Did Cybercast News make the case against Crystal Dixon

So the right-wing are slowly catching on to the Crystal Dixon story. And with their usual candor, they are spinning it to make Dixon look like a victim:

"She has been fired," said Brian Rooney, spokesman for the Thomas More Law Center, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based legal-defense group which is representing Dixon.

Rooney told Cybercast News Service that the university had offered Dixon "another position, in a different part of the university, not in human resources" because she had argued in her editorial that sexual orientation is not an immutable characteristic like race or sex and should not be afforded the same protection under civil rights laws.

The University said the following:

According to a statement from UT spokesman Lawrence J. Burns, the university determined that there was “just cause” to fire Dixon.

“The public position Ms. Dixon took in the Toledo Free Press is in direct contradiction to University policies and procedures, as well as the institutional core values as defined in our strategic plan, and called into question her continued ability to lead a critical function within the administration as personnel actions or decisions taken in her capacity as associate vice president for human resources could be challenged or placed at risk,” Burn said in the statement.

The article also said Dixon was not initially fired. She was offered a demotion and a pay cut, both of which she refused.

So it can be interpreted that the University found that Ms. Dixon's personal beliefs could interfere with her job duties.

Interesting.

However, there is another side to the story.

The question may come down to that of policy, not the context of Dixon’s statements.

I have read the claim on several sites that Dixon indicated that she was speaking for herself and did not involve the University.

This is may not be true. Nowhere in her column did Dixon indicate that she was solely giving her opinion. She even indentifies herself as an employee of the university.

Even though they probably didn’t mean to, her lawyers indicate this very point:

Attorneys with the Thomas More Law Center, meanwhile, point out that Dixon, an African-American woman and evangelical Christian, was not speaking on behalf of the university, but -- as Dixon herself phrased it in the column -- "as a Black woman who happens to be an alumnus of the University of Toledo's Graduate School, an employee and a business owner."

By that statement, it can be construed that she was in fact speaking on behalf of the University.

It all comes down to how this will interpreted.

And what about when she said the following:

The reference to the alleged benefits disparity at the University of Toledo was rather misleading. When the University of Toledo and former Medical University of Ohio merged, both entities had multiple contracts for different benefit plans at substantially different employee cost sharing levels. To suggest that homosexual employees on one campus are being denied benefits avoids the fact that ALL employees across the two campuses regardless of their sexual orientation, have different benefit plans. The university is working diligently to address this issue in a reasonable and cost-efficient manner, for all employees, not just one segment.

Was this private information? If so, who gave her clearance to make it public?

We all have been ruminating on the context of Dixon’s words. Some of us have canonized her as a martyr of political correctness and others have vilified her as intolerant.

I myself have been very disturbed by yet another example of an African-American self-righteous wannabe attacking the lgbt community.

But ultimately, the entire thing could come down to that of policy.

Does an employee have a right to involve their employer (even indirectly) in personal opinions?

Does free speech and religion cover this sort of thing?

Does the University's policy address this issue?

Can an employee not agree with the University's core mission but still fulfill the job duties that would accomplish this core mission?

All very interesting questions. I'm very curious to see how this will play out.

UPDATE - Matt Barber weighs in

Matt Barber from Concerned Women for America weighs in the situation with his usual brand of hysteria:

Don’t let this egregious and discriminatory action by the University of Toledo be ignored. Please contact University of Toledo President Lloyd Jacobs and respectfully request that he immediately reinstate Crystal Dixon and issue a public apology to her, the African-American community and to Christians worldwide.

Apologize to Christians worldwide? Apparently Barber takes too much on himself. I am sure that many Christians worldwide do not agree with Dixon's statements.

And speaking of apologies, if Barber wants to play that game, then he should apologize to us lgbts of color for every lie he has told on the lgbt community.

Or do LGBTs of color exist in his world?

I'm buying this book!!!!

I'm not one for gossipy tell-all books, but in the following case, I am going to make an exception:

Terrance Dean, a former executive at music channel MTV, has penned a memoir of his life and times in the hip hop industry as a gay man. It is an explosive exposé of a thriving gay subculture in an aggressively male business, where anti-gay lyrics and public homophobia are common.

I don't know how I feel about Dean naming names, but I support the book for several reasons.

Hip-hop is a microcosm of African-American hypocrisy regarding the lgbt community.

With all due respect to my brothers and sisters, we are talking about a genre of music that encourages baby mama dramas, makes stars out of women for doing nothing but jiggling their butts in a video, and propagates ignorance of speech and attitudes amongst black men.

We are talking about a genre of music that creates and supports images of masculinity so extreme that you couldn't measure up to them if your blood was replaced with testosterone.

Some vestiges of hip-hop add to the problem of homophobia in the African-American community, pure and simple.

Oh yeah, that is right. Kanye West spoke out against homophobia in hip-hop. He even got on the cover of several magazines because of it.

Natually that led me to find the tallest mountain in the United States so that I could stand on the very top, twirl my finger in the air and go "whoop te do."

This book will give hip-hop and my African-American community a rude shot in the arm. And trust me when I say that both need it.

I may buy five copies, all hardback editions.

See, I bet you all thought I was going to write about Crystal Dixon again.

Crystal Dixon fired

Reports are slowly coming out that the University of Toledo fired Crystal Dixon.

Dixon had written a column this week calling homosexuality a choice and saying that she takes umbrage with the comparison of being black and being gay. She also said she did not consider gay rights as civil rights.

It was not a simple case of free speech. Dixon was an associate vice president of Human Resources at the university.

She was responsible for insuring equity and diversity at the university. Because of such, there was some concern with whether or not she could do her job adequately.

Also, as a staff member at the University, she was not entitled to the same academic freedoms that professors are.

Let me say a couple of things that will probably be lost in the flurry to exploit this situation.

As a gay black man, I was offended by yet again a heterosexual African-American speaking against their lgbt brothers and sisters. I was also offended by her very bad use of statistics and her relying on bad sources such as PFOX.

I also feel that the University had an obligation to investigate whether or not Dixon could do her job fairly in light of her comments.

And as of right now, I agree with the decision to let her go.

But I hate it when this sort of thing happens.

I wish there was some sort of compromise.

But to those who will spin this case as one of "an attack on free speech," how would you feel if her comments had been against Christians, or Muslims, or any other groups; people whose interests she was hired to look after while they are students at the university.

Ms. Dixon has a right to free speech, but that doesn't trump her responsibility to the students, whether or not they are gay. Their well-being takes precedent over everything.

She is not the victim here.


Happy Confederate Memorial Day!!!!

I kid you not.

Today is Confederate Memorial Day in South Carolina.

Confederate Memorial Day was the result of a legislative compromise in which the state agreed to recognize today as a state holiday if Martin Luther King Jr. Day was also recognized as a state holiday.

Such is life way down south in Dixie.

Now as a black man, I'm a little conflicted.

But as a state employee, to hell with it.

A day off is a day off.

Apparently our opposition has their ecumenical knickers in a twist over the online search site Wikipedia. The following is according to that bastion of Christian fairness, One News Now:

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, is facing harsh criticism over the posting of sexually explicit photos and images, including that of homosexuals.

Officials with Wikipedia say they permit the smut because they have a policy against censoring anything -- but that is not true, according to Bob Peters of Morality in Media. He says Wikipedia does not post child porn on the site, and they also censor personal attacks or anything potentially libelous.

And even our lovely friend Matt Barber weighs in on the pseudo-controversy:

“Perhaps Wikipedia should change its name to Pornopedia. Providing clinical images that may assist people in research is one thing, but many of the images and videos featured by Wikipedia are gratuitous and obscene. They’re entirely unnecessary and amount to hardcore pornography, plain and simple.

Of course neither Barber nor One News Now go into detail concerning such images. In Barber's case it just adds to the notion that he thinks hyperbole substitutes as truth. The title of his piece is Wikipedia peddles porn to kids.

I thought if you make charges of that nature, you must show proof. I guess it doesn't count if you are a "fine, upstanding conservative Christian."

In One News Now's case, the lack of proof regarding the charges against Wikipedia is a fact duly noted by some of the commentators on the site. The entire issue seems to be bringing all the interesting comments out:

"As I read these comments I hear anger, bitterness, condemnation and all manner of emotions EXCEPT love. WWJD? He loves every one of us and hope this love would win us over to his way (True Christianity.)"

"Well I haven't seen the wind but I can tell you its there. Just because you personally haven't seen it doesn't mean its not there. Go looking, bet you 'll find it....Also stopping children from looking at pornography is not a bad thing really its not.... Nothing wrong with keeping a youngsters mind out of the gutter..Nothing wrong with a conservative outlook on life either, if you don't like it don't become a conservative...;)"

"I don't think anyone trying to "highjack" this site can make Christians look bad. You so-called Christians are doing such an excellent job by yourselves." (that one is by me. I feel so famous!)

