Janet Folger predicts the future and it's a doozy

I hope everyone is having an excellent Thanksgiving holiday.

As for myself, I wanted to stay in bed and watch the Law and Order SVU, CI marathon on the USA Network, but I opted to visit relatives.

It was nice. They asked about my book and I told them. Later about that. Much, much later.

Anyway I ran across something written by anti-gay industry member Janet Folger. Folger has made a career with whining about how Christians are constantly victimized while at the same time seeing nothing wrong with Christians doing the persecuting.

This piece has to be considered as her magnum opus in hypocrisy and bullshit. It is a bastardized version of the legendary Michael Swift piece. Folger takes a different tact, however. According to her, the following is what could happen if Mike Huckabee isn't elected president.

I am posting the entire thing because it simply defies all attempts to describe it. Read it tongue in cheek because it is hilarious. And it just goes to show the hysterical mindset of many so-called "people of faith":

Letter from a future prisoner

To the Resistance:

I'm writing this letter from prison, where I've been since the beginning of 2010. Since Hillary was elected in '08, Christian persecution in America has gotten even worse than we predicted.

When the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" was signed into law, my radio program was yanked off the air along with all the others that dared discuss moral issues on Christian radio. The networks just couldn't bring themselves to air a pro-abortion program or one that advocates the homosexual agenda for the government mandated "balance" because broadcasting lies went against their basic beliefs – I don't blame them.

We knew "Thought Crimes" was in danger of becoming law back when it passed Congress in 2007, but thankfully, President Bush kept his promise to veto it. But, tragically, Hillary signed that most dangerous bill in America – ushering in the criminalization of Christianity. And now, even my book, "The Criminalization of Christianity," has been banned as "hate speech" just as I predicted when I wrote it back in 2005.

When the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act" ("Thought Crimes" for the Workplace) became law, businesses and ministries were targeted by homosexual activists and were forced to close when they wouldn't comply with a law forcing them to hire those opposed to their beliefs on moral issues.

When they canceled my program, banned my book and targeted my ministry, I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd be forced into "prison ministry" against my will. Unfortunately for our nation, that ministry is growing fast. A homeschooling mom was assigned the cell next to me. I try to comfort her, but she cries constantly at the thought of her kids being raised in government foster care.

The forced labor here makes me think that I should have done more for our brothers and sisters in China sent to labor camps for the crime of hosting a home church, or those imprisoned in every Muslim country for choosing Christ over Allah. We should have seen the writing on the wall when Yahoo turned over confidential searches to the Chinese government, sending people to prison, and when Google barred American Christian sites from its search engines as "haters." Finding allied ministries is now almost impossible.

Most didn't see it coming. I try not to think about how the 2009 "Freedom of Choice Act" wiped out every single pro-life law from parental notice to the ban on partial birth abortion. And how "anti-reproductive rights" was added to the "Thought Crime" statute, which, like California before the election, means a year in jail if someone claims to feel "intimidated" by anything a pro-lifer might do – like express their beliefs in public.

But, like the homeschool mom in the cell beside me, I cry too. I cry mostly because it didn't have to be this way. Just three years ago – in 2007 – we had a chance to unite and achieve our lifetime goals of restoring protection to children in the womb, and protecting our foundational relationship of marriage between a man and a woman. And now the suggestion of it is treated like the illegal mention of a "mom" or "dad" to the California School Board.

Martin Niemöller's words ring true. I see them with a modern twist:

When they came for the Chinese, I did not speak up because those slave-labor goods were so very cheap.

When they came for the Afghan and Iraqi Christians, I did not speak up because I didn't want to undermine the war effort.

When they came for the German homeschoolers, I didn't speak up because I live in America.

When they came for the Philadelphia 11, I didn't speak up, because I was from Cleveland.

When they came for me, speaking up had become illegal.

No, in 2007 and 2008, American Christians were so used to the status quo that they forgot we were in this to win. Compromised and divided, they choose to protest rather than protect.

When the Christian and conservative leaders couldn't stop fighting over their candidate of compromise or their favorite "tier two" pick, we missed our last chance at victory – victory for children facing the abortionists' knife and victory for the institution foundational to our society – marriage.

All the money in the world couldn't buy Mitt Romney's trust. And no one seemed to remember what Rudy Giuliani had said of the previous Clinton administration: "Most of Clinton's policies are similar to most of mine." Or how he praised the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, and offered up a citywide proclamation honoring the infamous racist eugenicist, whose organization has brutally killed more babies than any other in the Western Hemisphere.

Did they really think we would have a chance to beat Hillary with "Hillary-lite?"

There was a tier-one candidate that stood for our goals of life and marriage – that man was Gov. Mike Huckabee. Had we nominated Huckabee to run against Hillary, the stark difference between the two would have brought voters out in droves. And we never would have seen the Supreme Court appointments of Charles Schumer and Diane Feinstein. If only there were a way to go back in time to change … I've gotta go. The guard spotted me writing again.

I don't know about you all, but I am practically speechless. I do know one thing, however.

If I ever write a follow-up to Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, Janet Folger will be included.

She is eclipsing our other friend, Porno Petey, in hilarity.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

I would be remiss if I did not mention that today is Transgender Day of Remembrance.

As we remember the lives of our transgender brothers and sisters lost to violence, let us do all we can to make sure that we stop the ignorance and hatred that led to the loss of those precious lives.

Florida school to use 'expert testimony' in fight against gay/straight alliance

Some wild stuff is happening in Florida:

Attorneys for the Okeechobee County School Board plan to use experts who will testify about the "negative health effects of homosexual sex" in their fight to stop the Gay-Straight Alliance from meeting at Okeechobee High School.

. . . According to a summary . . . the school board plans to use four experts, who will testify on topics including:

"Negative health effects of homosexual sex."

"Serious consequences" of heterosexual teenage sexual activity, such as teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and "poorer emotional health."

That "homosexuality lifestyle/relationships are appropriate topics beginning at college age."
The "need to prevent contact by underage students with adult-only material."

Attorneys for the school board have not shared the names of the experts.

In the first place, GSAs have nothing to do with sexual intercourse so this sounds like a ridiculous road that the school board is traveling.

Secondly, courts have consistently ruled for GSAs in cases such as this one, which will begin in June 2008. You see, there is a little something called the Federal Equal Access Act, that says if a school allows any student-initiated, non-curricular clubs to meet, it must allow all student-initiated, non-curricular clubs to meet.

So I really don't see why the school board is continuing with this case. Just allow the GSAs; it's easier and less expensive. And most importantly, there is nothing wrong with GSAs!

But I am interested as to who their "experts" will be and what testimony will they give.

But it really doesn't matter who the school district selects because I bet that the following lies will be used:

The distortion of the 1997 Canadian study to claim that gay men have a short life span. Never mind that the study had nothing to do with GSAs or the authors of the studies complained in 2001 about religious right distortion of their work

The distortion of the 1984-2000 Dutch study to talk about how "promiscuous" lgbts are. This study has nothing to do with GSAs or lgbt teens but no doubt the district's "experts won't disclose this fact to anyone.

Distortion of various studies that say lgbt teens have a problem with depression, drugs, and negative behaviors. The studies also attribute the at-risk behavior of the teens to a homophobic society; something that having a GSA could combat. No doubt the district's "experts" will conveniently omit this portion of the studies.

Various convenience sample and anecdotal citations from STD clinics that have nothing to do with GSAs.

Various convenience sample citations of lgbt sex partners that are neither indicative of the lgbt population at large or lgbt teens.

I have talked about these lies various times on this blog and in detail in my book.

When June 2008 rolls around, I will be watching the case with much interest to see if I am correct.

And I have a feeling that I may be.

Kelly Boggs commits the sin of omission

In a column today at Town Hall, Kelly Boggs makes the tired argument of lgbts "pushing our agenda" at the expense of American values.

To do so, he recounts an incident that I have talked about on more than one occasion:

The Court of Appeals for the U.S. Ninth Circuit upheld this summer an Oakland, Calif., city government declaration that the phrase "marriage is the foundation of the natural family and sustains family values" was inflammatory and promoted harassment based on so-called sexual orientation. The phrase was also deemed to be homophobic and disruptive.

It seems a few Christian women working for Oakland's city government formed a Good News Employee Association, and in promoting the club, included the aforementioned phrase on a flier. Later, a lesbian worker complained that the flier made her feel "targeted" and "excluded."

Boggs does not give further details about the incident; thus making it seem that the Christian employees were unfairly treated.

This is a lie.

