Gays are not persecuting Christians - The moral panic exposed
Did you hear the one about the church that was forced to allow lesbians to hold a commitment ceremony on its property?
How about the father who was dragged away from his son's school in handcuffs because he wouldn't let teachers "indoctrinate" his child in the alleged gay agenda?
Well how about the secret plan of gays to take over America via a six-point plan put out by a 1980's book?
I can't believe you haven't heard of these things? Haven't you been keeping up with the news? There is a HUGE conspiracy by gays to silence Christians.
I kid you not and I know for certain that this is true because the American Family Association and other religious right groups created a "documentary" proving it.
Okay, realistically, this claim about gays trying to silence Christians is an unadulterated fraud not unlike the equally phony "War on Christmas" moral panic perpetrated by religious right groups every December.
And like the "War on Christmas," this lie about gays plotting to silence Christians is built on deceit, intentionally misrepresented anecdotes, and the inherent laziness of the media and public in general for not seeking out the truth behind said anecdotes.
Creating a moral panic about the gay community is nothing new to the American Family Association (AFA) or any other religious right group for that matter. In the 80s and early 90s (and even now), these groups pushed shockingly inaccurate studies that masqueraded as scientific facts. The purpose of these studies was to give the false impression of gays as diseased hordes obsessed with gerbils, carrots, public sex, blood, and children.
And the idea of presenting anti-gay innuendoes in a "documentary" (thereby giving them a fake air of truth) isn't a new concept either. Religious right groups (AFA included) took those pre-mentioned studies and packaged them into propaganda films such as The Gay Agenda and Gay Rights/Special Rights.
So what's happening now is just a new version of the same tired game. In the past, the religious right tried to make the issue of gay rights into that of a public health menace. Apparently the gay community have gotten savvy to this game so they are now trying to slink their lies into another inaccurate talking point - gay rights will increase religious persecution.
Now all that is left is for a public religious right figure (i.e. Mike Huckabee) to push these lies with an unassuming frame of mind and say things like "you gays can't seem to understand that we Christians don't hate you" while his friends in the background (AFA and company) accuse gays of everything BUT attempting to bring back the Spanish Inquisition.
It's a nifty way to poison the case for gay rights in the eyes of the public while at the same time leave gays sputtering in anger over the wanton evasiveness of such tactics.
The end result being gays will look pushy and threatening while Huckabee and company will come across looking like St. Peter and smelling like a Rose of Sharon.
And let's not forget the anecodotes because they play a crucial part in this game. No matter how farfetched or deceptive they are, random stories about gays allegedly persecuting Christians are effective. No matter how many times they are discredited, there is always a crowd ready to believe them - especially when these anecdotes take centerstage in "documentaries" that will repeat them ad naseum.
But for the sake of bringing things back to the beginning, let me return to the anecdotes I mentioned at the beginning of this piece:
The incident involving the church had to do with the church receiving tax breaks for a pavilion it owned. But a requirement of the tax breaks was that the pavilion had to be open to all, gays included.
And that father allegedly dragged away in handcuffs? Well he objected to his son bringing home a book on different families on the grounds that one family in the book was of a same sex nature. The school accommodated his anger via private meetings, but he used the occasion to orchestrate his arrest - even to the point of having people waiting outside to take pictures when the police led him away in handcuffs.
Lastly, that book about gays taking over America? The majority of gays have never heard of it.
And that's the true story behind just three of the stories regarding gays allegedly persecuting Christians. But you won't find this truth featured in any religious right "documentary."
And that's a shame because it's proof that to some people who claim to fight for moral values, truth is an expendable casualty.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
The most telling thing Peter LaBarbera will ever say
"I think they (young conservatives) feel that they have to do something for these gay unions. We have to bring it back to the behavior, the unhealthiness of the behavior, but also the entire gay agenda . . . " - Young conservatives misled on homosexual issue
How long will it be before we see this sort of thing again (Hat tip to Goodasyou.org):
"I think they (young conservatives) feel that they have to do something for these gay unions. We have to bring it back to the behavior, the unhealthiness of the behavior, but also the entire gay agenda . . . " - Young conservatives misled on homosexual issue
How long will it be before we see this sort of thing again (Hat tip to Goodasyou.org):
Tennessee bill going after the 'adopting gays'
Here we go again:
Tennessee bill would ban adoptions by unwed couples
They don't have Karl Rove. They no longer have James Dobson. But the religious right are bound and determined to create another campaign issue like the push against marriage equality.
