Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Saturday, October 02, 2010

Is Senator Jim DeMint attacking gay teachers and unmarried women again?

Did South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint return to a position that got him into trouble when he initially ran for the Senate seat in 2004 - the belief that gay teachers and unmarried women should not be teaching children.

Senator DeMint made those comments in a Friday speech during a Greater Freedom Rally at First Baptist North in Spartanburg, SC where he was addressing conservative issues.

DeMint said if someone is openly homosexual, they shouldn't be teaching in the classroom and he holds the same position on an unmarried woman who's sleeping with her boyfriend — she shouldn't be in the classroom.

“(When I said those things,) no one came to my defense,” he said. “But everyone would come to me and whisper that I shouldn't back down. They don't want government purging their rights and their freedom to religion.”

DeMint was alluding to the controversy he caused when he made the same comments during a debate between him and Democratic challenger Inez Tenenbaum. According to the Huffington Post:

Controversy over DeMint's position on this issue first arose in 2004 during a Senate debate, when he was asked whether he agreed with the state party's platform that said openly gay teachers should be barred from teaching public school. DeMint said he agreed with that position because government shouldn't be endorsing certain behaviors.

After significant criticism from LGBT groups, including the Log Cabin Republicans, DeMint apologized for saying "something as a dad that I just shouldn't have said."

The Post made it a point to elaborate that DeMint never apologized for the substance of his comments, but the fact that they were "distracting."

The Post also said that DeMint's communications director, Wesley M. Denton said that DeMint, in his speech in Spartanburg, was

. . . "making a point about how the media attacks people for holding a moral opinion." "Senator DeMint believes that hiring decisions at local schools are a local school board issue, not a federal issue," he added.

Senator DeMint has a history of making anti-gay comments.

In December of last year, he found the idea of a gay president "bothersome."

In June of 2009, he sent out an inaccurate letter to several pastors and religious leaders claiming that if lgbt-inclusive hate crimes protection were passed, they were in danger of going to jail for simply preaching that homosexuality is wrong.

DeMint, by the way, is in the middle of possibly the easiest re-election campaign in the history of the country. His challenger is Alvin Greene. And I don't think I need to elaborate any further about Greene.

Friday, October 01, 2010

Know Your LGBT History - Beautiful Thing

It's been a sad time for the lgbt community, particularly our children. We fight so much for equality that sometimes we forget that there are other things we need to be concerned with such as self esteem and peer respect, as well as hope for the future. Those are the two things that our lgbt children need.

With that in mind, I want to feature one of the best movies that deals with lgbt youth.

Beautiful Thing (1996) is a simple movie of two young teens who fall in love in London. From Wikipedia:

Jamie (Glen Berry), a teen who is infatuated with his classmate, Ste (Scott Neal), has to deal with his single mother Sandra (Linda Henry), who is pre-occupied with ambitious plans to run her own pub and with an ever-changing string of lovers, the latest of whom is Tony (Ben Daniels), a neo-hippie. Sandra finds herself at odds with Leah (Tameka Empson), a sassy and rude neighbour who has been expelled from school, does several drugs, and constantly listens and sings along to her mother's Mama Cass records. While Jamie's homosexuality remains concealed, his introvert nature and dislike of football are reason enough for his classmates to bully him at every opportunity.

Needless to say, the two boys do fall in love and have to navigate a relationship throughout all of the mess.

And let me apologize for those who hate spoilers, but this movie has a happy ending which the following clip shows. Why am I revealing this? Because there is nothing wrong knowing that happy endings exist, whether in movies or real life:

Homophobic assistant AG takes leave of absence, Open season on lgbt youth?, and other Friday midday news briefs

Assistant AG takes leave of absence after national attention over blog against U-M student body president - A small degree of sanity reigns.

Johnson & Wales Student Commits Suicide - My God. Another life taken.

