While they lie about Kevin Jennings, Michelle Malkin attacks GLSEN's funders

UPDATE - I have just completed an interview with Maxim Lott of Fox News about the so-called Jennings controversies. Keep your fingers crossed regarding the accuracy of the potential article.

Another day, another lie about Kevin Jennings.

From Media Matters comes the following distortion about a "Little Black Book:"

The Gateway Pundit blog falsely suggested that the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, a group founded and formerly headed by Department of Education official Kevin Jennings, had distributed to children an explicit safe-sex booklet. 
 
But GLSEN wasn't the ones who brought this book:

In a May 19, 2005, article, The Boston Globe reported:  

Fenway Community Health officials yesterday said they left about 10 copies of the ''Little Black Book" on an informational table they rented at a conference sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network of Boston. The annual event, held on April 30 at Brookline High School, was aimed at high school students, educators, counselors, administrators, and parents.

The ''Little Black Book," produced by the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, is targeted at 18-and-older gay men, according to the committee. The book uses vivid descriptions and colloquial terms to describe the ways HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases can be prevented and spread. 

A Fenway Community Health employee brought the pamphlets along with other materials and put them on the table by mistake, said Chris Viveiros, a spokesman for Fenway Community Health. 

''Fenway Community Health regrets accidentally making available a small number of copies of the Little Black Book, an HIV-prevention publication for gay and bisexual men over the age of 18, at an event where young people were present," said Dr. Stephen Boswell, Fenway Community Health's president and CEO.

The rest of the post is here.

Believe it or not, the folks at Gateway Pundit are calling this mess "Fistgate III."

And like Peter Jackson with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, they already have "Fistgate IV" in the works:

Earlier today it was reported that Kevin Jennings’ Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) organization was distributing gay bar directories to high school students at the 2005 Massachusetts GLSEN conference.

Oh the horror! 

There is just one problem with that story. The bar guides came from the "Little Black Book," the book that GLSEN did not hand out.

Remember (look at the Media Matters links to refresh your memory), it wasn't GLSEN who gave out the guides, but a community health group (Fenway Community Health) who accidentally provided a small number of guides.

And by the way:

On May 18, 2005, WHDH 7News Boston's Sean Hennessey reported that Brookline Superintendent of Schools William H. Lupini says that "none of his students, he believes, took the [Fenway] book home."

Gateway Pundit also claims that GLSEN advised students to attend leather bars in 1999 and 2000 but does not provide actual proof of this. All the site provides is a link to a blog by Mass Resistance, the anti-lgbt hate group in Massachusetts whose ability to stretch the truth I have talked about numerous times.

And the Mass Resistance blog links to two World Net Daily (the site that believe that President Obama is not a United States citizen) articles (here and here) that provides no proof that GLSEN was giving out leather bar guides to students.

Also, ironically, the Mass Resistance link actually exonerates GLSEN:

In 2005, GLSEN recommended the infamous "Ramrod" bar in Boston in the Little Black Book: Queer in the 21st Century, handed out to teens at their Boston conference. 

Remember, the Little Black Book" was not given out by GSLEN but accidentally by Fenway Community Health. But I guess that  really doesn't matter to the folks looking to take Jennings down.

For three days now they have posted blatant lies against Jennings (which you can read about it here and here) in an attempt to paint him as sort of a "pedophile-enabler."

My guess is since the Brewster incident blew up in their face a while back, these new attacks won't amount to much if they are exposed for the lies they are in a swift fashion. They're mostly on right-wing webpages (i.e. World Net Daily and the Washington Times) and homophobic fringe blogs.

But there seems to be another component to this madness.

Right-wing denizen Michelle Malkin has taken it upon herself to get into the situation, even appearing on Hannity tonight to no doubt tell more lies about Jennings. She is also making a push against corporations who fund GLSEN, the organization founded by Jennings:

Did you make sure to read the not-safe-for-school reading list of GLSEN, the radical gay rights advocacy group founded by Obama’s safe schools czar Kevin Jennings?

If you missed it last week and you’re a parent, you better go read it now in my summary post from last week. You’ll also get a recap of “Fistgate” (it is as bad as it sounds) and learn about GLSEN’s sponsorship of this year’s “Santa is Coming Out” extravaganza.

You might be wondering who’s behind GLSEN.

Well, they receive financial backing from numerous private foundations, corporations and corporate foundations.

Their national sponsors “make an annual commitment to GLSEN of $75,000 or more and, in addition to our gratitude, receive recognition as National Sponsors in our publications and website. Current National Sponsors are Cisco, Citi, Goldman Sachs, IBM, KPMG, National Education Association and PepsiCo.”

Yesterday, she announced that Eastman Kodak stands by GLSEN. Of course she isn't happy about that.

And I am so happy that she isn't happy.