Of course the bill doesn't mention anything about gays, just unmarried couples. But as the article and comments under it demonstrate, this bill is all about keeping gay couples from adopting children.
We know what may happen next. The bill passes, the court strikes it down, and we get to hear the standard blather about "activist judges trying to redefine the notion of family," thereby bringing a shitload of voters to the polls which the media (in all of its overdramatic glory) will give some stupid name to (i.e. values voters).
The need to engage in subterfuge over what this bill truly does should be enough to tell its supporters that it's not necessarily the Christian thing to do. That, and the fact that if the bill passes, it will put Tennessee in a financial bind and deny more children good homes.
But you know these folks. They have that special Bible - the one that says that God permits lying and dishonest if it is done in His name.
Here we go again:
Tennessee bill would ban adoptions by unwed couples
They don't have Karl Rove. They no longer have James Dobson. But the religious right are bound and determined to create another campaign issue like the push against marriage equality.
Of course the bill doesn't mention anything about gays, just unmarried couples. But as the article and comments under it demonstrate, this bill is all about keeping gay couples from adopting children.
We know what may happen next. The bill passes, the court strikes it down, and we get to hear the standard blather about "activist judges trying to redefine the notion of family," thereby bringing a shitload of voters to the polls which the media (in all of its overdramatic glory) will give some stupid name to (i.e. values voters).
The need to engage in subterfuge over what this bill truly does should be enough to tell its supporters that it's not necessarily the Christian thing to do. That, and the fact that if the bill passes, it will put Tennessee in a financial bind and deny more children good homes.
But you know these folks. They have that special Bible - the one that says that God permits lying and dishonest if it is done in His name.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Monday news briefs
Michelle Malkin: I hope Obama fails.
Santorum At CPAC: ‘Absolutely We Hope That’ Obama Fails, ‘I Believe His Policies Will Fail’
Tom DeLay Channels Limbaugh: I Want Obama To Fail
Limbaugh Responds To Sanford: The ‘Hell We Don’t’ Want Obama To Fail! Just Need ‘The Guts’ To Say So
What a difference a new president makes. I can remember the hell the Dixie Chicks went through for daring to make a comment about President Bush. Hypocrisy is definitely an emotion devoid of shame.
Christian school showing film about homosexual agenda - Last week, I highlighted a vile 1986 comic book that demonized the lgbt community. The post got a lot of attention and probably a lot of laughter. But be aware that the same tactics are still being used even though there seems to be a shift. The religious right is slowly creeping away from the "homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle" lie to the "gays want to silence Christians" lie. And while the lies are different, the way they are pushed (via ignorant crowds of people in church settings) remain the same.
This film is filled with same lies and inaccurate anecdotes religious right organizations have been telling repeatedly to make it seem that gays are trying to harm Christians.
And what galls me about it the most? Those who are showing the film are trying to beat back an anti-discrimination ordinance:
The Kalamazoo City Commission in December adopted an anti-discrimination ordinance, extending protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodation.
The commission later rescinded the ordinance after opponents filed petitions that could have forced an election over the issue. The commission is aiming to craft a compromise ordinance. A three-member commission subcommitee plans to host a public meeting on the issue at 7 p.m. March 9 at the Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St.
Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema, who submitted the petitions opposing the ordinance, said such a law would have ``unintended negative consequences.''
``It is very important that the public be informed about the issue itself and about the possible ramifications of adopting the proposal,'' Balkema said.
Scaring people about an alleged gay agenda in order to beat back an anti-discrimination ordinance? Some things never change.
The only thing Buttars did wrong was open his trap about the homos, say lawmakers - If lawmakers agree with Chris Buttars's comments, then why are they stripping him of his posts. I despise homophobia but I can't stand homophobic cowardice.
Michelle Malkin: I hope Obama fails.
Santorum At CPAC: ‘Absolutely We Hope That’ Obama Fails, ‘I Believe His Policies Will Fail’
Tom DeLay Channels Limbaugh: I Want Obama To Fail
Limbaugh Responds To Sanford: The ‘Hell We Don’t’ Want Obama To Fail! Just Need ‘The Guts’ To Say So
What a difference a new president makes. I can remember the hell the Dixie Chicks went through for daring to make a comment about President Bush. Hypocrisy is definitely an emotion devoid of shame.