"It’s pretty obvious that unbelievers are commenting here. I pity them because they are blind to their own ignorance, and will ultimately stand in judgment, with no hope of mercy. They think they can say whatever they want without consequence… Big mistake! "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed." 1 Samuel 2:3"

"I've used Wikipedia many, many times and have never encountered pornography. There are photos of human anatomy, but it would be quite sad if some people considered that to be pornographic."

"Whether it is legal or not, each and every man and woman has the right and knowledge to know if they want to venture down those paths or not. Just because I am selling something legal, like horse crap, that doesn't mean that you have to stop and buy it. If each person would just ask that little phrase......WWJD. That stands for What Would Jesus Do. The Mormon religion has one that is older then that. CTR. Which stands for Choose the Right."

"Obvioiusly the good people at AFA and OneNewsNow are NOT going to give detail so everyone else can pollute their minds and spread this around. It simply requires common sense to know this if one is geared to decency at all! It's also common sense to know your source. If you read this site then you know whether it's reliable or not."

"So I typed in the word "porn" on wikipedia's website and at the bottom of the page that came up was a "Silent 'stag' film" In which the woman becomes topless. So, yes it is there. But again I think any normal filter would catch this and this story is fruitless."

"Yes, the fools wage their war against their creator and His instructions for living the best life. The only intelligent comment posted, was the one that warns that the "comments are partially hijacked." Impostors, pretenders, liars, defenders of what God says He hates. Sad to see how self-deceived and defiled people can become, to call right wrong, and wrong right."

"Well, i just went their and it has a link to a smut video clip. That is enough. Porn is Porn and it will not detract, it will attract. People who have seen porn tend to want more and the potent material will just add to the addiction!"

""ATTENTION IF YOU ARE READING THESE COMMENTS! Please know that these comments have partially been hijacked by people wanting to make Christians look bad and defend their point of view. Its common for activist to jump on a good Christian site like Onenewsnow and make it look as if there are all kids of people that disagree with the Bible and present ultra liberal views. I have managed message boards and blogs for a long time and this is common.""

"I've never seen porn on Wikipedia. Regardless, porn is not illegal so the Justice Department is not going to do anything about it. Besides, anyone who was looking for porn on the internet would have millions of sites on which to find it easily before searching through Wikipedia. This article is nonsense."

"I have never seen "porn" on Wiki only anatomy pictures. They certainly do have links to pornographic material in the pornography articles. Wiki is for everybody, if you do not like it then get a filter because they only way you are going to see naked pictures on wiki is in an article that will have some sort of words that will block the article."

"I've heard these allegations before, but have never seen any evidence."

"Where is the proof? I use Wikipedia for a lot of research, I have thus far never found anything offensive on the website. What gives? Did they refuse to say anything nice about the AFA on their site?"

"Is it actual porn, or is it human anatomy? Or have some people completely confused the two?"

"Here's something that could stop children from accessing the site: Parenting. Start being responsible for raising your children so the rest of us don't have to."

"You can write another article and tell us what articles contain porn? I'm very interested in finding out what porn is on Wikipedia."

Homophobia creates strange bedfellows

As the Crystal Dixon controversy slowly makes it way through the right-wing of the blogsphere, the scuttlebutt seems to be that the anti-gay industry is trying to make this into a case of yet another "innocent Christian" who has been targeted by the invisible gay empire.

As chronicled here and here, the case is not so simple.

But it amazes me what I read.

One News Now has covered the situation with its usual attention to bias. Interestingly enough, Matt Barber of Concerned Women for America claims that the university violated its own policy in suspending Dixon. Of course he does not go into detail. Typical Barber; hyperbole instead of truth.

But if you want to talk about irony, consider that our friend Peter LaBarbera has weighed in on the Crystal Dixon situation.

Apparently in an email version of the story (that's not posted on his site), LaBarbera incorrectly said that Dixon was fired. He has corrected the error.

And he also published a letter from a Professor Robert Gagnon defending Dixon's comments. The very long letter reads in part:

Ms. Dixon is absolutely right that sexual orientation is not akin to race or sex. Unlike a homosexual orientation, race and sex are 100% congenitally predetermined, cannot be fundamentally changed in their essence by cultural influences, and are not a primary or direct desire for behavior that is incompatible with embodied structures.

Amazing how Peter tries to distract the argument. How scientifically Gagnon can prove that homosexuality and race is not alike is not the point.

The point is that Ms. Dixon was hired to look over equity and diversity at Toledo State University. Now there are legitimate questions as to how she can do her job in light of the fact that she has demonstrated a potential bias against a group of students.

But believe it or not, that's not the crux of this irony.

Peter has also been pushing the case of one Brett Vanasdlen. This “strapping, clean-cut, All-American looking young man” (Peter's words, not mine) has been accused of a hate crime in an altercation with another young man.

Guess whose side Peter is taking, even to the point of making it seem that Vanasdlen and his family are somehow under siege.

Peter originally got the information about Vanasdlen from Ted Pike, someone he calls a "pro-family" advocate.

But there is another side to Pike. According to Box Turtle Bulletin:

David Duke, onetime Louisiana legislator and Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, has a website where like-minded individuals proclaim their beliefs. They rant about the corrupting influence of Jews, how civil rights laws lead to black men raping white women, how European countries need to keep their ethnic identity free from the dilution of immigration, and radical hispanics want to return the Southwest to Mexico. Rev. Ted Pike is a regular writer who specializes in anti-Semitic screeds (he loves Jews in the same way that LaBarbera love gays).

Box Turtle Bulletin also said that Pike posted the article about Vanasdlen on this website. This is true because the article is right here under the teaser of another article that reads Zionist Sponsored “Hate” Legislation Railroading Christian Teenagers in Illinois

Other very interesting articles by and quoting Ted Pike, that "pro-family" advocate, are here. The title of one - Jewish Media Corrupts Teen Girls - gives you all you need to know about just what type of "family" Pike is interested in protecting.

Now in LaBarbera's defense, he did not get Pike's article from Duke' site. But it still speaks to Peter's character (or lack thereof) that he calls Pike a "pro-family" advocate.

In the past, LaBarbera has been very vocal against lgbts allegedly "highjacking the civil rights movement."

How ironic that he canonizes someone whose mindset made it necessary to have a civil rights movement.

Ironic but not unexpected.

In the future, African-Americans who ally themselves with the anti-gay industry would do themselves a service to pay attention to the "friends" of their "friends."

It may give them the right answer as to exactly who is trying to "highjack the civil rights movement."

Big thanks to Box Turtle Bulletin for help with this post.

One News Now tries to sneak a lie past us all

Almost two weeks after the 2008 Day of Silence, One News Now is trying to push the lie that Ken Hutcherson's protest of the event at his child's high school was a success

The recent "Day of Silence" event promoting homosexuality was a bust at one Washington State high school thanks to the efforts of pro-family students, parents, and community leaders.

The Day of Silence is promoted by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) as an event to draw attention to alleged persecution suffered by students who claim to be homosexual or confused about their gender. But Pastor Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, Washington, claims the event was actually designed by homosexual activists to promote their lifestyle to students. So Hutcherson worked with other parents in the area of his daughter's Mount Si High School to protest the event.

Hutcherson and his wife purchased a half-page ad in the local newspaper urging concerned parents and Christians to join them in protest of the event. "Then the word went out," he explains. "It went out to my prayer warriors. And they prayed about it ... and last Friday [April 25], we had probably about 250 to 300 parents there," he contends.

Let's take the truth from the top yet again, boys. According to the Seattle Times:

About 100 people joined the Rev. Ken Hutcherson outside Mt. Si High School this morning to protest the Day of Silence being observed inside the school. The group prayed and sang as a noisy group of counter protesters tried to drown them out by beating on drums and chanting, "Go Home."

That's right. Just 100. Of course One News Now did not bother to cite another source other than Hutcherson.

Hell, even the title of the article is wrong:

'Day of Silence' walkout a success

No one walked out of the school in protest of the Day of Silence.

Hutcherson also contends that he was responsible for the absences during the day. This is not true. While one-third of students were absent that day, there has been no indication that the absences were in support of Hutcherson's protest.

The article is a whitewashed lie. And I think One News Now is aware of this fact. Why, after all, did this daily publication wait till almost two weeks to publish it?

