transitory empowerment. In the long run, direct action campaigns can be counterproductive if there is no cohesive plan as to what is to be done when one gets the attention.

What's the use of shutting down a business or getting arrested if all you get are outrageous pictures or given 30 second soundbites that no one pays attention to because they are too transfixed by the wildness of your actions.

Having said all of that, I would like to commend SoulForce for their recent actions at Focus on the Family headquarters. It was exactly what a direct action campaign should be. Two members of the group were arrested for not leaving the headquarters and demanding that Focus on the Family stop giving out misleading information regarding gay families.

I liked the fact that the two women didn't do anything outrageous that would take attention away from the reason why they were at Focus on Family headquarters. They were focused on why they were there.

I especially liked this part of the article:

Dobson and other Focus spokespeople frequently discredit LGBT parenting with references to "more than 10,000 studies that have showed that children do best when they have a mom and a dad."

Last year the American Psychological Association said that such claims rely on "studies that simply do not address gay and lesbian parents and their children." The APA also said that "no credible evidence shows that children raised by lesbian or gay parents differ in any important respects from those raised by heterosexual parents."

My question is why hasn't this fact been trumpeted by our side from day one? I may be wrong in saying this, but reading the article today was the first time I ever saw our press going into detail about the anti-gay industry distortion of gay families.

And I want to see more of it. I want to see it everywhere. I want to see it posted on as many blogs as possible. I want lgbts to be encouraged to write letters to the editor about the distortion. I want it to be a cover story in The Advocate.

I love you Ellen Degeneres, but this is more important. Tammy Lynn, you are my girl, but you have been on too many covers.

Is my community finally focused on what we need to bring attention to? I certainly hope so.

Talk about beating a dead horse

It's been one day and some certain individual is trying to use the Tim Hardaway story for his own purposes.

That's right, our friend, Peter LaBarbera had something to say and of course none of it was good.

Now he said that Hardaway's comments were wrong, then he threw in a "nice" caveat:

And Hardaway does have a point about homosexuals in the locker room: we don’t let men shower and dress in women’s locker rooms, so shouldn’t men who define themselves as sexually attracted to other men be relegated to an alternative space? Ditto for lesbians: parents of athletic daughters should be concerned about lesbian coaches and girls with in the girls’ locker room.

Peter didn't say he hated gay people, but he threw out stereotypes and lies, just like Hardaway did.

I would venture to say that LaBarbera's comments are worse than that of Hardaway's. Hardaway's comments were blatantly mean spirited and homophobic. LaBarbera is articulate and pretends to be concerned with the well-being of children.

It is comments like LaBarbera's that play excellently in front of a bunch of homo-ingorant Christians. If Hardaway spoke to them, they would call him out for his nastiness. LaBarbera gives them justification for their ignorance without them having to face the fact that what they believe is ignorance.

And then comes LaBarbera's coup de grace. He mentions the Pam Spaulding incident. A commentator made a threat to him on her blog. When Pam found out, she deleted the post and got banned the commentator.

One would think the situation would be over.

Of course the matter won't die as long as Peter and another friend of ours, Matt Barber from Concerned Women for America, can squeeze just a little bit of traction from it:

Here’s the problem: the same media and liberals who rush to condemn Hardaway’s comments look the other way when homosexual activists like Pam Spaulding (who runs the “Pam’s House Blend” blog) spew abject hatred against Christians or anyone who speaks out against homosexual behavior. As my friend and former AFTAH Corporate Outreach Director Matt Barber describes in a column below, you don’t have to search very hard on Spaulding’s website to find evidence of her anti-Christian bigotry and hate-mongering.

Pam has never spouted hatred against Christians. Pam has never said she hated Christians and Pam has never advocated hurting Christians.

No doubt by Peter's definition, I hate Christians and I spout hatred towards them.

The problem here is people like Peter who seem to think that their religion makes them infalliable to criticism.

When you spout such nonsense against gays and lesbians, we have a right to make noise. When you do other things like freely cite discredited researcher Paul Cameron, we have a right to make noise. When you continuously lie and exploit people's fears and ignorance of the gay and lesbian community, we have a right to make noise.

And bear in mind, I didn't say threats. I said noise.

Peter, you have it twisted. You claim to be of God and that is a matter of opinion. But one thing is not a matter of opinion:

You are not God and you are not infalliable.

Good grief, Tim Hardaway!

By now, I am sure everyone has heard of the nonsense that came from ex-basketball player Tim Hardaway regarding gay people:

"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people," he said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket. "I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

Sir bigmouth's comments are going to be dissected over and over again so I won't talk about them too much.

Rather, I am going to roll my eyes and batten down my hatches. Here we go again with yet another reason for the gay and African-American community to go to war. When the shock of what Hardaway said goes away, someone is going to analyze his comments and actually try to find some good in them.

No doubt, someone like Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck will talk about how Hardaway's comments were a bastardized version of how strict the African-American community is regarding homosexuality. In short, his comments were nasty but they reflect a positive degree of morality.

The cynic in me kind of hopes this does happen. Maybe those two will give Senator Barrack Obama a break and stop trying to attack his "lack of blackness" for a change.

Then there is enterprising ignorance in the gay community. Don't get me wrong because I love my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. However, in situations like this, many gays and lesbians will go for the easy, visceral parts of this controversy and not even attempt to hold their tongues before fully analyzing the situation.

In other words, I can be sure to hear all sorts of comments of "how can a black man put down gay people like white racists put down black people" until the cows come home, so to speak.

Want to know what I see in the Tim Hardaway situation?

Yet another reason why lgbt African-Americans will be put in the middle of a controversy between the white gay and lesbian and heterosexual African-American community. Both are going to be pulling us but neither will be acknowledging us.

So I am angry at Tim Hardaway having such an ugly idea of gay people. But I don't get too angry at him.

I have a feeling that I am going to have to save some of my anger for other parties: a little bit for the African-American community which creates circumstances for Hardaway's comments to be allowable and a little bit of anger for the gay and lesbian community whom I know will not use this opportunity to see how us lgbts of color are caught in two worlds of dual invisibility. This is because many of them will be exploiting their time to have "righteous indignation."

I swear, if something like this happens again, I am going to hide under my bed with a baseball bat.

Self-righteous indulgent tripe coming out of Charlotte

Part of the reason why the anti-gay industry is so successful in duping Christians in this country is because of the egos of the Christians themselves.

Case in point, this upcoming event out of Charlotte:

Charlotte Church Leaders to Discuss the Radical Agenda of Homosexual Activists at Weeklong Lecture Series

News Conference: Thursday, February 15, at 10:00 AM in front of the Booth Playhouse at the corner of Trade and Tryon

Contact: Kris Bennett, Coalition of Conscience, 704-782-3760

CHARLOTTE, Feb. 14 /Standard Newswire/ -- Three years ago, the Human Rights Campaign, the world's largest homosexual advocacy organization, moved its annual Carolina's dinner to Charlotte. While local gay activists have applauded the HRC's presence in Charlotte, not everyone is pleased with this development. Dr. Michael L. Brown, director of the Coalition of Conscience and a nationally known Christian leader and best-selling author, is convinced that now is the time to speak up.

"We have no desire to enter in a rhetorical battle with the HRC. We simply want to raise public awareness about who the HRC really is and what the HRC really stands for, demonstrating that they cannot legitimately be called the 'Human Rights' Campaign."

Translation: A series of lectures where they will no doubt invite anti-gay industry spokespeople who will scare ignorant Christians about the so-called agenda of HRC and the gay and lesbian community at large.

Or: a group of lectures for people who are so wrapped up in their idea of what Christianity is that they have negative preconceived notions about gays and lesbians, preconceived notions that can be eradicated if they took the time to establish a dialogue with the gay and lesbian community in their midst rather than sit on their behinds and have their fears and egos stroked.

Am I making too much out of this? I don't think so. I am willing to guess that the only thing the Christians coming to these lectures know is that homosexuality is wrong, according to their beliefs. This is fine. They have that right to believe this.

However, since they think that homosexuality is wrong, they set themselves up to believe any negative thing about the gay and lesbian community.

How long will it be before the dreaded headless monster (i.e. the constantly refuted but repeated as truth notion) about the "gay life span" come up in these lectures?

Or how about the other headless monster that gays molest children at a high rate? I am sure that one will come up also.

Or maybe the misuse of the Netherlands study (that was compiled before same sex marriage was legalized in the Netherlands) to make the case against marriage equality.

Or if the lectures really get good, I am sure the Paul Cameronesque lies about feces and gerbiling will come up too.

