The religious right doesn't care about the bullying of Christian students either

In an attempt to make a point about how supposedly too much unnecessary attention is paid to the bullying of gay students, Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council accidentally demonstrated his organization's lack of care in regards to bullying in general.

According to that "lovely" phony news service, One News Now:

 Since Education Secretary Arne Duncan has once again met with a group of LGBT students to hear suggestions for improving school experience, one conservative wonders if a meeting with Christian students is even a possibility.

This latest meeting can be added to the list of about two dozen others Duncan has held with LGBT students since taking office. Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council (FRC) recognizes that Dncan can meet with whomever he wants -- but offers one query.

"I'm curious whether he would be willing to meet with Christian students in a similar way so that they could relate their experiences of bullying and persecution because they've expressed their faith or their personal moral convictions at school," Sprigg notes.

The gist of Sprigg's comment and the article is that focusing on the bullying of gay students is supposedly unnecessary:

Sprigg points out that studies show the main reason students are bullied is not because of sexual orientation, but because of body image, academic performance and perceived intelligence. So while Duncan is placing the Department of Education's focus on the lesbian, "gay", bisexual and transgender students, Sprigg contends no one is looking out for the students who need the attention.

That link in the article doesn't point to any of the "studies," but another One News Now article featuring a statement from Peter Jon Mitchell of the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada  Apparently IMFC is a  Canadian religious right group.

Mitchell said the following:

A report on state legislation up to April 2011 for the U.S. Department of Education found that 48 pieces of legislation on bullying were passed between 2000 and 2006, with an additional 78 pieces of state legislation passed in the following four years. Many of the laws aim to protect homosexuals, but the study reveals there is little bullying on that basis.

"The primary reason or primary trigger for bullying is body image, followed by academic performance and sort of perceived intelligence," Mitchell reports.

Someone should tell Sprigg that an article talking about a generic report while providing no link to the report is not equal to a legitimate study.

But more than that, I am struck by Sprigg's first statement - "I'm curious whether he (Arne Duncan) would be willing to meet with Christian students in a similar way so that they could relate their experiences of bullying and persecution because they've expressed their faith or their personal moral convictions at school."

That's a good question. An even better question would be why don't Sprigg  or FRC get a group of these students together for such a meeting.

My guess is that it won't happen.

The reason is not because the supposed bullying of Christian students isn't happening. That's not the point.

The point is that Sprigg  wouldn't be interested in getting such a group together because he only mentioned these students as a way to play Christian students and gay students against one another in the eyes of the public.

Combating the bullying of any students is not what Sprigg and FRC are going for. It's not in any of their goals. To my knowledge, FRC has never pushed for any concrete legislation or made any legitimate suggestions when it comes to combating the bullying of any students.

Keeping down the gay community is all they aim for.

In other words, Sprigg is using Christian students as patsies.

He's not interested in stopping the bullying of Christian students any more than he is interested in stopping the bullying of gay students.

And it's sad because some folks will read Sprigg's comments and think that he makes a good point without realizing that he is exploiting Christian students for yet another game of "stop the queers."

'Opposition Research' or 'Truth Telling?'

My talk today at Netroots Nation went over pretty well.

I was supposed to be talking about how I track religious right distortions, as it was phrased "opposition research."

However, I made a point to say several times that it's not necessarily "opposition research" but "truth telling."

It's really nothing more than what journalists and pundits should be doing when writing about or interviewing folks like Tony Perkins and Maggie Gallagher, i.e. digging deep and questioning their responses rather than allowing them to go on a monologue of talking points.

Even though I would have really loved to have gone into detail about the six deceptions of the religious right, it was still a step forward to be able to finally throw out the idea that gay activists should educate themselves more on the religious right.

The entire day in general went quick and very well. I was especially pleased to give some positive shout outs to my lgbtq brothers and sisters in South Carolina during the second panel discussion I took part in, i.e. turning purple and red states into blue states on the subject of lgbtq equality.

Between you and me though, the red state/blue state dichotomy is dumb as hell and for the life of me, I don't know who ever thought it up.

The general gist of panelists there is that the national gay rights organizations are too quick to write off states like Florida, Indiana and my state of South Carolina because they figure we are lost causes.

But meanwhile, the gay communities in these states are thriving and getting things done. I was especially glad to brag on the various gay organizations in South Carolina.

So all in all, I have thus far accomplished the goals I set out this year. Can't wait until tomorrow.

BREAKING: California will investigate National Organization for Marriage

This just hit my inbox:

Contact:  Brian Wilson
Brian.RightsEqualRights@yahoo.com

In a surprise move, the state of California’s ethics office just announced that it will investigate Fred Karger’s complaint against the Washington, DC based NOM.  In his sworn complaint of May 17^th, Karger alleged that NOM did not report over $340,000 that it raised to pass Proposition 8 four years ago.  California joins the state of Maine which is in its third year of its investigation of NOM, the leading anti-gay marriage organization in the country.

Here’s the letter Karger received yesterday from Gary Winuk, the Chief Enforcement Officer of the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC):

To view Karger’s May 17^th complaint:  CLICK HERE.

It shows that NOM had received 11 large contributions in 2008 that were never reported as required under California election law.  That was the year NOM helped lead the effort to pass California’s Proposition 8.

Mitt Romney’s $10,000 Contribution Never Reported

One of the 11 missing contributions was $10,000 from presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s Alabama PAC.  In addition to the Romney money there were 10 more contributions NOM did not report, including: $150,000 from Michael Casey of Jamestown, RI, $100,000 from Sean Fiedler of New York, NY and $25,000 from NOM Board member Craig Cardon of Mesa, AZ, a General Authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).