Boggs failed to mention other facts in this particular case. The following is from a July 26, 2007 post on my blog:

I have talked the situation involving a lawsuit some Christian employees had with the city of Oakland many times on this blog.These employees, the Allied Defense Fund, and other members of the anti-gay industry have claimed that they were discriminated against simply because they wanted to start a Christian organization in response to other employees starting a gay tolerance group.

The employees and the Allied Defense Fund sued while the rest of the anti-gay industry distorted the case as "another" example of the supposed gay agenda trying to shut down Christians.The situation had nothing to do with them being able to form their group, but with a flyer the organizers put up. The flyer used language in a manner that bashed gay employees. The city told the organizers that they could submit another flyer but the two women in the middle of the situation refused.The Ninth Circuit Court ruled against them so they have been appealing to the Supreme Court.

I ran across something else that sheds light on the story and I want to share with everyone. The following is from an article printed on July 4:

. . . the seemingly harmless flier was not an isolated incident but part of a deliberate pattern of harassment. The association's flier was specifically posted outside of a lesbian co-worker's cubicle, placed on her desk and in the restroom. The plaintiffs went out of their way to harass their lesbian co-worker as well as to proselytize about their belief on city time and on the taxpayer's dime.

Boggs committed what I like to call a popular anti-gay industry tactic: the sin of omission. He clearly did not tell the entire story regarding the Oakland lawsuit because he wanted to push forth the image of an "aggressive" gay agenda.

The fact of the matter is that the employee who complained was in fact targeted by those employees. It was their actions that caused the problem, not their Christian beliefs. And certainly not the employee whom they targeted.

Don't worry, Peter. I won't print today's email . . . but I will tell everyone what you said

Apparently our friend Peter LaBarbera does not like my countdown clock. He told me so in an email today.

Now in all honesty, I should confess that I emailed Peter the blog post in which I talked about my clock. I did it because I felt he deserves some excitement that doesn't have anything to do with going to leather conventions and taking pictures.

I just never expected him to email me back.

Also, he asked that I don't publish the email, so I won't.

But I found a quibble (look it up) in his request. He asked that I don't print the email. He didn't say I couldn't tell anyone what was in the email.

To make a long email short, Peter said:

how dare I bother him since he does not consider me a "serious" writer or critic on gay issues,

(this coming from a guy who attends more leather conventions than any gay man I know)

that he has more pressing issues to worry about than my book,

(yeah like attending rubber conventions and begging for money - by the way, I noticed that Peter listed the budgets for major lgbt organizations in some sort of attempt to demonstrate how "underfunded" he is. He conveniently doesn't mention the budgets for anti-gay industry groups such as

Focus on the Family - $137,848,520 (2004 Focus on the Family revenue); $24,988,036 (2004 Focus on the Family Action revenue)

Concerned Women for America - Concerned Women for America - $8,484,108 (2004); Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee - $555,477 (2004)

or the American Family Assocation - $14,186,203 (2004)

I know - these are 2004 budgets but I doubt their donations have dropped drastically in three years. If Peter is underfunded, he shouldn't blame HRC or any other lgbt group. He should hit up James Dobson for a "fellowship" or whatever they call those things these days.)

and that he will respond to me if and when he chooses

(and I won't hold my breath, but the clock stays. By the way Peter, pick me up something nice at the next leather convention. Something that I can wear to church.)

Lastly, Peter seems to think that I have an "obsession."

(In all honesty, you all have seen Peter's page complete with those nasty pictures and such. Just who is obsessed with what?)

The clock ticks for thee, my friend

To the right of this blog is a new item.

I have already told you all that I emailed a copy of my book galleys to Peter LaBarbera last week. He has yet to respond to the charges that the book lodges against him and other members of the anti-gay industry.

To make matters more interesting, I have inserted a clock in this blog. Its purpose is to illustrate the fact that Peter will most likely not respond to the charges lodged in my book.

You see, Peter and other members of the anti-gay industry are liars. They exploit religious beliefs and fears in order to demonize the lgbt community. Peter especially likes to attend subcultural events such leather and bondage events and "take pictures" of what he sees there. He then uses these pictures and adds lurid details to put the lgbt community in the worse possible light.

It does not matter to him that these events are attended by both heterosexuals and gays. Nor does it matter to him that the majority of gays are not necessarily into bondage and the like.

I find it ironic that Peter does so much to demonize the lgbt community but cannot sit down and answer charges that he and others like him have consistently distorted legitimate studies and relied on junk science or outright lies to further their agenda.

He won't do it because Peter acts through hyperbole and sleaze.

My book is neither. It is a breakdown of how he and other members of the anti-gay industry (i.e. Lou Sheldon, Robert Knight, Andrea Lafferty, etc.) use tactics and deceptions that belie their claims of being pro-family.

My book deals with truth and logic, two things that Peter does not understand. And this is why he won't refute anything in it.

Meanwhile, you all watch and enjoy the ticking clock and let it be symbolic of the hypocrisy of not only Peter but the rest of the anti-gay industry.

I'm sorry but I have to do this

I said I wouldn't talk about the Donnie McClurkin/Barack Obama situation again. But forgive me if I say just one more thing.

Something I read today got me angry. And it tweaked something that has been on my mind for a while.

A columnist at the Washington Blade, Ryan Lee, said the following:

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama has been an exceptionally outspoken ally on gay rights issues, candidly and eloquently supporting us no matter which audience he’s addressing. To feign outrage at his campaign for inviting an anti-gay gospel singer — a singer! — to a campaign concert in South Carolina exposes the political naïveté that cripples the gay rights movement.

Who knew gospel singers could be anti-gay?! Who knew that black churches were a key constituency for any Democratic politician?!

In their zeal to criticize Obama for inviting Donnie McClurkin to perform at the gospel concert, several gay men and lesbians suggested he should have tapped a more welcoming black minister, like Carlton Pearson. Pearson is indeed an inspiring voice for spiritual acceptance of gay people, but even he featured McClurkin on his celebrated “Live at Azusa” concert series, and he continues making money off McClurkin’s presence on the CD — including the $15 I paid for it.

Neither Obama nor Pearson should apologize for being affiliated with McClurkin and gay people shouldn’t mandate that the only way you can accept us is to reject those with whom we disagree.

You know what? I have to say something and if I apologize to anyone that I may offend, but I am very disappointed with some members of the lgbt community, especially some of our media, who have bent over backwards to give Obama a free pass on this.

I am angry because (here it comes), I think some folks in our community are willing to give Obama a free pass because they cannot or will not understand the effect of this entire controversy on lgbts of color.

And I am angry because I feel that if the situation was done with all the characters (except for Obama) being white, the same lgbts claiming that Obama aligning himself with McClurkin is no big deal would be up in arms. They wouldn't be so concilatory.

LGBTs of color are truly divided in identities. We can either align ourselves with a community who will support us because we are lgbt while subtlely telling us to downplay our racial heritage or we can either align ourselves with the black community which tells us to downplay our lgbt orientation.

I have chosen to not downplay who I am. I consider myself uncompromisingly gay and unapologetically black. Many of my brothers and sisters are also living their lives this way.

But many have chosen to align themselves with the African-American community. And frankly I don't blame them.

Why in the hell should the lgbts of color align themselves with a community that obviously considers the warping of their psychological and spiritual well-being as necessary sacrifices?

McClurkin speaks to the African-American community. He has brought his message of being a supposed "ex-gay" virtually unchallenged to the African-American community. He has also brought that lie about homosexuality and pedophilia to the African-American community virtually unchallenged.

Not once (and if I am wrong, please correct me) have I heard lgbts who consider Obama an ally address this situation. And where is our media, such as the Washington Blade, on this? Not one person stood up and said "what message is Obama sending to lgbts of color?"

I will tell you the message he sent - being black and lgbt are two different things that can never intermix.

And that is the very same message that Lee is sending with his column and some members of the lgbt media sent with their silence.

It's almost as if lgbts of color don't matter. Apparently we are supposed to shut up and take our lumps for the good of the community.

Bullshit.

The next time members of the lgbt media wonder why it is so hard for lgbts of color to come out or wonder why so many lgbts of color feel segregated from the so-called mainstream gay community, or why lgbts of color would choose to align themselves with a gay-unfriendly black community, I suggest that they remember the Obama/McClurkin incident.

Not for what was said, but for what wasn't said.

Book update - Massive Success

I had a very interesting email exchange with Dave Daubenmire, the author of the "Homo-nauseous" column I wrote about yesterday.

But I won't reflect on that.

