I nearly make it out, but John Derbyshire pulls me back in

Yeah I know I said that I was taking a break. But I just can't resist responding when I read stupid shit.

For example this lovely piece by John Derbyshire:

All that aside, though, I can't say I care much about homosexuality one way or the other. If I examine my own motivations for saying anything at all on this subject, the main thing I am aware of is just contrarian cussedness. I get so goddam sick of all the movies, TV shows, and, yes, e-mails telling me how goddam wonderful homosexuals are, and how goddam normal homosexuality is, and how goddam cruel and bigoted and intolerant it must be not to whole-heartedly approve of homosexuals, and cheer them on, and applaud the things they do. Well, I know myself well enough to be sure that I am not cruel, or bigoted, or intolerant. Nor am I aware of anyone who knows me that believes me to be any of those things. Like Thomas More: "I wish none harm, I say none harm, I do none harm." Do as you please in the privacy of your chambers, but for heaven's sake stop pushing it in my face, stop telling me how wonderful you are, stop lying about the fact that the things you do have health consequences (were in fact responsible for introducing a horrible plague into our society), stop mucking up my language by introducing illiteracies like "homophobe" and imposing the stain of salacity on perfectly decent old English words like "gay", stop telling me that the things I say might be taken as incitement to crimes of violence. (What words that anyone says about anything might not be thus taken by some lunatic somewhere? What would we be permitted to talk about, on that criterion?) And don't even think about proselytizing your "lifestyle" to my kids.

I don't know Mr. Derbyshire well enough to know for sure whether or not he is cruel, bigoted, or intolerant. But from what I am reading, he is ignorant.

Consider these facts:

As of 1990, 6 million to 14 million children in the United States were living with a gay or lesbian parent. (National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, a service of the U.S. Administration for Children and Families.),

Same-sex couples raising chidren live in 96% of all counties nationwide in the United States. (2000 U.S. Census analyses by the Urban Institute and Human Rights Campaign),

As many as 7.2 million Americans under age 20 are lesbian or gay,

45% of gay males and 20% of lesbians experience physical or verbal assaultin high school; 28% of these young people feel forced to drop out of schooldue to harassment based on sexual orientation.

But yet and still, people like Derbyshire are obsessed with defining the issue of sexual orienation to that of kinky bedroom habits.

That, my friends, goes beyond hatred. It is more diabolical than hatred. It is willful ignorance.

Of course Derbyshire can think of homosexuality in any way that he likes but the kicker is that he seems to demand that those of us who are lgbts conduct our lives in accordance to his ignorance.

And that will probably be the final fight over sexual orientation. Behind all of the lies about dangerous health consequences, behind all of the Biblical admonitions, behind all of the deceptions and distortions are people who cannot accept the fact that being an lgbt goes beyond sexual intercourse and stereotypes about leather and sadomaschism.

So rather than to accept the fact that maybe they are wrong, they rail against the rest of the world for daring to interrupt their stupid notions.

Well they, Mr. Derbyshire included, need to get over themselves. No matter how freaky they try to make us out to be, we are normal people who lead normal (and in my case - boring) lives. And we should not have to edit out any part of these lives.

The fact of the matter is that no one can tell the story of lgbt lives better than those who are living them. In matters of the media, we have every right to push for positive and correct stories about who we are. And we have every right to influence all facets of this country, from the media to our legislative bodies.

That is what being an American is all about

And one last thing to Mr. Derbyshire: if by chance any of your kids turn out to be gay, don't blame us. Be a good parent. Listen to that child, don't make assumptions, and by all means don't desert your child.

Maybe you will learn something for a change.

I am taking a break

I am burnt out.

With doing what I do almost every day, working at my regular job, and keeping tabs on how my book is selling, I am at my wits end when it comes to energy.

And keeping my ideas fresh.

So I am taking a break from it all until December 27.

During that time, I will be planning goals for 2008. I have big plans that I want to see come to fruition.

But before I go, I want you to read this excellent post from Jeremy at goodasyou.org

He has caught the anti-gay industry (yet again) telling a bunch of lies. (You mean they lie? So what else is new?)