Who was it that said - “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. "


Excellent news for lgbts of color

I got another hero for Black History Month:

Webb becomes Virginia’s first openly gay African-American elected official

Last night, while most political onlookers were watching the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Indiana and North Carolina, a Virginia resident quietly made history as he became the state’s first openly gay African-American elected to public office.

In his first bid for elected office, Lawrence Webb won a seat on the Falls Church City Council by a margin of 39 votes. He joins two other candidates on the City Council: Nader Baroukh and Robin S. Gardner.

“I am grateful that the citizens of Falls Church have entrusted me with the responsibility to help guide the direction of our city’s future, and I thank them. I look forward to working with Council to make Falls Church an even better city than it is now,” Webb said.

“I also hope my election opens the door for others to get involved in public service. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or black or both. What matters is your dedication to building a better community, and your willingness to work hard at it. . . "

more here

It's nice to know that in a world where people are trying to exploit our differences, others are stepping up to point out our similarities.

More thoughts on the Crystal Dixon situation

In my eagerness and anger over the racial connotation regarding Crystal Dixon's comments (see yesterday's post), I omitted a crucial part of the story.

This was brought home to me when I see the headlines in various anti-gay industry publications concerning the situation:

Black University Employee Suspended for Objecting to Comparison between Black and Homosexual Discrimination

University suspends staffer over view of homosexuality
African-American condemned for stating in local paper being 'gay' not the same as being handicapped or black

How very predatory. Emphasizing the fact that Ms. Dixon is black in a pathetic attempt to set the gay and African-American communities against one another.

My guess is that they are going to try to make Ms. Dixon look like a victim; the latest cause celebre in the so-called "war on Christianity."

But let's not forget the more practical elements of this story.

Ms. Dixon wrote the column on her own time, but she placed her own employment in jeopardy because her opinions had to do with a crucial part of her job.

Let me put it another way: what if I were employed with an agency that sends out Medicaid applications. On my own time, I write a piece that gives the impression that I have a bias against a group of people who receive Medicaid applications (let's say the Latino community).

If someone pointed what I wrote to my supervisor, doesn't he have an obligation to investigate whether or not my bias infringes on my work?

It's the same thing in this situation regarding Ms. Dixon.

As a human resource officer at the University of Toledo, she is responsible for ensuring equity and diversity on the campus.

College campuses thrive on diversity, which means attracting potential students from different backgrounds, including gay students.

What Ms. Dixon wrote (especially the way she misrepresented statistics to prove her position and relying on the unsubstantiated claims of PFOX), shows a potential bias against lgbt students.

In light of this, can she be trusted to do her job adequately?

I don't know the answer to this question, but the University of Toledo has a responsibility to investigate whether she can or can't.

Please bear in mind that I said investigate, not fire. Ms. Dixon has not been fired.

Nor is she a victim here. People talk about free speech but many always forget that free speech comes with responsibilities. Sometimes you just can't say what you want. Or if you open your mouth, you should be prepared to face the consequences (especially if you are pontificating on something that has to do with your job).

In many cases it's unfortunate and unfair, but it's still a fact.

In short, Ms. Dixon has a right to free speech, but she really should have used a bit of common sense.

This situation is not about her. This situation is about the students. Their needs should not take a backseat to anyone's personal opinion.

No matter what happens in the end, the students are the only ones who matter.

Black, gay and mad as hell

I was reading something today that really bothered me.

An African-American by the name of Crystal Dixon wrote a piece criticizing homosexuality. Nothing wrong with that because this is her right.

But Ms. Dixon, unfortunately, takes the road that so many African-Americans opposed to homosexuality do:

I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are "civil rights victims." Here's why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a Black woman. I am genetically and biologically a Black woman and very pleased to be so as my Creator intended. Daily, thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle evidenced by the growing population of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays) and Exodus International just to name a few. Frequently, the individuals report that the impetus to their change of heart and lifestyle was a transformative experience with God; a realization that their choice of same-sex practices wreaked havoc in their psychological and physical lives.

This paragraph is wrong on so many points. First of all, the "thousands" of ex-gays is an illusion. It's a talking point that has no basis in fact.

When PFOX and others pushing for reparative therapy are asked to back this point up, they never seem to be able to.

Ms. Dixon didn't back up her points with concrete facts either. She listed two examples; one being our old friend Charlene Cothran. You remember her? She is the one who says she is no longer gay but she has no attraction to men either.

Ms. Dixon goes on to cite statistics regarding economic means of gays in comparison to African-Americans. But her comparisons remind me of an anti-gay industry study in that she compares apples and oranges:

The normative statistics for a homosexual in the USA include a Bachelor's degree: For gay men, the median household income is $83,000/yr. (Gay singles $62,000; gay couples living together $130,000), almost 80% above the median U.S. household income of $46,326, per census data. For lesbians, the median household income is $80,000/yr. (Lesbian singles $52,000; Lesbian couples living together $96,000); 36% of lesbians reported household incomes in excess of $100,000/yr.

So to her, the majority of gays have bachelor degrees. Fair enough. But check out this next portion:

Compare that to the median income of the non-college educated Black male of $30,539. The data speaks for itself.

Yes the data is speaking for itself. It's calling out Ms. Dixon's distortion of comparing the income of gays with possible college degrees to the income of African-Americans with no college degrees.

That is shabby as hell.

Ms. Dixon also claims that it is her faith that leads her to say these things? She freely quotes from the Bible in her column.

Isn't her faith the same one that white racists used to justify slavery, segregation, lynchings, murders, and the outright suppression of the African-American community? How can she justify using her faith to demonize the lgbt community the same way it was done to her people?

Any African-American (Ms. Dixon included) who uses the Bible to criticize homosexuality is either ignorant or intentionally turning their back on their own history.

It drives me insane when I see people of my own race refusing to acknowledge certain commonalities amongst all struggles for equal rights.

And it bothers me I hear things like "gay rights are not civil rights."

What the hell does that mean anyway? Gay people are not oppressed?

That we are not marginalized by lies, distortions, and systematic attempts to devalue our lives?

That when we hear about crimes on television, we don't send up a prayer hoping that the criminal is not gay because if he was, then he will be featured in a religious right email blast designed to generalize us in the eyes of Christians?

That there aren't forces actively working to psychologically dehumanize us and trick us into reducing our lives to sexual encounters?

That we are not muzzled by well-meaning but ignorant folks who are so busy telling us how wretched our lives are that they will not allow us to educate them?

Ms. Dixon will probably swear up and down that her column was not written out of hatred, but out of love.

No, Ms. Dixon.

Your column was written out of ignorance. It is the same quality that has kept all oppressed groups under the heel of the oppressor.

UPDATE - It turns out that Ms. Dixon is the Human Resources Officer at the University of Toledo. The university has put her on suspension until further investigation. Now some may think that Ms. Dixon's first amendment rights have been violated.

I disagree. In light of the fact that it is the Human Resources Officer who is responsible for promoting equity and diversity, I have no problem with the university investigating whether or not Ms. Dixon can do her job effectively (i.e. promoting equity and diversity) in light of her comments.

Concerned Women for America lies about the Day of Silence . . . are we surprised?

A few days ago, I ruminated as to how the anti-gay industry would spin their failure to undermine this year's Day of Silence.

To recap: they wanted parents to keep their children from schools that day.

I speculated that the anti-gay industry would make various claims that students were barred from "'protesting the gay agenda."

Apparently Matt Barber and Concerned Women for America decided on a course of action as old as the hills: lying like a cheap rug:

The DOS Walkout was an overwhelming success and far exceeded the expectations of the dozens of participating pro-family organizations, such as Concerned Women for America.

And just what example does Barber put forth to demonstrate this "success?"

Take the Seattle area's Mount Si High School for instance. Out of 1,410 students, nearly half (638) reportedly walked out of school on DOS with a unified voice saying, "No! We're here to learn. We refuse to be subject to radical homosexual indoctrination at school or anywhere else!"

The Rev. Ken Hutcherson, a former pro-football player, current pro-family champion and pastor of Antioch Bible Church, led the charge in defense of God's moral standard at Mount Si. He organized a prayer rally outside the school – which his daughter attends – and was joined by hundreds of parents, children and community members.

That is a lie.

Hutcherson's protest only had 100 people. Furthermore, no one walked out of school in support of Hutcherson.

According to the Seattle Times, More than one-third of students didn't show up for classes Friday. Principal Randy Taylor said 495 out of 1,410 students weren't at school, including 85 athletes whose parents had asked that they be excused for their personal beliefs.

Some students (and their parents) may have wanted to avoid the entire controversy with Hutcherson's protest all together.

Whatever the speculation is, it was NEVER DETERMINED by any source that any student walked out of school in support of Hutcherson's protest.