And no matter how much I am tempted, I will not talk in length about our friend Peter LaBarbera's new and rather pathetic request for money to fight the "radical homosexual menace" today on his site.

I will only say that I am waiting for your refutations, Peter.

Today is mostly a happy day.

My book enjoyed a huge in jump in sales on two occasions on amazon.com. Presently (and this may change), I am ranked number two in my specialty category.

Now on amazon.ca (amazon.com's Canadian site), I have been ranked number one in gay/lesbian nonfiction for a few weeks now.

But there is a small catch. Apparently the problem I had with how my book was categorized on amazon.com has played over to amazon.ca; it's described as a children's book.

I am working to correct this error and I hope it will not create a problem with my sales. However, I am of the opinion that while my book is categorized as a children's book, no one bought it with the notion of reading it to their child.

Anybody who reads the summary can tell that it is not a children's book.

Also, my book is now available on this new location.

And next month, I hope to have my first book signing event.

So you will forgive me when I say:

DAMN I'M TIRED!!!!

Come stickpins tomorrow. I will be more receptive. - (Katherine Hepburn, The Lion In Winter)

UPDATE - Six sites online where you can find my book:

xlibris.com/HolyBulliesandHeadlessMonsters.html

amazon.com

barnesandnoble.com/

http://www.a1books.com/

http://www.tower.com/

www.bordersmedia.com/

Forgive me Lord, but your 'followers' are nuts

Apparently someone left the cage open because members of the anti-gay industry are figuratively "showing their asses" today.

Let's break down the top three stories:

Holsinger may become surgeon general

Rumour control has it that President Bush may just go ahead and recess appoint James Holsinger as our Surgeon General. I have covered the Holsinger situation in detail so I am not going to rehash the entire sordid affair. If you want to a recap, check out this link.

But if Bush does recess appoint Holsinger, I would not be surprised. It would be symbolic of our president's legacy as a self-righteous wannabe John Waynish type of figure who, despite all of his lies and deceptions, is never wrong; at least in his eyes.

Bottom line - I wouldn't trust Bush to be in charge of a dog pound much less a nation. But he has served two terms; two long, long, loooooong terms.

He makes me almost miss Reagan. At least Regan could make his bullshit sound like a symphony.

Homo-naseuous but lies are okay with me?

Dave Daubenmire today wrote a column talking about how he is "homo-nauseous."

His column is a scream. The beginning warns readers that his words aren't going to be "politically correct."

He should have said his words weren't going to be correct. That would have been more to the point because it is apparent that while Daubenmire claims to be "hom-nauseous," he has no problems with lying.

His column is filled with the standard anti-gay industry straw men arguments. He also peppers the column with links to sites that supposedly proves his point:

But I thought "homosexuals" were just like everyone else and that all they wanted was to be free to "live their lives" in peace. If that is the case, why won't they stop identifying themselves by what the do in the privacy of their bedroom? Why are they so intent on making me accept their deviancy? Why are they trying to indoctrinate 6-year olds into their perversion?

I took a look at the link he used there.

It is from a Massachusetts anti-gay industry group, Mass Resistance. Dauberman and the link in question was talking about a situation that took place a few years ago involving David Parker, a man who claimed that he was arrested for keeping the "homosexual agenda" from "indoctrinating" his six-year-old son.

This, of course, is a blatant lie. I talk about the Parker controversy in detail through my book. I used it as an example of how the anti-gay industry sometimes creates and distorts controversies to further their agenda.

I emailed Mr. Daubenmire the following letter:

i am sorry but your references are wrong. the sites you linked to do not tell the entire story of each controversy.

for exampe, i noticed that you linked much to the mass resistance site and especially the david parker situation.

in the first place, no one was trying to indoctrinate parker's son. he simply brought home a book that included a same sex family.

david parker kept complaining to the school, even though he was told that homosexuality was not a part of his child's curriculum. It culminated with parker getting arrested as a publicity stunt. he claimed that the school did not comply with his request to exclude his child out of discussions of same sex families, even if such discussions were to happen spontaneously (apparently a few of his son's classmates came from same sex households).

the school told him that discussions about same sex households are not included in the district opt out policy because discussions of families are not the same as discussions of sex. The school told him this after seeking the advice of district office. they also him that they could not keep students from talking about their families.

Parker refused to leave the school after the meeting and was arrested. conveniently mass resistance "just happened" to be there to take pictures of the incident.

a year after his arrest, parker and mass resistance told the lie that his son was attacked because of his father's stance. the school investigated, the area police investigated, the area social services agency investigate. all found that the claim was a lie.

just wanted you to know the type of folks you are taking info from. you claim to be "homo-naseuous." it is apparent that you do not feel the same way about lies.

I also posted it to his site. How much you want to bet that it probably won't appear there?

Peter done gone cuckoo

Peter LaBarbera never ceases to amaze me. Check out the following from his site:

When did Chicago become a worldwide Mecca for perversion enthusiasts? Every year it hosts “International Mr. Leather” with its accompany “pig sex” parties (somebody call the Swine Defamation League). The Windy City is home to a ”museum” for sadistic sex practitioners called the “Leather Archives & Museum” – no joke; here’s the link to this tax-exempt, non-profit institution.

And now, Sodom-by-the-Lake welcomes International Mr. Rubber, an international contest for, well, rubber fetishists. Don’t ask. The picture above from their website should tell you all you need to know.

Partnering with the rubber enthusiasts was the Center on Halsted, a brand new “GLBT” community center in Chicago’s homosexual Boystown neighborhood (which is officially demarcated with rainbow kiosks). Center on Halsted’s construction was financed with the help of Illinois taxpayers through a $10 million “link deposit” by the Treasurer’s office— then run by a Republican, Judy Baar Topinka — that helped them get access to low interest-rate loans.

If you want to see pictures, check out the link I posted. What can I say about a man whose stridency makes him a mockery?

Usually nothing.

But last week, I sent Peter the galleys of my book.

I understand now that he probably didn't have enough time to read them. Probably preparing for the rubber trip.

After all, why bother to explain your lies when you can create some new ones?

Breaking down ENDA opposition

Now there may be some who say that I pay too much attention to Peter LaBarbera and Americans for Truth (in name only.)

But sometimes they make things so easy that I can't help but to indulge. Case in point, the lastest entry by Peter about ENDA.

If anything, it underscores that sometimes Peter is so fanatical in his "crusade" against the lgbt community that he undermines his efforts while making our side look good.

This time, he posted a debate that took place on CNN regarding ENDA between Concerned Women for America's Matt Barber and African-American activist Keith Boykin.

Just watch it. Is it just me or did Boykin totally destroy Barber?

Watching the debate got me thinking about the lies put out by Barber and some of those who oppose ENDA.

It allowed me to place their opposition in a true perspective.

Barber and company seem to think that a person's personal religious beliefs should trump the ability to be free from discrimination in any environment, even in secular situations.

It may sound admirable but answer my questions regarding the possible scenarios:

Should a manager of a restaurant who has a religious objection to homosexuality be allowed to fire an employee if said employee is gay?

Should a landlord with a religious objection to homosexuality retain the right not to rent to a person if said person is gay?

Should the manager or owner of a supermarket with a religious objection to homosexuality be allowed to kick out a potential buyer if said person is gay?

And if these things are allowed, where could we draw the line?

Will a physician who has an objection to homosexuality be allowed to not treat a patient if said patient is gay?

Or what about a pharmacist?

Again where do we draw the line?

Worse case scenarios from hell

One thing made clear in the fight over ENDA is how the anti-gay industry have shifted their lies from the gay and lesbian community to the transgender community.

And apparently they don't believe in being subtle. Some of the things I have heard coming from Matt Barber, Lou Sheldon, Peter LaBarbera, and the rest have been absolutely unbelievable in the areas of audacity and idiocy.

My "favorites" are the following:

ENDA will lead to

- men with five o'clock shadow and evening gowns demanding jobs at nurseries and churches,

- drag queens sharing swimming pool changing room with little girls,

- men arbitrarily claiming that they are transgender in order to sneak a peek at women using the toilet.

Some may chalk up these claims to desperation. I say it is more than that. The sickness of these claims reveal the rotting moral center of so-called "family groups." I mean what type of people actually thinks of these things about "drag queens" and "men in five o'clock shadow and evening gowns."

Probably the same type related to those who claimed that integration would lead to black men raping white women.

Those folks claimed that they were Christians too.

Book update - Guess who I sent a copy to

Apparently my book is doing well on amazon.com

For the second time, only one copy of the paperback is left. And more are on the way.

