Values Voters debate my pinkie toe!!

The radio show was taped today and I think I did rather well.

But on the national front, some members of the anti-gay industry held a presidential debate under guise that it was a debate for "values voters."

From what I hear, they sang Christian songs and prayed.

Then proceeded to lie like a bunch of rugs.

Wisely Fred Thompson, Rudy Guiliani, and John McCain did not show up. But there were enough "candidates" there to make an impression.

Specifically perennial phony candidate Alan Keyes.

Keyes disappoints me because he has so much potential. But he reduces himself to a laughing stock with every campaign he enters and loses (by a wide margin) because of his constant talk of "moral values." Keyes is a combination of Harold Stassen, Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mather, and Increase Mather in a tired chocolate shell that works to simultaneously give me gas and put me to sleep.

To Keyes, no one has the right moral fiber but him. That is this man’s constant schtick; his gimmick.

I suspect that if Keyes made it into Heaven, he would start criticizing God for not running the place on a "Scriptural" basis.

Keyes reminds me of a fancy looking restaurant that tries to fill up customers on appeitizers because it has no decent entrees. In other words, all he can do is talk an interesting (and bear in mind I said interesting, not good) game. But he has no substance. And every time he enters a campaign or debate, it is not to serve the needs of the public but to feed his own yawning darkness of an ego.

If by some insane anti-miracle, Keyes actually won a campaign, my bet is that the first thing he would do is piss in his pants because he would have to back up his bullshit with action.

There was one question that did disturb me. It was asked by "ex-gay for pay" Stephen Bennett:

Would you support legislation ensuring that schools would lose federal funding if they exposed children to homosexual indoctrination?

Knowing the anti-gay industry’s love of code words and distorting semantics, this means that funds should be taken away from any school that dares to acknowledge the fact that lgbts exist in places other than public bathrooms, "bathhouses," and dirty shadows.

This entire thing really boggles the mind. One would think that these so-called righteous folks learned something from 1992. For those who can’t remember, the Republican National Convention’s preoccupation with homosexuality, particularly Pat Buchanan’s speech about a cultural war, spooked the hell out of the country and paved the way for Bill Clinton’s election.

How strange that history seems to repeat itself.

Well those who don’t learn from history generally find themselves repeating it. And personally, that suits me just fine.

Radio show tomorrow!

I hope everyone bears with me while I try to balance news of anti-gay industry distortions with that of the progress of my book.

Tomorrow, I will be taping a local radio show, Rainbow Radio. I hope to talk in detail about the findings of my book.

I also hope to have a link to the radio show after it airs on Sunday.

Value Voter debate?

What if the anti-gay industry gave a debate and no one wanted to show up?

The answer to that question is happening tonight as some members of the religious right are having a so-called "Values Voter" presidential debate.

Only thing is that GOP front runners - Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Fred Thompson - aren't going to be there due to "scheduling conflicts."

Maybe Alan Keyes will show up and entertain the audience by juggling. After all, that is what court jesters do.

And the sheep goes baaaaaaaaa

If any of you want to know just how much power the anti-gay industry has with many people of faith, check out this very hilarious item from People for the American Way:

The American Family Association recently took time out from its work against hate-crimes protections for gays and religious pluralism to launch an attack on a series of sleazy TV ads for hamburgers.

In urging its supporters to contact local TV stations to halt the Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s ads, however, AFA’s automatic-outrage-generator unfortunately left letter-writers with the option of demanding satisfaction from all media outlets, leading one frustrated newspaper editor to pen an editorial titled “Please quit sending these generic letters.”

From the Salem, Oregon Statesman Journal:

I haven't taken time to watch the commercials, but they must be pretty tasteless (no pun intended). …

But I digress. My point is not the commercials; it's the letter-writing campaign. The generic letter is from the American Family Association web site. It's to be sent to TELEVISION STATIONS; they air commercials, newspapers don't.

One has to wonder about the smarts of these letter writers, if they don't follow the directions on the Web site, if they misspell the Statesman Journal's name and Hardee's name, if they send the letters to towns that don't have a Hardee's or Carl's Jr. -- and if they participate in a generic letter-writing campaign, which usually gets ignored.

From what people have told me, the commercials are awful. Still, don't expect to see any of these letters in print anywhere in the country. Opinion editors automatically toss generic letters.

Divide and conquer

In this fight over the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, the Traditional Values Coalition and Concerned Women for America have made the transgender community the new boogeymen.

It would be funny if it wasn’t so damned insulting to hear Lou Sheldon and Matt Barber go on about "she-males" and "linebackers with five o’clock shadow dressed in drag" trying to get jobs at nurseries and churches.

Their hysterical ramblings can take on a more sinister purpose.

How long will we have to wait before an article is "conveniently placed" in a legitimate publication talking about divisions between gays and transgenders.

It could happen in the same manner that conversations on whether or not Senator Barrack Obama was "black enough" for African-American voters took place.

That was funny in itself because before it became an item of discussion for folks like Tucker Carlson, I had never heard anyone in my community ever voice such an opinion.