These lectures are not about establishing a dialogue. These lectures are about scaring people, people who are ready and willing to be scared:

"The HRC is not fighting for equal rights for all people. Instead, it wants to impose its agenda on others, including how we define marriage, how we run our businesses, how we teach our children, and even how we interpret the Bible. We feel that now is the right time to air our differences with the HRC in a rational and respectful manner. I am hopeful that they will respond to us in the same spirit with which we exercise our human right to differ with them."

After all, how can you establish a dialogue with a group of people who seem to want you to kiss their wannabe holy asses?

Yet another headless monster!!!!!!!!!!

I am off this week! Yaaaaay! So now it's time for serious work. I have to finish my manuscript before March 1.

But in my last post, I neglected to mention something. You may remember I was talking about how Peter LaBarbera took an unfortunate incident of a commentator threating him on Pam Spaulding's web page to recreate the execution of Joan of Arc with him as the star.

His supporting player in the drama, a blogger named George Archibald, took Pam to task, claiming that she attacks Christians. He listed several people she criticizes, including:

ALAN E. SEARS, president, CEO and general counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, who Spaulding’s Web site describes as “a foul, fundie legal group that is sponsoring The Day of Truth, to be held on April 27th, as a ‘counter the promotion of the homosexual agenda and express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective."’ What ADF is countering is The Day of Silence, a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the United States Student Association.

So how does the Allied Defense Fund and its Day of Truth combat the Day of Silence? By spreading lies about the gay community, of course. This time, the anti-gay industry wants school children to log on the Allied Defense Fund site and repeat the "headless monsters" they find there. The following is from my upcoming book, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters:

Case in point is the handout, The Ten Biggest Myths of Homosexual Behavior:
The handout claims that "homosexual behavior is at much higher risk for many sexually transmitted diseases, including not just HIV, but also syphilis, gonorrhea, human papilloma virus (HPV), hepatitis, chlamydia, and a whole group of infections called ‘gay bowel syndrome.’ But as shown in chapter one, "gay bowel syndrome" is an obsolete medical term that medical practitioners do not use.

The handout also makes the following claim:"The Centers for Disease Control have found that 60 percent of new cases of HIV infection are men who have had sex with men, and also that the number of homosexual men who admittedly neglect to use condoms is rising. Homosexual victims of AIDS, they found, had an average 1,100 sexual partners in their lifetimes. They estimated that 30 percent of 20-year-old homosexual men will be HIV positive or dead before they reach their thirtieth birthday." This claim is a blatant lie. CDC spokespeople have said that agency does not collect statistics on the life span of gay men. The claim is a Paul Cameronesque lie.

Just a little food for thought as to how the anti-gay industry continues to lie. One more point: please notice that the Allied Defense Fund claim that gays catch HPV at a high rate. The Allied Defense Fund is affiliated with the same right wing groups who don't want the HPV vaccine to be mandatory for school children.

Talk about your contradictions.

Oh Give Me A Break Peter and George! Stop Picking on Pam!

Apparently Peter LaBarbera and the so-called Americans for Truth About Homosexuality never met a situation they didn't try to milk for all it's worth.

This week, there was an unfortunate situation on Pam Spaulding's web page in which a commentator threatened Peter LaBarbera. Pam was alerted about it and took the post down. She also made it clear that posts like that are way over the line and should not be allowed. She was not aware of the post until it was brought to her attention, by the way.

You think the situation would be over? Come on! You know how Peter is. Today he is continuing to talk about it, even linking to another blog by someone by the name of George Archibald. Archibald says this about Pam:

She has a right to be an announced practising lesbian, but she does not have a right to be hateful against Christians and heterosexuals, which is evident throughout her Web site.
She links to Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay Lesbian Straight Educators Network (GLSEN) that pushes for acceptance of homosexuality in elementary, middle and high schools across our country.

Then on her Web site, Pamela Spaulding has a link called AmTALIBAN – meaning American Taliban – where she attacks by name 20 leaders of American Christian groups and makes spiteful, sexist, and hateful statements about their religious and cultural beliefs.

Now Archibald gets hypocritical because of what he says later in his blog:

Well, you get the tone of the crazies in this homosexual attack against heterosexuals and leaders of conservative Christian groups.

People like Pamela Spaulding, Kevin Jennings, and other homosexual activists want condoms given to everyone as part of their effort to promote gay sex. But maybe they all need diapers, as they obviously are intolerant and wetting themselves a lot over the fact that Americans mostly are actually a heterosexual religious culture that firmly rejects intolerance and promiscuity.

So calling Pam Spaulding a "crazie" isn't attacking her? Hardly.

That seems to be the new game the anti-gay industry is playing: whining that their "beliefs" are being attacked when they are called on their lies and hypocrisies. Catholic League for Religous and Civil Rights President William Donohue this week caused many problems with Sen. John Edwards using that same tactic. I still wait for his apology for his Anti-Semitic comments.

And the Family Research Council is getting in the act. This group is led by the same man, Tony Perkins, who thought it was okay to associate with the racist Ku Klux Klan and Council of Conservative Citizens.

I always wondered why there were no images of black people on the FRC site. Maybe now I know.

Now I am not one for making attacks. I like to use logic to make my case, and then go for the jugular. But in all honesty, I refuse to feel sorry for Peter LaBarbera or any of these "phony Christians (that's right, I said it). A man who has a web page that has a link called "Victims of Homosexual Murderers" does not get my sympathy.

I find it ironic that people who make it their life's work to use junk science and propaganda about gay people are now whining because they aren't getting a free pass for their nonsense.

Peter really should have not been threatened, but if you create a storm and then get caught in it, who should you blame other than yourself?

The anti-gay industry seems to want to play the victim now. I don't think so. I might remind them of just how ugly they were when President Bush won re-election in 2004. Their cocky bragging about how they "won the election" was disgusting. And as equally disgusting was the ways in which they attempted to move against the gay community, from plotting new ways to take away our rights to Paul Cameron thinking that it was okay to announce new lies about our life span and so-called propensity for dangerous behavior.

Don't even think about it, boys. You started this. And the vast majority of us who are trying to tell the truth about the lgbt community and how you have demonized us are not stooping to threats to get our point across.

We are the ones who you should be concerned about. Of course it really doesn't matter because we aren't going to stop until everyone knows how you lie.

Deal with that!

The kids are alright

An article today says that gay teens are coming out at earlier ages:

Gay teenagers are "coming out" earlier than ever, and many feel better about themselves than earlier generations of gays, youth leaders and researchers say. The change is happening in the wake of opinion polls that show growing acceptance of gays, more supportive adults and positive gay role models in popular media.

This means that slowly but surely we are winning this war. But what happens next is up to us elders. What we are dealing with is probably the first generation of the gay community who will define what it means to be lgbt rather than having society define it for them.

It is important that we give them as much support as possible. Exposing the anti-gay industry is only part of what needs to be done.

We also should make sure they have positive role models to look up to. The "Queer As Folk" mentality ain't gonna cut it anymore. In the past, we had to hide who we were and pick up habits that, while they meant our transitory survival, were mentally and spiritually destructive in the long run.

"Cruising," basing the value of our lives on our possessions and clique of friends, and masking our human emotions under guarded cynicism is no longer an option.

Not just for ourselves but for those who will take our place, we have to take stock assessing ourselves as a community, embracing our diversity, and looking beyond materialistic ideas of beauty and success. How us older ones carry ourselves will serve as a blueprint for those who come after us.

Let's give them a reason to be proud of being an lgbt.

100 posts later . . . no rest for the 'wicked'

First thing's first. A couple of you alerted me to an error I made on the last post regarding the Ted Haggard situation.

The guy speaking for Exodus International is Alan Chambers, not Alan Sears. A correction has been made.

Of course I should also point out that Alan Sears is with the Allied Defense Fund, another anti-gay industry group. It's so hard to keep up with those folks.

Also, there has been a bad situation brewing at Pam's House Blend. Apparently a commentor threatened our friend Peter LaBarbera, as well as posted his address.

As soon as Pam was alerted to this, she deleted the comment and made it clear that violence will not be tolerated in the fight to expose the lies of the anti-gay industry.

I would like to reiterate that point. When I say we must be aggressive in our fight for equality and the right to self-determination, I mean with our brains and our mouths, not with our fists and certainly not with guns. Despite what the anti-gay industry says about us, we are a people whose lives and loves should be celebrated. We are kings and queens and therefore should never have to stoop to the lowest common denominator to have our voices heard.

Now in the category of "there he goes again," but in a good way, Wayne Besen has a video from Dr. Kyle Pruett saying just how exactly did James Dobson misuse his work to make the case aganst gay parenting in a recent issue of Time magazine. Check it out.

