More lies, more aggravation

As soon as I get over anti-gay industry lies (see Monday's post), more come my way.

John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute wrote a piece today, Criminalizing Your Thoughts, that criticizes the recently passed Matthew Shepard Act.

Naturally he is touting the same "this law will lead Christians to be arrested for speaking out against homosexuality" lie. The following caught my attention:

For example, Christians have been prosecuted under a state hate crime law for “singing hymns” and peacefully “carrying signs” while attending a homosexual fair in Pennsylvania. Because the signs challenged the morality of homosexuality, these Christians were charged with three felonies and five misdemeanors and faced 47 years in prison for attempting to preach at a homosexual street fair. Indeed, a state judge determined that the prosecutions could go forward. His rationale was that the Christians’ speech constituted so-called “fighting words.”

This of course is not true. According to People for the American Way:

The story as told by Repent America and other Religious Right groups – most recently in two videotaped ads by grandmothers who participated in the Repent America protest against the festival – is that people were arrested merely for “sharing the gospel” on public property. The arrest of the protestors and subsequent charges against them on several counts – some under Pennsylvania’s hate crimes law – is, in the mythology of Repent America, proof that the goal of gay rights activists in general, and hate crimes laws in particular, is to outlaw the gospel.

The kernel of truth at the bottom of the propaganda pile is that the two grandmothers and others were in fact arrested while protesting Philadelphia’s OutFest, and a local prosecutor did charge them with violations of several laws, including the state’s hate crimes law.
But none of those charges were for “sharing the gospel.”

Repent America doesn’t mention that a federal court later found that the women “insulted individual attendees, blocked access to vendors, and disobeyed direct orders from the police, who were trying to preserve order and keep the peace.” The police arrested the protesters only after “their presence disrupted public order.” Unlike the organizers of OutFest, Repent America leaders failed to obtain a permit from the city. The city and the police gave the women great leeway, but they still overstepped the bounds of peaceful protest.

The First Amendment allows equality advocates to rally, and allows those with a different point of view to protest. But it doesn’t mean that protestors have the right to disrupt the rally or drown out its speakers. It is universally recognized that public safety officials can place reasonable “time, place, and manner restrictions” on people exercising their first amendment rights in order to preserve public order and prevent one group from trampling another’s rights. The court, which noted that Repent America did not get a permit for their protest, found that the police applied the law reasonably when the bullhorn-wielding Repent America protestors refused a request to move to another location and instead sat down in the street.

It is also important to note that the court dismissed the hate crimes charges in this case. In fact, the resolution of the situation proves the opposite of what the Right claims – despite their disruptive behavior and refusal to obey police requests, the protestors were neither convicted nor sentenced for breaking hate crimes laws.

The Rutherford Institute claims that it is a "civil liberties organization that provides free legal services to people whose constitutional and human rights have been threatened or violated."

Apparently telling the truth doesn't seem to fit into these noble goals.

Book update!!!!!!!!!!!

No I have not forgotten about my book.

It has been a little over a month since its publication and things are going better than I expected.

My book has been getting a bit of attention (though no word on whether or not Peter LaBarbera and company at Americans for Truth took my advice and actually bought a copy) through word of mouth.

I think it's safe to assume that Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters is becoming an underground favorite. A big thanks to those bloggers who believed in this project from the beginning and went out of their way to publicize my book on their sites (you guys know who you are!)

Also, thanks to my webmaster for setting up my page.

There have also been mentions in high profile lgbt sites such as PageQ and Americablog. So slowly but steadily, my book is building up steam.

I know that due to a variety of factors (such as my book being self-published), my book will not make a huge impact at first. Therefore, I set a goal of selling at least 100 copies before I kick things into high gear.

With the help of so many people, I am almost there.

And I know that the best is yet to come.

Ignorant people are aggravating the hell out of me

I apologize for the length of this post but I am aggravated.

No matter how I try to be calm over the situation, I never fail to get angry and exasperated when I see an ignorant Christian spouting anti-gay industry lies about lgbts.

I get angry because I hate when my people are lied on and I get exasperated because I really wonder when oh when will they ever learn?

So what got me upset today?

A piece on the site Virtue Online called 20 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality.

The author of the piece, John F. McKenna, is described as a member of St. Paul's Church in Darien, Connecticut, one of the "Connecticut Six" churches that oppose their bishop's stand in favor of a non-celibate gay bishop consecrated as bishop of New Hampshire.

