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.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, May 05, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, May 02, 2008
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."
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.
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.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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?"
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?"
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