In the category of "there she goes again," but in a bad way, Janet Folger is on WorldNetDaily whining about how Christians are going to be persecuted.

Her example of this is the recent Repent America situation. Of course Folger bypasses the truth that a judge threw out the lawsuit by Repent America. The group claimed its first amendment rights were violated when the group was arrested for disturbing a Pride festival in 2004.

Instead, Ms. Folger is attacking the heart strings by focusing on the fact that two of the Repent America members are elderly grandmothers.

Nice try, Janet but you really should ply your fear tactics on somewhere else. The fact that these two women were arrested is their own faults. They had no business trying to disrupt the festival. Sorry if I sound heartless but it is apparent that they was old enough to know better.

To quote the judge who threw the case out:

“There is no constitutional right to drown out the speech of another person.”

And for that matter, Ms. Folger should know better. The Repent America members were not "witnessing." They were being rude and disruptive and got what they deserved.

End of story.

What the hell was that I just saw on the Anderson Cooper Show

Okay, I believe in civil discussions but what I just saw on the Anderson Cooper Show was not just civil, it was a damn garden party. Some guy, a pro-gay advocate (yaaahhh!) was debating Exodus International head Alan Chambers on whether or not Ted Haggard was believable in his claim that he was no longer gay.

The young man talking for our side was articulate and knew his facts. But he was too nice. I personally felf that the discussion was not geared towards what it should have been.

Sears got off the subject of Haggard and used the "I was not happy with being gay and I should have the right to change my life" argument. That was all well and good.

That young man arguing our point should have said, "well that's nice but why does the ex-gay movement make it a point to speak out against pro-gay laws and ordinances."

This is where the debate should have been. The fact that this question was not asked just goes to prove yet again how we are always using the playbook of the anti-gay industry. We allow them to set the tone of the argument and we follow them like hungry puppies, unable or unwilling to flip the script and put them on the defensive.

I hardly ever hear the fact that supposed "ex-gays" like Stephen Bennett, Michael Johnston, Alan Chambers, and Melissa Fryrear are willing pawns in the war against the gay community. At the same time they say that they should be willing to make a choice about their lives, they work to make life harder for us who are happy with our lgbt orientation.

When will their subterfuge be made public? Probably not until we get past our garden party mode.


Wasting time in Paris eating Snicker bars

I am going to be honest here. I understand why some of us are upset over the Snickers bar commercial that aired during Superbowl Sunday, but it really isn't worth all of the controversy.

I saw the commercial. It was stupid. End of story.

For that matter, I really don't care what Paris Hilton says. Granted, her comments were rude and apparently hateful but for God' s sake, other than being rich, her biggest claim to fame is making a porno. If anything, the porno relaxed my concerns that she was anorexic. Paris is a very healthy looking woman with her clothes off.

Meanwhile in the real world . . .

I found yet another web page that posted Paul Cameron's research as gospel truth,

Ted Haggard claims to be completely straight. From struggling with homosexuality all of his life to being completely gay-free. Despite all that has been said and done, my heart goes out to Mr. Haggard and his family. I'm also moving out of the way because when and if he suffers another fall, it's gonna hurt.

In Texas, so-called "pro-family" groups are angry at former ally Governor Rick Perry because he made the HPV vaccine mandatory for young girls. Apparently according to them, inoculating young girls from getting cancer encourages promiscuity. A very interesting part of this story that no one is talking about is why so-called "pro-family" groups oppose making HPV vaccine mandatory. The reasons go deeper than trying to discourage promiscuity. In several columns in the past, spokespeople of so-called "pro-family" groups have said:

"Gay marriage will encourage children to experiment with homosexuality. This will put more kids at risk for HIV, hepatitis A, B and C, ‘gay bowel syndrome,’ human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases."

This vaccine takes away an arsenal from their anti-gay lies.

Let's focus on the things that do matter in our fight for equality and self determination.

Me and 'gay bowel syndrome'

Yeah, I know that everyone is talking about last night's Snickers commercial and I have certain opinions on it too.

But forgive me if I focus on something else.

I am moving back the deadline for turning in my manuscript to my publisher until March 1. One reason is a good one. The other reason is interesting.

The good reason being that for the first time in two years, I will be able to take a vacation from my job. Long story, fast ending - I have a week to tie up loose ends and compile my book's index. The vacation begins next week, so naturally I am happy about that.

Now for the very interesting reason and thus the title of my post. Ever since I began my book, I have been trying to find concrete proof that the term "gay bowel syndrome" does not exist. The good news is that in legitimate media sources, I have found very little on it. This is the most complete thing I found:

According to the "Free Online Dictionary and Thesaurus," http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com:

"Gay bowel syndrome was a term first used in 1976 prior to the discovery of AIDS, to describe a series of parasitic disorders caused by oral/anal contact and allegedly related to gay male sexual activity. The term was abandoned by the medical community in the 1980s because the problems that attributed to it were not specific to homosexuals, not confined to just the bowels, nor did it meet the medical definition of a syndrome."

The bad news - a: the term is practically everywhere on anti-gay industry sites and b: my digging in credible medical sources sometimes found me accidentally glancing at interesting, albeit, disgusting images of the human body.

Yet another thing to "thank" the anti-gay industry for.

I also found where the term was stricken from a medical textbook in 2001. But I want to really nail down the fact that the "gay bowel syndrome" is obsolete. In other words, I want more proof . Therefore, in the final weeks before I turn my manuscript in to my publisher, I have to gird my stomach from nausea and keep looking until I find what I need.

So you will forgive me for not focusing on the Snickers commercial. I have a feeling that I won't want food for a while.

Hate crimes legislation and Dire Consequences

It gets frustrating to seek the depths that the anti-gay industry will stoop to in its quest to demonize the gay community and deny us any protection under law.

Case in point: Americans for Truth About Homosexuality's latest batch of lies about hate crimes legislation.

The piece claims that adding homosexuality to hate crimes legislation will ultimately lead to a curtailing of some Chrisitians' first amendment right to free speech.

This is a lie.

Even sadder than the fact that we need hate crimes legislation at all is the constant distortion tactics used by members of the anti-gay industry when they speak out against it.

Hate crimes protection already exists for certain groups but you never hear the religious right whining about it. They only sound the alarm when someone thinks of adding the gay community the groups protected by hate crimes legislation.

Then they use what I like to call the Dire Consequences tactic in order to scare Christians. The anti-gay industry constantly raises the notion that creating laws protecting the interests of gays and lesbians will lead to negative consequences, but they hardly ever provide actual proof as to the validity of these charges

In this particular case, Peter LaBarbera uses incidents that took place in foreign countries to make the claim that hate crimes legislation for the gay community will eventually lead to Christians going to jail for speaking out against homosexuality.

Hate crimes legislation do not cover speech. They cover motivation behind violent crimes. Christians who declare in that homosexuality is a sin are in no danger of going to jail if homosexuality is added in hate crimes legislation.

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality is clearly trying to motivate their troops based on fear - a most un-Christian tactic.

A dangerous change of heart underscores community problems

Venus Magazine, a publication that for 13 years targeted the Black gay and lesbian community, is now a voice for the ex-gay movement.

Its publisher, Charlene Cothran, recently announced that she has been “redeemed”; is no longer a lesbian; and is changing the mission and direction of the magazine. On the Web site she writes, “As the publisher of a 13-year-old periodical [ that ] targets Black gays and lesbians, I have had the opportunity to publicly address thousands, influencing closeted people to ‘come out’ and stand up for them selves, which is particularly difficult in the African-American community.

This is not a joke. It is for real and it is sad. From reading the article, I can tell that Ms. Cothran isn't one of the usual "ex-gay for pay" who are employed by the anti-gay industry. She genuinely believes that God spoke to her heart and made her change her orientation and her magazine's focus.

I sincerely hope that anyone reading this won't be forming any thoughts to send Ms. Cothran negative emails. It is the last thing she needs.

Her changing the direction of her magazine covers so many issues our community tends to ignore.

It has been my experience that so many African-Americans lgbts have a problem reconciling our cultural ideas of faith and God to our orientation. We view our orientation as lgbts as separate to our identities as African-Americans.

And may be this is because of the second issue the article brings up.

If this story was about a predominantly white gay magazine, it would get a lot of attention. I strongly suspect that since this is an predominantly African-American magazine, it will not get the attention it deserves.