Barring some incredible event that pushes me to post, I will see you all on December 27.

Happy Holidays!!!

And the whining continues

By now you all have heard about the conservative Princeton student who faked threatening notes and an attack on himself.

I won't recount the story. But there is an excellent article on the situation by blogger Max Blumenthal. You can read it here.

As for me, I don't feel the need to give my opinion of the matter. It has been the talk of the blogs for over a day now and I don't think that I can add to anything that I have read.

But I can't help but to feel sorry for the guy. He had advantages and wasted them. He was attending Princeton, one of the top universities in the country and in one swoop, destroyed that opportunity.

It is a sad situation when folks feel that they have to make up stories to further their cause. And it's even sadder when they are caught.

Now from the department of giving someone cheese to go with that whine comes our friend, Gary Bauer.

Bauer, a "pro-family" activist and former Presidential candidate is upset over the following:

A U.S. judge ordered the Secret Service on Monday to disclose records of visits by nine prominent conservative Christian leaders to the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's residence.

The ruling, in response to a legal watchdog group's suit, could shed light on the influence leaders like James Dobson of Focus on the Family have had on President George W. Bush's administration. It may also affect legal efforts to force the release of visiting records of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and other similar cases.

"We think that these conservative Christian leaders have had a very big impact," said Executive Director Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which filed the case.

Bauer registered his anger with One News Now. I am sure he knew that this supposed news organization (which is an extension of the American Family Association) would print his comments without the courtesy of showing both sides of the story. He was not disappointed:

Bauer, the president of American Values, says he finds the freedom of information request by CREW "offensive."

"I do think it's quite telling that [this] organization ... wants to know about religious leaders visiting the White House,; and yet as far as I know, they did not request the names of Muslim leaders that have visited the White House," he observes. "And of course they would not dare file a request that would ask for [the names of] visitors of a particular race that had visited the White House or met with the president."

And of course he was quick to play the victim:

The American Values president says the request demonstrates "the ongoing effort by cultural elites to try to intimidate Christians out of the public square." He also says he is willing to tell anyone who wants to know how many times he has been to the White House to give President Bush advice on "the great issues facing our country."

Bauer may not have realized it but he answered his own question when he made that crack about Muslims.

Let me break it down this way:

I don't remember any Muslim leader bragging that Bush made them privy to why a potential Supreme Court judge (i.e. Harriet Miers) would be suitable to their base. James Dobson did.

I don't remember any time that Bush jumped into a private family issue to suit the Muslim community like he did with Terri Schiavo. He did this of course to appease Dobson, Bauer and the rest of that ilk.

I don't remember any time that Bush adopted any talking points forwarded by the Muslim community like he did for Dobson, Bauer, and company when talking about why he was for a constitutional amendment against gay marriage.

The fact of the matter is that CREW has a point and a right to view those visitation logs.

What is happening to you all is part and parcel of participating in a free and Democratic society, Bauer.

Get used to it.

Be afraid. Be very afraid because you deserve it

Via the Huffington Post, I ran across a very interesting piece:

This campaign is knee-deep in religion, and it's only going to get worse. I'd thought that the limits of professed public piety had already been achieved during the Republican CNN-YouTube debate when some squirrelly looking guy held up a Bible and asked, "Do you believe every word of this book?" -- and not one candidate dared reply: None of your damn business.

Instead, Giuliani, Romney and Huckabee bent a knee and tried appeasement with various interpretations of scriptural literalism. The right answer, the only answer, is that the very question is offensive. The Constitution prohibits any religious test for office. And while that proscribes only government action, the law is also meant to be a teacher. In the same way that civil rights laws established not just the legal but also the moral norm that one simply does not discriminate on the basis of race -- changing the practice of one generation and the consciousness of the next -- so the constitutional injunction against religious tests is meant to make citizens understand that such tests are profoundly un-American.

Who wrote that you may ask. Was it one of my fellow "Godless liberals?" Was it a fellow purveyor of the "gay agenda?"