I chalk it up to the fact that my book seems to be selling well in Canada via amazon.ca

I really won't know how many I have sold until probably two weeks from now when my publisher gets the wholesellers' figures.

Meanwhile . . .

I think that you all remember the brouhaha last week between me and our friend Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth (in name only).

To rehash it - he kept asking for a review copy and I kept telling him to buy one.

Well that struggle is over.

I said last week that my decision not to email him a review copy of my book was not set in stone.

Well I meant it because I emailed him a copy of the galleys last night.

At first, I was defiant that Peter should buy a copy of my book. Part of the reason why I felt this way was because he had asked for a review copy before anyone else really had access to my book.

Now, over two months and a bunch of good sales later, that has changed. More people have access to my book.

Also, I am curious as to how folks on the other side of this argument would react to my book. After all, I accuse them of distorting science and relying on junk studies to demonize the lgbt community.

I couldn't help but to be curious as to how they would respond when they read my exact charges.

In the end, I guess that little bit of curiousity convinced me to go ahead and email Peter a copy of my galleys.

So now Peter, the ball is now in your court. You have my book.

Can you refute my claims?

ENDA battle a bitter victory

As many of you are aware, this fight over ENDA has divided the lgbt community.

I won't rehash the arguments but to be honest, I can see both sides of the issue.

The passage of ENDA through the House is a great victory. It demonstrates that lgbts have come a long way. It also demonstrates that slowly but surely, the battle for our self-determination is going our way.

On the other hand,

The exclusion of transgendered individuals shows that while we are getting close to victory, we have a long way to go before we can place our feet on the welcome mat of success. As an African-American gay male, I know a little of what it feels like to be omitted for the sake of expediency.

So while my mind is for the passage of ENDA, my heart is with my transgendered brothers and sisters

So what's the solution?

I don't know. I can only offer my opinion of what we need to do next.

Which is we do what we can to resolve the friendships online and otherwise that some of us lost due to this disagreement over ENDA.

And we continue to move forward, educating each other and ourselves over this fight for self determination.

ENDA Stuff - History in the making

I advise everyone to check out this site or this one if you want to listen or see the hearings on ENDA.

We are on the crux of history, folks. Regardless of how things turn out, the door is open and it will NOT be closed.

UPDATE - The House just passed ENDA!!!!!!!!!!!


PFOX member wins award and boy does he deserve it

Box Turtle Bulletin has just announced a new winner of its LaBarbera Award.

First, a little background. According to Jim Burroway, editor of Box Turtle Bulletin, the LaBarbera award (named after our friend Porno Petey):

will be awarded on an as-earned basis for the most outrageous, offensive, malevolent, crazy, excessive — you get the picture — statement or claim. (Paul Cameron is ineligible; otherwise nobody else would ever get a chance to win.) I thought about naming it for Fred Phelps, but he’s in a class all by himself.

Past recipients of the award have been such "luminaries" as Regina Griggs of PFOX and Rick Scarborough of Vision America.

Not to be undone, another member of PFOX, Gabriel Espinosa, has been chosen as the recent recipient.

And it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. According to Box Turtle Bulletin:

The Montgomery County (Maryland) Council is considering a new gender identity nondiscrimination bill, which has generated a lot of heated debate. JimK at TeachTheFacts.org has published a couple of letters from the far-right fringe in opposition to the proposed measure. The sticking point is over men’s and women’s restrooms — who should be allowed to go into which one. Gabriel joined in with her cahrming little note, reportedly done up in about a 40-point font. Please excuse the French:

Bill 23-07

Allowing men who think they’re women into women’s bathrooms and locker rooms?

ARE YOU PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MINDS?

Hopefully, it will be one of your daughters who gets raped first!

Sincerely Yours,
Gabriel Espinosa
President
Furryllama Media Productions

Lawd, lawd, lawd

I love God, but his "followers" are a drag.

The resurrection of the Matt Barber/AllState lie

In fighting against ENDA, some members of the anti-gay industry is resurrecting the Matt Barber lie.

For the benefit of those who do not know, Matt Barber is the policy director for Cultural Studies for Concerned Women for America. Before that time, he worked at AllState Insurance.

He was fired from that job, subsequently making himself a new cause celebre for the anti-gay industry. You see, Barber claimed (and still claims) that he was fired for being Christian.

What caused the entire fuss was a column Barber wrote against marriage equality. It's funny because the column said nothing about his religious beliefs. It did include a lot of bad information, including some Cameronesque studies. Apparently Barber did not research his topic.

However, it did identify him as an employee of AllState. Barber claims this was added accidentally by another party.

AllState fired Barber, claiming that he used company resources for his personal use. Barber contended that he wrote the column on his own time.

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 and AllState settled, even though no dollar amount was mentioned.

Barber was not fired for his religious beliefs. As it turns out, AllState could have had a justifiable reason for firing him, which is why he was not rehired:

In court documents, Allstate said Barber was not fired for his beliefs, but for using company resources for his personal activities.

Company spokesman Michael Trevino said that Allstate has never terminated an employee for expressing his or her personal views away from the office. Barber said he wrote the articles at home but admitted that he sometimes sent personal e-mails, including some related to his writing, from his company laptop. Barber also stated that he made no more personal use of his laptop than his co-workers did.

Barber's situation had nothing to do with religion or ENDA. But in the eyes of the anti-gay industry, a lie can become the truth if it is repeated long enough.

Damn, Peter. You must be slipping

What is with our friend Peter LaBarbera.

I think he may be phoning it in.

Case in point - A recent posting on his American for Truth (in name only) webpage:

Study Finds Extensive Partner Abuse among Homosexual, Bisexual Men

From that headline, it sounds like Peter, as a card carrying member of the anti-gay industry, is up to his usual tricks of distorting legitimate studies in order to demonize the lgbt community.

Until the rest of the post is read. I put the important piece in bold:

A new study in the Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of The New York Academy of Medicine found that 32 percent of gay and bisexual men - nearly one in three - are victims of intimate partner abuse.

Little has previously been researched and documented about the patterns of intimate partner abuse in same-sex male couples. This study’s results provide an important addition to the body of knowledge on this subject, and a call to action for health providers treating men who have sex with men (MSM).

“Men in same-sex relationships experience abuse rates similar to those faced by women in heterosexual pairings,” said lead author Eric Houston of the Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago. “Intimate partner abuse among MSM does not receive the same attention as it does among heterosexual couples. As a result of the lack of attention, many MSM who need help may not be recognized unless the healthcare provider is appropriately trained and takes time to assess for abuse.”

So Peter, how does this information make same-sex relationships seem worse than heterosexual relationships?

You must be slipping my friend.

One News Now and the tale of the poll

We have been inudated with lies that ENDA will lead to discrimination against Christians and such.

But how do some of these same so-called Christians feel about considering sexual orientation or gender identity in employment?

Do they view it as an issue that should be considered?

According to a recent poll on the anti-gay industry site One News Now, 43.9 percent of poll respondees said factors such as an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity should always be taken into consideration when a person is hired or fired.

And you just know that the 43.9 percent aren't necessarily pro-gay.

Something to think about.

I think Peter LaBarbera is mad at me

I was going to talk about the hypocrisy of anti-gay industry news source One News Now, but something just happened that is too damned good to keep to myself.

You all may recall that a while back, Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth (in name only) wrote me asking for an advance copy of my book.

I wrote him back directing him to the page of my publisher where he could order a copy.

Well last night, I received an email from him yet again.

Now since he asked me to, I am not going to publish that email.

But to make a long story short, he again asked for a free review copy of my book.

He also defended his web page's usage of legitimate health information (about gay sex) to bash lgbts on the whole.

This was my answer back to him:

i saw your very AMUSING bit today - i was going to answer but i read something on pam spaulding's site that was brilliant and it did speak to what i have said in my book about how your side distorts credible health information (http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3482):

The book that Peter uses as his basis for his attacks is actually a very handy medical guide that talks about the risks of STDs and how to prevent them and STILL live your truth as a gay person.

You did not deliver, you distorted.

now about my book - i believe i sent you a link to my publisher. by your email reply to me just now, it is obvious that you did not purchase by book via that route. - i suggest you go to a site that has a used copy of it if you do not want to pay full price.

I have to tell you all honestly that despite this email, I was contemplating sending a copy of my book galleys to Peter. I even asked a friend about it.

I also prayed on it.

What happened when I opened my email this afternoon is proof that God is powerful and we should never take in the lie that He does not love us just as we are.