NOM Must Obey the Law

“The National Organization for Marriage has spent tens of millions of dollars to take marriage rights away from millions of Americans over the last four years,” said Karger, who is also responsible for the NOM investigation in Maine and the 2010 FPPC successful prosecution of the Mormon Church on 13 counts of election fraud.  “NOM is allowed to participate in these elections, but it must obey all state and federal laws and report where all of its money is coming from.  Once again it looks like they got caught.”
 

We’ll be Watching

“Now as NOM funds the four anti-gay marriage elections this fall in Minnesota, Washington, Maryland and Maine, I will be watching them closely.  Under the leadership of Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown, NOM is relentless in its desire to harm people and apparently thinks that it is above the law.  I will continue to monitor their activities in every state where it wages its war against the LGBT community,” added Karger.

And this has been confirmed by The Sacremento Bee

14-year-old accuses President Obama of making children gay

From The Huffington Post comes an absolutely ridiculous story:

A West Virginia-based teen radio host is making waves after proclaiming that President Obama "is making kids gay" in a recent episode.

Fourteen-year-old Caiden Cowger, who hosts the twice-weekly "Caiden Cowger Show," made his anti-gay proclamations in a recent broadcast, video of which was uploaded to his YouTube channel on May 26. "Homosexuality is a belief," Cowger, who has previously interviewed former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, declares. "The person is not born that way, no matter what Lady Gaga says...it is a decision."

After confessing that he was once friends with some kids who have since come out as gay, he notes, "They were not homosexuals [then]...they just decided all of a sudden, 'I think I'm going to be gay,'" before he eventually concludes, "I'm going to tell you this, guys:  President Obama...Vice President Biden...is making kids gay!"

Cowger, who is identified by The New Civil Rights Movement as a Pentecostal Christian, slams homosexuality as "a perverted belief, it's immoral and not natural" before noting, "I'm not for bullying homosexuals, I believe that it's wrong. But when you're trying to teach them the word of God and they consider that bullying...I find that a big problem, not being allowed to convert other people to my religion."

Please guys, no rude comments. This is just a 14-year-old child who doesn't know his ass from his elbow. No doubt the right will embrace him as a truth-teller, but in reality he is a mere child talking about things he knows nothing about.

And though some folks may disagree with me giving him attention, I say when the  right shows its ignorance, shine a spotlight on it.

I mean really . . . from coaching three-year-olds to sing anti-gay songs in church to encouraging 14-year-olds to accuse Obama of making children gay.

Come on, guys on the right. Even if you have no sense of decency, where is your sense of self-respect?

'Students rally around fired gay coach' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Wade Davis, Former Football Player, On Being Gay In The NFL - Interview with African-American gay former football player



In other news:

Miss Pennsylvania USA Resigns In Protest Of Transgender Candidates - Poor baby. She will get over it.

Team rallies around gay coach fired over drag queen photos - This is very encouraging!

New Mexico Appeals Court Rejects Claim That Religious Right Can Ignore Anti-Discrimination Laws - The gay community's reaction is mixed over this. What do you think?

Ninth Circuit Denies Request to Rehear Prop 8 Case, So What Happens Now? - I KNOW you all have heard this good news. But what does it mean?

Netroots Nation - First Day : I get to talk about debunking the religious right!

As many of my readers know, I am presently in Providence, RI attending Netroots Nation. Presently, I am at a portion of the conference where lgbtq activists and bloggers are coming together to brainstorm and talk about our experience and goals.

Imagine my surprise when I was asked to give a 10 minute presentation on "opposition research" and another panel discussion on blogging in conservative red states.

I am extremely psyched by both, but specifically the first. I have long wanted to talk about the importance and the need to study the tactics of the religious right.

 When I was first asked, I envisioned an image of myself wearing a uniform that George C. Scott wore in Patton while standing in front of a giant rainbow flag. My first line would be:

"Folks, opposition research is hell. God help me, I love it so."

Seriously though, my goal is to press upon folks the importance of knowing those who want to stop our equality. It's not enough to simply call them "bigots." It is imperative that we break down their tactics and expose their lies at every turn.

I really want to impress upon folks two things:

1. It is very important to "know the enemy" and put them on the defensive before something happens. We tend to wait until Maggie Gallagher or Tony Perkins says something before reacting. We need to get them to react now and then.

2. The positive effects of putting positive information out there for our youth to read. On that score, I am going to have to share a painful story from my college days in terms of why information needs to be out there regarding the religious right to not only educate,  but also to inspire our young folks and also to let them know that they are not alone . . . . and to get them motivated.

Wish me luck. I intend to make the most of my time here ;p

Gay family in center of JC Penney Ad smacks down religious right nonsense

From Think Progress:

JC Penney recently incited backlash from the American Family Association’s One Million Moms for featuring a gay couple in one of their Fathers’ Day advertisements when OMM suggested that the department store was “promoting sin” with their inclusive advertising.

Gay couple Cooper Smith and Todd Koch responded today to the negative and positive attention their ad has received, saying that the positive support has been overwhelming and the criticism doesn’t bother them because “we’re not ashamed of our family.” Smith pointed out that the ad shouldn’t be controversial because it just reflects the day-to-day life of his family

Phony Christian blogger needs to pray for herself

Well I am in Rhode Island for Netroots Nation and it promises to be fun. I already feel rejuvenated being around so many high level lgbtq bloggers and hope to have my spirits renewed and restored.

Now I wasn't going to post anymore today but a blogging buddy of mine sent me something which I just had to talk about as yet another example of religious right hypocrisy.

A certain "Christian" blogger by the name of Stacy Harp has issued the following for me:

Praying for the Homosexual & Lesbian Community
Please share with your friends who have a heart to see the lost come to Christ.