Why no. It was neoconservative Charles Krauthammer. Apparently he took time out of his busy schedule of defending President Bush's hideous war in Iraq on Fox News to sound an alarm horn regarding religion in this campaign.

And it pinpoints a fear that is slowly gripping the Republican party this election cycle. Over this summer, we heard repeatedly from "Conservative Christian leaders (i.e. the anti-gay industry) that they disapprove of the Republican presidential candidates.

Now they seemed to have zeroed in on one that they will support: Mike Huckabee. Subsequently, he has moved up in the Republican polls. And this seems to have the Republican party on the whole scared because while Huckabee appeals to the "conservative Christian" base, it is that same appeal that makes him unelectable.

Interesting statements he has made regarding lgbts, AIDS, and variety of social issues (the newest being him comparing homosexuality with necrophilia) have made him more and more appealing to the "Christian conservative" base. But the problem is that Huckabee can't seem to temper that appeal with assurances to moderates that he won't go all Khomeni should he get elected.

It is definitely a different ballgame from 2004.

Remember that lovely election cycle when the Republican party used the "threat" of gay marriage of rally their base and give Bush a second term? Things are different now. The very thing that worked for the Republican party then has returned to bite them in the ass. (I am aware of the gay subtext so hush up)

So now we are at this point. Huckabee seems to be slowly gaining ground and as he does, he is turning on the piety even more, thereby appealing to more "Conservative Christians" but potentially alienating moderates and maybe even the majority of voters in the nation.

And the Republican party is scrambling behind the scenes to somehow control the situation.

Lawd, I am enjoying this.

Spotlight on a good cause

From time to time, I will be spotlighting sites and people who are fighting the anti-gay industry. I would be remiss if I caused anyone to think that little ole me is the only one in the mix.

There are others. And they have been at it longer and are more skilled than I am.

Wayne Besen is one of them. He is the author of Anything But Straight, the definitive book detailing the lies of the "ex-gay" movement.

He is also head of Truth Wins Out:

a non-profit think tank and educational organization that counters right wing disinformation campaigns, debunks the “ex-gay” myth, and provides accurate information about the lives of GLBT people. Our work includes:

Providing opposition research on the “ex-gay” myth
Discrediting right wing propaganda
Educating America about the GLBT community

The main vehicle the anti-gay industry uses to launder their lies is the so-called “ex-gay” ministries. The far right exploits these groups in an effort to present their disdain for gay people in the guise of love. However, this embrace of re-closeted homosexuals is no more than a veiled attempt to deny GLBT people equality under the law.

TWO’s vision is to create a world where the right wing is held accountable for their factual distortions and the “ex-gay” ministries are exposed as one of the greatest hoaxes in American history. We firmly believe in the principle that leaving the “Big Lie” unchallenged invites prejudice to prosper, falsehoods to flower and fiction to be confused with fact. TWO stands for the idea that education will overcome ignorance and truth will one day triumph.

At the present moment, Besen is having a holiday fundraiser in order to combat more lies of the "ex-gay" movement. Check it out.

You like me! You really like me!

Last night was a huge hit. I read a bit of my book to a packed house attending the SC Gay and Lesbian Business Guild meeting and they were very receptive to my message.

As well as generous.

I was able to sell many copies of my book and give out many more business cards. The most important thing is that my message went out and was received well.

I think I did relatively well seeing that it was my first time doing a book reading. Of course there are a few things I would change. I am not exactly Sidney Poitier or Morgan Freeman when it comes to verbal delivery.

I read somewhere that a great Greek orator used to practice saying speeches with pebbles in his mouth. Of course I am sure pebbles were cleaner back then than they are now.

Maybe I will try the same tactic with ice cream sandwiches.

Seriously though, I read today that our friend Peter is a little bit upset that Diversity Inc magazine co-founder Luke Visconti compared his usage of the Bible to demonize lgbts to slaveholders using the same holy text to justify slavery:

DiversityInc magazine co-founder Luke Visconti (lvisconti@diversityinc.com) showed his own (modern) bigotry and disrespect for people of faith by comparing Americans For Truth president Peter LaBarbera to a 19th Century Christian slavery advocate because LaBarbera opposes homosexuality and pro-homosexual corporate policies.

