THIS is the DADT repeal ad that Fox News refused to run

Earlier today, I mentioned in my news briefs an article talking about how Fox News refused to run a DADT repeal ad.

Well just because those so-and-so's won't run it doesn't mean that I won't. I found the ad to be an excellent piece:

'Ex-gay' group targeting middle school students and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Notorious ‘Ex-Gay Group Plans to Target Middle School Students in 2011 - And they like to claim that we target children.

Fox News rejects ad featuring gay troops discussing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” - And this shocks us because?

PFOX Board Member Cited As Key A Reason The Family Research Council Is a SPLC Certified Hate Group - Sometimes it is about who you know.

NJ Assembly approves tougher bullying law - Excellent!

Bogus study claims that fatherless homes leads to lesbians

In a huge show of audacity, the recently named anti-gay hate group the Family Research Council just came out with a study of its own on the lesbian community. And of course, this "study" has been propped up by another anti-gay hate group the American Family Association via its phony news publication, One News Now:

A recently released study shows a link between childhood family structure and the rate of female homosexuality -- undermining the claim that sexual orientation is genetic or biological.

Family Research Council (FRC) looked into the family lives and worship rates of 7,643 women between the ages of 14 and 44. Pat Fagan, senior fellow and director of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute at FRC, co-evaluated the data and tells OneNewsNow about the findings.

"Once the girl grows up in a home in which her father is not present, it's about three times" more likely she has had or will have homosexual partners, he says -- but when she is raised by parents who are married and "always intact, it's about a four-percent rate." Moreover, he explains that rate is "slightly higher in the always-intact-but-cohabitating parents -- that's parents who never married."

Statistics are also higher with step-families, the cohabiting step-family, and the single divorced parent, adds the FRC spokesman.

In keeping with what I said yesterday, I am going to keep this short and sweet.

I wouldn't believe the Klan if they came out with a "study" about African-Americans, so why should I or anyone else believe a study about lgbts by a group who not only has a known bias against lgbts but has been known to play loose with the facts.

It's all about credibility and in this case, the Family Research Council doesn't have any.

However, if you feel so desired to read an excellent take down of this ridiculous piece of work, check out this post by my online buddy, Zach Ford.

Family Research Council, American Family Association named as anti-gay hate groups

Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center added five more groups to its list of anti-gay hate groups, including some names that are long overdue.

The new groups are:

1. American Family Association
2. Americans for Truth About Homosexuality
3. Dove World Outreach Center
4. Family Research Council
5. Illinois Family Institute

This brings the total of anti-gay hate groups to 18 and all of them are profiled in exact detail by SPLC.

Other groups profiled by SPLC but not designated as official hate groups are:

1. Christian Anti-Defamation Commission
2. Concerned Women for America
3. Coral Ridge Ministries
4. Liberty Counsel
5. National Organization for Marriage

And as an added bonus SPLC also has a page in which they debunk 10 anti-gay myths. And I am sure you have heard of all them before (i.e. gays molest children at a higher rate than heterosexuals, gay have a short lifespan, you can "cure" homosexuality.)

And one thing that cannot be repeated enough is SPLC's reasons to list these organizations as anti-gay hate groups:

Even as some well-known anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family moderate their views, a hard core of smaller groups, most of them religiously motivated, have continued to pump out demonizing propaganda aimed at homosexuals and other sexual minorities. These groups’ influence reaches far beyond what their size would suggest, because the “facts” they disseminate about homosexuality are often amplified by certain politicians, other groups and even news organizations. Of the 18 groups profiled below, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) will be listing 13 next year as hate groups (eight were previously listed), reflecting further research into their views; those are each marked with an asterisk. Generally, the SPLC’s listings of these groups is based on their propagation of known falsehoods — claims about LGBT people that have been thoroughly discredited by scientific authorities — and repeated, groundless name-calling. Viewing homosexuality as unbiblical does not qualify organizations for listing as hate groups.

The last sentence was emphasized by me because it needs to be remembered. Unfortunately when the inaccuracies of various religious right groups are pointed out, the conversation tends to go on a religious direction and this is a mistake.

When we go to the religious direction, we give these groups a chance to cover themselves. "These are merely our personal religious beliefs," they say. 

Religion is immaterial. The bad acts that theses groups commit in the name of religion is the point we should focus on and hammer consistently.
Keep our message short and sweet - these groups knowingly lie about lgbts in attempts to demonize us.

My advice to everyone is to read SPLC's profiles, memorize them, and pass them around to your friends and neighbors.

These groups and their spokespeople are liars and we need to call them as such. We need to hammer that point over and over and over again until it is drilled into the head of America.

Hat tip to People for the American Way and Truth Wins Out

Related posts:

The American Family Association must address Bryan Fischer's hateful comments

10 reasons why Americans for Truth is a hate site

Christian Anti-Defamation Commission defends exorcists and hate groups from the 'scary gays'

Why doesn't Robert Knight want to talk about Paul Cameron? 