Christian school showing film about homosexual agenda - Last week, I highlighted a vile 1986 comic book that demonized the lgbt community. The post got a lot of attention and probably a lot of laughter. But be aware that the same tactics are still being used even though there seems to be a shift. The religious right is slowly creeping away from the "homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle" lie to the "gays want to silence Christians" lie. And while the lies are different, the way they are pushed (via ignorant crowds of people in church settings) remain the same.
This film is filled with same lies and inaccurate anecdotes religious right organizations have been telling repeatedly to make it seem that gays are trying to harm Christians.
And what galls me about it the most? Those who are showing the film are trying to beat back an anti-discrimination ordinance:
The Kalamazoo City Commission in December adopted an anti-discrimination ordinance, extending protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodation.
The commission later rescinded the ordinance after opponents filed petitions that could have forced an election over the issue. The commission is aiming to craft a compromise ordinance. A three-member commission subcommitee plans to host a public meeting on the issue at 7 p.m. March 9 at the Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St.
Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema, who submitted the petitions opposing the ordinance, said such a law would have ``unintended negative consequences.''
``It is very important that the public be informed about the issue itself and about the possible ramifications of adopting the proposal,'' Balkema said.
Scaring people about an alleged gay agenda in order to beat back an anti-discrimination ordinance? Some things never change.
The only thing Buttars did wrong was open his trap about the homos, say lawmakers - If lawmakers agree with Chris Buttars's comments, then why are they stripping him of his posts. I despise homophobia but I can't stand homophobic cowardice.
A little bit of truth brought to you by Gary Glenn of the American Family Association
Calling for a ballot measure to ban homosexual adoptions in Michigan, Glenn believes the ruling goes against the grain in Michigan. "I think the simplest response to this kind of court ruling, which is a concern, is simply to give Michigan voters an opportunity to prohibit homosexual adoption as Florida does, as Arkansas voters voted to do just this past November, as Mississippi and Utah have on their statute books," he concludes. - Michigan courts hear lesbian custody trial
Actually, Arkansas voters pushed a law through that disallowed adoption by unmarried couples, whether they be gay or straight. The law was passed after the Arkansas courts ruled that the state couldn't ban gay adoption.
Now those behind this law will tell you that keeping gays from adopting had nothing to do with the law's passage.
But we all know that isn't true, right Mr. Glenn?
Calling for a ballot measure to ban homosexual adoptions in Michigan, Glenn believes the ruling goes against the grain in Michigan. "I think the simplest response to this kind of court ruling, which is a concern, is simply to give Michigan voters an opportunity to prohibit homosexual adoption as Florida does, as Arkansas voters voted to do just this past November, as Mississippi and Utah have on their statute books," he concludes. - Michigan courts hear lesbian custody trial
Actually, Arkansas voters pushed a law through that disallowed adoption by unmarried couples, whether they be gay or straight. The law was passed after the Arkansas courts ruled that the state couldn't ban gay adoption.
Now those behind this law will tell you that keeping gays from adopting had nothing to do with the law's passage.
But we all know that isn't true, right Mr. Glenn?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Dobson resigns, Obama pushes out bad regulations - who says Fridays aren't good days?
Dobson resigns as chairman of Focus on the Family - two words - good riddance
Obama Set to Undo ‘Conscience’ Rule for Health Workers - The rule was a BAD IDEA. Double good riddance
Just in case you get too happy, folks - please check out my last post (that is if you haven't already). Mindsets like that of the man who created the monstrosity I spoke of still exists.
And you just know that now, these folks are doubly pissed.
Dobson resigns as chairman of Focus on the Family - two words - good riddance
Obama Set to Undo ‘Conscience’ Rule for Health Workers - The rule was a BAD IDEA. Double good riddance
Just in case you get too happy, folks - please check out my last post (that is if you haven't already). Mindsets like that of the man who created the monstrosity I spoke of still exists.
And you just know that now, these folks are doubly pissed.
Something guaranteed to piss you offI ran into something a while back that I have been itching to show on this site.
This 1986 comic was created by a man named Dick Hafer and it is a vile representation of some of the most evil anti-gay lies out there.
This is for the many young folks who don't remember what it was like in the 1980s when the AIDS crisis was in full bloom, ignorance was all around and Paul Cameron was a credible name.