You see Peter responded to my email. And he did not have the foresight to ask me not to print it:

Nope, sorry, not paying to see what baloney you are going to say about me. I'm not a masochist, despite what all the nuts on your side say. :)

It is not distorting to show the disproportionate health risks of behaviors like anal sex. You guys are in total denial.

This is my answer to him:

peter, a couple of things.

get over yourself. You are not that important. You are just a pawn. It is for that reason that only three paragraphs of a 168 page book (my book) is devoted to you.

re: regarding anal sex - it IS distorting when you totally ignore that heterosexuals engage in it and make it seem that this sex act is a hallmark of being gay. NOT ALL GAY PEOPLE ENGAGE IN ANAL SEX, PETER!!!!

You used information devoted for to ensure health in order to bash gay people. It is no different than using information regarding sickle cell anemia to bash African-Americans on the whole.

You have a right to believe what you want about gay people but if we (us being lgbts) think that you are wrong, we have a right to give correct information.

You have a nice day and be blessed.

What I am about to say is not set in stone. But I am of the mind that if Peter wants a copy of my book, let him buy it. His atttiude was stank and very un-Christian.

But I did enjoy the email exchange.

Halloween gets even more strange - Guess who is reading my book

I was checking the progress of my book via amazon.com and discovered something both interesting and disturbing.

It seems that some of the same folks who bought my book could be purchasing books from such luminaries as

(wait for it)

Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Robert Novak, Dinesh D'Souza, and Ronald Reagan.

Not exactly pro-gay and not exactly progressive.

So on one hand, it is good that folks who view themselves as the opposition are paying attention to my book. But on the other, the community I wrote the book for seems to not have taken to it.

So come on folks and support me! You can pretend I'm Lance Bass.

Seriously though, I guess it's time for phase three - book tours.

That means I will probably need to get a haircut, join a gym, and buy new clothes.

Nah, too much work. I'll just get a face lift.

One more thing - if you have seen my book and liked what you read (or didn't like what you read), feel free to tell others how you feel via a review on amazon.com or other places.

Geez I sound like such a tool.

Oh well, it could be worse. I could be reduced to appearing on morning talk shows wearing an 8 p.m. cocktail dress.

Although that's not a bad idea. I do have nice legs.

Look out Matt Lauer!

What is a sodomite exactly?

Okay I know it's Halloween but Max Blumenthal took it too far.

I would rather sit through a showing of three Lucio Fulci movies (look it up) and five back-to-back showings of Soul Plane rather than do what he did.

Max Blumenthal attended and filmed the recent anti-gay industry Values Voters summit.

An online buddy clued me in to Mr. Blumenthal's journey through the real shadow of the valley of death.

Blumenthal's video captured the usual cast of deplorable characters (including a more animated than usual Janet Folger - who will figure greatly in a second volume of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters should I decide to write one), but the one who attracted my attention was Star Parker.

Ms. Parker is a member of the segment of the black community not really talked about. These folks (Jesse Lee Peterson is one, Walter Williams is another, Harry Jackson is a third) take advantage of religious right influence and money to build and become part of "think tanks."

In exchange for this money, prominence and influence, they allow themselves to be prostituted bia columns, appearances on television shows, and books where they occasionally bitch at Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, make comments about how white people caught in racially embarrassing situations aren't really racist, and generally give the incorrect connotation that black folks are stupid cause all we do is bitch at white people and if we didn't, our lives would be more fulfilling.

Ms. Parker is very interesting in her odiousness. This is seen through an appearance on ABC's The View where she rambled on so long that even Barbara Walters wanted to slug her.

Anyway, in Mr. Blumenthal's video, she has a very interesting name for gays.

I could comment but all my energy was drained as I kept from screaming:

"Just who is this heifa calling a sodomite!"

Tuesdays can be stranger than Mondays

Idiotic comment of the day:

ENDA "will ultimately force people of faith to go to sensitivity training" and threatens Christian employees "who may wear a cross or talk about Christ at work." - Andrea Lafferty, The Traditional Values Coalition

That comment is a blatant lie on so many levels. ENDA will not prevent people from wearing crosses are talking about Jesus at work. And Ms. Lafferty knows this. ENDA has nothing to do with religious expression.

The ironic thing is that even if it did, a Christian talking about Jesus would still be safe from the alleged "gay menace."

Jesus never said a word about gays.

Dan Abrams and why he is my hero

A lot of times, I tune out television journalism. I am a print man and to me, television journalism can sometimes devalue the entire industry by reducing issues to soundbites.

But every now and then, I get happy when television commentators do something awesome.

I am not really aware of who Dan Abrams is but he is my hero.

Recently, my undeclared nemesis and one of the reasons why my book was written, Robert Knight made an appearance on Abrams's MSNBC show.

He was there to criticize J.K. Rowlings for declaring that one of her Harry Potter characters, Dumbeldore, was gay.

Now for the record, Knight is a rude interview subject. He talks for a long time (a cynical tactic when you are debating an issue on a television show with a time limit) and tries to interrupt when other talk.

I feel that the Dumbledore controversy is ridiculous and even though Abrams didn't come out and say such, he not only demonstrated this point but showed just how dopey Robert Knight can be.

Take a look at it here.

And for the record, I met Knight in person (as chronicled by my book) and he is just a dreary and deceptive in person.

A reiteration of the purpose of my blog and book

I would like to thank everyone who have read this blog and have supported me. I would also like to thank those who bought my book.

Lastly, I want to thank those who choose not to put a "hit" out on me for sending them so many posts on the Barack Obama/Donnie McClurkin situation.

I feel that I am blessed to be able to comment on this controversy and to bring attention to voices and issues that have not been heard.

But I would like to reiterate something.

This controversy is only a small part of a huge problem.

For a few days, I have huffed and puffed at Senator Obama and Donnie McClurkin.

But now, I want to reel myself back in by reposting the following main points of my book. The reason for my reposting is to remind myself as to the focus of my blog and book:

The Six Distortion Techniques of the Anti-Gay Industry

1. Using nonrepresentative or out of date studies to make generalizations, or
distorting legitimate studies to give misleading conclusions.

2. Repetition

3. Conspiracy Theory

4. Dire Consequences

5. Phony Experts

6. Dehumanizing Semantics

Top Anti-Gay Industry Lies

1. Homosexuality is a lifestyle more harmful than cigarette smoking.

2. Gay men have a short life span.

3. The gay and lesbian community have a high rate of domestic violence.

4. Unhealthy behaviors (i.e. substance abuse, promiscuous sexual behavior) is
indicative of the gay or lesbian orientation.

5. Gay men molest children at a high rate.

6. Gays and lesbians want to silence Christians.

7. Gays and lesbians recruit people, particularly children, to their “life style.”

8. Gays and lesbians are following a six-point plan to take over America.

9. Any judge who rules in favor of the gay and lesbian community in a case is
an “activist judge.”

10. Anal sex is “homosexual behavior.”

11. Robert Spitzer’s study confi rms that gays and lesbians can change their
orientation.

12. Gays and lesbians want to force acceptance.

13. Gay bowel syndrome is a legitimate medical term.

14. A man who molests a boy or a woman who molests a girl is automatically homosexual.

15. A convenience sample or out-of-date study can be used to generalize about an entire community.

Thoughts from Sunday's vigil - that little story we never notice

A couple of hours ago, I took part in the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement's vigil that was held outside Columbia's Township Auditorium.

The vigil was held to voice disappointment with Senator Barack Obama aligning himself with gospel singer Donnie McClurkin through a series of concerts.

McClurkin, in the past, has claimed to have been "delivered" from homosexuality. He has also gone on record comparing gays to pedophiles.

I am pleased with what happened. We had a small but determined group who used dignity and order to get our message out. It is interesting as to the spin that may be put out by the anti-gay industry, as well as the media, about the controversy.

No matter how many times it was emphasized that none of us care about McClurkin's personal decisions regarding his orientation, folks have continued to claim that we are angry at McClurkin's belief that he is "ex-gay" rather than his statements against the lgbt community.

But I am not upset over that. I am a very cynical person about such things.

However in this controversy, there was another story that will probably not see the light of day.

A black woman who stood in line for the concert marched over to us and declared:

"God made man for woman and woman for man."

She said a couple of other things of a Biblical nature (how homosexuality is ugly in God's sight, blah blah blah), but I tuned her out. I have learned that little trick over the years.

The ironic thing is that if this vigil was held in the 1950s, the subject would be about segregation and her role would be played by a white person claiming that the "separation of the races" was Biblically mandated.

The other ironic thing was that as she went on her tirade, I recognized a few of the faces going into the concert as those belonging to gay black men I knew.