National Organization for Marriage needs to address hate in its own ranks 
  
The top 12 lies of Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council

Joint Chiefs chairman want DADT repealed as soon as possible and other Monday midday news briefs

Employing discrimination as an act: Far-right back to pushing the 'ENDA will tie our hands' charade - Gary Cass strikes again. Making sure everyone has the fair right to work? Not such a good idea. Defending discredited researchers and churches who want to exorcise "homosexual demons" out of children? Super.

Pentagon to Release the Fabled DADT "Study" a Day Early - This promises to be interesting. The momentum continues to be on our side.

Navy Chief Praises DADT Survey, Isolating McCain Further - Another good sign.

Joint Chiefs chairman: Congress should end gay ban as soon as possible - The final bit of good news. Get cracking folks.

NJ senator introduces college anti-bullying law - More good news for us.

Benilde student wants to start gay advocacy group - I love it when the next generation is proactive.

The American Family Association must address Bryan Fischer's hateful comments

 (Editor's note - An online buddy, mentor, and one of my all-around favorite people Pam Spaulding is having surgery this morning. Pam is a truly awesome individual to whom I owe a lot to in terms of getting this blog off of the ground and noticed.  My prayer is that she has a successful operation.)

There is this constant talking point, or rather whine, by many who are involved with conservative Christian groups (i.e. the religious right) that they are under attack by so-called "Godless forces of radicalism" or that they are unfairly called bigots because they simply want to defend "Christian values."

The American Family Association is one of these groups. According to its own webpage, the AFA:

works to promote decency and morals in American culture,
1. to restrain evil by exposing the works of darkness and to promote virtue by upholding that in culture which is right, true and good;
2. to convince men of sin and drive them to Christ's grace and forgiveness; and to
3. to guide and encourage Christians to live-out the new holy identity that is theirs as citizens of Christ's kingdom.

These are seemingly nice qualities for an organization to have, except when one actually listens to the words Bryan Fischer, an employee of AFA:

• Homosexuals comprise less than three percent of the population, yet are responsible for one-third of all child sex abuse cases. There is an overwhelming correlation between homosexual preference and pedophilia. This is further evidence that homosexuality is in fact sexual deviancy. For this reason alone, no homosexual should be elevated to the United States Supreme Court. 

• If we connect the dots here, the inescapable conclusion is that gay sex is a form of domestic terrorism. 

• Bottom line: every Muslim who enters the United States carries within his bosom the seeds of sedition. It is dangerously foolish for the United States to invite folks inside our borders whose god orders them, through his holy prophet, to murder American infidels. 

• “Hitler discovered that he could not get straight soldiers to be savage and brutal and vicious enough to carry out his orders, but that homosexual solders basically had no limits and the savagery and brutality they were willing to inflict on whomever Hitler sent them after. So he surrounded himself, virtually all of the Stormtroopers, the Brownshirts, were male homosexuals. 

• . . .the illegitimacy rate among Hispanic women is over 50%. I’m not sure pro-family values are as strong in the Hispanic community . . .

Fischer is AFA's Director of Issues Analysis and his statements have caused much consternation amongst many people. But his latest statement, criticizing the awarding of the National Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, took the proverbial cake.

Giunta recently received the National Medal of Honor for saving members of his squad during the War in Afghanistan on October 25, 2007.

However, Fischer said:

We have feminized the Medal of Honor.

. . .When we think of heroism in battle, we used the think of our boys storming the beaches of Normandy under withering fire, climbing the cliffs of Pointe do Hoc while enemy soldiers fired straight down on them, and tossing grenades into pill boxes to take out gun emplacements.

That kind of heroism has apparently become passe when it comes to awarding the Medal of Honor. We now award it only for preventing casualties, not for inflicting them.

So the question is this: when are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night?

Fischer's comments about Giunta has received a lot of deserved negative attention from many voices, except for one - that of the American Family Association.

As far as it is known, the AFA has said nothing about Fischer's comments regarding Giunta nor any of his other outrageous statements. Nor has any other religious right group, even though Fischer has been sought as a speaker to various religious right functions such as the Values Voters Summit this year, which was also attended by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

By the way, none of these individuals, some who are possible 2012 presidential candidates, have said a word about Fischer's comments.

But it would appear to me that the most important voice in this matter should be the AFA because it is the organization which gives Fischer a platform.

The folks at the AFA seem to be playing dumb in hopes that if they don't acknowledge the controversy, then it will go away.

This behavior has certainly worked for them in the past when the organization was caught selling a video featuring a man who falsely claimed to have been "delivered from homosexuality." (The AFA is still selling the video by the way.)

But for the American Family Association to remain silent about Fischer's comments contradicts everything the organization claims to stand for - truth, virtue, decency, and morality.

Hatred and bigotry lodged in God's name is still hatred and bigotry.

Many, myself included, have on several occasions accused religious right groups of working in the name of a bad facsimile of God which is perverted by their own egos, prejudices, and selfish desires of conquest.

If  the AFA continues to be silent about Fischer then they will prove our point better than we have ever hoped to imagine.