It is a representation of how far we have come and how far we have to go. You will recognize how some of the same arguments are still being used, although not as explicitly. Check out the comic's list of supporters shown on the last graphic.
You can click on the pictures to get a better view of the pages - more are at the bottom (even though I don't think it's work safe). And if you want to see the entire comic (God help you) go here.
Editor's note - The webpage featuring this comic is not anti-gay. It's a site that looks at "problem-based comics" from the past.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
CPAC conference churning and so is my stomach
Right now as I speak, The Conservative Political Action Conference is underway.
This conference is where conservatives get together, plan, and generally complain about those "Godless liberals."
The following is basically the conference:
Blah blah blah, Jesus was a conservative, blah, blah, blah, liberals like to squeeze the Charmin and snatch tags off of matresses, blah, blah, blah, a gay man felt my ass while I was coming here.
Okay maybe I'm exaggerating a bit:
CPAC is expected to draw nearly 9,000 activists and college students from across the country, up from the record 7,000 who attended last year, when the main attractions were personal appearances by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the four remaining Republican presidential nomination hopefuls - former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
To get a good view of what these folks are going to talk about, I will present links from People for The American Way's Religious Right Watch.
Religious Right Watch deserves much kudos for having the high tolerance level to stand the nonsense going on at the CPAC conference (even though it has yet to add my blog to its list of links - hint, hint, hint).
Proceed at your own risk with barf bag in hand:
CPAC: Marriage Equality Will Create a Generation of Violent Criminals
CPAC: Obama's a Communist and a Foreigner, Bush was a "Pseduo-Socialist President"
CPAC: Carlson Attempts to Defend the New York Times, Gets Booed
CPAC: Bay Buchanan Calls DC Conservatives a Bunch of Sell-Outs
And from John Aravosis at Americablog:
Bush UN ambassador jokes about nuking Chicago since Obama is from there
Ah yes. Nothing like a good traditional family values gathering - that is if your family is the Sawney Beane clan or the Bloody Benders.
Right now as I speak, The Conservative Political Action Conference is underway.
This conference is where conservatives get together, plan, and generally complain about those "Godless liberals."
The following is basically the conference:
Blah blah blah, Jesus was a conservative, blah, blah, blah, liberals like to squeeze the Charmin and snatch tags off of matresses, blah, blah, blah, a gay man felt my ass while I was coming here.
Okay maybe I'm exaggerating a bit:
CPAC is expected to draw nearly 9,000 activists and college students from across the country, up from the record 7,000 who attended last year, when the main attractions were personal appearances by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the four remaining Republican presidential nomination hopefuls - former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
To get a good view of what these folks are going to talk about, I will present links from People for The American Way's Religious Right Watch.
Religious Right Watch deserves much kudos for having the high tolerance level to stand the nonsense going on at the CPAC conference (even though it has yet to add my blog to its list of links - hint, hint, hint).
Proceed at your own risk with barf bag in hand:
CPAC: Marriage Equality Will Create a Generation of Violent Criminals
CPAC: Obama's a Communist and a Foreigner, Bush was a "Pseduo-Socialist President"
CPAC: Carlson Attempts to Defend the New York Times, Gets Booed
CPAC: Bay Buchanan Calls DC Conservatives a Bunch of Sell-Outs
And from John Aravosis at Americablog:
Bush UN ambassador jokes about nuking Chicago since Obama is from there
Ah yes. Nothing like a good traditional family values gathering - that is if your family is the Sawney Beane clan or the Bloody Benders.
Concerned Women for America exploits scholarship program for the sake of fear and hyperbole
Some members of the religious right are especially unhappy with the Democratic party. They are claiming that a spending bill passed by the House will strip disadvantaged children of educational opportunities:
Disadvantaged children in the District of Columbia will be losing an educational lifeline if a new spending bill is passed on Capitol Hill. At the same time, abortionists and homosexual activists stand to gain from the Omnibus bill.
Dan Lips, a senior policy analyst with The Heritage Foundation, warns that the new Omnibus bill -- passed by the House on Wednesday essentially along party lines -- will terminate the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program.
The article continues to brag on the attributes of the scholarship program and tells of attempts to stop its possible elimination.
Now the next part of the article is confusing:
Joining the ranks of groups opposed to the Omnibus spending bill is the Washington, DC-based group Concerned Women for America. The pro-life/pro-family organization notes that the bill includes a $7-million raise for Planned Parenthood, the non-profit, federally-funded abortion organization that makes a sizeable annual profit. In addition, says CWFA president Wendy Wright, it pumps $50 million into the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an agency she says is "intimately involved in the forced abortion, forced sterilization program in China."