'It's really tough being different,' says supporter of site aimed at treating gays differently - If this doesn't get your blood boiling, nothing will. And for clarification's sake, studies say that lgbt youth are more likely to engage negative behaviors (i.e. suicide, drug and alchohol abuse) when they have to deal with a homophobic culture.

Peter LaBarbera Clarifies Why He Pulled His Post on NOM - An irrelevant homophobic loser spins another lie.

Parade Commodore to 14-year-old Girl: “Go To A Country Where They Hang People Like You” - Apparently it's open season on lgbt children and their allies.

URI student faces charges - What are these losers scared of?

In wake of anti-lgbt youth climate, Focus on the Family attacks GLSEN

Candi Cushman of Focus on the Family just released a critique of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network)'s recent school climate report.

GLSEN's report found that in 2009:

. . . 7,261 middle and high school students found that at school nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school in the past year and nearly two-thirds felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation. Nearly a third of LGBT students skipped at least one day of school in the past month because of safety concerns.

Naturally, Cushman and Focus on the Family disputes this. To make a long story short, Cushman is claiming that GLSEN's report is inaccurate because it:

. . . lists four authors—all of whom are employed by GLSEN, including Emily A. Greytak, who became involved with a GLSEN chapter 12 years ago and has worked for the organization since 2006; Elizabeth M. Diaz, who, as a GLSEN employee since 2004, conducts workshops opposing abstinence education; and GLSEN employee Mark J. Bartkiewicz, whose “research interests include LGBT students’ access to comprehensive sexual health education and the effects of inclusive LGBT curricula.”

Hardly what you’d call an objective research team—and then there’s the little fact that they are paid by an organization that has openly acknowledged its goal of getting gay, lesbian and transgender themes “fully integrated into curricula across a variety of subject areas and grade levels.”

Cushman is pushing the same old lie that GLSEN is trying to "introduce homosexual themes" into schools in order to "indoctrinate" children.

It's the standard lie she and Focus on the Family pushes and it's nothing new.

But the sad thing is that this attack is coming in a climate in which we have seen a recent outbreak of bullying and suicides of young lgbts including:

An 11-year-old sixth grader in Ohio had his arm broken by teenagers who called him a queer and a sissy because he wanted to be a cheerleader.

There's the suicide, by hanging, of 13-year-old Seth Walsh, in California.

The suicide, by means of his father's Beretta, of 13-year-old Asher Brown, in Texas.

and finally, the suicide of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, which needs no introduction because we know the story.

In the long run, it doesn't matter who backed the GLSEN report or who created it.

Because based on recent events, the report has a degree of accuracy.

If Cushman or Focus on the Family really cared about the children, they would realize this instead of releasing a ridiculous critique that does nothing but demonstrate how uncaring and clueless they really are.

Related posts:

Focus on the Family's attack on anti-bullying efforts take centerstage on AC 360

Focus on the Family cites George Rekers in fighting anti-bullying efforts

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Eddie Long scandal - Chronology of what has happened and where we are now

Allow me to break down the Eddie Long scandal as best as I can including photos and videos:

Tuesday, Sept. 21 - Prominent anti-gay black pastor accused of sexual coercion - Two young men in Georgia, Anthony Flagg, 21, and Maurice Murray Robinson, 20, filed a suit in DeKalb County, Georgia alleging that Long used his position as pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church to coerce them into sex. Long's spokesman denies the allegation.

Wednesday, Sept. 22 - Eddie Long hit with third sexual coercion lawsuit but is defended by congregation members - Long is hit with another sexual coercion lawsuit by Jamal Parris, 23. Long is defended by his congregation members.

Thursday, Sept. 23 - Eddie Long scandal now includes pictures - The lawsuits take a strange turn when attorney B.J. Bernstein, who are representing the three men suing Long releases two pictures of Long dressed in spandex and workout clothing supposedly sent to one of the alleged victims.