Phony Christian gets DESTROYED over Medal of Honor comments

 

Regardless of what the religious right says, if Christianity is suffering problems in this country, they shouldn't blame the lgbt community.

Perhaps some of these folks should look in the mirror.

We have phony Christians praising countries who would persecute lgbts, relying on fear tactics and outright lies, and finally as the piece de resistance, not only criticizing soldier for saving lives rather than "killing the enemy" but at the same time, totally disrespecting women.

One that last note, I speak of the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer and his recent comments about Medal of Honor recipient, Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta.

Guinta received the Medal of Honor for saving members of his squad during the War in Afghanistan on October 25, 2007.

However, Fischer criticized the awarding of the Medal of Honor to Giunta.

Fischer is known for saying hatefully outrageous things in the name of God, but I think even he will admit that he went too far with this:

We have feminized the Medal of Honor.

. . .When we think of heroism in battle, we used the think of our boys storming the beaches of Normandy under withering fire, climbing the cliffs of Pointe do Hoc while enemy soldiers fired straight down on them, and tossing grenades into pill boxes to take out gun emplacements.

That kind of heroism has apparently become passe when it comes to awarding the Medal of Honor. We now award it only for preventing casualties, not for inflicting them.

So the question is this: when are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night?

While I hate to point this out, Fischer's inference is inaccurate. During the course of saving his comrades, Giunta did in fact kill one of the enemy soldiers and wounded another.

Fischer, who to my knowledge has never served a day in the Armed Forces, has been called to the carpet all over the place - from the blogsphere, to the editorial pages, to the evening news.

And as such it should be. This is a free society where every man has a right to express his opinion. But you should expect some type of verbal blow back if your opinion makes no logical sense or infuriates many people.

Fischer's opinion in this case more than fits the bill in both descriptions. He is even catching hell on the American Family Association's webpage.

The comments below his piece are many and they are all, shall we say, questioning Fischer's Christian virtues:

As disgusting as I find this post, I am exiting the page with a smile on my face because of how uplifting I find the comments here. Christians, Mormons, atheists, soldiers, EVERYONE is on the exact same page.

This is unbelievably twisted logic, and a dramatically false interpretation of the Christian gospel. Go back to the Bible and read a little more, and while you're at it -- beg forgiveness from all the brave Medal of Honor recipients you have insulted, and all the feminists you have enraged.

Like the scorpion that would rather sting and die than not sting and live. There was only one reason for this disturbing article.... A deep seated jealousy and insecurity about his "manliness" Oh the fact that Pres Obama gave the award had something to do with it. Its that same twisted logic used on Senator Kerry. He went to Vietnam and risked his life, Bush pulled strings and got out of it. Bush never fought in a war, thats why he started one, so he could be macho ... By the way Jesus walked around in Bare feet slept on the ground ,helped the poor and was humble. Jesus was love incarnate. He was also celibate .. I guess he wasn't a real man, never had a woman

Why hasn't the AFA taken this down? There is more than enough evidence to prove that not only that his facts are plain wrong and his theology completely backwards, but his opinions are completely detrimental to any sort of credibility you hoped to have as well. This is a major failure on your part that this even got it past editing. How many more comments do you need to fill your quota? Here's +1. Also, Mr. Fischer: You need to put the Xbox down for a bit. The Medal of Honor isn't an achievement you can unlock if you kill 1,000 Afghanis.

Unbelievably revolting. If I had read his article on a comments section rather than a website, I would have thought it was a troll just trying to piss people off. Sadly that isn't the case. And to use the word 'feminization'? As if it masculine to kill people? Just an FYI: Jesus had a zero kill-count. I think one commenter nailed it on the head: "Amazing. You've managed to enrage Christians, atheists, Republicans, Democrats, Conservatives, Liberals, the pro-war crowd, the anti-war crowd, men, women, veterans, conscientious objectors, and this is just the beginning of the list. Not since 9/11 have I seen so many people united in the face of one horrible deed."

When you have one (Congressional Medal of Honor) around your neck ,your opinion might matter. Until that day I invite you not to belittle the sacrifices and actions of those who have earned this Honor.

"So the question is this: when are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night?" I'm sorry, this is a Christian website and you're claiming we don't glorify killing people and breaking things enough?

My father was a U.S. Army Ranger at Pointe du Hoc (note correct spelling) and both he and I think you are a colossal idiot. Of course, he only won two Silver Stars, one Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts, so maybe he doesn't know what he's talking about.

If you think that what Salvatore Giunta did wasn't "manly" enough, I'll pay for your plane ticket to Afghanistan so you can take his place. I'm willing to bet an entire year's salary that you wouldn't last five minutes before you were begging to be put back on a plane to America, much less save the lives of your comrades in the same way this man did.

Amazing. You've managed to enrage Christians, atheists, Republicans, Democrats, Conservatives, Liberals, the pro-war crowd, the anti-war crowd, men, women, veterans, conscientious objectors, and this is just the beginning of the list. Not since 9/11 have I seen so many people united in the face of one horrible deed. Congratulations, Bryan. I hope your follow-up post will be a resignation letter.