To me he is a classic case of what is wrong with Chrisitianity in this country - someone so caught up in ego regarding his relationship with God that he allows himself to be used in order to spread lies and propaganda.

Let's take this piece apart bit by bit:

2. Who is harmed by supporting such relationships?

Most importantly, those who are inclined toward homosexuality are harmed if they act on those impulses. A widespread myth is that AIDS is the main danger, but AIDS is actually just a small part of the health hazard. Consider some of the others:

They include 26 types of diseases other than AIDS (Journal of Adolescent Medicine); a life expectancy equal to that experienced in 1871 (Oxford University's International Journal of Epidemiology); high risk of three types of hepatitis (Centers for Disease Control); proctitis associated with the gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, & syphilis widespread among homosexuals (Journal of the American Medical Association); an incidence of anal cancer 35 times higher than usual (Dr. Joel Palefsky, an expert in that field); among lesbians, a higher prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and hepatitis C (Sexually Transmitted Infections, a journal).

Some of the health hazards exist even in the extremely unusual situations in which there is complete faithfulness with neither of the partners having had prior relationships. The inherent weakness of the body results in its inability to withstand gay sex without a serious risk of damage, including tearing of the sphincter, fistular infections of the rectum, and incontinence. Support for physical relationships among members of the same sex is a false benevolence, a well-meant gesture that is very often a death sentence .

There are so many things wrong with this passage. Let's take that part about the supposed gay life span. McKenna is distorting a 1997 Canadian study to claim that gays have a short life span? And how do I know that he is distorting this study? Because in 2001, the creators of the study went on record complaining about how the religious right were misusing their work in the exact way McKenna was. Their letter is here.

As for the rest of McKenna's claims regarding diseases, please note that he does not give an exact notation of the studies he got the information from. Given how he distorted the 1997 Canadian study, his vague citations have no credibility.

But the most grevious error McKenna makes in this section is inferring that anal sex is "homosexual behavior. Not only does he make the mistake of thinking that anal sex is a fixture in gay sexual intercourse (which it is not) but he omits the fact that many heterosexuals have an interest in the sexual act.

16. Isn't it obvious that in raising children, all that matters is love, regardless of gender? Why not two mommies?The fact remains that gender matters--perhaps nowhere more than in regard to child rearing.

The unique value of fathers has been explained by Dr. Kyle Pruett of Yale Medical School in his book Fatherneed: Why Father Care Is as Essential as Mother Care for Your Child. Pruett says dads are critically important simply because "fathers do not mother."

Psychology Today explained in 1996 that "fatherhood turns out to be a complex and unique phenomenon with huge consequences for the emotional and intellectual growth of children."

A father, as a male parent, makes unique contributions to the task of parenting that a mother cannot emulate, and vice versa. According to Harvard educational psychologist Carol Gilligan, mothers tend to stress sympathy, grace and care to their children, while fathers accent justice, fairness and duty.

Moms give a child a sense of hopefulness; dads provide a sense of right and wrong and its consequences. Other researchers have determined that boys are not born with an understanding of "maleness." They have to learn it, ideally from their fathers. (Research done by Focus on the Family)

I purposely bolded the names of Kyle Pruett and Carol Gilligan. I think many reading this blog knows why. Last year, they both went on record complaining how Focus on the Family distorted their work to make the claims that McKenna is now alluding to in his piece. Their complaints are here.

17. But supporting gay rights in the church and in general is really very benign. Where's the real harm?

Let's say there are six million American gays dying at the usual American death rate of .8%, and so 48,000 are dying each year. According to the official Danish statistical agency, 80% of married gays do not reach old age, and if that applies to the U.S., then 38,400 American gays are dying young each year. (Compared to fewer than 4000 Americans over the entire history of the Iraq war.)

Now that is untrue. That citation comes from yet another bad study from our friend the discredited Paul Cameron. In this particular case, not only did Cameron distort his findings, but he also distorted how and where he presented them. That is here.

19. But won't same-sex marriage alter the whole social pattern of homosexuality?

According to researchers studying same-sex marriage in Scandinavia over the past 15 years, marriage has had no discernible impact on homosexual patterns of instability. The rapid breakup of same-sex marriages is parallel to the rapid breakup of same-sex couples who haven't been married. Very few avail themselves of same-sex marriage to begin with, and of those who do, the liaisons have usually been quite short-lived.