This is indicative of how the mainstream gay community tends to ignore lgbts of color. In the recent conversations we have all had about the "down low" no one has ever said that African-American gays and lesbians feel that we have to pick which community we will invest ourselves in. Both communities tell us that we must sacrifice a part of ourselves. The African-American community tells us to be closeted, while the gay community tells us to be silent, remain in the background, and be constantly reminded about how we don't "fit" someone's idea of a perfect gay, be it due to income, racial heritage, or social background.

And take it from me; an African-American in the closet tends to get more support from the Black community than an out African-American gets from the gay community.

The gay community needs to address the idea that our identities as lgbts is multi-faceted and sometimes dependent on sociological and cultural factors. The attempt to homogenize the gay and lesbian community into one single entity dependent on a single fight for equality (i.e. gay marriage) or a single gathering (i.e. gay pride rallies), or single images (i.e. middle class white gays) harms us more than anything the anti-gay industry can do.

The ironic thing about this situation is that I read in another article that some gays interrupted a Senate hearing in Indiana when a bill banning same-sex marriage made it out of committee. Apparently they began to sing "We Shall Overcome."

They should have changed the lyrics to "Some of Us Shall Overcome."

Ignore and repeat, ignore and repeat

The Fox News Channel is in trouble dealing with a pro-Republican bias.

By now, you are rolling your eyes and saying "so what else is new" just as I did when I first read about the situation.

On several different programs, the channel repeated a discredited story about Senator Barrack Obama's schooling. According to Fox, Obama was trained in the art of anti-Americanism when he was a six-year old child.

Okay that is too severe but it's not off the mark as to what Fox News's inferences are about Senator Obama. Apparently "swiftboating" (I know its a jaded word but I couldn't resist) is something that can be to do someone besides John Kerry.

What makes this story relevant to me is that when it was discovered that the story about Senator Obama was not true, some pundits on Fox News continued to repeat it as truth.

Kind of reminds me of the anti-gay industry.

There is a constant drumbeat with the ant-gay industry about us. According to them, the gay and lesbian identity is indigenous with disease, irresponsible behavior, and general sadness. On almost every so-called "pro-family" web page, one will find this lie.

That is the thing we have to combat. Our identities as gay and lesbian people is not related to how we have sex but who we love.

But we have been dancing around this issue too much. The anti-gay industry has been lying about us from day one and we need to bring attention to this fact. As long as we focus on "winning hearts and minds" and ignore people like Pete LaBarbera, Lou Sheldon, and Matt Barber when they go for the jugular. we deserve to be "swiftboated."

When the lies about Senator Obama's schooling began, his people jumped on them before they had a chance to develop.

We should start taking that hint.

Quantifying discrimination

I see Pastor Ken Hutcherson is on the loose again.

Hutcherson, who obviously never met a microphone or self-aggrandizing adjective he didn't like, is getting help from Washington's Slavic community in his attempt to overturn the state law that bans discrimination against the state's gay and lesbian community. Hutcherson believes that if the law isn't overturned, it could lead to gay marriage.

Oh gasp and swoon!

Actually, of all the members of the anti-gay industry, I find Hutcherson the most refreshing. Unlike our friend Peter LaBarbera, James Dobson, et. al., Hutcherson does not hide behind patronizing rhetoric and lies.

He straight up don't like us gays and lesbians and he will not play games about it.

But Mr. Hutcherson is wrong, plain and simple.

The law Washington passed bans discrimination against the gay community in areas such as housing and employment. As I understand it (and someone please correct me if I am wrong) churches are exempt from this law, meaning Mr. Hutcherson will not be forced to hire anyone who is a gay or lesbian.

So why does Mr. Hutcherson feel that gays and lesbians don't deserve to work and live safe from discrimination? Using the excuse that Washington's anti-discrimination law could lead to gay marriage is a pitiful lie, designed to hide why Mr. Hutcherson wants to do away with these laws.

Apparently I should take back my earlier statement. Maybe Mr. Hutcherson did learn a bit of subterfuge and deception from LaBarbera and Dobson.

It is obvious he didn't learn it from the God he claims to serve.

An item for the echo chamber

According to news reports, U.S. Representative and wannabe presidential candidate Tom Tancredo wants to get rid of Congressional Black and Hispanic caucuses. He calls them racist because they supposedly focus on race.

Here we go; an item for Sean Hannity, John Gibson, and Bill O'Reilly to beat to death without courtesy of looking deeper at the issue.

Actually Tancredo's ignorance underscores an untalked about problem about race in this country. It used to be that some took the frame of mind of "so and so is from that race therefore he is inferior." Now people seem to be saying "so and so is from that race, but I can overlook it if he doesn't throw it in my face."

Seems to me that ignoring someone's cultural background is just as bad as discriminating against them because of it.

I am sure that sooner or later, the echo chamber of Fox News will focus on Tancredo's comments, conveniently ignoring the fact that story of the white legislator who turned down for membership in the Congressional Black Caucus (the story that started the entire mess) is not true. And I am sure that the guests they call to debate the point of view against Tancredo's comments will be "lukewarm liberals."

Or better yet, if these guests make even a substantial point against Tancredo's point of view, I am sure that O'Reilly, Hannity, Gibson, or whoever will conveniently interrupt them or try to lure them on some ideological tangent having nothing to do with Tancredo's comment.

So allow me to put my two cents in this situation.

If the controversy surrounding the government’s response time to the victims of Hurricane Katrina taught us anything, it’s that the idea that a color-blind society is a lie.

The color-blind society is a myth that ranks right up there with the idea that Columbus discovered America. Furthermore, it has been my experience that when someone talks about a "color-blind society," it is usually code words for "I wish those people would just shut up and take the role we want to give them."

No matter how many times people can talk about Martin Luther King Jr. and bastardize his "I Have A Dream" speech, power in this country is defined by access. I see that in every facet of American society, from politics to even the gay rights movement.

And those of us not in the majority tend to have to be creative (and at times downright rude) to get that access. Having those Congressional caucuses allows minority groups to focus on how we can better serve this government and how it can better serve us.

So I really don't take stock in Mr. Tancredo's complaints.

I am too busy trying to get what every American has a right to: what is mine.


So we don't forget what this is all about

A good friend of mine, Joe Brummer, wrote something today that I felt is worth repeating. I hope he will forgive me for adding a little bit more to it.

Just like Joe, my argument is not against America's Christian community. When I make references to the anti-gay industry, I am not referring to people of faith.

If someone believes according to their religious beliefs that homosexuality is a sin, then that is alright with me. I have friends who believe this, but yet they know of my orientation and show me no disrespect.

Nor do they feel the need to place ridiculous parameters on me in fear that just because I am gay, I am going to launch into an itemized list of my sexual happenings. They know me better than that and they have the presence of mind to know that being honest about my orientation is not the same thing as talking about sexual intercourse.

But there are a bunch of groups in this country who exploit the beliefs and egos of people of faith for political power. Using a standpoint that homosexuality is a sin, they rely on distortions of legitimate scientific work and junk science to influence public policy as it pertains to the gay community.

For that reason, they (i.e. Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family, Traditional Values Coalition, American Family Association, etc) are the anti-gay industry.

Not only do they distort Christianity, but the common theme for these folks when they are caught in their lies is to claim that those who refute them are trying to "silence Christians."

One does not have to be a rocket scientist to know the difference between silencing someone and refuting someone's lies. No one should be given a free pass to influence public opinion and policy unchallenged. Especially if they:

refer to the studies of a discredited researcher as truth,

misuse the work of the legitimate researchers and physicians and ignore them when they complain, or

sell copies of a tape featuring a man who claimed to have been "freed from the bondage of homosexuality" when he was having sex in hotel rooms with gay men at the time he made the claim.

I personally don't want to shut up the anti-gay industry. By all means, keep talking. It makes the job of those trying to expose you easier.

Every day, I hear all of these strange things

For those who don't know, my title is the title of a gospel song I heard while growing up.

And it is so apropo as to what is going on now. I don't know what's worse: the gay sheep controversy or the Donnie Davies controversy.

That sheep thing is so out of space for me so I think I will talk about the Davies thing. I am guessing that I don't have to rehash it.

When I first saw the video, I was speechless.

If it was satire, then I think it's brilliant. If it was real, I felt sorry for the guy.

To tell the truth, I kinda felt sorry for myself. I'm ashamed to admit it, but the rhythm of his song was catchy. I guess I have seen too many of those I Can Only Imagine: Songs of Faith commericals.

But I would rather focus on something less controversial but more important:

We won another case.

Today, a federal judge sided with a school that suspended a student for wearing an anti-gay t-shirt to class.