So to spin a story that students walked out in a protest reminiscent of the last scene of Dead Poets Society is just insane.

What Barber did here was to use one protest to make it seem as if there is a groundswell of opposition to Day of Silence:

. . . Kids at schools all over the country stood tall and said, "Enough is enough!" Untold thousands of students participated in a peaceful, pro-family counter effort called the "Day of Silence Walkout."

I bet I know why Barber said "untold thousands of students." It works much better for his lie to be vague than to give exact numbers.

But whether Barber and company like it or not, the Day of Silence was a monumental success:

Students from more than 7,300 middle and high schools will take a vow of silence today during GLSEN’s 12th annual National Day of Silence to bring attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) name-calling, bullying and harassment. The event is being held this year in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old from Oxnard, Calif., who was shot and killed in school on Feb. 12 because of his sexual orientation and gender expression.

Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate, from middle school to college. Students from more than 1,000 colleges also have registered.

I don't know what's worse; that Barber lies or that he talks about morality and Christian principles at the same time he is doing it.

It just goes to prove that yet again when push comes to shove, the anti-gay industry are a bunch of sleazy fearmongerers who, when the facts don't go their way, will intentionally repeat a factoid in an effort to stamp out the truth.

And now for something completely different

Usually I talk about the anti-gay industry, but today, I want to spotlight the efforts of the lgbt of color community in South Carolina.

South Carolina Excited about Third Black Pride

The African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community of South Carolina and its allies will be out and proud during the month of June as the state holds its Third Annual SC Black Pride, June 25-29, 2008 in Columbia, SC.

With a provocative theme of “Black Pride: 365,” it promises to be better and bigger than the groundbreaking first and second prides. Organizers anticipate a record 2,000 South Carolinians and out-of-town guests will participate in its many special events, official parties, and a Community Expo.

The official week begins Wednesday, June 25th with a “Welcome Reception” at the chic Tappas Bar and Restaurant, Club Hush (1004 Gervais.) It will reach a climax at the day-long Community Expo on Saturday, June 28th, 11- 5:30 PM, at the Margarette Miller Center (1509 Fontaine Rd), and the “Community Awards and Jazz Reception”, on Sunday, June 29th, 3-5pm, Eau Claire Print Building (3909 Ensor Ave.) Featured at the Expo will be a bevy of local talent and a few rising stars.

To further stir up the buzz there will be “fun-raisers” leading up to Black Pride including:

Friday, May 16th – Pre-Black Pride Party during SC Black Expo (Club Fusion)
Sunday, June 15th – Free Volunteer Training & Appreciation Dinner, 6-8pm (Harriet Hancock Center)
Wednesday, June 18th – Pre-Black 70’s Party (Club Fusion)

“Our purpose is to celebrate the often subjugated creativity, beauty, dignity, and brilliance of South Carolina’s Black LGBT community,” says Dr. Todd Shaw, Chair, of the SC Black Pride Committee. “The double whammies of racism and homophobia attack we same-gender loving sisters and brothers. And now’s the time the Black community understand how much we contribute to the larger freedom struggle and the larger society understand how much we contribute as loving mothers, fathers, teachers, preachers, and young leaders.”

Speaking of preachers, one of the events that promises to be highly informative is the Thursday, June 26th, 7:00-8:30pm, Town Hall Debate at the University of South Carolina Law School Auditorium: “Because the Bible Told Me So: Is Homosexuality a Sin?” WIS News 10 anchor Craig Melvin has agreed to serve a moderator. Among an exciting and diverse panel of ministers and theologians will be the dynamic Bishop Tonyia M. Rawls, one of the first two women newly elevated to bishop in the Unity Fellowship Church Movement --- the largest Black gay-led Christian Church in the United States. Bishop Rawls believes, “I look forward to an open dialogue where we really have an opportunity to explore how together as a community we can move to place of being more affirming, welcoming, and supportive of families [lgbt and otherwise] as a whole.”

All are welcomed! To learn more about this Pride’s many empowering events refer to:

South Carolina Black Pride
P.O. Box 8191
Columbia, SC 29202
www.southcarolinablackpride.com;
info@southcarolinablackpride.com.

Anyone seeking more information can call Todd Shaw at 803-799-9190.

Wayne Besen does it again

Another nail in the anti-gay industry coffin courtesy of Wayne Besen and Truth Wins Out:

Dr. James Dobson
Focus on the Family
Colorado Springs, CO 80995

April 30, 2008

Dear Dr. Dobson,

I want to draw your attention to a gross misrepresentation of our research at the website of "Focus on the Family" (see http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000682.cfm). In the third paragraph of the article, "Myths and Facts," our research is cited in support of the statement: "During early adolescence, many children experience a period of sexual-identity confusion when they can easily be influenced in either direction."

First, please note that the citation itself is incorrect. The original article was published in Pediatrics, not Journal of Pediatrics. The correct reference is: Remafedi G, Resnick M, Blum R, Harris L. Demography of sexual orientation in adolescents. Pediatrics. 89(4):714-721, 1992. More important, had the authors of "Myths and Facts" actually read the article, they would have found no support for their contention that "many children experience a period of sexual-identity confusion when they can be influenced in either direction." The word confusion does not appear in our article; nor did we find that anyone can influence a young person's sexual identity.

The purpose of our study was to explore patterns of sexual orientation in a representative sample of more than 34,000 Minnesota students in grades 7 to 12. We found that the percentage of student who reported being "unsure" about their orientation steadily declined with age from 25.9% in 12-year-old persons to 5% in 18 year-old students (p. 716). Youth who were "unsure" were more likely than others to entertain homosexual fantasies and attractions and less likely to have had heterosexual experiences (p. 720). These and other data suggested that uncertainty about sexual orientation "gradually gives way to heterosexual or homosexual identification with the passage of time and/or with increasing sexual experience" (p. 720).

Please ask the authors of the misstatements to correct them as soon as possible. In the interest of accurate translation of research into practice, a copy of this letter will be posted at www.truthwinsout.org. Thank you for your attention.
Respectfully yours,

Gary Remafedi, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Minnesota
428 Oak Grove St.
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Riddle me this: how long will it take before Dobson, Matt Barber, Peter LaBarbera and company claim that this doctor was "pressured by radical gay activists?"

Day after the Day of Truth - another Day of Silence

I echo the sentiments of the webpage goodasyou.org:

The so-called "Day of Truth" went by yesterday with less than a whimper. While last Friday's pro-acceptance, anti-bullying Day of Silence attracted considerable attention, there was barely a mention of Monday's anti-gay endeavor on either mainstream or "pro-family" news sites, and none of the usual social conservative groups issued so much as a press release celebrating the event. In fact, a Google News search doesn't turn up even one "DOT" mention posted after 4/27.

I remember how quickly members of the anti-gay industry sent out press releases celebrating the Sally Kern rally.

Maybe they are practicing restraint this time?

I doubt it.

Unless things change, I am going to file the 2008 Day of Truth as a HUGE FLOP.

Please bear in mind that I am not gloating. I had a feeling that this would happen.

The messages the anti-gay industry sent were very conflicted. Was the focus of attention supposed to be on boycotting the Day of Silence or participating in the Day of Truth?

I think that there were some inner conflicts between various anti-gay industry groups and the lgbt community benefitted from these conflicts.

While it is true that our friend Peter is trying to spin Ken Hutcherson's protest into a huge event, no one is really buying that lie.

Both the Day of Truth and boycotting the Day of Silence were failures.

Score one for the good guys.

So what's the next option for the anti-gay industry?

Probably pleading ennui and victimhood:

Illinois, teachers threatened students with suspension and called the Day of Truth a “hazing” incident. A North Carolina school told a student he could not wear a Day of Truth shirt or hand out literature.

In the coming days, we will probably see more of this.

Victimhood is truly the last refuge of scoundrels.

Day of Silence a huge success despite the efforts of some people

Geez, Peter LaBarbera can lie through his teeth:

Hutcherson Leads 500 Out of School on Pro-Homosexual ‘Day of Silence’

Congratulations to Pastor Ken Hutcherson for showing America how to take on the forces that are stealing the education system to indoctrinate children in left-wing and anti-Christian ideologies. Hutcherson led a full one-third of Mt. Si High School students OUT of school Friday to protest the pro-homosexuality “Day of Silence.”

Peter LaBarbera telling a lie against the lgbt community?

The sun must have come up today.

But I would suggest that folks read the actual article Peter alludes to.

For the record, Hutcherson did not lead one-third of the students out of the school. His protest only had 100 people, which was one-tenth of the number of people he wanted to be there (Hutcherson was asking for 1,000 attendees for his so-called prayer vigil.)