Please pray for Alvin McEwen today.  Alvin isn't known by many people, but he is an active homosexual blogger who advocates daily for homosexuality.  He has written about how he is a Christian on his blog, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, and recently made headlines when he claimed to have "exposed" a right wing group of Christian leaders who he said were out to commit a cyber attack on the gay community. (He was quickly found to be found out wrong.)

Pray for Alvin's emotional healing and for him to come to a biblical understanding of who Christ is, so that he will know the true freedom found in a personal relationship with Christ and leave the sin of homosexuality behind.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

What prompted Harp to call me out? I don't know. I guess I have been posting some very good anti-religious right stuff lately.

Anyway, Harp alluded to the Truth4Time story I broke earlier this year and that I stand by.

However, since Harp wants to bring up the past, let's bring up hers as a way of giving anyone not familiar with her an idea of what type of "Christian" she is.

Not surprisingly enough, she is the type who masks her ignorant raw homophobia behind a phony religious veneer. Years ago, she attempted to bait a friend of mine, Joe Brummer, into a ridiculous conversation about gay sex. Below, via Pam's House Blend, are various comments made by Harp (I apologize in advance for the language):

Stacy: You’re in total denial. And for you to enjoy sex with a man, you know, whether it’s anal or oral, whatever the heck it is you do, that’s just wrong. It’s perverted – It’s disgusting – It’s unnatural – and you know it.

And:

Stacy: Homosexuality is all about sex, and that’s disgusting. You don’t teach sex to three year olds. I’m sorry, but that just is not appropriate. You do not do that.

Stacy: It’s not a lie, it’s totally the truth. That’s what makes you gay, is that you like to put your penis in somebody’s asshole. That’s what makes you gay.

And:

Stacy: No, you know it’s…so let me ask you something…

Joe: Regardless, I now have less than fifteen minutes to get myself out the door.

Stacy: So if you putting your penis…

Joe: I’m hanging up now.

Stacy: …in somebody’s asshole, and this isn’t about sex…

Joe: I am not going to have a sexual conversation with you.
  
Stacy: …then I don’t know what is.

And:

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.

So folks, who do you think needs prayer more? Me or Stacy?

Homophobic church continues to face backlash

Editor's note - there will be no midday post today because I will be traveling to Rhode Island to attend Netroots Nation

The church where that three-year-child sang "Ain't No Homos Gonna Make It To Heaven" continues to feel much deserved backlash via CNN:




Hat tip to Towleroad.

A month of anti-gay hell

From Think Progress has come up with something which NEEDS to be shared far and wide:

As perhaps a backlash of North Carolina’s passage of Amendment One and President Obama’s support for marriage equality, May proved to be rife with anti-gay rhetoric in churches across the country. Here is the month’s worth of anti-gay rhetoric compiled into one video:

Marvel Comics proves religious right has unhealthy obsession with gay community

I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of comic books. Now one comic book in particular that I have found to be very interesting is The Punisher by Marvel Comics.

The Punisher is about a former soldier whose family was massacred by the Mafia. Since that time, he has carried a very effective one-man war against crime.

In the last few years, The Punisher comic book has been the showcase of, shall we say, repulsive actions, all viewed in living color including but not limited to:

Eviscerations (i.e. disembowlements), cannibalism, rapes, immolations (i.e. setting people on fire), close-ups of violent shootings, death by snakes, piranhas, sharks, polar bears (the scene in which the polar bear swipes the man's head clean off was simply incredible), beheadings, the destruction of an entire island by a nuclear bomb, a tossing of a gangster from the top of the Empire State building (in the full view of a young teenager who got super excited over it), testicular castrations . . .

I think you get the picture.

But not once, I repeat, not once have any religious right group  raised anything resembling anger, outrage, disgust, or downright shock over any of these things.

But these groups are crying bloody murder now and you know what they are angry about?

The wedding of a gay superhero, Northstar,  to his boyfriend in another Marvel comic:

From that lovely bastion of phony news, One News Now:

Pro-family groups are outraged by the recent announcement about plans for some comic book super heroes to embrace alternate lifestyles.

. . . Focus on the Family's Glenn Stanton, director of family formation studies, says it is "shameful" to press this issue upon children.

"What's really disturbing about this is the real arrogance of these cartoon creators who think their job is not just to entertain, but to indoctrinate, to preach at us," he observes. "We go to church to be preached at; we don't go to comics to do that. And again, it's just arrogance on the part of these creators."

He also dubs it a political move. "It's kind of activist comic books, which we don't need. Comic books are for entertainment; they're not for activism, social activism," Stanton contends.

. . .Monica Cole of OneMillionMoms.com, an advocacy branch of the American Family Association, agrees.

"DC Comics and Marvel, they have an agenda, and it's to indoctrinate children at a younger age," she laments. "And they're doing it. They're being successful at it."

Now I usually end a piece like this with a quirky comment, but I don't think I need to.

Sometimes the idiocy of the religious right speaks very well for itself.

'By all means, discriminate against gays' and other Monday midday news briefs

Something to listen to when you go to the bathroom:



In other news:

Owner of Oak Park gay club believes weekend fire suspicious - Great. Now arson.

Over 300 Mormons Join Utah Gay Pride Parade; Mormons Building Bridges Send Message Of Love - Extremely admirable by members of the Mormon community.

A Win for Gay Mothers in New Mexico - More good news for our community.

Protest Held At "Ain't No Homos" Church - Regardless of what members say in public, I bet that church is hating that child's song now.

Lawsuit - Doctor refused to treat HIV-positive patient and insulted him

There has been a lawsuit filed in New Jersey which should send a chill up the spine of members of the lgbtq community.