As more attendees went in, I recognized quite a few more gay black men.

And let me tell you from the start that these men were not going into this concert looking to embrace McClurkin's message of being "delivered."

These men probably went in, clapped loudly, danced in religious ecstacy . . .

and then went back home to their psychological closets.

And that puts things in perspective.

The woman who came at us preaching probably thought she was doing God's will.

But who exactly did she think she was helping?

Certainly not those gay black men who stood in line for the concert.

If anything, her words told them that they have to choose between their lgbt orientation and their ethnic identity; an vicious and harmful lie.

For every so-called religious statement coming from her mouth, I could hear closet door after closet door slamming shut.

I could see even more black gay men (many of them married) trolling down the streets in the darkness of the night looking for a physical fix because they have been bamboozled to think that a quick thrust in the dark is all they deserve as gay men.

I could see more black women assembling themselves in "down low spotter groups" and doing inane things like checking their men's underwear for blood.

And I see the HIV/AIDS rate in the African-American community going sky high.

South Carolina's lgbt community took a stand today against ignorance and lies.

However in the middle of it all, God's Word was used as a whip to beat someone down, a chain to keep someone in a place that others thought he or she should be.

And to me, that's just sad.

This woman will probably go back to her church and claim that she stood up for God; as if God was just waiting on her to save Him.

Meanwhile, the gay organist will most likely play his usual song. The gay men in the church choir will probably sing as excellently as they do every Sunday. And those other gays and lesbians who attend her church will stay in their private miseries.

From what I understand, Mr. McClurkin distorted the issue at the concert.

He claimed that the issue was one about his personal decision to be "ex-gay" and did not address his comments linking homosexuality and pedophilia.

I am not surprised. Mr. McClurkin has continuously shown himself to be a huge charlatan. Why should he change? After all, lying in the name of God is very lucrative.

As to be expected, the audience gave him a loud applause.

And these are the same people who will, in the future, scratch their heads and wonder just how HIV/AIDS has become a scourge in the black community.

I have to ask myself

How can so many of my black brothers and sisters come so far and yet still be so far behind?

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters a bestseller on amazon.com!

I bet you thought that this was going to be another Obama post. Rest assured I do have one more thing to say because I was one of the spokespeople at today's Columbia, SC vigil.

But allow me to indulge in a bit of self celebration.

The sales of my book, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, have gone practically through the roof on amazon.com

So I am happy to say that my book is a bestseller. Granted, a bestseller on amazon.com but I ain't mad at it.

One victory at a time, I always say.

In fact, there is only one more copy of the paperback left to be bought (hint, hint, hint.)

Now just in case by some magical coincidence, this last copy (and the used copies and hardback copies) are sold out, interested people can still buy my book at xlibris.com and barnesandnoble.com

Oh stop it, Paul! Just stop it!

I am all Obamaed out.

And luckily for me, an old "friend" has come to my rescue.

Paul Cameron has come out with yet another "new" study:

Teacher-Pupil Sex Across the World: How Much Is Homosexual?

Paul Cameron, Ph.D.

Family Research Institute

PO Box 62640, Colorado Springs, CO 80962

Abstract: In news stories in English across the world for 1980-2006, 902 teachers engaged in sex with 3,457 pupils. Teachers engaging in same-sex sex constituted 63% of perpetrators in Ireland, 62% in New Zealand, 60% in Canada, 54% in Scotland, 48% in Australia, 47% in England, and 35% in the U.S.; in smaller samples, homosexuals accounted for 71% of perpetrators in mainland Europe, 26% in Africa, and 13% in Asia.

Proportionately more same-sex sexual activity with pupils occurred in the West as compared to Asiaand Africa.Most (54% of 810 male, 83% of 92 female) teachers violated only opposite sex pupils; 43% of perpetrators engaged in homosexuality; and 55% of victims were boys. Findings for each country or set of countries were consistent with U.S. studies based on superintendent report, principal report, self-report, and convictions indicating that a male homosexual is the most and a female heterosexual the least apt to have sex with pupils.

This nothing more than Cameron's usual "gays are diseased freaks" spiel that he has been doing since the early 1980s. I have documented Cameron's lies on many occasions on this site and my book that it tires me out to do it this time.

Thank you again Barack Obama.

But you gotta give Cameron points for persistence. He apparently loves to bang his head against that brick wall.

No matter how you try, Paulie, you will never get your credibility back.

And for those who will claim that I am attacking Cameron without showing how his study is wrong, I encourage you to check out past posts here or on www.boxturtlebulletin.com

There goes that ugly juxtaposition again. Thanks a lot Senator Obama

In an attempt to quell the controversy over putting on a concert with anti-gay gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, Barack Obama has recruited Columbia Pastor Andy Sidden to take part.

Sidden is openly gay and the pastor of Garden of Grace United Church of Christ.

He is also white.

I know folks are getting uncomfortable because I made that observation. Well don't waste good uncomfortability because I am about to put you more ill at ease.

Inviting Pastor Sidden is a huge faux pas. Why couldn't Obama's people have found an openly gay black pastor?

Yes, I know. I sound racist. But I don't care. I am just one of many people who have voiced this concern. In fact, there has been a lot of justifiable anger over it. However, I don't think folks have correctly articulated the reason for the distress.

Allow me to break it down.

When Obama first included McClurkin in his campaign, he made himself look like a hypocrite. Here is a man who onced addressed homophobia in the black church now inviting a purveyor of it to raise money for him via a series of black gospel concerts.

And when he is criticized for this decision, he seeks to soothe wounded feelings by inviting an openly gay white pastor to take part.

So on one side of Obama is Donnie McClurkin, who represents the black church. On the other side is Pastor Sidden, who represents the lgbt community.

That is the wrong symbol to put forth.

Inviting an openly gay black pastor would have been an excellent way to demonstrate the commonalities between the lgbt and African-American struggles for self-determination.

Obama's clumsy invitation to Pastor Sidden only perpetuates the myth that being black and being gay are two separate identities that don't overlap.

Furthermore, it means that folks like myself (lgbts of color) are once again shown how invisible we are.

No. More than that.

We have been given the hook, pushed to the side, had the trapdoor to the alligator pit released under our feet.

LGBTs of color haven't been just pushed to the back of the bus in this controversy. We have been kicked off of the bus and told to find our own way home.

Perhaps Obama's people couldn't find an openly gay black pastor in time for the event? I don't know. I guess I will give them a little slack.

But I won't give slack to the Human Rights Campaign. In their statements regarding this issue, I don't think the group even once addressed the fact that lgbts of color exist. And whether anyone wants to admit it or not, we are the ones who will suffer the most from this controversy.

We already know that the mainstream African-American community doesn't give a damn about us. Now we see that the mainstream lgbt leadership may feel the same.

Apparently we don't exist except when it is convenient to fit someone's agenda.

But back to Pastor Sidden. Of all the parties involved, he is the least guilty (by that I mean he has done nothing wrong.)

I implore the blogging community as well as the lgbts angry over this situation not to sharpen their knives on him or his reputation.

I know Pastor Sidden. He is a good guy who probably jumped into the middle of this situation because he wants people to know that God loves them no matter what orienation they are.

The ironic thing is this entire controversy could have been avoided if Donnie McClurkin had practiced that same principle.

Things I have learned from the Barack Obama/Donnie McClurkin controversy

How is this for a wild juxtaposition:

Rod McCullom (thank you Pam Spaulding) is noticing that the African-American media have been conveniently silent about the Obama/McClurkin controversy:

The black non-response is to be expected, given the hisoric black church's uneasy relationship with the many black gays who pack the church choirs on Sunday mornings. "I long for the day when blacks gays and lesbians stop supporting their music," Darian Aaron writes in his post on the McClurkin backlash. Aaron is a young black gay activist, blogger, and contributor to Clik, and also grew up in the Pentecosal Church. "And find the courage to walk out of the churches that turn a house of prayer into a house of pain." It's a good that chuches such as Kendal Brown's Church of the Open Door and Kevin E. Taylor's Unity Fellowship Church have welcomed black gay men and lesbians.

At the same time, a gay man posting on a blog site (which shall remain nameless) took it upon himself to call black people in general "un-intellectual" as well as "uneducated, unrestrained homophobes."

Dealing with homophobic black people and racist gay people is standard occupation when you have an identity in both communities.

But we should learn from the Obama/McClurkin mess. I know I have:

4. Senator Obama's people are either very stupid (or very shrewd).

3. "I was misquoted" is becoming a more popular excuse than "we were just following orders."