If I am not incorrect, the Allied Defense Fund is handling the case so my guess is that it's not going to die yet. But still, after the Repent America victory, the judge ruling against the student is nice.

Now I know that some may have a problem because the first amendment, etc. etc., but I am rooting for the school in this matter.

Meanwhile, those "beloved" ex-gays from PFOX are taking advantage of the first amendment and getting schools to distribute their literature.

This has gotten some folks angry but others are saying it is their first amendment right to be able to distribute their mess.

I am on the fence a bit with this. Personally, I think that there is no first amendment right to pass on lies. No credible physician or medical board has ever said someone can change his or her orientation.

But no one really ever presents the fact that allowing PFOX to push their lies is like the school nurse advocating lobotomies for mentally troubled students.

On the other hand, I think that allowing PFOX to distribute their lies makes it more difficult for school districts to invent ways to not allow gay/straight alliances.

Also, from what I understand, the actions of PFOX are actually turning students against their message.

Well if your enemy cuts his own throat, don't try to stop him.

And this just in: Wayne Besen is filing a complaint with the Mississippi Attorney General against the American Family Association. The complaint stems from the organization selling copies of the video, "It's Not Gay."

As covered by this site and others, "It's Not Gay" features several individuals claiming that they are ex-gays, including Michael Johnston. However, after the creation of "It's Not Gay," it was discovered that Johnson was allegedly having unprotected sex with other gay men in hotel rooms, despite the fact that he is HIV positive.

Way to go Wayne!!!!!

Closer to the end and it feels so damned good!

I see that our friend Peter LaBarbera is complaining about yesterday's decision against Repent America. I also noticed that in his rehashing of the situation, he omitted several facts. If you want to know the true story, check my post yesterday and hit the link for the article.

But on a happier note, hopefully by this time next month, my manuscript will be at the publisher. To say that I am happy is an understatement. It's been a long, complicated process and I still have so much left to do before this book is finished to my satisfaction.

Through my book, I intend to answer the following questions:

Why does the Traditional Values Coalition continue to plagiarize incorrect studies?

Why did Concerned Women for American distort a Dutch study to make the case against same-sex marriage when the study had nothing to do with marriage?

Why does the Family Research Council simultaneously claim that Alfred Kinsey is not a credible research and use his work against the gay community?

Why have several physicians and researchers gone on record claiming that the religious right distorts their work? (and if you think I am only talking about the recent cases involving Carol Gilligan and Kyle Pruett, think again.)

What is the relationship between the religious right and a discredited researcher who once allegedly advocated the “extermination” of the gay community in 1983 and 1985?

How do the religious right distort credible sexual health information in order to demonize the gay community?

What were the facts behind the Repent America and David Parker controversies and how did the religious right manipulate both to make a case against gay equality?

I hope you all are excited about this as I am.

Where is Agape Press?

I don't know what's going on. First Robert Knight leaves Concerned Women for America and now this.

Agape Press, the American Family Association's tribute to yellow journalism, is gone.

But don't break out the champagne yet because it hasn't totally disappeared.

Agape Press seems to have been swallowed up by a new news service, One News Now.

One News Now claims to "to present the day's news from a Christian perspective." In other words, it's a one-stop shop for all right wing news services from World Net Daily to News Max.

To me, it sounds like what would happen if Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers decided to pool their efforts.

Take that, Repent America!

The anti-gay industry just lost a reason to denounce hate crimes legislation.

Today, in Pennsylvania, a federal judge ruled that the city of Philadelphia was well within its rights to arrest Repent America protestors who disrupted a gay pride parade in 2004.

I cover the Repent America controversy in my upcoming book as a case of how the anti-gay industry manipulates current events to claim that gays are out to "silence" Christians.

In this case, they claimed that Repent America members were arrested merely because they "preached the gospel" to the gay community. The anti-gay industry also said that this scenario (i.e. Christians arrested for speaking out against homosexuality) would be commonplace if hate crimes legislation was passed.

What Concerned Women for America, Agape Press, and others who cried foul over Repent America's arrest conveniently forgot was that the group was not arrested for preaching the gospel, but doing it in a loud, obnoxious, and threatening manner.

Luckily for us, the judge ruling against Repent America choose not to omit this fact.

Get off the cross, Peter!

It took some time, but our friend Peter LaBarbera has answered back to the charges that his group, Americans for Truth (AFT), had joined the American Family Assocation (AFA) in selling a fradulent video tape, "It's Not Gay."

For those who aren't aware, the video features an HIV positive man, Michael Johnston, who made claims that he was no longer gay. In 2003, after the making of the tape, it was discovered that Johnston was having unprotected gay sex.

This means that Johnston's claims were wrong. Since his discovery, Johnston fled the public eye, retreating to a ministry where he hoped to receive "help."

However, AFA is still selling copies of "It's Not Gay." Also, one can get to the AFA page selling the tape from a link on the AFT site. Neither site acknowledges Johnston's fall, even though both groups were aware of it at the time. Johnston, in fact, is on the cover of the "It's Not Gay" tape.

Gay activist Wayne Besen and others (little ole me included) have been making a stink about this. Wayne even filed a complaint with the state of Illinois, accusing AFT and AFA of selling a fradulent tape.

As to be expected, Peter's letter is a whiny, shrill claim that the "Gay Mafia" is trying to silence his positive message of "freedom from homosexuality."

In other words, Peter is trying to change the subject of the argument. For claritys' sake, I will try to simplify Peter's claims.

Besides his claims of martyrdom, LaBarbera says his group merely linked the tape on the AFA webpage to its webpage. He said Americans for Truth is not getting any money from the sale of the video. He also said:

American Family Association stopped selling “It’s Not Gay” in 2003, when Mike Johnston’s scandal was revealed, but began reselling it when they were convinced after meeting with Mike about the genuineness of his restoration through Pure Life Ministries (I spoke with two top AFA officials yesterday on this point)

First of all, it does not matter whether or not AFT gets any money from the sale of "It's Not Gay." By having a link for that video on its webpage, the organization is complicit with any sale of the video. After all, someone could get on the AFT site, see the video, click the link and purchase it from the AFA site.

Sounds like a sale to me.

And most importantly, Johnston is in the tape making claims that were not true. We know that Johnston claimed to be free from homosexuality. And we know that while he was making those claims, he was engaging in unprotected gay sex. All of that has been documented.

But how do we know if he has, as LaBarbera says, "repented?"

You see, that's the problem: Johnston has no credibility. No matter how many times he claims to have repented and no matter how many times he claims to be free from being gay, his past escapades make him unreliable. His hotel exploits are now the albatross around his neck.

And this also diminishes the credibility of AFA and AFT.

The selling of "It's Not Gay" was wrong. At the very least, it is highly unethical. AFA and AFT had a responsibility to inform any potential buyer of the tape about Johnston's fall. But they didn't. Claiming that it is okay to sell the tape because he "repented" just doesn't cut it.

Nor does it take away the fact that these two groups, by selling the tape as it was, pretended like nothing had happened. Something did happen. While claiming that he was not gay, Johnston was having gay sex and potentially sharing his HIV positive status to other men.

Peter's letter omitted any mention of those men. I guess to him, they don't matter.

But rest assured, Peter. I don't wish to shut down your voice or that of your organization. In fact, I encourage you to be even more generous with your opinions and claims.

After all, every time you open your mouth, you give away more of your ignorance.

Wayne Besen does it again!!

Way to go with the bold move, Wayne:

COMPLAINT FILED WITH ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL AGAINST RIGHT WING GROUP FOR SELLING FRAUDULENT ‘EX-GAY’ VIDEO

So-Called Miracle ‘Cure’ Did Not Endure, Yet Consumers Intentionally Kept In The Dark About ‘Ex-Gay’ Leader’s Failed Sexual Conversion

CHICAGO – Truth Wins Out filed a complaint today with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan against the Naperville, Illinois-based non-profit organization Americans For Truth and its president Peter LaBarbera for selling a misleading video on its web-site titled, “It’s Not Gay.” In a letter to Madigan, Truth Wins Out urged her to expeditiously pull this fraudulent video from the marketplace, require a written apology from LaBarbera and that refunds be offered to dissatisfied consumers.

“Nowhere does Americans for Truth inform potential viewers that Johnston’s ‘cure’ did not endure,” wrote Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen in the letter to Madigan. “This organization is undeniably peddling false hope to vulnerable and desperate people and bilking them out of their hard earned money. In doing so, Americans for Truth is unscrupulously capitalizing on the sincere and heartfelt religious convictions of its followers and exploiting them for the organization’s financial gain.”