The school reported that 495 students did not attend school, including 85 athletes, who were excused for personal beliefs.

Now it could be that many of the students were trying to avoid the controversy altogether. That is their right. However, for Peter to infer that the students did not attend school to show Hutcherson some type of support is incorrect. The article does not say that these students were showing Hutcherson any support.

Peter intentionally ignored the fact that over 80 parents showed up to give their support to the Day of Silence at the school.

Also, organizers of the event at the school are calling it a success.

And how did the Day of Silence do nationally?

Well check out these links:

275 students participated at this school - Day of Silence peaceful at Desert Ridge High

Hundreds of students participated in North Carolina - Gay rights protest at schools is quiet

And last but not least, my favorite - Record Number Of Schools Observe Day Of Silence

No matter how much Peter and his cohorts try to manipulate the facts to claim that their opposition to the Day of Silence was successful, no one is buying it.

The Day of Silence this year a huge success.

UPDATE - And the lies continue from Peter:

We received a call yesterday from Pastor Ken Hutcherson, who led the successful student boycot of the pro-homosexuality “Day of Silence” (DOS) at Mt. Si High School in Redmond, Washington. It turns out that 638 students out of a total of 1,410 walked out to make a statement against the DOS, not 495 as the Seattle Times reported (relying on Principal Randy Taylor’s count).

Now Peter is inferring that the students "walked out" in support of Hutcherson. The lies keep coming.

Of course rumor control has it that Peter is spinning this story to take focus away from the failure of yesterday's "Day of Truth."

There were no articles or comments regarding just who, if anyone, participated in that mess.

Day of Silence about our children

With all of the fighting between us and the anti-gay industry, it's easy to forget what the Day of Silence is about.

It's about our lgbt children being able to attend school safely. It's about them being able to learn and grow without fear of physical reprisal just because some ignorant individual has a problem with their orientation.

When I was young, the rumor of someone being gay was enough for the person to get a harsh beatdown.

It's changing a little but more needs to be done.

So I commend all of those taking part in tomorrow's Day of Silence for standing up for themselves and their fellow classmates. In the long run, they are the only thing that matters here; not Peter LaBarbera, not Linda Harvey, not Ken Hutcherson, nor any of the other distorters of truth and Christianity

The following article brings it all home as far as I'm concerned:

Students Plan Speechless Friday to Protest Treatment of Gays

Students thrive on communication, whether it's instant-messaging, e-mailing, text-messaging, talking by cell phone or, when all else fails, chatting face to face. Sarah DeSimone, a gregarious senior at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, is no exception. On Friday, though, DeSimone hopes to make a statement by going speechless.

She and several other Florida Southern students plan to take part in the Day of Silence, during which students across the nation from middle school through college remain quiet to bring attention to harassment and violence directed toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth. The event, organized by students and sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), suggests that intimidation in schools silences nonheterosexuals from being open about their orientation.

Students from several middle and high schools in Polk County also have registered to participate, according to a GLSEN spokesman.

DeSimone, a biology major from Rhode Island, is the president of Allies, an FSC organization for gay, lesbian and bisexual students and their straight friends and supporters. She said the 2-year-old club has about 10 active members and another 50 or so supporting members.

"We were talking to members, saying it's OK if you only do part of the day," said DeSimone, 20. "Some classes like communications, where you have speeches, you can't really keep silent the whole time, so just do your best. Personally, I will be keeping silent the whole day. I know there are a couple other people in the executive board of Allies who are going to do the same thing."

Several members of Allies printed cards explaining the reason for their silence. DeSimone said they will wear the cards on strings around their necks or carry them. She said some Allies members wore T-shirts bearing the Day of Silence logo last year. . .

More at this link.

Ken Hutcherson - Protests, Prayers and Beating people up with their own arms

I hear Pastor Ken Hutherson (who never met a self-aggrandizing adjective he didn’t like) is going to be protesting the Day of Silence.

This is the same guy who has joked about beating up an “effeminate man.” I believe his exact words were ". . .I’d rip his arm off and beat him with the wet end.”

In the past, Hutcherson has engaged in some absolutely un-Christian behavior including threatening a librarian with the loss of her job, allying himself with a nasty international anti-gay group, and staging a phony boycott against Microsoft.

However, in light of what happened to little Lawrence King, his joke about beating up an “effeminate man” stands out.

So attacking a man for being “effeminate” is okay but an event designed to stop the bullying of our lgbt children is wrong?

Does anyone else see the irony in this?

If Hutcherson wasn’t so busy feathering his own cap, perhaps he could see the irony in his words.

Maybe instead of protesting against the Day of Silence, Hutcherson should pray for humility for a change.

Box Turtle Bulletin has a complete list of Hutcherson's "greatest hits."

Day of Truth? Give me a break!!

Dan Gonzales of Box Turtle Bulletin has come out with an excellent video combatting the Day of Truth.

I'm sure my readers have probably already seen it, but it never hurts to post it.

The more hits this video gets, the better.

And speaking of our very unworthy opponents, it has been very clear that many of them think repetition is an adequate substitute for truth.

Despite the fact that many bloggers (such as my humble self) have taken them to task for distorting the 1997 Canadian study to claim that gays have a short life span and

despite the fact that the researchers in 2001 complained about the distortion of their work,

the anti-gay industry continues to repeat this lie. Witness the words of your friend and mine, Janet Folger:

But here's the best response to schools advocating an agenda that knocks an average of 20 years off your child's lifespan: Inform the school district that if they participate in promoting behavior that is harmful to minors, they are in violation of state law and that you, as a parent or citizen, will pursue all legal consequences available to you.

What's funnier about this? The fact that Folger continues to repeat this lie or the fact that she is giving bad advice?

The webpage Good As You takes Folger to task better than I ever could (that is without inserting cuss words):

where the holy hell does she get off threatening schools with legal action if they recognize this secular, universal call to stop bullying and harassment?! Public schools have a right and even DUTY to protect every one of their students. And if they provide a supportive atmosphere for students to hold their peaceful demonstration without punishment, then they are not only acting in accordance with the law, but also in accordance with DECENCY! The "Day of Silence" is about ending a problem towards which we've turned a blind eye for far too long. It's not a gay/straight, Christian/atheist, Democrat/Republican, liberal/conservative tit for tat. It's a rational call to end irrational complacency!

Janet Folger, we understand why you are resorting to more vehement tactics in days of recent, as it's becoming more and more apparent that the era of religious right dominance that has provided your discriminatory side with cover for the past few decades is quickly going the way of Reaganomics. But dear, your vocal protestations are only increasing the speed at which the anti-gay community is heading toward the Annals of Unfortunate Civil Rights History. "Change" is becoming the narrative for Americans on both sides of the aisle. And in terms of gay rights, that "change" is not an emboldening of your side's ideas that gays can morph into something called an "ex-gay." The change as it applies to you is one that is bringing greater peace and acceptance for not only the queer community, but also the friends, neighbors, and loved ones with whom they share the world.

And last but not least, let's talk about one of the folks attacking Day of Silence.

On various anti-gay industry pages, readers are encouraged to go the Mission America site for more information about the Day of Truth and Day of Silence.

Mission America is a site that supposedly:

. . .research(es) social trends inside and outside Christianity. The picture often reveals an America that is slowly being dismembered, because the Body of Christ is becoming another creature--one made in the image of corruptible man. We need knowledge, then repentance, prayer, fasting, followed by action.

In other words, it repeats anti-gay industry propaganda ad naseum.

Interestingly enough, the site has a list of schools participating in Day of Silence. I guess the connotation is that parents should call and repeat the standard lies about the "gay agenda" in order to keep Day of Silence from taking place.

The founder of Mission America is a woman by the name of Linda Harvey. Harvey touts herself as a former advertising executive who became a Christian and is now on a mission to save America from the "forces of evil."

Want to see some of her work? Check this out:

When people have views supporting homosexuality they should not be involved with youth in any way, period. Because they:

will provide inaccurate, misleading information to kids;

may limit a student’s opportunity to hear warnings about the behavior;

may advocate or model inappropriate behavior;

may be directly involved in the molestation of kids themselves; or

may be in a position to allow others to do so" - Fairy Tales Don’t Come True, February 13, 2006

Personally, I would be fearful with intrusting children to someone like Harvey.

But to the anti-gay industry, she is an "expert."

Don't take much with those folks, do it?

Just say the word "Jesus" a lot and leave your common sense at the door.

I wonder how much does being an "expert" pay?

Just kidding, folks.

I would rather be a stripper than a "homosexuality expert" for the anti-gay industry.

At least with stripping, I would have some dignity.

Who is it, Liberty Counsel?