2. I love my black ministers but some of them have a habit of saying stupid shit (this point is further illustrated by the comment of Pastor Gregory Daniels featured in the template under my profile).

1. Donnie McClurkin is a stone cold liar.

This just in: Donnie McClurkin evades the issue

Donnie McClurkin has finally gone on record regarding the controversy with presidential candidate Barack Obama's concert this weekend in South Carolina. Obama has come under fire for inviting McClurkin, who has claimed that he is an "ex-gay."

McClurkin addresses the situation in the Chicago Tribune. But, at least in my mind, Mr. McClurkin's statements raises more questions. I think he is evading the issue:

"I don't believe that even from a religious point of view that Jesus ever discriminated toward anyone, nor do I," McClurkin said in an exclusive interview with the Tribune. "Most of the things that were said were totally out of context and then other things weren't true."

. . . For years, McClurkin has talked from the pulpit about how he was raped by a male family member as a child. It was that act, he has said, that sent him into living as a gay man for the better part of 20 years. He now says he is straight and that his ministry is open to those who say they no longer want to live as a gay person. What he doesn't do, he says, is crusade against homosexuality.

McClurkin conveniently did not mention his statements on the 700 Club that accused gays of harming children. As far as I know, he has never repudiated the following comment:

"The gloves are off and if there's going to be a war, there's going to be a war. But it will be a war with a purpose? I'm not in the mood to play with those who are trying to kill our children."

Mr. McClurkin, as they say in the street, you need to recognize.

Your evasions are foul and they put your credibility in serious jeopardy.

Does Donnie McClurkin still believe gays are trying to hurt children?

It was just a matter of time before the other side of the "cultural war" starts lying to defend Donnie McClurkin.

The following comes from a PFOX press release:

"Ex-gays have the same right to participate in the political process as other Americans and should not have to endure this type of abuse because they chose to leave homosexuality," said Regina Griggs, PFOX executive director. "Gay rights groups demand hate crimes laws and sexual orientation non-discrimination legislation, but would deny the same protection to ex-gays who want full inclusion in society at the same level that gays currently enjoy."

"This irrational behavior towards those who have overcome unwanted same-sex attractions perpetuates misunderstanding and harm against ex-gays. It also demonstrates a disregard for diversity and a refusal to respect a basic human right to dignity and self-determination," said Griggs.

I am sure that Peter and Americans for Truth (in name only) won’t be far behind saying the same thing.

To me, the situation is not what Donnie McClurkin chooses to refer to himself as. I don’t care what he calls himself whether it be "ex-gay" "super 'ex-gay'," or "super duper 'ex-gay.'"

My post yesterday was a way to tell folks to know the intricasies of the entire situation. The fact of the matter is that this controversy could still turn into a divide and conquer against lgbts and the mainstream African-American community.

Maybe one way to prevent this is to be clear on why we are angry at Senator Obama for his embracing of McClurkin.

McClurkin used his personal story to demonize the lgbt community as a whole. During an appearance on the 700 Club in 2003, he accused the lgbt community of wanting to harm children:

From GayWired:

McClurkin has accused gays of “trying to kill our children” and has called homosexuality “a curse”. The gospel singer who says he is a "reformed homosexual" in a 700 Club interview said he was ready to declare war on homosexuality.

From Wayne Besen:

McClurkin, currently a senor pastor at Perfecting Faith in Freeport, N.Y., was particularly outspoken against New York's funding of Harvey Milk, a gay high school in New York, suggesting that the school will lead to molestation of children.

"The gloves are off," he said on the Sept. 23, 2003 episode of Rev. Pat Robertson's 700 Club. "And if there's going to be a war, there's going to be a war. But it will be a war with a purpose. This is not a privately funded school. It is a public school funded by taxpayers' money. Why isn't anyone else speaking out? Everyone knows that everyone at the high school is homosexual. That makes for an easy target."

World Net Daily:

HRC condemns Mr. McClurkin . . . for the sin of publicly laying out the threat that the homosexual agenda poses to families and children

. . . But what really sticks in homosexual activists' craw is Donnie McClurkin, who, they say, on "The 700 Club" "has accused gay Americans of trying to kill our children." Mr. McClurkin, an accomplished gospel singer and author, overcame homosexuality himself.

Was McClurkin misquoted? Did he say those comments but later repudiated them?

I don't know, but one thing is for sure.

He certainly isn't a victim in this matter.

And he needs to clarify his beliefs on gays and children.

Mess and stuff for Monday

Let's get the small stuff out of the way first.

My book has been available on amazon.com for a few weeks now and it is looking good. If you do not want to order Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters via xlibris then by all means go to amazon.com

Secondly, how do you all like the new look of my blog? I needed a change in something and since I don't have a man and can't get my hair done (black men generally have two choices with hair - to cut or not to cut), I figured why not give my blog a change.

Now onto the important stuff - and the fact that Dumbledore is gay does not rank up there as "important stuff:

We need to support ENDA

Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 to be connected to your representative based on your zip code. Here is a suggested message:

Hello, my name is _____ and I live in your district. I am calling to ask the representative to support the Baldwin amendment to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The Baldwin amendment adds gender identity protections back into ENDA and it is critically important to me that all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are protected by this legislation. This amendment is the only way to fix this bill, and I only support passage of H.R. 3685 if the amendment passes

Donnie McClurkin was wrong, but let’s think before acting

Apparently presidential candidate Barack Obama may be stepping into a big pile of manure due the selection of Donnie McClurkin as a performer at one of his campaign events.

The Grammy-award winner has in the past claimed to be "delivered from homosexuality." Following this tone, he has written a biography and made appearances on programs such as the "700 Club."

So naturally many of us aren't happy that Obama seems to be having dealings with him, so to speak.

But let's use some savvy about the situation before we read the riot act.

I think when McClurkin began speaking out against us, he was yet another Christian who let his ego overtake his humbleness.

I also think that Mr. McClurkin may have regretted some of his wannabe "righteous indignation." He realized that he did not know what the hell he was talking about.

This isnt' the first time this sort of thing has happened. I remember two gospel singers by the names of Angie and Debbie Winans writing a song, "It's Not Natural," in which they protested Ellen DeGeneres's coming out and homosexuality in general.

The controversy led to appearances on radio shows, talk shows, appearing in newspapers ads speaking out for the "ex-gay movement," and finally speaking in front of state Congressional committees against pro-gay ordinances.

The end of the controversy saw the Winans sisters declaring publicly that they were "used" by people they were trying to help.

In short, Angie and Debbie's religious beliefs coupled with their egos led them to make giant homophobic asses of themselves.

So this is nothing new regarding Donnie McClurkin. And maybe he was paying attention to the Winans controversy. He has tried to temper the outrage over his claims about the gay community:

"What I say in the book is simply this: If you're gay, and you're happy, if you don't think you need to change, stay just how you are. But there are some people who are in the gay and bisexual lifestyle that are broken . . ." - Donnie McClurkin puts the focus back on traditional gospel - in secular music, The Associated Press, 2005

But like I said before, let’s use some savvy before rushing to jump at Donnie McClurkin. I don't say this because I feel sorry for him or agree with his statements. When you talk about issues you don't understand and end up saying stupid shit, you deserve almost all of what you get.

However, picture the scenario of what this situation can lead to:

Donnie McClurkin appears on African-American oriented radio talk shows talking about the situation. And who is there to give our side of the issue?

Probably no one because the African-American community as a whole generally don't recognize the existence of lgbts of color.

Remember, the African-American community has no out lgbt leaders gracing the covers of Ebony, Jet, or Essence. The African-American media does not necessarily take it upon itself to present issues indigenious to the lgbt of color experience.

And for the most part, neither does the mainstream lgbt community.

So McClurkin can easily portray himself as a victim and the lgbt community as religious oppressors in these avenues.

And this could lead to another possible distraction to divide the mainstream lgbt and the heterosexual African-American community.

If the scenario sounds familiar, it should.

It was one (with deviations) that led to Bush being re-elected in 2004.

Granted, if this situation was to come to pass like I have just fortold, it won’t be on the same scale as marriage equality.

But divide and conquer tactics have a habit of being destructive on any scale.

The fact of the matter is that McClurkin has extreme popularity in the African-American community. And the lack of lgbts of color to give our side of the issue only makes the entire community look not only anti-religious but racist.

It also underscores how much the lgbt leadership (i.e. HRC, Lambda Legal, GLAAD, etc.) needs to make a serious effort to recruit and train potential lgbt of color spokespeople with enough autonomy to appeal to the heterosexual African-American community.