I'm confused. Apparently Visconti's piece was about Americans for Truth (in name only). So how can Peter take it that it was meant to insult people of faith. I really don't remember reading that part of the Bible that says God had appointed Peter as the new prophet i.e. spokesperson for anyone of faith.

Maybe he was sent a memo. Peter continues to say:

Did you know that in the eyes of some liberal, pro-homosexual advocates, you are the moral equivalent of the KKK? Actually, this is nothing new: radical “gay” activists have been making this absurd and hateful analogy for years. This is why I tell religious people all the time: disabuse yourself of the idea that homosexual activists and their liberal fellow travelers “respect” your faith or your right to live it out in the public square. They don’t; they despise your Bible-centered morality, and are quite willing to demonize you for it.

Let me put my little spin on this.

Peter, your belief that homosexuality is a sin does not make you a bigot like a member of Klan. It is your tactics. You are guilty of the following:

Aiding in the selling of a fradulent video because it featured a man who claimed that he was ex-gay while at the same time potentially infecting gay men with HIV

Spreading the studies of a man dismissed from the APA for bad research tactics, something that you are aware of

Giving an unfair connotation that all gays and lesbians are diseased, sex ridden maniacs by attending subcultural events like Folsom Street Fair and focusing on the gays you see there while ignoring the heterosexual engaged in the same behavior

Engaging in the distortion of credible research in order to demonize the lgbt community.

Your tactics make you no different than slaveholders. They thought their racial heritage justified keeping African-Americans physically shackled. You think your religious beliefs justify the tactics you use to keep lgbts spiritually shackled.

Do you get what I am throwing down? No? Let me put it another way.

I have friends who are very conservative. They home school their children and feel that homosexuality is a sin. But they respect me. They ask me about my life and if I am dating anyone. They even introduced me to their children. Sometimes we even have lunch where we have an excellent conversation about life and everything in between.

The difference between you and them?

When they walk into my office and see a plaque I received as volunteer of the year from the gay and lesbian organization in my city, they don't whine to me or anyone about how their religious beliefs are being "violated." When my boyfriend brought me flowers for Valentine's Day, they did not tell me that I was going to hell nor did they tell me that I had no right to tell where I got the flowers from.

They don't assume that their Christianity gives them the top floor in some sort of superior hierarchy. They don't think that the world revolves around their religious beliefs.

Nor do they stoop to deception in attempts to get folks to conform to their religious beliefs.

You should really try it sometime, Peter.

Tomorrow is the day!!!!

My mother came home from the hospital yesterday and is doing much better. Thank you all for your concern and prayers.

Well tomorrow is the day of my first book signing and I am naturally spooked. I haven't written down a game plan or anything.

Therefore I apologize for not posting anything new today. But I do want to direct your attention to a few items:

My buddies at Box Turtle Bulletin have instituted a new award, one which I hope that I am never the recipient of:

A lot of groups and individuals put out piles of misrepresented statistics and bogus research. Few can match Paul Cameron’s audacity, but from time to time we run across something that surely must put a smile on Cameron’s lips. One such email blast reached my inbox yesterday, and it was so good I thought it might be time to inaugurate a brand new award.

And so I’m announcing the Cameronesque Award, given for the individual or group who engages in the most egregious manipulation, misuse, or misrepresentation of research or statistics that would make Paul Cameron proud.

The first recipient of the award, The Christian Defense Coalition, truly deserves it.

Also, I rarely talk about the ex-gay movement on this blog. Mainly because there are many other excellent resources about the ex-gay movement, including Ex-gaywatch.com and this excellent book by activist Wayne Besen.

And now here is another good resource to add. The Southern Poverty Law Center has written two articles on the ex-gay movement. One dissects the lies of the movement and the other focuses on Scott Harrison, a man who survived the ex-gay movement.

Lastly, I would remiss if I didn't point out this article by the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. It focuses on something that our media should be talking about but for some reason refuses to: the lives of lgbts of color.