Now that is a bold-faced lie. The fact of the matter is that no one was married in the study McKenna was talking about. I go into more detail about this in my book, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters.

The study in question looked at casual gay partnerships. It was conducted between the years 1984 and 2000. Same sex marriage was legalized in the Netherlands (i.e. Scandinavia) in 2001.

I apologize for not having blog links for it but I have the information available for anyone who wants to know more or wants to challenge me.

The fact of the matter is that McKenna does not know what the heck he is talking about. It is apparent that he shopped for data that enhanced his beliefs. He did not even attempt to see about the legitimacy of the so-called facts he was citing.

And I don't think he cared. As long as it enhanced his belief that homosexuality is a sin, then the data he found is correct, according to him at least.

Not very Christian, is it?

Something worth knowing about the Folsom Street Fair and our friend Peter

Yesterday, an online buddy of mine wrote me saying that he attended the Folsom Street Fair. His observations are very interesting:

I have to say I went to the Folsom Street Fair (and this was my third year).

It is clear from these pictures that the whippings and such that occurred on Folsum Street were not the popular parts of the Street Fair (his pictures of the flogging shows 4 people watching, plus himself and Allyson Smith). He might find them exciting, but it isn't the focus of the Street Fair.

And most people who went were fully dressed. It is extremely rare to see fully naked people on the street. One thing that Peter LaBarbera didn't mention in his complaining about nudity--it is legal in San Francisco to walk around fully nude.

I've only seen it once outside of Folsom Street. There were also volunteers who were asked to go around and ask people who were having sex to stop. It is not condoned at the street fair. It is possible that Peter LaBarbera was standing in the way of these volunteers as he excitedly filmed the oral sex for at least 1/2 hour!

It is also clear from these pictures that Peter LaBarbera asked most of these people to pose for him.

My friend was wrong about one thing. Peter did not say the oral sex went on for half an hour. He was talking about the "mutual masturbation:"

Naked “leathermen” fondle each other in a public sex scene as passers-by stop to watch and take pictures. This scene (see next photo) went on for at least a half hour, as new men would come and join in the mutual masturbation.

However the question still remains. Just how did Peter know how long the "mutual masturbation" went on.

Let me guess. He was watching and timing it for "research purposes."

Porno Petey strikes again

There he goes again.

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth (in name only) has just published his eyewitness report of San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair complete with pictures.

For those who us who are aware of Peter's proclivities, it is business as usual, as he makes us all aware of every "depraved" sexual act we missed as we go about with our boring lives.

In other words, business as usual.

For the record, I have never been to Folsom Street Fair and I don't plan on going soon. I am not into bondage or seeing half dressed people in chains and leather walking the streets.

Not that it matters to Peter or any of his supporters. In their eyes, my boring life as a gay man is a dodge, an illusion put forth by some secret gay empire.

And it is up to Peter (like some reluctant hero of a Stephen King novel) to "expose" the true face of lgbt America. Which, according to him, is all about baccanalia and hedonism.

Never mind that there are many other lgbts like me who have no interest in Folsom Street Fair or that there are a good number of heterosexuals (as evidenced in the pictures Peter took) that do have an interest in such goings on, laws determining lgbt self-determination should be decided solely on the anti-gay spin Peter try to put forth from his "investigation."

It would be ludicrous if Peter wasn't so damned serious and the implications of his innuendoes weren't so damned scary.

Oh no! Not another ENDA post!

Yes another ENDA post but it's a short one.

By now, I am sure everyone is aware of how the House of Representatives is gutting the ENDA bill due to the reluctance of some members to support the part about our transgender brothers and sisters.

Apparently anti-gay industry instigations about "she-males" wanting jobs in churches and "300 pound linebackers" dressing in drag and using the women's bathroom is getting to some people.

I don't like how the House Democrats acted.

I understand it, but I don't have to like it.

Strangely though, the anti-gay industry seems to be silent as to how their scare tactics worked. I think a lot of them are either reeling from the low attendance of their "Values Summit" or attending the Folsom Street Fair.

Be sure to take some interesting pictures, Peter.

I have a feeling that the lgbt community has not heard the last of the Folsom Street Fair controversy. Poll numbers and experts show that the anti-gay industry pissed away the advantage they gained from the 2004 elections.

Well that could have been easily predicted.

I am sure that in the coming weeks, we can probably expect to hear more about "she-males" and men in leather.

I sincerely hope that some of us in pursuit of "personal freedom" don't provide the anti-gay industry with ammunition that could destroy us all.