According to Courthouse News Service:

A gay HIV-positive man says in court that a hospital denied him treatment and visitors, as the doctor remarked, "This is what he gets for going against God's will."

Joao Simoes sued Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Union County Superior Court. He says that the hospital admitted him in August 2011, but that "requests for his lifesaving medication were not honored," and his sister was denied visitation rights.

Susan V. Borga, M.D., from the Department of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry, allegedly approached Simoes while he was confined to the hospital's mental health wing. Borga is not named as a defendant.

Simoes says Borga was unfazed when another patient told her that he had just gotten out of prison, where he served time for murder. But her reaction was allegedly different when Simoes said that he did not work because he planned to go back to school and because of his HIV status.

Borga then allegedly asked Simoes how he got HIV, to which he responded, "I got it from unprotected sex."

The complaint then says that "Dr. Borga closed the plaintiff's file, put it down and looked at plaintiff with disgust on her face and asked, coldly, "Is that from sex with men?"

Simoes says he responded affirmatively and that, "immediately after hearing this, Dr. Borga proceeded to exit the room."

After this consultation, no nurse or doctor came to see Simoes, even though he told them that he needed to take his HIV medication, according to the complaint.

When the hospital finally permitted Simoes to call his personal physician on the third day of his stay, he learned that the doctor had already spoken with Borga about Simoes' medication, according to the complaint.

Borga allegedly responded: "You must be gay, too, if you're his doctor."

"Additionally, apparently realizing that plaintiff's doctor had an accent, Dr. Borga exclaimed, 'What, do you need a translator?' to which plaintiff's doctor had again responded that Dr. Borga needed to give plaintiff his HIV medication," the complaint states.

"Dr. Borga responded to plaintiff's doctor by stating, 'This is what he gets for going against God's will,' and hung up the phone on plaintiff's doctor."

More to the story here

If true, this awful story in itself highlights the blatant disrespect that some gays fear that they will face from physicians if they are out. Studies have shown that fear of stigma play a huge stumbling block in the successful treatment of gay men in combating disease, especially AIDS:

One study found that participants who reported high levels of stigma were more than four times more likely to report poor access to care.16 These factors all contribute to the expansion of the epidemic (as a reluctance to determine HIV status or to discuss or practice safe sex means that people are more likely to infect others) and a higher number of AIDS-related deaths. An unwillingness to take an HIV test means that more people are diagnosed late, when the virus has already progressed to AIDS, making treatment less effective and causing early death.

An even more noxious notion is the simple fact that not only does stimga play a role in the spread of AIDS, but when phony experts like Peter Sprigg from the Family Research Council cite the numbers of gay men with AIDS, they will blame the sexual orientation of these gay men as causing the diagnosis, while deliberately omitting how prejudice and stigma plays a part.

Book blows the lid off of gay link to black gospel music

Clara Ward

THIS promises to be interesting.

 According to a recent article in The New York Times, Anthony Heilbut - "producer, reviewer and historian of black gospel music for nearly a half-century,"- is coming out with a new book which promises to blow the lid off of how the black church embraces gays and lesbians in gospel music while at the same time denying their existence and espousing about how homosexuality is a sin:

Rosetta Tharpe

 . . . amid the volatile national debate about same-sex marriage, Mr. Heilbut has thrown the doors open to what he calls the “secret closet” of gays in gospel. In a lengthy chapter of his forthcoming book, “The Fan Who Knew Too Much,” he not only pays homage to the artistic role of gays and bisexuals, but also accuses black Christians, clergy and laity alike, of hypocrisy in opposing same-sex marriage while relying on gay people for much of the sacred music of the black church.

James Cleveland

The timing of Mr. Heilbut’s book, and the intensity of his argument, has thrust it from the dusty corners of arts criticism into the heat and light of the political arena in a presidential election year. Same-sex marriage, more than any other issue, has forced the black church as an institution to try to reconcile its dueling strains of ideological liberalism and theological conservatism. At the congregational level, it has meant the awkward coexistence of gay musicians and antigay preaching and casual ridicule.

“The family secret has become public knowledge,” Mr. Heilbut writes in his book, “and the black church, once the very model of civil rights, has acquired a new image, as the citadel of intolerance.” Left unchecked, he continues, the trend “would introduce an ugly but not uninformed term, ‘black redneck.’ ”

As the article points out, it would seem that there is more of an emphasis on what this situation has to do with the argument of marriage equality than lgbtqs of color in the Black church in general.

While this is unfortunate, the good thing is that this book will no doubt continue a discussion of the hypocrisy of some vestiges of the Black church as it pertains to the lgbtq community:

Mr. Heilbut, 71, discovered gospel while exploring Harlem as a teenage member of the N.A.A.C.P. As he went on to write “The Gospel Sound” and to produce award-winning gospel records, he was also immersed in the everyday homophobia of the black church. “I heard it forever,” he said in a recent interview. “ ‘He’s a great singer, but he’s a sissy.’ Or, ‘He did a terrible thing, but at least he’s not a sissy.’ ”

His reasons for breaking his silence are partly practical. Many of the musicians he identifies as gay or bisexual — James Cleveland, Alex Bradford, Clara Ward, Sister Rosetta Tharpe — are now dead, and in Mr. Cleveland’s case, dead from AIDS.

In the book, Mr. Heilbut recounts a conversation with another gay musician, Charles Campbell, shortly before his death. When Mr. Heilbut asked if he could “tell his story and quote him,” Mr. Campbell replied: “Sure, baby, I think it needs to be told. It all needs to be told.”

Read more of this article here

Related post:  

NPR exposes the complex relationship between the Black Church and gays

Know Your LGBT History - A brief history of gay relationships

No one famous today. Just a reminder that we and our relationships have existed long before Stonewall:



Past Know Your LGBT History posts:

'NOM pouring money into Maryland anti-marriage equality fight' and other Friday midday news briefs

Blogging for LGBT Families Day 2012: Contributed Posts - It’s Blogging for LGBT Families Day!

