Hate group spokesman not happy with World AIDS Day coverage

Peter Sprigg

Editor's note - It's a two post morning. So after you read this one, pan down to read about the cluelessness of an anti-gay bigot.

Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council has a huge problem with the World AIDS Day coverage of last week:

December 1 is “World AIDS Day,” so both of Washington’s newspapers—the liberal Washington Post and the conservative Washington Times—featured stories on the worldwide AIDS epidemic. The Post report focused on the promise of the latest generation of antiretroviral therapy. The Times article dealt with the efforts to expand circumcision of men, in the wake of scientific findings that this, too, can help reduce spread of the disease. But what was missing? In both articles, there was not a word about men who have sex with men (MSM). And in neither article did the word “condom” appear a single time. In the United States, men who have sex with men continue to be the group at highest risk for infection with HIV (overseas, heterosexual transmission is relatively more common). Yet the idea of fighting AIDS by discouraging the sexual conduct most likely to transmit it is completely taboo.

For the record, AIDS is a scourge which goes beyond the gay community.

But Sprigg is inaccurate with his attack on the Post and the Times. And that's because he only focused on one article in both publications.

The Washington Post featured several articles talking about prevention in the days leading up to and after World AIDS Day. And several of these articles focused on the problems faced by gays dealing with the disease.

What Sprigg says about condoms is irrelevant because later in his article, he creates a straw man argument:

And at one time, condoms were considered to be THE answer to the AIDS epidemic. If we could just get men to use a condom every time, for every act of sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral, or anal), then we would beat the disease. This has proved easier said than done. 

No one at any time has ever said that condoms was the answer to the AIDS epidemic. Condoms was and is considered as one solution, but not the only solution. 

It sounds like to me that Sprigg is creating a false meme that "political correctness is keeping people from fully talking about AIDS in terms of the dangers of catching it." Basically Sprigg sounds like he is disappointed that neither publication used World AIDS Day as an opportunity to stigmatize gay men.

And that is Sprigg's problem.

World AIDS Day is an occasion in which we reflect on how this awful disease has hurt the world and what we can do to stop it.

It's not about finger pointing. It's about basic human kindness and compassion.

The clueless bigotry of 'Porno' Pete LaBarbera

Peter LaBarbera

Sometimes those who engage in homophobia are totally oblivious to their actions.

Case in point, 'Porno' Pete LaBarbera of the Americans for Truth. This is what he said while criticizing megachurch pastor Rick Warren. Apparently LaBarbera is a bit miffed that Warren regrets how he helped Prop 8 in California to win at the ballot box:

“The homosexual activist never agonizes and says, ‘Wow, I don’t think I should talk beyond my group of homosexual activists,’” LaBarbera explained. “They’re pontificating all the time. They’re telling us what to think. They’re telling us that we’re bigots if we are against homosexuality, or even if we’re against same-sex ‘marriage’ now, they call you a bigot or a hatemonger or a homophobe.”

For the record, I don't consider folks who a religious view against homosexuality as bigots.

But I do consider you a bigot if you create and post the following picture of openly gay Congressman Barney Frank as a TSA agent:

Or if you post a huge photo of a sexually transmitted disease (in this case, anal warts) on your homepage in order to demonize the gay community at large (Editor's note - you can see the link here, but remember that you have been warned).

Or if  you attend subcultural events such as leather festivals and take pictures of gays allegedly indulging in all sorts of lurid behaviors while ignoring the heterosexuals also in attendance.

Face it, Petey. You are a bigot for a very good reason.

Gay couple's wedding announcement in African-American magazine galvanizes intense, positive discussion

Yesterday, I posted a piece about how JET Magazine published a wedding announcement of a gay couple.

Today, the African-American online magazine, The Grio, posted an article about the announcement and needless to say that it has caused an excellent discussion in the comments section below the post. I suggest that folks read what is said because it totally disproves a lot of notions about "African-American homophobia."

Granted, there are some folks who voice their disagreement with JET, but for the most part, there is a large amount of support to not only JET but the gay couple.

Read it here.

'New website gives messages of hope to lgbt youth from mothers' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

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Federal Judge Allows California Ex-Gay ‘Therapists’ To Continue Serving Minors As Suit Proceeds - And watch how religious right groups rub their hands with glee claiming victory. It's only temporary and applies to just three therapists.

 Ex-Straight Therapy: It Works, and I Am Proof! - My ex-straight therapy consisted of three Joan Crawford movies.