In the case of gays and transgenders, there wouldn’t be a need to manufacture a division or a conversation about a division.

There are some gays think that transgenders have no place in our community. I am ashamed to admit that a loooong time ago, I was one of those people.

I have since then changed my opinion, but so many others haven’t. And they don’t mind being vocal about their ignorance.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my gay people but many of us have a tendency to verbally shoot from the hip. And when you do that sort of thing, your mouth starts running before your brain can adequately process information.

And unfortunately in our community, we have too many folks willing to open their mouths before they think. They call it being "brutally honest."

It’s these gays that the Traditional Values Coalition and Concerned Women for America are counting on to take the bait.

So I am hoping that in our fight for ENDA we don’t allow ourselves to be taken in by divide and conquer tactics. There is no difference between the lie that gay men insert gerbils in our rectums and the lie that transgenders are just confused people who need help.

So let’s not go about creating those differences.

No bashing

On this anniversary of the worst attack to take place on American soil, I want to make something clear about my book.

I did not write it to bash Christians.

Believe it or not, I think it is perfectly okay for someone to believe that homosexuality is a sin. I personally do not believe it. I think that being gay is a blessing from God, as is being lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.

But that does not mean anyone has to believe as I do. And it is possible for people who have two different views of this issue to not only co-exist, but be friends.

I have a dear friend with has four children whom his wife home schools. He is conservative. He also knows that I am gay.

However, he does not bristle when I ask about his children. He knows there are no hidden motives when I ask about their health. And when they come to visit him at his office, he makes it a point, whenever he has time, to bring them to my office for them to say hello.

When he heard I was writing this book, he said, "Alvin, I may not agree with you or believe in the same thing you do, but I believe in you."

We remain friends and I continue to inquire about his family from time to time.

I guess I am saying that to make a point.

And that point is I don’t want anyone to come away from reading my book with the belief that lies and deception are indicative of the Christian faith or any other faith.

I wrote this book to point out the exploitation of faith and religious beliefs, something unfortunately as old as the Earth itself.

Lastly, my book is not meant to push the notion that faith, love of God and love from God are the enemies of the lgbt community.

Because if you really look at it, those three things are the reasons why lgbts have survived thus far.

Americans for Truth are curious about my book

I got an email two days ago from someone at Americans for Truth.

It was nothing spectacular. Apparently the group had heard about my book and requested an "advance copy."

My first impulse was to go ahead and send them a copy of my final galleys. However, something did not sit right with me so I consulted a friend.

He said why should I bother to send them the galleys when I know full well that they are most likely going to bash it. This was not to say that I should not send them anything at all.

He advised me to just send them a link where they can purchase the book. After all, why give them a special preview when others who will respect my work are going to pay for their copy.

This was sound advice so I took it.

It is interesting though.

Americans for Truth (in name only) and other anti-gay industry groups no doubt are now aware of my book.

I am curious see if they can refute my observations.

Lawd I got them ENDA blues!!!!

I had a small problem today with my book designation.

Someone pointed out that my publisher had my book designated as juvenile fiction.

When I called to correct the error, my publishing representative instantly knew who I was. This means one of two things.

Either my book is selling excellently or I call her too much.

I have my fingers crossed but it will be a while before I find out the answer to that question. My book sales statement won't come out for a while.

Meanwhile . . .

On Capital Hill, Congress is in the middle of hearings on whether or not to pass the Employee Non-discrimination Act (ENDA).

It looks good for us. Of course this means that we can expect to see the anti-gay industry spinning lies of how ENDA will allow 330-pound linebackers dressed in drag with "five o’clock shadow" to demand jobs at churches.

Or how wildly dressed "she-males" (their words, not mine) will demand jobs at a daycare centers.

I thought I had heard it all, but the following wins the prize for vulgar originality. In Oregon, local anti-gay industry figures are working to overturn the nondiscrimination laws there. According to them, the laws will lead to the following:

Your daughter may pull her panties up to discover a man in the Women's Restroom!

Men's and Women's Restrooms, a thing of the past?

After January 1, 2008 anyone will have access to Men's and Women's Restrooms, no questions asked. Your daughter may pull her panties up to discover a man in the Women's Restroom. He can claim that he felt like a woman that day and be protected by a law passed by the Oregon legislature and signed by the Governor. He may not be homosexual, just out trolling for a good time. It's true! And after January 1, unless you sign the petition to stop this bill, the predator will be protected by Oregon law! …

On January 1, 2008 - unless we ACT - Benson, and others will be free to do the same thing in any public or business restroom or locker room in the State of Oregon! He can claim that he felt like a woman that day and according to Senate Bill 2 he will be protected should you protest!

Thanks to our enlightened legislature, if you protest, he can sue YOU and claim the protections of his behavior under SB 2. He may not be homosexual, just out trolling for a good time! And you and your daughter or son, or your wife, will no longer be protected by current law.

These appeals to fear is an anti-gay industry tactic I talk about in my book: dire consequences,which, for lack of a better definition, is an appeal to fear.

Appealing to fear and lying in the name of God.

Is it just me or is there something wrong with this picture?