Illinois School Board Bans Family Diversity Book - Because gay folks don't have families (sarcasm alert).

 How NOM's seemingly limitless cash well is shaping Maryland - NOM literally pouring money into Maryland's anti-marriage equality fight.

  Writer James Robinson Shines a Light on DC Entertainment's Latest Gay Superhero, Earth-Two's Green Lantern - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Green Lantern of Earth Two is gay. Now about NOM and Maryland . . .

  Report: anti-LGBT murders jumped 11 percent in 2011 - And this too. 

Anti-gay groups ignoring researcher's call to stop using his work

From Truth Wins Out:

In 1973, Dr. Robert Spitzer led the charge to successfully have homosexuality removed from the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), which is its list of mental disorders. This was a major victory and remains one the gay movement’s signature achievements.

Given his stature and key role in declassifying gay people as sick, it was quite a surprise when Dr. Spitzer published a non-peer reviewed 2001 study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior that claimed some “highly motivated” gay people could reach their “heterosexual potential” through prayer and therapy. When he announced his work at the 2001 APA meeting in New Orleans, it created a media sensation. An Associated Press story called his findings “explosive.”

In 2012, Dr. Spitzer recanted in the American Prospect magazine and in a letter to the Archives of Sexual Behavior, obtained by Truth Wins Out, Dr. Spitzer asked that his study be withdrawn. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show and the New York Times covered his apology.

During an interview with  Lisa Darden and Truth Wins Out's Wayne Besen (see above video), Spitzer said the following:

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) is still misusing your study and a video featuring you remains prominently placed on the group’s website. Would you like to address PFOX?

“I ask that PFOX stop showing this video. This is quite misleading. I had no way, really, of knowing when I examined any particular subject whether they really had changed or whether they were deceiving themselves or even outright lying when they claimed that they had changed. So, please don’t show this [video] to anyone.”

The retraction of your study must be very upsetting to anti-gay organizations.

“I’m curious as to whether they have said anything or how they live with the fact that the one study that they have always been citing has now been taken away from them. I would think that’s a pretty rough place to be in.”

Is the “Ex-Gay” Industry capable of unbiased research on homosexuality?

“The people who are pushing the ‘ex-gay’ idea are so full of hatred for homosexuality, really, that I don’t think they can respond in an ethical way.”

They are responding by ignoring Spitzer. The Family Research Council continues to link to his work (the following comes up on FRC's webpage when I google Spitzer's full name) and PFOX hasn't removed any citation of his work from its webpage.

While we shouldn't be surprised, the big question is what are we going to do about it?

Come on religious right, own your disease!

I am disappointed in the religious right.

With all of this free-flowing homophobia going around, one would think that Tony Perkins, Maggie Gallagher or their organizations would be making comments.

At the very least, listening to pastors say that gays should be put to death and three-year-olds singing songs about "homos not getting to Heaven" should be sending the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer into some type of orgasm.

I personally think that they are avoiding these controversies like it's a big pile of dog dirt that they are too lazy to clean up from their front lawn. And why shouldn't they be? In this case, the dog belongs solely to them.

All of that talk about gays harming children, trying to destroy marriage, and creating general mayhem doesn't just go down a rabbit hole. It attaches itself somewhere, festers, and grows like a disease. Case in point:

'DOMA smacked down again! Thank Maggie Gallagher and Paul Cameron' and other Thursday midday news briefs

BREAKING: Two Republican Judges Declare DOMA Unconstitutional - There are sooooo many sweet things involved in this victory. For one, it was a unanimous decision by the three judge panel, two which are Republican appointees. 

 And then there are two especially sweet things you need to know: 

A. Boehner's attempted defense of DOMA has been doomed to fail from the beginning, which was something I predicted in August of last year when I broke the story about how Paul Clement, the lawyer defending DOMA, was citing junk science in his defense, including that of the discredited Paul Cameron. - Boehner's DOMA defense contains junk science, bad sources 

  B. And something to make the pot even sweeter is the fact that Clement attempted to cite the National Organization's Maggie Gallagher as an expert in a manner which would have allowed her to avoid cross-examination by the lawyers seeking to strike down DOMA. To this day, I don't think anyone has ever asked why and that is a shame. - Boehner’s DOMA lawyers want to cite Maggie Gallagher, but avoid cross-examination  

In other news:

 California state Senate approves bill to ban ‘ex-gay’ therapy - We are almost there in California!

 In Milwaukee Post, Cardinal Authorized Paying Abusers - Cardinal Timothy Dolan implies that marriage equality is an attack on religious freedom. But apparently paying off pedophiles and lying about it is okay? 

Mormon group to march in Utah Pride Parade - Good for them!  

Tony Perkins Lashes Out at US Tourism Ad for Featuring Gay Couple - Give it a rest, Tony! 

Church has no regrets with child singing anti-gay song

The story about the toddler being applauded in church for singing a homophobic song gets worse.

Apparently I was wrong when I guessed the child's age. He is actually three and not four. And now, the celebrity site, TMZ is reporting several sad developments:

Members of an Indiana church say they've been flooded with death threats since video of a 3-year-old proudly singing, "Ain't no homos gonna make it to heaven" ... was posted on the Internet.

Multiple members of the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle Church in Greensburg, Indiana tell TMZ the church office has been getting harassing calls and the pastor has received death threats at his home. They also say a prayer meeting scheduled for this evening at church had to be moved to a secret location.

We're told they are looking into increasing security, but for now the congregation is handling it ... taking turns watching over the church.