Friday, Sept. 24 Eddie Long rumored to step down amid possibly more allegations of sexual coercion - A fourth young man Spencer LeGrande, files suit. Meanwhile, pastors in Atlanta gather to pray for Long.

Sunday, Sept. 26 - Eddie Long determined to fight allegations of sexual coercion - Long tells a packed house at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, that he was innocent of the charges and that he was determined to fight them:

Wednesday, September 29 - Jamal Parris, one of Eddie Long's accusers, gives a sad, riveting account - One of Long's accusers, Jamal Parris, speaks to the press:

Thursday, Sept. 30 - Another Eddie Long accuser speaks out - The fourth young man to file a suit, Spencer LeGrande, also talks to the press:

Another Eddie Long accuser speaks out and other Thursday midday news briefs

Another accuser of Eddie Long speaks out:

In other news:

Obama Speaks About His Faith, Gets Accued of Being An Ignorant, Lying "Limousine Marxist Hypocrite" - Because you know these folks, who frequently bear false witness against the lgbt community, are the "true Christians."

TWO Deeply Saddened By Three Gay Teen September Suicides Resulting From School Bullying - What the hell is going on here?

MI Attorney General: Fire anti-gay cyber-bully Andrew Shirvell - I don't get this. Everyone knows that Andrew Shrivell is harassing and stalking Chris Armstrong, the college student. I guess Attorney General Mike Cox will be spurred to do something if Armstrong harms himself. I hope it doesn't get to that point.

Immigration Bill to Include LGBTs - It's about time.

Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber stands up for gay persecution

In a hysterical screed published by the American Family Association's One News Now, Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel sets his aim at the United Nations:

The United Nations is pressing for acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle worldwide, which was made evident during a recent human rights meeting in Geneva.

A written statement from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on U.N. members to abolish laws that discriminate against homosexuals. The statement comes two months after a homosexual activist group received U.N. accreditation.

"The United Nations just continues to spiral further and further down into the abyss of irrelevancy," laments Matt Barber, director of cultural affairs at Liberty Counsel. "Their radical, leftist, post-modern secular humanist, globalist agenda is just as clear as it has ever been."

That agenda has become a point of concern for some countries that depend on the United Nations and its agencies, but Barber points out that at the same time, "this is why so many nations around the world that embrace traditional values, that embrace sexual morality, have really written the U.N. off as an extremist conglomerate of really left-wing 'wacktivists.'"

As par for the course with One News Now, Barber's insane comments are the only thing published about the U.N.'s actions.

Here are some facts that the One News Now article omitted:

In a message to a panel discussion in Geneva on ending violence and criminal sanctions based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which was delivered by UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay, Mr. Ban noted that the responsibilities of the UN and the obligations of States are clear.

“No one, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. No one should be prosecuted for their ideas or beliefs. No one should be punished for exercising their right to freedom of expression.”

In May, during a visit to Malawi, the Secretary-General called for laws criminalizing people on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity to be reformed worldwide. Such laws, he noted, fuel violence, help to legitimize homophobia and contribute to a climate of hate.

While in Malawi, he had also lauded the “courageous” decision by the country’s leader to pardon a gay couple who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison, voicing hope that the African nation will update its laws to reflect international standards.

Ms. Pillay noted in her own remarks that, despite significant progress made in a number of States, there is still no region in the world today where people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual transgender or intersex (LGBTI) can live entirely free from discrimination or from the threat of harassment and physical attack.

“But in 78 countries, individuals still face criminal sanctions on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” she told the event, which was held on the sidelines of the 15th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council.

So what the United Nations is actually trying to do is to eliminate persecution against lgbts in other countries.

And apparently to Barber, this persecution, which in some cases includes jail time and physical violence, embodies "traditional values."

You know, there are times when I get frustrated because I feel that I'm not communicating just how hypocritical and hateful some members of the religious right actually are.

Then someone like Matt Barber comes along and makes my job so much easier.