 Joni Lamb and Janet Boynes describe Homosexuality as Satan's Trap - No. The Jersey Shore and cellphones are actually Satan's trap. Everyone knows that.

Religious right gripes over West Point wedding? Good.

Who would think that one little wedding would give so many religious right members such a huge stomach ache?

According to the AP:

Cadet Chapel, the landmark Gothic church that is a center for spiritual life at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, hosted its first same-sex wedding Saturday.

Penelope Gnesin and Brenda Sue Fulton, a West Point graduate, exchanged vows in the regal church in an afternoon ceremony, attended by about 250 guests and conducted by a senior Army chaplain.

The two have been together for 17 years. They had a civil commitment ceremony that didn't carry any legal force in 1999 and had long hoped to formally tie the knot. The way was cleared last year, when New York legalized same-sex marriage and President Barack Obama lifted the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibiting openly gay people from serving in the military.

Naturally, members of the religious right are going apoplectic. 

Pat Robertson commented on the wedding in his usual nonsensical way, whining about how several generals, such as Douglas MacArthur, Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee are "rolling over in their graves":



And not to be outdone, the Family Research Council had to get a word in:

Army officials are experts at following orders--except when it comes to federal marriage law. For the second time in two weeks, the brass at West Point opened its gates to lesbian "wedding" ceremonies in direct defiance of the Defense of Marriage Act. Adding insult to the law's injury, Saturday's service was held in the Cadet Chapel, a 176-year-old house of worship that has been the heartbeat of the Academy's Christian community for almost two centuries. Brenda Fulton, one of the "brides," said the Chapel was a particularly meaningful site, because it's where she first heard the Cadet Prayer: "Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong"--words that, in the end, even West Point failed to live up to. Fulton and her same-sex partner marched down the aisle knowing full well they were leading the military's own processional away from the rule of law. "The liberal social experiment with our military continues," said a frustrated Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) in June. 

The fact that FRC had to reach far in the past to get a doom-ridden quote should give you an indication of the difficulty the organization had in making this non-controversial story into something dire and huge.

But you have to give FRC  ome pity points for attempting the moral panic. The organization's post was accompanied by the following graphic:

Lighten up, folks! It was a just a wedding. You know, a joyous occasion.

I guess for the rest of us who are happy over the blessed event - specifically the brides - it's a case of mind over matter.

Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

So, FRC and Mr. Robertson, I guess you don't matter.

JET Magazine celebrates marriage of African-American gay couple

There is nothing more invigorating than opening your computer and being hit in the face with good news:

According to GLAAD:

JET Magazine, the nation’s preeminent African-American biweekly magazine, in its December 10th issue, featured Dr. Ravi Perry and Paris Prince as part of its December JET LOVE wedding series.

Ravi, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Mississippi State University, and Paris, a licensed real estate broker and anti-discrimination compliance expert, were married in August at their home in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The biweekly feature, which traditionally showcases straight couples, includes a short bio of the couple and explains how the couple fell in love.

"We are excited and honored to have our wedding featured in the historic yet ever-current JET Magazine.  Long the hallmark in publishing news, culture, and events pertaining to the Black American experience, Jet's publishing of our union is historic" said Ravi and Paris.

 As part of our year-round work to raise visibility of LGBT people of color in the media and to grow acceptance of LGBT people in these communities, GLAAD worked closely with Ravi and Paris to help them shape their story and also worked with JET to feature the couple.

Over the years, GLAAD has highlighted the work of JET Magazine, including drawing attention to their coverage of LGBT stories such as their feature on Kye Allums, a former George Washington University student who made history as the first Division I college basketball player to come out as transgender while competing, and  applaud JET Magazine for continuing to recognize that all loving and committed couples deserve respect. Last year, JET Magazine featured its first lesbian wedding, telling the beautiful story of Nyema Vernon and Dr. Tenika Jackson.

I'm sure there will be haters but who cares? Let 'em hate. To this gay black man right here who is writing this post, something like this in JET Magazine is long overdue.

And the visibility is very much needed in the black community.

'Anti-gay groups taking lies to international audiences' and other Monday midday news briefs

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APA Revises Manual: Being Transgender Is No Longer A Mental Disorder - And it should have never been considered as such. One more religious right lie shot to pieces.  

Joyous historic events: first same-sex weddings at West Point - And the sky didn't fall. That should tell folks something.  

Harvey: 'Homosexual Marriage is Wrong Because Homosexuality is Wrong' - No matter how low I may feel, I can always count on Linda Harvey to make me feel morally superior.