This situation seems to be ready to explode again. Like some monster in an 80s horror movie, those who are smearing Jennings are rising up for another round of lies irregardless of the embarrassment they received from the Brewster sitaution.

What can we do?

Let everyone know that these people are lying, point blank. And we can start contacting GLSEN's major funders and urging them not to fall for fear tactics and lies:

Cisco Systems, Inc.
* 170 West Tasman Dr.
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
* (408) 526-4000
(800) 553-NETS
(800) 553-6387
Email contact info here.

Citi Foundation
Contact form here.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Contact Us by Telephone
1-800-992-1997
M-F 8:00AM-6:00PM EST
Contact Us by Mail:
Chrysler Group LLC Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 21-8004
Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8004
Email contact form here.

Ernst & Young
Email form here.
IBM Corporation
Corporate headquarters:
IBM Corporation
1 New Orchard Road
Armonk, New York 10504-1722
United States
914-499-1900
Email contact form here.

KPMG LLP
Email contact form here.
PepsiCo
PepsiCo, Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 253-2000
Comment form here.

Time Warner
Headquarters
Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY10019-8016
212.484.8000

Edward Adler
Executive Vice President
Corporate Communications
Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016

Keith Cocozza
Vice President
Corporate Communications
Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016

Also, the following are the rest of GLSEN's  listed sponsors

Let them know that you will not stand for a campaign of lies against a group created to help our children.

Exposing the 'ex-gay movement' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

MSNBC: The Story Behind ‘Curing’ the Gays - On the heels of her absolute destruction of "ex-gay" Richard Cohen, Rachel Maddow goes for dessert during an interview with Mark Benjamin, a man who infiltrated the ex-gay movement in 2005.  Huge hat tip to TruthWinsOut

Rise of the New McCarthyism: How Right Wing Extremists Try to Paralyze Government Through Ideological Smears and Baseless Attacks - People for the American Way nails the right on their character assassinations.

"On Fox News, percentages don't add up to 100 and, apparently, 'zero tolerance' means unless we get caught." - via Americablog and Media Matters, Fox News caught telling a blatant lie . . . AGAIN.

Colin Firth thinks Hollywood is full of 'secret' gay actors - And in other news from the department of No #!@(, Sherlock . . .

When fisting and oral sex are the same: The latest smear against Kevin Jennings

Editor's note - I wrote two posts this morning. This one is about the latest lie against Kevin Jennings. The first one was about Rachel Maddow making 'ex-gay' Richard Cohen bark like a dog over the Ugandan anti-gay bill.

Yeah, I know you all are tired of my posts on Kevin Jennings but I also know you will love this one.

You have heard of "Fistgate," the 2000 incident  which Jennings had nothing to do with but keeps getting blamed for?

Well get ready for "Fistgate II."

Apparently, the right-wing site Big Government is working hand-in-hand with the Massachusetts anti-lgbt hate group Mass Resistance even to the point of reprinting every bit of tripe the organization comes out with against Jennings.

Including the following factoid:

Supposedly neither Jennings nor GLSEN learned anything from "Fistgate" because they were allegedly handing out "fisting kits" to children a year later during another conference.

And Big Government not only has the story but a picture of the kit (see above).

But the truth of the matters comes from Massachusetts News, a defunct Massachusetts right-wing publication which published a 2001 piece on the conference. Despite its attempts to smear Jennings, the piece actually exonerates him.

Rachel Maddow annihiliates 'ex-gay' Richard Cohen over Uganda bill

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 From Daily Kos:

Rachel Maddow just completed one of her patented epic takedown interviews.  This one was with Richard Cohen author of Coming Out Stratight and Gay Children, Straight Parents.  Cohens work is one inspiration for the proposed homosexual death penalty law in Uganda.  

. . . As soon as the interview commenced Cohen condemned the proposed Ugandan law, claiming that he was a proponent for tolerance and understanding of gay people.  Maddow pointed to a section of Coming Out Straight in which Cohen quotes a debunked study claiming that most molestation of children by teachers is by gay teachers, that gays target children for recruitment and so on and so forth.  Cohen promised to remove that section of his book when the 3rd edition is released, and acknowleged the faultiness of the study's.   Score one for Maddow.

And it gets better:

Maddow also asked Cohen to justify a quote from Gay Children Straight Parents in which Cohen lists a series of reasons on why children may be gay.  Amongst those reasons were divorce, and race.  Maddow asked how race could possibly be a factor and initially Cohen denied that was in the book.  Maddow held the book up, read the page number and the list again at which point Cohen pleaded that she was reading out of context.  Maddow read the preceding paragraph from the book, in which Cohen explains there are several reasons children may be gay etc etc...  Cohen then challenged Maddow to read the passage following the list, and it had no pertinence to the question.  Finally Cohen just came out and admitted that race has no influence on whether or not a child may be gay.