The primary spokesperson featured in “It’s Not Gay” is Michael Johnston, an HIV+ so-called “ex-gay” leader who offers testimony claiming he became heterosexual in 1998 “through the power of Jesus Christ.” He went on to collaborate with The American Family Association, Coral Ridge Ministries and Rev. Jerry Falwell.

In August 2003, Johnston’s claims at sexual conversion collapsed in an embarrassing scandal. Michael Hamar, a Virginia attorney, called Besen to say he had a client who had been having an affair with Johnston, not realizing, at first, Johnston’s true identity as a prominent ex-gay figure. Besen was also introduced to another young man who claimed to have had unprotected sex with the ex-gay leader. While in Virginia, Besen was shown a video of a man that looked eerily similar to Johnston having unprotected sex with several men. Hamar’s client signed an affidavit swearing the man was Michael Johnston.

The news broke in Southern Voice, a respected gay publication in Atlanta. Johnston resigned his ministry in disgrace and fled to a sex addiction facility in Kentucky, Pure Life Ministries, where he sought counseling. In reaction to Johnston’s fall, LaBarbera told Southern Voice, “He obviously had a moral failing, that’s true.”

Despite publicly admitting that Johnston had failed in his efforts at heterosexuality, Labarbera is now selling the specious “It’s Not Gay” video and portraying Johnston to unsuspecting viewers as a “former homosexual.”

Truth Wins OUT is a non-profit organization that counters right wing propaganda, exposes the “ex-gay” myth and educates America about gay life. For more information, visit www.TruthWinsOut.org.

- 30 -
________________________________

January 18, 2007

Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Attn: CONSUMER FRAUD
100 West Randolph Street, 12th Floor
Chicago, IL 60601

Dear Ms. Madigan:

I am writing to file a complaint against the Naperville, Illinois-based non-profit organization Americans For Truth and its president Peter LaBarbera. This organization is selling a misleading video on its web-site, titled “It’s Not Gay.” The primary spokesperson featured in this video is Michael Johnston, an HIV+ so-called “ex-gay” leader who offers testimony claiming he became heterosexual in 1998 “through the power of Jesus Christ.”

In August 2003, Johnston’s claims at sexual conversion collapsed in an embarrassing scandal. Michael Hamar, a Virginia attorney, called me to say he had a client who had been having an affair with Johnston, not realizing, at first, Johnston’s true identity as a prominent ex-gay figure. I was also introduced to another young man who claimed to have had unprotected sex with the ex-gay leader. While in Virginia, I was shown a video of a man that looked eerily similar to Johnston having unprotected sex with several men. Hamar’s client signed an affidavit swearing the man was Michael Johnston.

The news broke in Southern Voice, a respected gay publication in Atlanta. Johnston resigned his ministry in disgrace and fled to a sex addiction facility in Kentucky, Pure Life Ministries, where he sought counseling. In reaction to Johnston’s fall, LaBarbera told Southern Voice, “He obviously had a moral failing, that’s true.”

Despite publicly admitting that Johnston had failed in his efforts at heterosexuality, Labarbera is now selling the specious “It’s Not Gay” video and portraying Johnston to unsuspecting viewers as a “former homosexual.” Indeed, on the front of the box under a picture of Johnston it says, “Former homosexuals tell a story few have heard.”

How can Johnston continue to be presented as a “former homosexual”? The word “former” clearly implies that he has ceased all homosexual activity prior to filming “It’s Not Gay.” However, abundant homosexual activity on the part of Johnston had occurred after the video was released. This makes LaBarbera guilty of deceptive advertising and duping unsuspecting consumers who are led to believe that Johnston had miraculously changed sexual orientations.

Nowhere does Americans for Truth inform potential viewers that Johnston’s “cure” did not endure. This organization is undeniably peddling false hope to vulnerable and desperate people and bilking them out of their hard earned money. In doing so, Americans for Truth is unscrupulously capitalizing on the sincere and heartfelt religious convictions of its followers and exploiting them for the organization’s financial gain.

It is in the state’s best interest to expeditiously pull this fraudulent video replete with bogus claims and outright fabrications from the marketplace. Truth Wins Out also urges the state to require a written apology from LaBarbera that he must post prominently on his website and that refunds be offered to dissatisfied consumers.

Thank you for reviewing the enclosed information and I look forward to hearing back from Ms. Madigan after the investigation is complete. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am happy to assist you and provide you with additional information that will help ensure consumers in Illinois and nationwide will not be taken advantage of by a dishonest and unprincipled organization.

Sincerely,

Wayne Besen
Executive Director
Truth Wins Out

Hate Crimes Legislation and Isaiah Washington

Let's get this out of the way first: Isaiah Washington is a dumb ass. And his derogatory comments about T.R. Knight are very disappointing; especially seeing that he once played a gay man in the Spike Lee movie "Get on the Bus."

And do you know how hard it is to find a good representation of a gay black man in movies these days?

But having said that, I refuse to get caught up in the hoopla about making him apologize. Why? Because this gay black man is still reeling over the lack of comments when that awful movie Soul Plane came out.

You know Soul Plane don't you? The movie featuring the chubby black gay "stewardess" named Flame complete with purple lip gloss whose every appearance in the movie was either to make fun of gay black men or emphasize the point that some consider us outsiders in the African-American community; unwanted and unloved.

Now where was these folks pushing for "positive portrayals of gays and lesbians" when this movie came out a few years ago?

I don't like to fit the stereotype of the jaded, cynical gay male, but in this case, please don't get offended when I say I don't really give a shit about Isaiah Washington or his big mouth.

What does concern me is the push for hate crimes protection. Apparently, the anti-gay industry are alarmed that Congress is going to make sure that the gay and lesbian community will be protected under these laws.

Now correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't this country already have hate crimes laws that punish people for crimes committed because of religious or racial hatred?

This being the case, why is it such a problem to include us? Apparently the anti-gay industry seems to think that if we are included, pastors will be arrested in their churches for speaking out against homosexuality.

This is just subterfuge backed by lies backed by distortions backed by . . . well you get the picture.

As the days go by, I expect this battle to heat up.

Good cause I am in an ass kicking mood.

Put me back in, coach! It's just a scratch!

I have some of the most rotten luck with computers. This Saturday, my internal modem died. Subsequently, I have been offline until now.

I am able to get online, because like the Bionic Woman, I have been given better equipment, i.e. DSL. (I know you all are thinking that I should compare myself to the Six Million Dollar Man, but the Bionic Woman had the better villains, i.e. fembots.)

While offline, I was able to prepare the index of my upcoming book as well as assess where I am with the project. I was pleased with the results, but like a football player who just made it to the Superbowl, I was anxious to get back into the game.

I was mainly worried that some huge revelation would take place involving the anti-gay industry and no one would be there to cover it.

I didn't have anything to worry. Wayne Besen (www.waynebesen.com), Joe Brummer (www.joebrummer.com), and www.goodasyou.org, as well as many others had things covered.

I did notice that Wayne Besen has given an update on where Michael Johnston is. In one of my last entries before my modem died, I covered the fact that Americans for Truth was selling a video featuring Johnston's claim that he was "delivered from homosexuality" when such was not the case. While Johnston was traveling the country making this claim, he was allegedly having unprotected sex in hotel rooms with gay men.

In all honesty, I entered the controversy rather late. Wayne Besen was at the forefront of exposing Johnston's escapades in 2003 and was also there to make sure that people knew the anti-gay industry was still peddling his lies last year.

According to Besen, Johnston is now on the staff of Pure Life Ministries as a member of the speaking team, He is still peddling his story of "deliverance from homosexuality," complete with an admission of his fall from grace in 2003.

But neither him nor Pure Life Ministries is forthcoming as to the depth of his fall. Johnston said that he was HIV positive and was no longer gay. If the stories are true, while he was making this claim, he was having unprotected sex with gay men.

This portion of the story regarding his "fall" is conveniently omitted from his Pure Life Ministries biography.

My heart goes out to Johnston and I don't mean him any malice but I have to ask just where is his integrity. He should not be speaking to anyone but those men he could have infected due to his carelessness.

He has no business presenting himself as a speaker or any type of leader until he makes restitution with those men. And as far as I know, he has not.

Score one for the good guys

Almost every time the anti-gay industry tries to keep children from forming gay/straight alliances in high schools, it gets its hand smacked.

The most recent incident is yet another pleasurable bitch slap to those who try and keep our lgbt children in the closet:

A settlement has been reached between the American Civil Liberties Union--representing students in a gay-straight alliance--and officials in White County, Ga., who had refused to permit the club to meet at White County High School, the ACLU announced Wednesday.
Local media reported December 26 that a settlement had been tentatively reached, but Wednesday's announcement makes it official.

