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.