One member says Pastor Jeff Sangl is extremely worried about his safety -- and this morning he and his wife left for vacation without telling anyone where they were going.

I am not for death threats. But I am for public humiliation when such warrants it and based upon what TMZ says next, the church deserves all of the public humiliation it receives:

 Despite the threats, all the members we spoke to have no regrets about the song getting posted online -- in fact one said, "The people who are upset just don't read the word of God. If we don't teach the children the truth early they will never learn."

As for the thunderous applause after the hate-filled song -- we're told, "Of course we applauded a child who is singing a song about God."

When one thinks about a child singing a song about God, "Yes Jesus Loves Me" comes to mind, not some homophobic tripe which puts a child in a position to judge - something the Bible has said we should not do (Matthew 7:1).

What's next? A song about how David (who killed Goliath) paid a dowry of 200 foreskins to King Saul of Israel? After all, that's in the Bible.

I wonder how much of an ovation would the child receive for that? It always amazes and saddens me that people pull the "Biblical truth" card when it comes to criticizing other people but yet will pay no attention to how that truth requires introspection before passing judgement.

The religious right claims that America is in ANOTHER moral crisis

The following is another one of those God-awful religious right produced "America is in a moral crisis" video.

How many times does that make it? What are we? A country or Erica Kane from All My Children.

One of these days, I am going to do a google search on all of the times the religious right have claimed that this country is in a "moral crisis."

Seems to me that a crisis denotes a coming catastrophe and if this country hasn't gone over the abyss yet, then someone or some people are yanking our chains.

From Religious Right Watch:

America is on the brink of collapse, and Truth in Action Ministries is warning in a new film, as a result of gay rights, liberalism and secular government. The group unveiled The Price of Freedom following a series of films blaming America’s ills on the IRS and homosexuality, calling for its criminalization. The film features Mike Huckabee, anti-gay activist Harry Jackson, Liberty Counsel’s Harry Mihet, Movieguide’s Ted Baehr and tea party activist Paul Jehle, along with the predictably ominous scenes from gay rights rallies and parades. Others participating in the film include Southern Baptist Convention’s Richard Land and Congressmen Todd Akin and Cliff Stearns.

“We have created a future for our children which is very negative in the sense that if they live in a socialized culture, in a perverse culture, all of the pillars of society are going to be pulled out from under them,” Baehr asserted. Jackson spoke of a “head-to-head battle” between “liberal, secular people” and the church, which Mihet said can prevent “moral chaos.”

Watch highlights here:

'Brian Brown agrees to debate Dan Savage' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

NOM’s Brian Brown To Dine And Debate With Dan Savage - My money is on Dan Savage but if Brian Brown follows the "Maggie Gallagher Book of Debate," he will alternately attempt to boggart the debate by interrupting Savage while pretending to be the victim. Also, let's play a drinking game as to how many times Brown will whine about being "unfairly labeled as a bigot."

 Lawsuits Planned To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage In Illinois - This promises to be very interesting.

Texas may get 1st gay legislator since 2003 - "May get," my foot. She won!! 

 Good As You’s Jeremy Hooper to Release His First Book - One of my blogging buddies, the Arn Anderson to my Tully Blanchard will be releasing his first book next month! Awesome!

 Maryland Gay Marriage Opponents Announce They Have Enough Signatures To Force Referendum - Surprising no one. The big question is how many lies will they tell in their attempts to defeat marriage equality. Hell, how many lies did they tell to get the signatures?

 Gene Robinson, First Openly Gay Anglican Bishop, Celebrates 65th Birthday - Finally, Happy Birthday to a great man! 

Pastors talk about killing gays, child says 'homos' won't make it to heaven

According to my online pal, Jeremy Hooper, the fact that gays and our relationships are getting more of a positive limelight is obviously beginning to scare some people.

He has tracked two unfortunate cases of pastors in the pulpit advocating killing gays:





But for sheer shock, Jeremy has to take a backseat to what looks like a four-year-old singing about how gays aren't going to heaven:

Wow, we don’t know what to say about this video. It’s a video of a young boy in what looks to be a church setting singing.

“I know the bible’s right, somebody’s wrong,” he says. And then the child goes on to say, “ain’t no homos gonna make it to heaven.”

The congregation jumps up to cheer.

The video was initially been removed from youtube for hate speech, but someone else made a copy of it:



Just in case it's removed again, go here to see it.

I know what Gandhi once said about those who hate you - "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win."

But DAMN! It's hell when they fight you, isn't it?

Now I know not all Christians believe this way but I wish those who don't would stand up and be a bit more vocal in calling out those who are so venomously anti-gay.

Alveda King speaks about her accusation against Bayard Rustin . . . or does she?

Alveda King

Today, I conducted a very short, very interesting (to say the least) interview with Alveda King, Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr's niece.

The interview stemmed from recent accusations she made about her uncle's gay aide and the architect of the 1963 March on Washington, Bayard Rustin. Ms. King charged in a statement :

"The 21st century homosexual lobby likes to point to the professional relationship between my uncle Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bayard Rustin, his openly homosexual staffer who left the movement at the height of the campaign. Rustin attempted to convince Uncle M. L. that homosexual rights were equal with civil rights. Uncle M. L. did not agree, and would not attach the homosexual agenda to the 20th century civil rights struggles. So Mr. Rustin resigned.

Bayard Rustin

That's simply not true. According to several sources, including the book Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin, Rustin resigned because several other black leaders were jealous of King's influence and were going to spread the story that he and King were lovers.

Earlier today, I spoke to Eugene Vigil, Ms. King's assistant. He told me that he forwarded comments I made on her blog to her and that she may be calling me. I seriously doubted that she would. You see, the comments I left on her page had been removed (but have since been restored.) You can imagine my surprise when she called me a few hours later.