“I’m just so happy this is all over and that our school is doing the right thing,” Charlene Hammersen, one of the founders of the alliance, called Peers Rising in Diverse Education (PRIDE), told the ACLU. “It’s taken almost two years to get here, but we’re as determined as we’ve always been to promote diversity and fight harassment against gay students at our school. This is really great for every student that goes to White County High.”

The future of the lgbt community is in good hands.


Unbelievable nonsense

From the web page of my friend Joe Brummer comes some outrageous nonsense from our friend Peter LaBarbera and his ironically named group Americans for Truth About Homosexuality. If the report is true, LaBarbera's group is listed in GuideStar (a source of information about non-profit organizations) as a lesbian and gay civil rights group:

Somebody has been asleep on the job


$60,000? Maybe I am on the wrong side of the argument

Arkansas is paying for its opposition to gay adoption in a way it probably did not expect.

According to this article:

Arkansas taxpayers will pay $60,000 for the testimony of a university professor who testified for the state that gays and lesbians are unfit to serve as foster parents.

But it is a far cry from the $200,000 George Rekers had sought.

The Arkansas the Department of Health and Human Services hired George Rekers as an expert witness in the case, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of four couples who wanted to foster parents.

Rekers's original $200,00 bill included "research" and "late fees." What makes matters worse is that Arkansas lost the case.

Rekers is not as well known as Paul Cameron but according to the ACLU, he is cut from the same cloth:

Rekers is one of the founders of the Family Research Council, a notoriously anti-gay group.

Rekers relies on the discredited research of Paul Cameron, an anti-gay "researcher" who was kicked out of the American Psychological Association for misrepresenting the research regarding homosexuality.

Rekers has suggested that gays are unsuitable to serve as foster parents because they're at higher risk for AIDS and other sexually-transmitted disease, ignoring the fact that there is a physical examination required of all foster parent applicants in Arkansas that would weed out any applicants with health conditions that could jeopardize a foster child.

Rekers says that children are best served when raised by both a mother and a father, but doesn't favor excluding single heterosexual single women from fostering.

That's it! I am switching sides. Who needs integrity when you can get $60,000.

Americans for Truth, American Family Association team up to sell fraudulent video (Another one for my book)

I almost missed this one.

Americans for Truth (our friend Peter LaBarbera's group) is helping the American Family Association pull a big fraud.

On the Americans for Truth web page is a solicitation for the video "It's Not Gay." According to the group, the video:

" . . . presents a story that few have heard, allowing former homosexuals the opportunity to tell their own story in their own words. Along with medical and mental health experts, these individuals express a clear warning that the sanitized version of homosexuality being presented to students is not the whole truth."

Those who click on the video link is directed to the American Family Association site where they can order the video.

Besides the usual bit of misrepresentation (i.e. the claim that those in the video have been "freed from homosexuality") is something a bit more sinister and blatant.

Notice how the cover of the video on both links seem to be blurred.

I can't help wondering if this is intentional. Why you ask? Because of the person it features.

This link from Ex-Gay Watch plainly shows who this person is: Michael Johnston.

For a while, Johnston was one of the anti-gay industry's "golden boys." He traveled across the country telling his story of how he was "delivered" from homosexuality after testing HIV positive. He was even the leader of his own ministry, Kerusso Ministries. In addition, he helped to start "National Coming Out of Homosexuality" Day in order to counter "National Coming Out" Day.

However, Johnston's star crashed in 2003 when it was discovered that while he was doing all of these things, he was also engaging in unprotected sex with men.

So why in 2007 is the American Family Association and Americans for Truth trying to sell a video featuring him making his claim that he was "delivered" from homosexuality when it was obvious that he wasn't.

And it's obvious that LaBarbera knows what his group is doing. He is quoted in the above link about Johnston's transgressions.

This is not the first time this subject has come up. Last year, Wayne Besen of www.truthwinsout.org asked the same question about "It's Not Gay."

What AFA and Americans for Truth are doing is like selling a hammer with a broken handle. One can always take back the hammer.

But who will seek recompensement for the lives of the lgbts who are going to be attacked by churches and others who will probably buy this tape and believe its claims?

The fact that the American Family Association and Americans for Truth are encouraging people to buy this tape speaks to both groups' lack of integrity. God does not like ugly, even when it's done in his name.

The AFA of Pennsylvania tries to scare people

It seems that the anti-gay industry has depleted their anti-gay marriage equality hysteria.

So whither where they fly? Or rather what's the next target for these folks.

A Pennsylvania incident may give an indication of where they are going. However, I don't envision them having as much success as they had scaring everyone about gay marriage:

According to Agape Press, the American Family Association of Pennsylvania is up in arms with school districts for working with the organization GLSEN.

GLSEN is an organization that works to make school climates better for our lgbt youth. Subsequently, that makes them public enemy number one in the eyes of the anti-gay industry:

According to (Diane) Gramley (President of the AFA of PA), many public school officials simply do not realize the danger of partnering with GLSEN or other groups like it whose primary goals, she insists, are to normalize homosexuality and to encourage students to experiment with same-sex partners. "That's what they want," she asserts. "They want the kids to believe that 'gay is okay,' and that if you feel that you are homosexual -- if you feel you're tugged in that direction -- [you should] go ahead and try it."

Gramley is partly right. We do want children to know that gay is okay because being lgbt is perfectly fine, regardless of the climate folks like her attempt to create. However, this idea that we want children to have sex is just "ignant."

That's right, I said "ignant." It's a new word describing an idea so stupid that it doesn't deserve three syllables to declare it dumb.

In her next statement, we get the gist of what Gramley is going for:

Gramley believes groups pushing the acceptance of homosexuality will eventually target the First Amendment rights of Christians who understand the Bible to prohibit sexual activity between people of the same sex. Therefore, she suggests, the homosexual agenda is a direct threat to the free speech and religious liberty of those who believe homosexual activity is sinful.

There they go again with the "dire consequences" propaganda technique. In the absence of truth, some members of the anti-gay industry spin the theory that gay people want to curtail the rights of those who think that homosexuality is a sin.

The "dire consequences" tactic is usually effective because it simultaneously appeals to the ego and the fears of the audience. Its usage is also a sign of desperation. Scaring people is the way to go for those who have depleted their logic.

Now it is here that I would make a joke that lgbts don't want to arrest Christians for believing that homosexuality is a sin because we want to send them to re-education camps where they will be strapped down and forced to watch 24 hours of Bette Davis movies or Larry Kramer speeches.

However, I have a feeling that our friends Peter LaBarbera and Matt Barber would take me seriously and make my joke the subject of a new action alert/call to arms.

But I will say to Ms. Gramley, we don't want to cause you all trouble because some of us are enjoying watching you self-destruct.

Manufactured martyr gets a promotion - CWA hires Matt Barber

Concerned Women for America has hired a replacement for the departing Robert Knight. And if this man's past history is any indication of his future at the organization, he may provide me with more fun than Knight ever did.

Matt Barber is the new hiree and if he sounds familiar, it's because he was a cause celebre in 2005. At that time, he was an employee at AllState Insurance who was fired because of a column he wrote. The column in question gave the usual anti-gay nonsense about how diseased we are, like the following Cameroneque excerpt:

As a result of the concerted effort by liberals to mask the devastating effects of the gay lifestyle, many people are shocked to learn that the average life expectancy of a homosexual male is only about 45 years old - 30 years younger than that of a heterosexual male.

Barber was fired because he involved AllState in his nonsense. He claimed that he wrote the column on his own time. Now the bio on the column said the following:

J. Matt Barber is a non-practicing attorney, an undefeated heavyweight professional boxer (Matt "Bam Bam" Barber), and a professional jazz drummer in the Chicago Land (IL) area. In addition to his Law Degree, Barber holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy. Matt Works for Allstate Insurance Company as a Territorial Senior Manager in Allstate's Law and Regulation Corporate Security (Internal Fraud Investigations) Department.

Or if you want to see the column with the bio, this is the link

Barber sued AllState for violating his religious beliefs because he was not allowed to receive unemployment benefits as a employee who was fired for willfull misconduct. The Illinois Department for Employment Security said this was not the case, so Barber was able to get unemployment benefits.

Barber continued with a lawsuit against AllState. He was aided by religious right lawyers, anti-gay industry figures such as Donald Wildmon and the American Family Association, and blogs like Free Republic who claimed that he was the newest victim of the "gay Mafia."

Barber settled with AllState and the settlement was not made public. However, I did notice two things.