One of the most electric moments in the interview came when Maddow told Cohen that he had "blood on your hands" because his work was being used to justify the persecution of gays.  It was just riveting.

I've seen the interview and the words of Daily Kos does not do it justice. To borrow an old term, Maddow figuratively "ripped out Cohen's heart and held it front of him so he could watch it beating while slipping away."

I especially liked the part where she takes Cohen to task for using discredited researcher Paul Cameron ( if Maddow wanted to do a future show on Cameron and how the religious right continues to use his work, she could have a series of shows).

It just goes to show that having a "fierce advocate" is nice but nothing beats having one of your own take down the right.

It's like a narcotic. I need more of it.

Associated Press covers Ugandan anti-gay bill; religious right amazingly silent

Earlier today, I talked about how CNN is talking about the anti-lgbt bill in Uganda that would criminalize homosexuality.

Now the Associated Press is hitting on the issue:

Proposed legislation would impose the death penalty for some gay Ugandans, and their family and friends could face up to seven years in jail if they fail to report them to authorities. Even landlords could be imprisoned for renting to homosexuals.

Gay rights activists say the bill, which has prompted growing international opposition, promotes hatred and could set back efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. They believe the bill is part of a continentwide backlash because Africa's gay community is becoming more vocal.

"It's a question of visibility," said David Cato, who became an activist after he was beaten up four times, arrested twice, fired from his teaching job and outed in the press because he is gay. "When we come out and ask for our rights, they pass laws against us."

The legislation has drawn global attention from activists across the spectrum of views on gay issues. The measure was proposed in Uganda following a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy for gays to become heterosexual. However, at least one of those leaders has denounced the bill, as have some other conservative and liberal Christians in the United States.

More here.

Granted, the connection between the bill and the anti-lgbt activists who gave tacit support to the bill (i.e. Scott Lively and company) isn't covered, but this is a start. A good start.

While the bill may pass, still attention needs to be devoted to it, as well as the people behind it.

And I have noticed something else. While the religious right are playing their annual "War on Christmas" nonsense as well as playing the martyr (via the Manhattan Declaration) while attacking marriage equality, I have yet to hear any of them comment on this bill.

Not Focus on the Family

Not the American Family Association, especially via the phony news site One News Now.

Not Peter LaBarbera

Not Matt Barber or the rest of the Liberty Counsel.

Not any of them.

All of it goes to show that when accessing just who are moral or righteous, sometimes the silence says more than the words.

Related posts:

US Christian Leaders oppose Uganda’s “Kill Gays” Bill

Full coverage on Uganda’s “Kill Gays” legislation - Since February, the webpage Box Turtle Bulletin has covering the situation in Uganda, including the conditions leading up to the bill. It should be commended for its excellent coverage.

CNN finally covers Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill story and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Why is Uganda attacking homosexuality? - CNN covers anti-lgbt bill in Uganda. It certainly took them long enough!

Living With Mental Illness - An excellent personal piece by Autumn Sandeen, an online buddy of mine.

How the Religious Right Stole Christmas - This "War Against Christmas" is getting ridiculous. Getting? It's past the point of ridiculous.

Gay, lesbian judges in Cook County note their progress - We need more articles like this one.

Right-wing plan against Kevin Jennings: Tell a lie, let it get refuted, wait a while, repeat lie again

Say what you will about the attacks on Dept. of Education appointee Kevin Jennings, they definitely give a window into the modus operandi of not only the religious right but some facets of the American right in general.

From Media Matters:

Fox Nation and Big Government are trumpeting the latest smear on Department of Education official Kevin Jennings: that Jennings is, in the words of Fox Nation, "linked to shocking teen sex talk," referring to a recorded exchange that occurred during a "Queer Sex and Sexuality" workshop during a 2000 conference sponsored by Jennings' organization, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

There are so many problems with this, but here is the big one:

In fact, Jennings reportedly criticized "some of the" workshop's "content" when the recordings were first released in 2000, and the people involved in conducting the controversial discussion -- none of whom were GLSEN employees -- were either terminated or resigned.

And here is the other thing wrong with this incident: it has already been looked at, covered, and dissected by the right - especially the religious right, and has proven to be nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

Folks on the right  have been distorting this situation (incredibly named "fistgate") since June as a part of their efforts to hurt Jennings. I covered the situation during that time.

And here is what I said:

Kevin Jennings wasn't even present when the situation took place. His organization, other than co-sponsoring the event where the unfortunate incident took place, wasn't involved in what transpired.

Three state employees, including one Margot Abels, who took part in the discussion was either fired or resigned.

Abels later sued the Massachusetts Department of Education, Brian Camenker (head of the anti-lgbt hate group Mass Resistance), and Scott Whiteman; the two men who illegally taped the workshop and made the taping public,  for "violating her civil rights and the state's anti-wiretapping law."