There is one thing though about this fight over ENDA that I am very proud of. I was wrong (so far) about "brutally honest" gay folks who would use the opportunity to voice their prejudices about the transgender community and play into the hands of the anti-gay industry.

From what I have seen, lgbts (major organizations included) have formed a united front in defending the dignity of our transgender brothers and sisters.

Let's see more of that unity in defending those in our community who don't fit the personfication of a "perfect lgbt."

But at the end of the day, we would do best to remember that it's all politics.

And politics is like sticking your hand in a pile of manure in search of a diamond.

When you find the diamond, how in the heck do you get the smell off of your hand?

It's been a good day - The Senate passes hate crimes legislation and my radio show appearance is online

As the headline hinted, I am in an unusually good mood today. The following is one of the reasons why:

Senators voted Thursday morning to give the federal government more jurisdiction to prosecute hate crimes and included protections for gay, lesbian and transgender victims, attaching the measure to an annual defense policy bill.

Sixty Senators -- just enough to override a Republican filibuster -- voted to attach the Matthew Shepard Act, named for the gay Wyoming college student murdered in 1998, as an amendment to the 2008 Department of Defense authorization bill. The measure was sponsored by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore.

The next step is getting our beloved president (and I say that with utmost sarcasm) to sign the bill. He has already indicated that he may veto it and I am sure that the anti-gay industry will lobby him hard to do so.

Not a problem as far as I am concerned. The big step has been taken and the die has been cast. History has been made and there is no going back.

Sooner or later, whether with or without this president, the hate crimes legislation will be passed.

Now let's work on ENDA.

My second piece of good news is more personal. My appearance on a local radio show, Rainbow Radio, is now online.

It was taped last week and aired last Sunday but I finally got a chance to listen to it this morning.

I think I did rather well seeing that it was my first (but hopefully not last) radio interview about my book.

Big ups to Rainbow Radio for devoting the entire show to my book. Check the show out sometime. It does excellent work in educating South Carolina on the issues and needs of its lgbt community.

In particular, enjoy 30 minutes of me and hosts Bruce Converse and the Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge as we talk about Paul Cameron, Michael Johnston, gerbils, alleged gay sex habits and the rest of the hot messes the anti-gay industry creates about lgbts. The link is below. And by all means tell me what you think (but no snide remarks about my nasal tone.)

Show 103 - Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

My bad prediction may come true

On Sept. 12, my blog post talked about how the anti-gay industry are exploiting the transgender community in order to garner opposition to ENDA.

Now it looks like they are having some success:

House Democratic leaders are strongly considering dropping anti-discrimination protections for transgender persons from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, after an internal Democratic head count on Wednesday found that the bill would likely be defeated if it included the trans provision, multiple sources familiar with the bill said.

The current version of the bill calls for banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, terms that are defined in the measure to include gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons.

As of late Wednesday, it appeared likely that the trans provision would be removed, setting up a potentially divisive fight within gay activist circles over whether or not to support an ENDA bill that excludes trans people.

Now here is the question - will those with influence and access to the media in the lgbt community recognize this demonization of the trangender community as a tactic of the anti-gay industry to divide and conquer us?

Or will some of our "brutally honest" and "outspoken" folks in the community play into the hands of Sheldon, Barber, and company and display their ignorance of our transgender brothers and sisters.

Whatever the case may be, the anti-gay industry has found another avenue to attack us. In the fight over marriage equality, they were able to play the lgbt and African-American community against one another.

Now it looks like they are playing the gay and trangender against one another.

This time, unlike the last, we have some forewarning of their tactics.

I just hope we can do something with the forewarning.

Oh look, another leather thing for Porno Pete to attend

Batten down the hatches, our friend Peter LaBarbera is upset.

Peter (and Matt Barber of Concerned Women for America) seems to be upset over a poster advertising San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair. Apparently the poster is parodying the New Testament's Last Supper.

Now in all honesty, I find the poster in bad taste on many levels.

Of course in all of Peter's bitchings, he will ignore the lgbts out there (like myself) who don't necessarily find the poster to be of good taste.

Just like he ignored the women in the poster in his attempts to portray it as yet more proof of how us lgbts are anti-Christian hedonists.

I have never been to Folsom Street Fair and I don't plan on going anytime soon. I am sure that Peter has gone in the past and will probably go in the future, where he will be snapping pictures to indict the entire lgbt community on the actions of a few.