Her tone was cordial but cautionary. I imagine she didn't exactly appreciate me branding her statements as lies.

In spite of this, the interview went fine at first. She said that she would be emailing me a column from a lesbian which would prove her accusation.

She also said that I had to understand that she, being a 61-year-old woman, had lived through the Civil Rights Movement and that made her privy to certain conversations of those involved.  I asked her what specifically did she allegedly hear regarding Rustin attempting to get MLK to connect the civil rights movement with gay equality.

She refused to go into detail, explaining to me she would not debate the words of the deceased because she felt it was disrespectful. That was when I pointed out to her that she had already begun the debate by making accusations against Rustin.

And that's when the interview went downhill fast.

We spent several minutes practically talking over each other. She kept saying that she would send me a column by a lesbian which would supposedly prove her point. I, however, told her that she would have to give me more information than that and if she was privy to certain conversations, why couldn't she give me the details of said conversations.

I also have to admit that I was put off by Ms. King's constant mentioning of the column "by a lesbian." She would not say this woman's name until I asked her. She finally told me that the lesbian in question was Irene Monroe, an ordained minister, religion columnist, public theologian,  motivational speaker and a person who I have extreme admiration for.

Needless to say that I was interested in reading if Ms. Monroe's words validated Alveda's assertions. However, I continued to press Ms. King to give me facts as to the personal conversations she allegedly heard.

That was when she hung up on me.

Now, the information Ms. King sent me from Monroe was a piece entitled What Did Martin Luther King Do When Confronted With Homosexuality?

And the portion Ms. King was talking about which supposedly validated her claim about Rustin was this:

SADLY, BAYARD RUSTIN, the gay man who was chief organizer and strategist for the 1963 March on Washington that further catapulted Martin Luther King onto the world stage, was not the beneficiary of King’s dream.

In a spring 1987 interview with “Open Hands,” a resource for ministries affirming the diversity of human sexuality, Rustin stated that he pushed King to speak up on his behalf, but King did not. In John D’Emilo’s book “Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin,” D’Emilo wrote: “Rustin offered to resign in the hope that he would force the issue. Much to his chagrin, King did not reject the offer. At the time, King was also involved in a major challenge to the conservative leadership of the National Baptist Convention, and one of his ministerial lieutenants in the fight was also gay. Basically, King said, ‘I can’t take on two queers at one time.’”

The piece in question by Ms. Monroe was actually titled Monroe View: The King family's mixed legacy.

 It was written in 2007 and it does include the above passage.

But nowhere in that passage does Monroe indicate that Rustin tried to convince King to connect gay and civil rights. But unfortunately, however, Monroe did not into detail as to what exactly did Rustin want King to speak on his behalf about.

She corrected that error in a March 22, 2012 piece entitled Bayard Rustin: One of the Tallest Trees in Our Forest. Here is what she said at that time:

African-American ministers involved in the civil rights movement would have nothing to do with Rustin, and they intentionally spread rumors throughout the movement that King was gay because of his close friendship with Rustin.

In a spring 1987 interview with Rustin in Open Hands, a resource for ministries affirming the diversity of human sexuality, Rustin recalls that difficult period quite vividly:

Martin Luther King, with whom I worked very closely, became very distressed when a number of the ministers working for him wanted him to dismiss me from his staff because of my homosexuality. Martin set up a committee to discover what he should do. They said that, despite the fact that I had contributed tremendously to the organization ... they thought I should separate myself from Dr. King. This was the time when [Rev. Adam Clayton] Powell threatened to expose my so-called homosexual relationship with Dr. King.

When Rustin pushed King to speak up on his behalf, King did not. In John D'Emilio's book Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin, he writes the following on the matter:

Rustin offered to resign in the hope that his would force the issue. Much to his chagrin, King did not reject the offer. At the time, King was also involved in a major challenge to the conservative leadership of the National Baptist Convention, and one of his ministerial lieutenants in the fight was also gay.

"Basically King said I can't take on two queers at on time," one of Rustin's associated recollected later.

And there you have it.

Alveda King bases her false accusation about Rustin attempting to manipulate MLK on a passage of a column taken out of context and comments she claims to have heard but won't go into detail about.

Draw your own conclusions as to Ms. King's credibility, folks.

As for me, I said I was determined to receive an answer one way or another. And I've got my answer.

I almost wish I could say that it wasn't what I suspected before I interviewed her. But it's not.

Whatever the case may be, I've done my duty. A great man was wronged and I hope that I did what was necessary to rectify that wrong.

'Negative breakthrough in Alveda King/Bayard Rustin controversy' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

First, an update about the Alveda King/Bayard Rustin controversy. There has been a small breakthrough. I spoke to Eugene Vigil, Ms. King's assistant. He told me that he forwarded my comments to her and she may be calling me. I seriously doubt that she will. You see, the comments I left on her page HAVE BEEN REMOVED. At any rate, I am determined to get an answer one way or the other concerning her untrue accusation that Rustin attempted to manipulate Martin Luther King, Jr into connecting gay rights with the African-American civil rights movement.

 In other news:

 Otis Moss, III Challenges Fellow Black Clergy On Marriage Equality For Gays And Lesbians - Kudos to Minister Moss!

 Louis Farrakhan Critiques Obama's Gay Marriage Endorsement - Well look who just jumped in out of the woodwork. With all due respect, I made it a point not to attend Farrakhan's call for a Million Man March and I'm not about to pay any attention to his words about a black man who is truly trying to change the nation for the better. The funny part is let's see how the right will embrace Farrakhan's words after years of branding him as a troublemaker.

Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner: Tony Perkins - Tony Perkins has agreed to come to dinner at the home of a same-sex family when he and his wife "receive the invitation to find a time that works.” Draw your own conclusions there.

Video: Richard Cohen strengthens marriage movement's unbreakable 'ex-gay' ties - Speaking of Alveda King, check out who she has been hanging around with in Spain.

Barber: NAACP's Support for Marriage Equality is Offensive and Demeaning - Matt Barber just said that gays have never been victims of lynchings. That's right. Being beaten to death, set on fire, castrated, or generally having the hell kicked out of us doesn't technically count as a lynching (eyerolling) 

Alveda King needs to put up or shut up about her Bayard Rustin accusation

Alveda King

Last Wednesday, Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. put out a statement to address the push back she received from criticizing the NAACP. The NAACP passed a resolution supporting marriage equality and King did not agree with it because she has made a "name" for herself by speaking against marriage equality and gay rights in general.

Among other things she said in the statement was the following:

"The 21st century homosexual lobby likes to point to the professional relationship between my uncle Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bayard Rustin, his openly homosexual staffer who left the movement at the height of the campaign. Rustin attempted to convince Uncle M. L. that homosexual rights were equal with civil rights. Uncle M. L. did not agree, and would not attach the homosexual agenda to the 20th century civil rights struggles. So Mr. Rustin resigned. 

I have to tell you that when I first read that statement, I was, in street terms, pissed off to the highest levels of pissivity.

Bayard Rustin (right) with Martin Luther King, Jr.

I literally went into orbit because I knew her statement wasn't accurate. According to several sources, most specifically the book Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin by John D'Emilio, Bayard Rustin resigned because prominent black leaders, specifically the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, had gotten jealous of King's influence and were going to accuse him and the openly gay Rustin of being lovers.

It was some of these same leaders who did not want Rustin to have anything to do with the 1963 March on Washington, but labor leader A. Philip Randolph insisted that Rustin be involved. And Rustin proceeded to coordinate probably the most successful march in the nation's history.

Furthermore Rustin began speaking about gay issues in the 1980s at the behest of his partner, Walter Naegle. This was over two decades after MLK's death.

Consequently, I wrote a post not only correcting King's assertions but also challenging her designation as a black leader because, being honest about Ms. King's "credentials," if she were not the niece of MLK, no one would care what she had to say.  She was a child during the civil rights movement so it's safe to say that she was not included in King's inner circle and nor was privy to his beliefs or thoughts.

I felt a little satisfied with what I wrote but gradually, it became not enough for me. I got many kudos and literal pats on the backs but that wasn't satisfying because Alveda King's unchallenged inaccurate assertion of Rustin was still out there.

Bayard Rustin is one of my idols and a very important figure in the fight for equality. He was an integral part of the civil rights movement. He not only coordinated the 1963 March on Washington, but he also influence Dr. King when it came to nonviolent protest. However, he remained in the background because he was also openly gay. Even though I know he never sought the spotlight, Rustin should have gotten some appreciation for his work and some knowledge by the general population of what he had done while he was alive.

Slowly but surely, he is now getting what he deserves in terms of name recognition.

But then Ms. Alveda King proceeds to spread false stories about Rustin in order to exploit the supposed difference of opinion between the gay and African-American community on the subject of gay equality. Her statement is damaging because some people are still not aware of Bayard Rustin's contributions and they could actually believe that tripe she spread. Subsequently they see won't Rustin as a tireless fighter for equality - which he was - but someone who was attempting to manipulate MLK for his own purposes.

It more than bothers me. It unnerves me that Bayard Rustin, this great man who never really got his due, could be further denied because the knowledge of his work and existence interferes with the plans of a wannabe activist exploiting the name of her famous uncle.

And it also bothered me that other than myself, very few people - and even fewer organizations such as GLAAD, HRC, or even the NAACP - called out Ms. King for her inaccurate statement.

So I have taken further action

The following is what I wrote on Alveda King's blog:

a.mcewen says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
May 28, 2012 at 7:10 PM

 Dear Ms. King,

 You told a blatant lie. Rustin never tried to convince King of anything. Rustin resigned because several black leaders were jealous of King’s influence and one of them – the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell – was going to accuse King and Rustin of being lovers. Rustin didn’t really start talking about gay issues until the 1980s at the behest of his partner Walter Naegle. I am interested as to where you received your information. You cannot speak the truth in love if the words you speak are inaccurate.
 I have included my email address – charlekenghis@aol.com and I would like to know where you received your information regarding your claims of Rustin.

a.mcewen says:

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

May 28, 2012 at 7:13 PM

BTW, I received my information from several sources including the book Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin by John D’Emilio.
And again, I ask that you supply the proof of your charges. I have supplied my email address and will be expecting some type of answer from you. Thank you.

The POINT is will Ms. King give me a satisfactory answer or even post my comments?

I will be monitoring her blog. If she gives an answer, I will be very interested as to what it will be and I will post it.

If she chooses not to answer my questions or if my questions are deleted, then WE ALL would have our answer, wouldn't we?

And if the latter happens, we all need to let it be known about Ms. King's credibility - or definitely lack thereof - when she attempts to pass herself off as a leader in the black community.

The ball is now in your court, Ms. King. You called the game. Now you must play it.


Editor's note - I ask that anyone feeling compelled to go to Ms. King's blog and leave comments demonstrate the same dignity and grace that Bayard Rustin showed as a true leader in the fight for equality. Please remember that ignorant and juvenile comments will most likely be given center stage as indicative of the entire gay community at large and thus will allow an evasion of the question at hand. So while you may feel the need to become so angry that you speak before thinking, please be aware such comments can the cause more damage than good to not only our fight for equality but also Mr. Rustin's reputation.