The Day of Silence is coming this Friday and of course the anti-gay industry is firing up their cannon of bullshit. As they do every year, the anti-gay industry likes to claim that the Day of Silence actually disrupts the school day and students are forced to participate.

. . . in one school district a principal told a father if his son was not at school on the "Day of Silence," the student would be given a failing grade for the year. In Indiana, parents were told by public school officials it was "against the law" for them to cancel the program or excuse absences that day. And in Iowa, a school board member said a student refusing to speak throughout a school day was no more disruptive than a "Christian wearing a cross."

All of these are vague examples, especially the first one. It's the only one that doesn't list a state.

Maybe I shouldn't be so skeptical, but when dealing with members of the anti-gay industry, I have learned to keep one eye open.

On so many occasions, they have exploited possible controversies by either out-and-out lying or leaving out critical details that would change the connotation the situation.

So I don't think I'm totally blameless for being highly skeptical of the Liberty Counsel's claim of Day of Silence coersion tactics.

If anyone has any information about these situations or can point me where I can receive information, please let me know.

Otherwise, I am going to chalk it up to another lie.


And now, from the Department of Ewwwwwwwwwwww

A good friend of mine, Joe Brummer, recently had a discussion with a "Christian activist" by the name of Stacy Harp.

Stacy, in her eternal wisdom, took it upon herself to tape the conversation. She claimed that it was to protect herself.

If you ask me, she would have gotten the same result by playing on a busy freeway. I think what the conversation proves is that in matters of Christianity, calling yourself a child of God and being one are two different things.

If you want to hear the entire mess, go here. But I found this part to be totally hilarious in what it says about Harp's character, or lack thereof in the lovely un-Christ-like words she uses:

Stacy: Putting your penis in somebody's asshole...

Joe: ...to have a sexual conversation with you.

Stacy: ...is all about anal sex, and that's what you do...

Joe: Stacy, you have a nice day.

Stacy: ...right? That's exactly what you do.

Joe: Have a nice day, thank you for calling.

Stacy: That's what you do.

Stacy Harp: Ladies and gentlemen, that was Joe Brummer, denying, that homosexuality, is all about putting his penis, in somebody's asshole. You know, and uh, it's really interesting, that you know, he doesn't have the guts to admit that, but now he wants to make it all about, not that. So, you know, there ya go, I mean this is just evidence that somebody who supports the fact that homosexuality is about um-is about um, you know having kids, having sex with kids, 'n stuff, unbelievable.

Sometimes I really don't think we need to do that much work.

Just give our opponents room while they hang themselves.

Who needs truth when you have an echo chamber?

Editor's note - My mother is doing well after her operation. Thank you all for your prayers.

The war of words between me and the anonymous commentator I talked about yesterday is still going on.

He swears up and down that Letellier is not being truthful in his complaint of distortion. And he even finds time to attack Mitt Romney.

I don't even know how Romney got involved in this situation.

Stubborn is one thing. Pathetic is something else entirely.

But onto something very interesting that a blogger sent me.

The anti-gay industry seems to be having a fight behind the scenes against the Day of Silence.

There have been letters to the editor sent to various newspapers protesting the Day of Silence. The letter are from supposed "concerned citizens."

The letters are in various places - here, here, here, and here.

You can read them all if your stomach allows. But if not, then go here to the American Family Association's web page. It pretty much says the same thing, even using some of the same sentences.

This illustrates how conservative Christians aid and abet their being led astray by the anti-gay industry.

It is apparent that none of these people know anything about the Day of Silence. They probably just heard that "gays are having an event at their children's schools." And rather than trying to find out the truth, they went to a web page that not only exploited their ignorance, but gave them words to say.

And now they are allowing themselves to be used in an echo chamber of lies.

If they have so much of a concern, why couldn't they find their own words?

It just goes to prove that the Day of Silence is not the problem.

Ignorance and fear are.

A big hat tip to Scott in Long Beach for the information.

A history of 'worthless fluff' courtesy of the anti-gay industry

Two days ago, Matt Barber (Concerned Women for America) dismissed a 2001 letter from six researchers. The researchers had complained the anti-gay industry was distorting a 1997 study they conducted in order to say that gays have a short life span.

Among other things, Barber said the letter was "worthless fluff."

I will not speculate how Barber, who has no training in such matters, can dismiss the complaints of researchers about the misusage of their work.

I want to examine the history of "worthless fluff."

In this case, "worthless fluff" is defined as all the times legitimate researchers and physicians have complained that the anti-gay industry has distorted their work.

Let's take a trip down the timeline:

1998 - Pediatrician Robert Garafalo complains that the anti-gay industry distorted his study regarding at-risk behavior amongst gay youth. He said the groups omitted the part of his study that said the at-risk behavior is the result of a homophobic society. Curiously enough, Robert Knight (Barber's predecessor in Concerned Women for America) dismissed Garafalo's complaint, calling him a "thrall of political correctness."

- Assistant Professor of Sociology Lisa Waldner tells Frank Rich of the New York Times that the anti-gay industry is distorting a study she wrote while in 1992 in order to claim that lesbians relationships have a high rate of domestic violence.

2001 - Patrick Letellier complains that Gary Glenn of the American Family Association cherry picked passages from his book (Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them) in order to assert that domestic violence is high in gay relationships. Years after this, the book continues to be cited by the anti-gay industry in the same way Glenn cited it.

- Robert Spitzer publishes a study that says a small number of people can change their sexual orientation. The anti-gay industry cites the study as proof that homosexuality is a choice. Spitzer complains as to how his work was being used, even publishing a piece in the Wall Street Journal complaining about how his work was being distorted.

2002 - A. Nicholas Groth writes a letter to the Family Research Council claiming that the group distorted his work in a study to prove that gays molest children at a high level. Groth, in 1983, complained that anti-gay researcher Paul Cameron had done the same thing. The study published by the Family Research Council is almost similar to the one published by Cameron.

2006 - Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc of the University of British Columbia complains that Focus on the Family distorted her study on lesbian teen suicide.

- Dr. Kyle Pruett, a clinical professor of psychiatry in the Yale Child Study Center and School of Nursing accuses Focus on the Family head James Dobson of distorting his work.

- New York University educational psychologist Carol Gilligan, Ph.D. writes Focus on the Family head James Dobson a blistering letter accusing him of distorting her work.

Gotta love the "worthless fluff."

Sooner or later, it will be the very thing that exposes the anti-gay industry for the liars they are.

UPDATE: Definition of pitiful

A commentator disagreed with what I said. And he took it upon himself to try and correct me.
What makes it so funny is that he repeats the same error that Gary Glenn made when distorting Patrick Lettelier's work.

Apparently he wasn't aware that I have in my possession a letter by Mr. Letellier outlining just HOW Gary Glenn distorted his work.

It's all in the comments section of this post.

First Kevin McCullough's flimsy defense of his ENDA lie and now this.

These so-called "Christians" can't accept the fact that their beliefs can't turn their bullshit into facts.

Lord, if these are truly Your people called by Your name, then why do they lie so much?

Editor's note - Please keep my mother in your prayers as she is in the hospital for a surgical procedure today and tomorrow.

Also, Kevin McCullough responded to yesterday's post about him, ENDA, and Barack Obama. He says his claim that ENDA would make it difficult to fire a youth pastor found to be in inappropriate relationship with a young boy is correct. He says he consulted "three legal experts."

Read his response to my post and my response to him in the comments section of yesterday's post.

One News Now distorts a story- should we be surprised?

Usually in the case of gay/straight alliances in schools, the lgbt community has come out consistently on top.

However, we lost in a recent case.

And One News Now claims to know why:

Federal judge K. Michael Moore has said a Florida high school was within its rights when it banned a student-led pro-homosexual club.

That's the lead. Further down, the story says:

Also, David Gibbs, founder of the Christian Law Association, says a long-standing school policy helped administrators make the right decision. "The Okeechobee High School has a policy that bans all sex-based clubs. Any club that deals with sexual orientation or identity are [sic] not allowed. In this case, the students lost interest and the clubs dissolved, and the federal court recognized that there was no issue to continue pushing," Gibbs contends.

He also says the school board had a policy in place to teach abstinence. "School boards nationwide need to realize that they do have the opportunity to indeed act in the best interest of their students. And in this particular case, Okeechobee high school's decision to honor abstinence and stand against the promiscuity that is so encouraged in so many quarters of our land was honored by this federal court decision, completely dismissing the lawsuit that had been filed against them," Gibbs points out.

But neither of these assumptions are true. The article also says:

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Moore said since the student has already graduated, she is no longer affected by the school's decision to ban the club.