But from what I understand, the Fair is attended by heterosexuals as well as lgbts. Believe it or not, they also have an interest in leather, s & m, fisting, and the other stuff the Fair promises to showcase.

Not that this little detail matters to Peter or Matt or Concerned Women for America or anyone else willing to demonize the lgbt community.

But Peter's anger inspires me.

One day, I am going to journey down to Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break and make a video of all of the antics I see there.

The question is who will pay more for it - parents or horny heterosexual boys?

Monday musings

A sad result of Mayor Jim Naugle’s campaign of lies against Florida’s gay community is that it is dividing the area’s African-American community:

. . . the debate over gay rights threatens to drive a wedge between members of South Florida's black community. Despite the support that many black ministers showed for Naugle, the local NAACP took a public stand against the mayor, calling his crusade a ``hate campaign.''

''I'm not here to condone or condemn gay sex,'' Marsha Ellison, head of the Broward NAACP, told The Miami Herald. ``This is a hate campaign against gays launched by the mayor.''
She said the branch's position -- adopted after a unanimous vote of its 22-member executive committee as well as branch members -- echoes the national NAACP's position. ''Anytime any group is discriminated against it becomes a civil rights issue,'' she said.

Of course the entire situation is sad. Naugle's silly stance was not about the supposed sinfulness of lgbts but whether or not a large group of us were committing the crime of sex in public places.

It has been proven that this is not the case, but some folks have taken advantage of the situation to throw out condemnations of lgbts.

Talk about deviating from the subject.

But then again, maybe the division isn’t so bad.

In fact, I think it brings attention to an unfortunate proliferation of prosperity gospel, megachurches, and demagogues perpetrating as ministers willing to use the word of God to stand in a spotlight rather than bring solutions to the complex problems the black community faces:

(Head of Broward NAACP Marsha) Ellison and others argue the clergy is ignoring Naugle's questionable track record with blacks.

The mayor drew harsh criticism last April from the city's predominantly black Northwest section when he rallied against an economic revitalization plan along Sistrunk Boulevard spearheaded by Commissioner Carlton Moore. Naugle sparked further anger after siding with police after the November 2006 shooting death of Troy Eddines, 21, -- the fourth police slaying that year.

''It's baffling that those ministers have chosen to stand with Naugle,'' said Ellison. ``He's attacking gays now . . . it'll be blacks next.''

It also shows that while there are some in the African-American community who will stand against their lgbt brothers and sisters, there are plenty more who will stand in our defense.

Thanks guys.

Now for a little comedy, courtesy of Mr Robert Knight:

"If there's only less than 2-3% of the population that are gay, how are they so powerful?” Knight’s answer: “Because they are like a little kid, with a big brother and a baseball bat behind them—the American media."

According to Knight, the "gay media" is making bizarre, unfounded claims. Gay and lesbian journalists' organizations, he argued, should be courted by The Weekly World News and the Globe instead of reputable news providers; "The truth about those gay aliens" should be exposed, he joked.

Mr. Knight gives truth to the old adage: you can lead a homophobe to water but you can’t make him think.

Paul Cameron dresses up trash as diamonds, but it is still trash

It has been a wild weekend.

South Carolina had its 17th annual lgbt pride and it was wilder than usual.

One thing that was outrageous was the increased number of protestors and their level of vitriol. But more about that in a later post.

I wasn't going to post today but I wanted to direct everyone's attention to something I saw on Box Turtle Bulletin.

Our lovely friend Paul Cameron is not only back but he has undertaken a very interesting project.

He is starting his own online journal. Log onto to Box Turtle Bulletin for a more complete story. According to editor Jim Burroway:

Cameron intends to dress this “journal” up as an academic journal, but that doesn’t mean it will actually be one. Because there are some 1,700 real social science journals listed in Journal Citation Reports, an article in the most reputable journals may still be read by only a few thousand professionals around the world. But that’s not who Cameron is targeting. Instead he wants to draw in thousands of unsuspecting readers on the internet, few of whom will realize that it isn’t a reliable journal– or even a real one.

Pay attention folks because probably in no time at all, anti-gay industry blogs, talking heads, and groups will be citing the nonsense coming from this "new" place in their continuing attempts to demonize the lgbt community.

We really need to be on top of this.

Anyone who is interested can find a complete story of Cameron's sordid history of distorting studies at numerous places online including Box Turtle Bulletin and my recently published book, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters.