This is not to give McClurkin any leniency. He may have been speaking of his own experience, but there is no excuse for him to demonize the lgbt community as a whole.

I don’t care how many songs he sings, or how many Bible he reads, McClurkin should have taken it upon himself to learn more about the issues before running his mouth. He should have remembered the verse that says "my people perish for the lack of knowledge."

Busy Thursday - Time for an amusing story

I wrote something this morning that I wanted to post but I decided not to.

At least not the entire thing. Just one item:

I really wish that Ellen DeGeneres kept that dog controversy to herself. I mean it may be sad to her but it's not something that needs a public forum. And you know that with the lack of visibility in our community, if a gay celebrity even accidentally passes gas on air, some of us will be talking about it for an unbearably long time.

So with the fight over ENDA (it passed committee but the transgender community is somewhat left out), hate crimes legislation (we just know the dipstick-in-chief will veto it), and all the other things that inhibit lgbts from full lives, I really don't give a shit about Ellen or the dog.

No offense, but I really don't.

But how about a humorous story regarding me and amazon.com

My book is now available on amazon.com but there was one problem.

The book's description on the site said it was for ages 9-12.

This is not true of course. And corrections have been made. However, you know how things get talked about online and how a story travels all over the web before the truth is discovered.

The last thing I want is to read Peter LaBarbera's or the Traditional Values Coalition's webpage claim that I am trying to "indoctrinate"(I think that's the word they like to use) children "into homosexuality."

So let me say now that my book is not for children ages 9-12. Now if any teenagers happen to want to read it then by all means please do.

Uh oh.

Oh well, I do need that toaster oven national headquarters gives us for meeting the quota of "new recruits."

Paul Cameron gets hit in the 'comfort zone'

Today's post is going to be short mostly because I am hoping that more attention will be devoted to my last post regarding the incorrect term "gay bowel syndrome."

But I want to point something out about our "friend" Paul Cameron.

Last week, an online buddy of mine pointed out that Cameron sent out a press release trumpeting a "new study."

For those of us who are used to Cameron's lies, it is yet another old study of his packaged with new distortions.

This one has to do with the claim that gay men molest children at a high rate.

Rather than go into details as to how ridiculous this study is, I want to point something out that I saw today via another online friend.

And it had me reeling.

Apparently a webpage that would probably be seen as right wing and evangelical (i.e. "the enemy") published a piece by someone actually criticizing the study for being wrong.

And to make matters even better, the author, Warren Throckmorton, talks about Cameron's other distortions.

Throckmorton is not necessarily an "ally" of lgbts. He is supposedly a proponent of the "ex-gay" movement.

Still, this is nice.

Being attacked for being inaccurate on what may seem to be "home turf" may not sit well with Cameron.

I am hoping to see one of his lengthy and rambling "rebuttals" published.

And I await with baited breath and popcorn in hand.

Sorry Peter and Conservapedia, but 'gay bowel syndrome' still does not exist

Our friend Peter LaBarbera is practically falling over himself over in his latest post:

Conservapedia, a new online encyclopedia seeking to become a conservative alternative to the very liberal-biased Wikipedia takes a politically incorrect look at the medical phenomenon known as ‘Gay Bowel Syndrome’ — a term that homosexual activists are trying to purge from scientific and popular usage. Gay Bowel Syndrome describes a “clinical pattern of anorectal and colon diseases which occur with unusual frequency in homosexual patients,” according to Conservapedia, which cites mainstream medical sources such as Johns Hopkins’ ‘HIV Guide’ in its article with 93 footnotes.

I talk about "gay bowel syndrome" in my book. I say the following:

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

“Gay bowel syndrome was a term fi rst 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.”

First of all, Conservapedia is not necessarily an accurate or objective source of information. It was founded by Andrew Schlafly, son of well-known conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly stated that he founded the project because he felt Wikipedia had a liberal, anti-Christian, and anti-American bias.

In other words, Conservapedia is another case of a someone attempting to manufacture his version of the truth when reality does not suit him.

In this particular case, Conservapedia claims the following:

Gay bowel syndrome is a clinical pattern of anorectal and colon diseases which occur with unusual frequency in homosexual patients . . .

Conservapedia uses three sources for this claim and all of them are over 10 years old; two of them are from the 1970s.

Let's break this down some more.

Peter makes a huge point to note that the Conservapedia article contains 93 footnotes that, according to him, proves that "gay bowel syndrome" is a legitimate term.

Let's look at those footnotes:

Footnotes 1, 5, 15, 25, 31, 40, 47, 58 are the same - an article published in 1976 entitled The gay bowel syndrome: clinico-pathologic correlation in 260 cases.

And that is not the only case in which the article uses duplicate footnotes, including the following examples:

Footnotes 2, 7, and 11- Clinical features and diagnosis - Inflammatory Bowel Disease, part 1 American Family Physician, Feb 15, 1993 by Glen E. Hastings, Richard J. Weber

Footnotes 10 and 12 - Dr. Michael Heller, The gay bowel syndrome: a common problem of homosexual patients in the emergency department. Annals of Emergency Medicine 1980

Conservapedia also says:

in 2004 Medscape stated that gay bowel syndrome is a significant issue in regards HIV infection (The Johns Hopkins HIV Guide website also features an article which is essentially a duplicate of the aforementioned article at Medscape).

The Medscape piece and the John Hopkins article says the following:

This is a retrospective review of clinical proctitis in gay men seen at a STD clinic in San Francisco. The review included men with rectal symptoms of pain, itching, tenesmus, rectal bleeding or discharge who underwent clinical evaluation including anoscopy with diagnostic tests for C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, HSV and syphilis. The results show relatively high rates of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HSV. No pathogen was found in 46 of the 101 patients studied.

Yes, I bolded that first sentence to make a point. Examples of gay men seen at STD clinics (especially in one city) are not necessarily indicative of the lgbt community at large. It is the same as using examples of African-American men in prison to gauge the habits of African-American men not incarcerated.

The articles also say the studies of those men in STD clinics took place in the years 2000-2001. That is six to seven years ago.

Now the articles do use the phrase "gay bowel syndrome," but they are vague as to the legitimacy of the term. And that does give Peter and Conservapedia a little raft to stake their lies.

But other than those two articles, does Conservapedia have any recent information?

Not necessarily. Conservapedia mentions 2007 articles regarding STDs, but only as an attempt to link those STDs together as an example of "gay bowel syndrome."

As a matter of fact, a good portion of the information Conservapedia has regarding the term "gay bowel syndrome" itself is from the 1970s and 80s; the years that the term was thought to be legitimate.

And Conservapedia even contradicts itself by saying the following:

Gay bowel syndrome is a clinical pattern of anorectal and colon diseases which occur with unusual frequency in homosexual patients (the diseases are not exclusive to male homosexuals).

Doesn't that last statement contradict the entire tone of the Conservapedia article?

Lastly, Conservapedia says the following:

Although the term gay bowel syndrome is not used as frequently as the 1980's, as mentioned previously Medscape has an article on gay bowel syndrome that was published in 2004 that was entitled ''New Look at "Gay Bowel Syndrome". Johns Hopkins HIV Guide website has a duplicate of the aforementioned article by John G. Bartlett, M.D. at Medscape which was entitled New Look at "Gay Bowel Syndrome". In addition, an online medical dictionary has an entry on gay bowel syndrome. Also, the website Biology-Online.org has an article on gay bowel syndrome.

As I said before, John Hopkins and the Medscape articles was talking about data that is close to seven years old and solely dealt with gay men in an STD clinic in San Francisco. And neither article goes into detail regarding the legitimacy of the term "gay bowel syndrome."

Lastly, both online dictionaries mentioned by Conservapedia (particularly Biology-Online.org) looks like online dictionaries in which anyone can add terms.

Basically, Conservapedia is taking advantage of online technology to pass along distortions and untruths as reality. And Peter is just loving it:

We at Americans For Truth believe that it is long past time for federal and state governments (and academia) to study the serious health risks associated with male homosexual sex and promiscuity, just as federally-sponsored studies helped educate the public on the significant dangers of smoking. Allowing homosexual activists a “protester’s veto” over legitimate medical inquiry and research will only cost more men’s lives, as larger society and especially young men are denied clear information on the additional health risks of “gay” sex viz a viz normal, natural straight sex.

Peter, if there should be any investigations, they should focus on why you and folks like yourself obsess over what you think lgbts do in the bedroom.

And let's not forget Conservapedia.

I guess its next goal will be attempting to give Paul Cameron some degree of credibility.