You got that? Judge Moore did not say the school was well within its rights to ban the gay/straight alliance. And also, that ridiculous explanation that the school's policy against "sex-based" clubs helped Moore to make this ruling is also a lie.

Judge Moore ruled that since the student (i.e. plantiff) has graduated, she is no longer affected by the school's policy, thereby making the lawsuit useless.

Perhaps One News Now feels that since they are fighting against the forces of the supposed gay agenda, little things like accuracy and news integrity are light casualties.

Kevin McCullough attacks Barack Obama with an ENDA lie

Barack Obama scares the right-wing.

Obviously, everyone figured this campaign was going to be a coronation for Hilary Clinton. Everyone but Obama and his supporters.

I like what's going on. It puts everyone in a tailspin. And it teaches folks to not take the American voter for granted.

And it seems that no one is more surprised than the right-wing. I'm sure they had a lot of slings and arrows ready for Clinton. But with Obama looking like he is going to be the nominee, they have to scramble hard to get the "goods" on him.

That doesn't mean that they aren't trying. I have been paying slight attention to the Reverend Wright situation. I'm not too sure about what has been going on, but one thing that I do know is the right-wing has written so much about the situation that my head is spinning.

The conservative site Town Hall probably set a record with the number of hit pieces formulated to hurt Obama.

And speaking of which, conservative writer Kevin McCullough has written his own hit piece.

Apparently he is not happy that Obama supports ENDA. His entire piece is best served by focusing on the following lie:

So stifling would ENDA be in fact that if a Youth Pastor who works with young boys in a church program got caught in an inappropriate relationship with them, ENDA would make it nearly impossible for the church involved to fire the youth pastor. ENDA would directly challenge and seek to limit religious expression, doctrine, theology, and practice.

McCullough obviously thinks that people are stupid enough to fall for that faulty line of "logic." ENDA does not protect someone against unlawful behavior (i.e. a youth pastor having an inappropriate relationship with young boys).

In fact, no anti-discrimination law does. No law barring discrimination on the basis of race, religon, or national origin gives anyone cover to engage in unlawful behavior. And the same is for laws barring discrimination on the basis on sexual orientation.

The funniest thing is that McCullough is getting taken to task by the comments on the site. I rather like this one:

I'm pleasantly surprised to find some TH readers criticizing McCullough for his utterly loony rants. He assumes that whatever he fears or hates must be something liberals support--like school shootings, for instance.

Read stuff like this and weep, conservatives, because this is what conservatism has come down to. Your glory days of intelligent commentary are far behind you now, and McCullough is now what passes for a real conservative.

Actually, I would suggest that he, and his style, are quite appropriate for the present day. Today a conservative is very, very likely to be a theocratic hate-monger like McCullough. Today's conservatives, after all, are really right-wing populists, combining in equal amounts crudity, ignorance, and meanness in one very unattractive package. So, embrace McCullough; today he really does speak for most of you.

How true indeed.


Matt Barber tries to disavow credible researchers

I have talked several times about how the anti-gay industry distorted a 1997 Canadian study in order to claim that gays have a short life span.

They always omit the fact that in 2001, the researchers of the study went on record saying that their work has been distorted.

Matt Barber from Concerned Women for America has finally addressed this situation in a new piece written today:

Not surprisingly, that same homosexual lobby and its codependent enablers in the mainstream media moved quickly to sweep the IJE study under the rug. Under tremendous pressure, the researchers who conducted the study even jumped into the political damage control fray issuing a statement which read, "[W]e do not condone the use of our research in a manner that restricts the political or human rights of gay and bisexual men or any other group."

Naturally Barber does not go into detail talking about what "tremendous pressure" the researchers received.

I'm curious to see how much pressure, if any, was exerted in a four-year-period. The study came out in 1997. The letter was written in 2001.

Then to top it off, Barber (who is not a researcher) says this:

Of course, that's all just worthless fluff. All the political spin in the world doesn't change reality, nor does it eliminate the study's disturbing conclusions or practical implications. The research left ZERO wiggle room for anyone who would argue that homosexuality is a "perfectly normal and healthy alternative sexual orientation."

Barber's claim is bullshit. More than that; it's not only a blatant lie but a repeated drumbeat that the anti-gay industry is always sounding when they are caught lying:

No, we aren't wrong. It's those evil gays exerting pressure and forcing people to change their words.

The audacity of the anti-gay industry drives me insane. From Peter LaBarbera to Barber to James Dobson and even to those who cite their lies (Sally Kern), why is it that these people can't admit when they are wrong?

Oh no. They can't be wrong. They have a special pipeline to God so anything they say, no matter how incorrect or stupid it is, becomes correct.

It's happened so many times; a researcher or physician goes on record claiming that the anti-gay industry has distorted their work and then the anti-gay industry attacks the physician or researcher. Or downplays the complaint.

Or in some cases, totally ignores it.

Keep it up, guys. You can only tell a lie so long before it bites you in the ass. And I'm going to make sure I am around to point out the bite marks.

The webpage goodasyou.org has tracked this story , including posting the letter from the researchers crying foul over the distortion of their work.

Forgive me for copying, but I want to do the same thing:

Gay life expectancy revisited

Robert S Hogg, Steffanie A Strathdee, Kevin JP Craib, Michael V O'shaughnessy, Julio Montaner and Martin T Schechter

Over the past few months we have learnt of a number of reports regarding a paper we published in the International Journal of Epidemiology on the gay and bisexual life expectancy in Vancouver in the late 1980s and early 1990s. From these reports it appears that our research is being used by select groups in US and Finland to suggest that gay and bisexual men live an unhealthy lifestyle that is destructive to themselves and to others. These homophobic groups appear more interested in restricting the human rights of gay and bisexuals rather than promoting their health and well being.

The aim of our research was never to spread more homophobia, but to demonstrate to an international audience how the life expectancy of gay and bisexual men can be estimated from limited vital statistics data. In our paper, we demonstrated that in a major Canadian centre, life expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 21 years less than for all men. If the same pattern of mortality continued, we estimated that nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged 20 years would not reach their 65th birthday. Under even the most liberal assumptions, gay and bisexual men in this urban centre were experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by men in Canada in the year 1871. In contrast, if we were to repeat this analysis today the life expectancy of gay and bisexual men would be greatly improved. Deaths from HIV infection have declined dramatically in this population since 1996. As we have previously reported there has been a threefold decrease in mortality in Vancouver as well as in other parts of British Columbia.

It is essential to note that the life expectancy of any population is a descriptive and not a prescriptive mesaure. Death is a product of the way a person lives and what physical and environmental hazards he or she faces everyday. It cannot be attributed solely to their sexual orientation or any other ethnic or social factor. If estimates of an individual gay and bisexual man's risk of death is truly needed for legal or other purposes, then people making these estimates should use the same actuarial tables that are used for all other males in that population. Gay and bisexual men are included in the construction of official population-based tables and therefore these tables for all males are the appropriate ones to be used.

In summary, the aim of our work was to assist health planners with the means of estimating the impact of HIV infection on groups, like gay and bisexual men, not necessarily captured by vital statistics data and not to hinder the rights of these groups worldwide. Overall, we do not condone the use of our research in a manner that restricts the political or human rights of gay and bisexual men or any other group.

B. Brian Blair distracts me

As a child of the south, I love my pro wrestling.

My love of professional wrestling dates back to when Ric Flair had just begun to dye his hair and Ricky Steamboat was a rookie.

So imagine my confusion when I read the following:

Hillsborough County commissioner Brian Blair has picked up Ronda Storm's gay-bashing mantle. The The Former Bubble Bee is venting mock outrage that Tampa high school students will protest violence against LGBT.

The April 25th Day of Silence was started in tribute to Lawrence King, whom was gay and murdered at age 15. Students will not speak and hand out cards explaining their silence. All this sounds rather harmless and hardly a disruption to schools. Blair is running for re-election against Kevin Beckner. The latter is openly gay and heavily-backed by the Democratic establishment. Blair is also being investigation for a possible ethics violation. Time for Blair to play the religious card.

"I have always believed that all citizens are equal and should be treated accordingly. On the other hand, no group of citizens should be given government sanction and support to promote their social and sexual agenda upon the rest of us and especially, on our children."

B. Brian Blair is a former professional wrestler. He was never up to the level of fame that reached Hulk Hogan, Flair, Steve Austin or the Rock.

His claim to fame was being a member of the Killer Bees, a tag team that included (much more talented and more title-winning) "Jumping" Jim Brunzell.

I want to talk about just how stupid his claims are.

I want to say that the Day of Silence usually doesn't cause any problems until folks like Blair start with their "gay agenda" nonsense.