Controlling the argument

Apparently this is the week for anti-gay industry gathering.

Fresh from the so-called "values voters" debate, some members of the anti-gay industry will be gathering tomorrow for a three-day Family Impact Summit in Florida.

They claim that the event is to "enable those who have become the "next generation" of national and grassroots Family Values Leaders to pass on their know-how to people wanting to make a difference and needing some guidance in how to do it."

Just who are they kidding.

These folks are going to gather together, whine about how everything should go their way because they are the "chosen people," and most of all tell a bunch of lies about lgbts.

Don't think so? The list of speakers is a plethora of who's who amongst anti-gay industry heads and spokespeople including Donald Wildmon, Gary Bauer Tony Perkins, Harry Jackson, and Richard Land. Even Robert Knight is coming out of his MRC cave to be there.

I also see that former Congresswoman Katherine Harris will be a speaker there.

But folks attending the conference will be facing opposition. Equality Florida is teaming up with Truth Wins Out head Wayne Besen to hold a press conference.

I am all for the press conference but I have a question.

Will there be specifics regarding their opposition to this phony family summit?

Too many times, the argument regarding lgbts and the anti-gay industry is framed in a way that gays and lesbians seem like the outside aggressors. We look like a harassing horde while folks like Knight, Perkins, and others look like upstanding Christians.

And that is not the truth of the matter.

No matter what is said, this is not a pro-family summit.

Knight has consistently used the work of discredited researcher Paul Cameron. He has on occasion distorted legitimate studies and further had the nerve to attack the authors of the studies when they complained. I would love to see him questioned on these points.

Jackson has falsely claimed that gays will use hate crimes legislation to have pastors arrested in their pulpits, even after he has been told the truth of the matter. I definitely want to see him having to answer questions about this.

Will these specific incidents like these be mentioned? Or will there be yet another protest filled with righteously indignant gays with no ammunition?

I can just see Harry Jackson, Gary Bauer and Robert Knight holding a joint press conference in which they innocently claim that all they are doing is trying help gay people and framing the argument into a religious one.

The point is that this argument is not about religious condemnation of homosexuality but how a group of demagogues continue to lie and distort in order to make life harder for lgbts. That is why we are angry .

It is not enough to scream about homophobia. We should show proof as consistently and often as we can.

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?

And so another one meets his maker

There are so many things going on today, but the one subject everyone is talking about (other than Congressman Craig) is the passing of James Kennedy.

Kennedy is the second prominent member of the religious right to die this year after Jerry Falwell. While he was probably not as prominently known as Falwell, Kennedy was equally effective when it came to opposing lgbt rights:

Kennedy’s recently-shuttered Center for Reclaiming America for Christ sponsored a series of television commercials in 1998 promoting gay conversion featuring Michael Johnston. Johnston, who is HIV-positive, was later found to have been secretly hosting orgies, taking drugs and practicing unsafe sex without disclosing his HIV status.

In 2004, Kennedy co-wrote What’s Wrong With Same-Sex Marriage with Jerry Newcombe which quotes extensively from discredited “researcher” and Nazi apologist Paul Cameron. In 2005, Kennedy published another book titled Why the Ten Commandments Matter, which features distortions from Cameron’s influential pamphlet, “Medical Consequences of What Homosexuals Do. And Kennedy’s Center for Reclaiming America posted at least one other article citing Cameron’s “research.”

The Miami Herald adds this reaction from Wayne Besen:

Fort Lauderdale gay-rights activist Wayne Besen calls him something else: “a source of great pain for gays and lesbians, distorting our lives on a national level. The whole ‘ex-gay’ movement we see nationally was jump-started by Coral Ridge Ministries … Kennedy popularized this idea that has caused a lot of suffering for gay people,” that homosexuality could be “prayed away.”

My prayers are with his family and I mean no one any disrespect but let’s be real about this.

James Kennedy, like the late Jerry Falwell, was a two-bit liar of the first order.

He helped the anti-gay industry highjack words like "family" and "values."

It is not my place to say where he is now, whether it be Heaven or Hell.

But I am totally in the right to say that while he was on this Earth, Kennedy was far from an angel or saint.

No doubt, Peter LaBarbera, Matt Barber, and other members of the anti-gay industry will scour the internet to find and post the nastiest comments from lgbts in an attempt to portray the entire community as mean-spirited.

Kennedy would probably be proud. His "influence" lives on.