I find it interesting that Concerned Women for America did not milk Barber's firing for its own purposes. The organization doesn't even mention it. An article speaking of his settlement clearly says, "no mention of a dollar figure was revealed, according to a WorldNetDaily report."

But go to AllState's web page and you will find the insurance company is talking about it:

The company has stated its position to the court in our answer to Mr. Barber’s lawsuit, and the following statement is included in those papers: “Plaintiff, James Matthew Barber, was not discharged from his employment with Allstate Insurance Company because of his religious beliefs or practices, but because he used the company’s information technology systems and other resources for his personal journalism activities, many of which took place on company time, and which identified Plaintiff as an employee of the Allstate Insurance Company.”

The article references a determination made by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The role of the Illinois Department of Employment Security is to implement the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act, which provides unemployment compensation to residents of the state who meet the eligibility requirements provided in the act. The Department determines whether anyone is eligible for unemployment compensation. Apart from this role, the Department does not rule on the reason for terminations.

To reiterate, Allstate would not terminate an employee for expressing personal religious or lifestyle views on his or her own time.

Seems to me that Barber and his cohorts aren't telling the entire story. He was not fired for "willful misconduct," but apparently his firing was very justified.

Barber should fit in very well with Concerned Women for America. After all, liars generally like each others' company.

Needing your help with information

There is so much going on today and I intend to comment on it on future dates.

But first thing's first.

I have just finished a marathon session of editing and correcting my book. Now I get to do it all over again. At least one more time, then I will wrap things up.

I need your help on something.

One of my goals in writing this book is to spotlight attention on those of us who are working to expose the lies of the anti-gay industry piece by piece. In doing this, I want to give out a list of sites where people can go when the anti-gay industry comes out with a lying press release and the like.

If any of you know of any sites, please send them to me via this blog or my email address, CharleKenghis@aol.com

I know of the official sites (i.e. HRC and Lambda Legal) but the sites I want are of bloggers and web pages who are doing good work without getting the right type of notoriety.

I will check out the site and include it in my book.

I already have a few but more wouldn't hurt.

This is highly important. It seems that unofficially, we have a network of (I am paraphrasing your words, Wayne Besen) "truth-tellers." I just want all of us to be better connected.

Does anyone actually care what Gary Bauer thinks?

I see that Gary Bauer is pushing hackneyed "gay agenda" line yet again:

" . . .A conservative spokesman and former U.S. presidential candidate warns that efforts to advance the homosexual agenda will intensify when the new Democrat-led Congress convenes Thursday. Gary Bauer of American Values believes the homosexual rights movement sees the new Congress as a vehicle to make further progress in getting homosexuality to be considered a protected civil rights category."


Oooh I'm so scared (those who are familiar with ghetto girl dialect can slur their vowels now).

I'm going to fight my first impulse of insulting Mr. Bauer by referring to him as Skeletor (come on, you know he looks like the villain from Masters of the Universe) because I really don't care about him.

When Bauer was the head of the Family Research Council, he did have some degree of power. But since resigning to run for President in the 2000 election, he has become as irrelevant as an 80's hair band.

I do sincerely hope, however, that is new Congress do their duty and work to pass laws that will make life better for the gay and lesbian community.

After all, we are Americans, too.

Can we stop the flow of lies?

I like to go online and check out sites that are anti-gay. I find it empowering to know what the other side is thinking. Reading their lies reminds me of the work I need to do by writing my book.

It can get depressing too. Today, I located a South African web page that spoke against gay adoption. No doubt the creators of the page considers themselves Christian and it is for this reason that they oppose gay adoption. I have no problems with this. What I have a problem with is the information the page contained, like the following:

A study of 4340 adults in five metropolitan areas of the USA showed that bisexuals and homosexuals (about 4% of the sample) compared to heterosexuals:

· exposed themselves sexually to more different bodies (more frequently admitting to participating in orgies and reported larger numbers of sexual partners);

· more frequently participated in socially disruptive sex (e.g., deliberate infection of others, cheating in marriage, making obscene phone calls);

· more frequently reported engaging in socially disruptive activities (e.g., criminality, shoplifting, tax cheating); and

· more frequently exposed themselves to biological hazards (e.g. fisting, bestiality, ingestion of faeces and sadomasochism).

That is Paul Cameron's infamous ISIS study of the early 1980s. Bear in mind that the citation does not mention Cameron as the author of the study nor does it talk about how Cameron conducted the study.

It does not mention:

That only 41 gay men and 25 lesbians took part in this study,

the study consisted of over 500 questions, given to the first person answering the door, and was picked up a week later, and

the study has been discredited over and over again.

The South African web page piece contains other distortions.

Which leads me to ask this question: can we ever stop the lies?

That web page is just one of a myriad of web pages that repeat Cameronesque lies about the gay and lesbian community.

When people seek to do evil, they are usually successful. Mopping up the mess they make tends to take a long time. And it is tiresome work. And it does get discouraging at times.

I guess I should be reminded of the title of a song Shawn Colvin sings:

Steady On!

Book stuff and history

Yaaaayyyy! I've finished making the copy editing changes in my book and it only took two days.

Now I get to do it all over again.

Seriously though, I have given myself a deadline of February 1 for my manuscript to be fully ready to be published.

I would like to give huge props to Joe Brummer for his excellent recap of last year's events. I didn't realize that so much good was done for our community. I encourage everyone to read it.

Lastly, I received an interesting package in the mail from my copy editor. It was a book he wrote entitled We're So Glad You Asked: 52 quizzes for the Whole Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Heterosexual Family.

It is an excellent book that challenges readers to become knowledgeable on gay history.

We need more of that.

I am an African-American and the proud history of black people has been drilled in me on many occasions. My schools celebrated Dr. King's birthday long before it became a national holiday. We celebrated Black History Month when it was originally Black History Week with a schoolwide assembly in which we all participated.

The sense of urgency had by those who taught me to love my African-American heritage is something the gay and lesbian community needs.

There has been so much discussion on the similarities and differences between the African-American and gay rights movement. I have sat on the fence because I believe that both groups want to disavow or acknowledge the similiarities based on selfish reasons.

I will acknowledge that both groups are similar in one way: we have been miseducated and taught to hate ourselves.

Just as some folks want to push the idea that African-Americans and black people in general did nothing to contribute to the history of the world, some people want to deny the gay and lesbian community our rich heritage.

They want to keep us in the dark, pushing the idea that we are defined by how some of us have sexual relations.

The anti-gay industry wants to hold us back from being celebrating our orientation while they tell the world how nasty and evil we are.

We shouldn't let their ignorance stop us. We need to tell the story of Alexander the Great, who conquered much of the known world before he was 33; of Billy Tipton, who started her own jazz combo; of Bayard Rustin, who organized the 1963 March on Washington, of Egyptian queen Hatshepsut and Swedish queen Christina, both ruling as capable as a man.

The list goes on and on.

We owe to our gay children that they know these people.

And we owe it to ourselves. A refresher course in pride never hurts.

Massachusetts GODDAMN Massachusetts

Well I hope everyone had a good holiday. I spent a good bit of time editing my manuscript while totally ignoring this blog.

And now when I am ready to come back to it, an issue hits me in the face with the urgency of a runaway locomotive.

By now, everyone has heard what has happened in Massachusetts, so there is no need to rehash it. Check out this link if you are not aware of the situation.

What is happening gets me angry on so many levels. The first level, of course, is envisioning the press releases that will surely come from Agape Press and that bunch.

Trust me when I say that there is nothing more annoying than a self-righteous gloater.

On a more important level, I cringe to think about another go-round on the "marriage train fight."

I'm probably in the minority when I say that this fight over marriage equality has revealed a bourgeois element of our community.

This point was driven home to me when I read the article about how difficult it is for gay students to get gay/straight alliances started in high schools, despite the fact that the law is on their side.

Meanwhile us black gay men and lesbian women are still fending for ourselves, invisible to two communities that won't give us any respect or visibility.

I am all for marriage equality but gaining it is not the salve for the ills affecting our community. I know gay men who are out but have a negative view of our community. Some don't even know why we should fight for the rights that should be ours, including the right to take care of our families. Some have drunken the kool-aid of lies and actually believe that being gay condemns them to a life of loneliness and vapid sexual relations. Why? Because while there has been so much work about our legal rights, no one has said a word about our spiritual and psychological well-being.

Legal rights are good things, but having a positive spiritual and psychological foundation is more important. Having pride in ourselves is not something we can get from a clique of friends, going out to a club, our material possessions, or fighting for rights that some of us don't even feel we deserve to have.

We have been forgetting that for too long.