I want to talk about how the Day of Silence is a student-led event that no one is required to participate in.

But I can't.

When I first heard of what Blair said, my mind pushed back to the point I have always thought of about the Killer Bees long before Blair even became a council member.

Those shorts were too damned tight.

I know my mind should be on the ignorance flowing from Blair's mouth, but . . .

Those shorts were too damned tight.

But my mind tends to gravitate. Blame it on my gay sensibilities.

Those shorts were too damned tight.

I hear that not only is Blair a council member but he is also the chaplain.

I don't care if he is the Pope. I can't take his words seriously.

Every time I read the following words:

"I have always believed that all citizens are equal and should be treated accordingly. On the other hand, no group of citizens should be given government sanction and support to promote their social and sexual agenda upon the rest of us and especially, on our children."

My mind can't help but to gravitate to the following link.

Maybe I'm getting desperate in my approaching middle-age.

Despite the fact that the words coming out of his mouth are dumb as hell, it would be more interesting if more anti-gay industry spokespeople wore such tight trunks.

Then again scratch that.

I may be desperate and I may think that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill are hot . . .

But no one could get me drunk enough to drool over Peter LaBarbera or Matt Barber in tight trunks.

Hat tip to Pam Spaulding and Pushing Rope.

A little bragging for Thursday

I apologize for the short post today. I am due to hear my little cousin sing at a concert.

So I thought I would pat myself on the back real quick.

I apologize for the indulgence.

My other webpage, Anti-Gay Lies and Liars reached over 1,000 hits a while back.

While compared to other blogs, this may not seem much, but it is a success as far as I'm concerned.

Anti-Gay Lies and Liars began in January and it is my way of breaking down the distortions of the anti-gay industry into easy-to-understand points for use by those who are concerned with the well-being of lgbts.

Central to this page is my time-line of how the anti-gay industry have relied on bad studies, lies, and out-and-out deceptions to dehumanize lgbts and deny us what is rightfully ours.

I periodically add more examples of lies and distortions. This year has been very fruitful so far thanks to Sally Kern, Matt Barber, and Peter LaBarbera.

And I find it interesting that no one has challenged any of my assertions.

Every now and then, I get challenges on this blog, but for some reason no one challenges me on the veracity of the information on Anti-Gay Lies and Liars.

I wonder why that is.

Seriously, thank you everyone who made Anti-Gay Lies and Liars a success.

And by all means, use it to educate yourself and others.

Lastly, if there is something that you wish for me to add, please let me know.

Apparently we are winning the culture war

I would be remiss if I did not mention the new item about our friend Sally Kern.

It would seem that PFLAG has a tape of its meeting with her. And this tape contradicts her claims that PFLAG took her statements out of context.

Well duh.

Still, it's good to have this thing on record. But what else can I say about this woman, who has lied, distorted, attacked an innocent group of people and then hid behind her faith when called to the carpet?

Not a thing, so I will just direct you all to the link. It's a doozy.

And on that topic, I have been ignoring our friend Peter since he has been busy with his "I wanna be just like Sally" fest.

But it would seem that he is playing the "Oh we are going to lose to those nasty homosexuals" game again:

My friend Laurie Higgins below has hit on a microcosm of why our movement is on the brink of an astounding cultural defeat — the triumph of immoral same-sex behavior as a “civil right.” In the last decade, some of our leaders, and many conservatives, chose to “downplay” the very force — homosexualism — that was leading the assault on marriage, normalcy and children in our culture.

About three years ago, I sat in a roomful of evangelical leaders at a major ministry where it was taught that you should not criticize homosexual behavior in advocating against “same-sex marriage.” The “expert” speaker cited poll data and negative audience reaction to the issue being raised.

Meanwhile, with each passing year, the other side CELEBRATES homosexual and gender-confused lifestyles with ever greater fervor, and happily promotes the same to kids, as if they are doing God’s work (when it is actually Satan’s). Their play book is simple: always stay on the offensive, even when it comes to advocating “transgender” identity/behavior to children (e.g., the 2nd-grade Colorado boy who was encouraged to come to school in a dress). We moral-minded express the requisite shock and horror; they continue to move forward.

Tell me: which side is destined to win the Culture War according to these lopsided Rules of Engagement?

So we are winning against Peter and company. Who knew?

Well all I can say is that if we are winning, then we should thank Peter and company.

If people are turning against them, it's because they are seeing through their bullshit, particular on the issue of lgbt rights.

But tell me, just how long can anyone push the following degree of propaganda before they are caught in their lies:

Religious right: Homosexuality is a sin

Okay, that is your right to believe that.

Religious right: Gay men have a short life span because of the diseases they catch.

Say what!

Religious right: Lesbians have a high rate of alcohol abuse. Generally all gays and lesbians have a high rate of alcohol abuse and suicide.

Now hold up. Where are you getting that?

Religious right: Gays and lesbians are trying to recruit children into their lifestyle.

What in the hell are you talking about?

Religious right: Gays have an organized campaign going to silence Christians and destroy marriage.

Hold it! Where is your proof of these claims about homosexuality? What’s the difference between what you are saying about gays and what the Nazis said about Jews?

Pause

Religious right: I believe that homosexuality is a sin. Why are you calling me a hater when all I am doing is speaking God’s word.

Let's talk about Mass Resistance for a second

This situation regarding Paul Ash (see yesterday's post) underscores just how bullheaded some people are.

I read that Ash, despite being threatened, will continue the curriculum. And I hope he does.

But it amazes me that throughout all the comments I read on various pages, no one wants to answer the following question:

What is wrong with teaching children the truth that other family situations exist? It has nothing to do with sexual intercourse.

I don't see the answer to this question. What I see is the following (taken verbatim):

visit www.massresistance.org. Also google Boston Children's Hospital Sex Change Clinic. See for yourself what sick people these devaints really are.

I guess I am a homophobe, It must be a good and nessecary emotion as it keeps me clean, not like the homosexuals whom deceive children about human sexuality, of the family nature and marriage. two men, two women that have intimate relations, are mutiplating the natural course of sex and family.

Children must be afforded respect and protection of their innocence and childhood. Respectful adults do not involve children in talk of devaint sexual practices, nor do they involve children in adult sexual concerns. Responsible and intelligent adults realize children are not sexual creatures, they need time to grow and mature before they learn about adult matters

Hello, Hello, Hello, James, Reality is A man and a woman, come together as one to produce children the family. This is real reality as you see life cannot be without this reality. This is the reality of life itself. So tell the children the truth, man and woman= children= family. And when man realizes this truth and bonds with woman then he will live in reality. Amen!!! Praise Jesus!!!

We seem to be dealing with people who don't want to even admit that their ideas of family aren't the only ones. They seem to want to evade the question and push the conversation into the realm of sexual intercourse.

And helping them along with the way is the group Mass Resistance.

For many who don't know, Mass Resistance is a vile group in Massachusetts whose reputation for lying is so bad that I think even our buddy Peter won't vouch for them.

They are responsible for some of the most mean-spirited attacks on lgbts that I have ever seen. The only thing that separates them from Fred Phelps group is lack of notoriety.

Yesterday, I said that they were behind the David Parker controversy but I didn't go into detail about it.

When Parker was arrested (he eventually refused to leave his son's elementary school after a meeting.) Mass Resistance members just happened to be there to take pictures of him being led away in handcuffs.

Coincidence? You tell me.

Then a year after the initial nonsense, the group sent out a press release claiming that Parker's son was attacked because of his dad's stance. Mass Resistance claimed that the child was dragged behind a building and beat up by a bunch of students who were angry at the controversy Parker started.

The press release got significant play throughout many anti-gay industry web pages and blogs.

The incident was investigated by the school, the area police, and the area social services.

The results of the investigations are here and here.

There was no gang attack.

The real story was that Parker's son had gotten into a fight with a friend over a cafeteria seat.

And furthermore, Parker was told of the incident after it happened, so he had full knowledge of the incident before Mass Resistance's press release went out.

His son and the friend made amends and even had a "play date" after the incident.

Mass Resistance conveniently omits this distortion of truth when they talk about the Parker situation. And to make matters worse, they continue to tell the lie that Parker's son was gang attacked.

Go on their page now and see the claim. When caught in that lie, they spin more lies.

And just so you know, none of the anti-gay industry groups or bloggers who ran the Mass Resistance press release issued any type of retraction.

Luckily, there are two things that work against Mass Resistance.

Their antics have pretty much alienated them from the majority of the public in Massachusetts.

Also, there is a group constantly watching them and making sure people know the truth - Mass Resistance Watch.

But still, it's sad to see a how a bunch of liars can prey on the fears and insecurities of so many.