The United Nations agency will receive the money regardless if it engages in coercive abortion activities. The pro-life activist cites several other objections to the legislation.
"This Omnibus bill would eliminate funding for school-choice programs that have helped to rescue children from dangerous and failing inner-city schools," says Wright. "[In addition] it has language that will reintroduce the Fairness Doctrine, and it has funding for controversial 'school bullying' programs which in the past have promoted homosexual programs to children."
So does that mean CWA wants to save the scholarship program or is the organization using its possible demise for another attack on so-called Godless liberals, "homosexual activists," and "abortionists?":
In short, says Wright, the Omnibus bill is loaded with spending for "liberals bent on destroying American values."
You tell me.
Some members of the religious right are especially unhappy with the Democratic party. They are claiming that a spending bill passed by the House will strip disadvantaged children of educational opportunities:
Disadvantaged children in the District of Columbia will be losing an educational lifeline if a new spending bill is passed on Capitol Hill. At the same time, abortionists and homosexual activists stand to gain from the Omnibus bill.
Dan Lips, a senior policy analyst with The Heritage Foundation, warns that the new Omnibus bill -- passed by the House on Wednesday essentially along party lines -- will terminate the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program.
The article continues to brag on the attributes of the scholarship program and tells of attempts to stop its possible elimination.
Now the next part of the article is confusing:
Joining the ranks of groups opposed to the Omnibus spending bill is the Washington, DC-based group Concerned Women for America. The pro-life/pro-family organization notes that the bill includes a $7-million raise for Planned Parenthood, the non-profit, federally-funded abortion organization that makes a sizeable annual profit. In addition, says CWFA president Wendy Wright, it pumps $50 million into the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an agency she says is "intimately involved in the forced abortion, forced sterilization program in China."
The United Nations agency will receive the money regardless if it engages in coercive abortion activities. The pro-life activist cites several other objections to the legislation.
"This Omnibus bill would eliminate funding for school-choice programs that have helped to rescue children from dangerous and failing inner-city schools," says Wright. "[In addition] it has language that will reintroduce the Fairness Doctrine, and it has funding for controversial 'school bullying' programs which in the past have promoted homosexual programs to children."
So does that mean CWA wants to save the scholarship program or is the organization using its possible demise for another attack on so-called Godless liberals, "homosexual activists," and "abortionists?":
In short, says Wright, the Omnibus bill is loaded with spending for "liberals bent on destroying American values."
You tell me.
Janet Porter's pathetic attempt to connect hate crimes legislation and ENDA
From Pam's House Blend and Tips Q comes news that one of my favorite religious right spokespeople, Janet Folger-Porter, has gone on a tear about the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA):
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or “ENDA” is “hate crimes” – or more accurately, “thought crimes” – for the workplace. It means the “ENDA” freedom of speech, the “ENDA” freedom of religion, the “ENDA” freedom of association and the “ENDA” freedom of conscience.
And like pretty much all religious right spokespeople, Porter provides "examples" of cases in which people's freedoms have been "trampled" by us "evil homosexuals."
All of her examples are vague rehashing of actual events - so vague that we don't know the truth behind the cases. And a lot of them are from foreign countries - you know, countries that don't have our Constitution, laws or legal system.
One of Porter's examples that come from the United States has to do with the Ocean Grove Pavilion controversy:
. . . the Christian Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in New Jersey, which was found “guilty of discrimination” for standing by their beliefs instead of renting their facilities to a homosexual couple who wanted to use the Christian camp for their same-sex union in March 2007.
Of course Porter is being highly deceptive about this situation. I will let Tips-Q tell you why:
Janet sort of forgets that the gay couple wanted to rent an oceanfront pavilion that is owned by the Christian organization but is open to the public. Indeed, as part of their zoning law variance, the organization entered into a written agreement to comply with New Jersey’s anti-discrimination laws.
Another example caught my eye:
The 16-year-olds who were charged with felonies in Chicago for handing out flyers that criticized homosexuality . . .
Just like in the case of Ocean Grove, Porter leaves out crucial details:
Two female 16-year-old Crystal Lake South High School students face hate-crime charges after allegedly plastering their high school's halls and distributing anti-gay fliers directed towards a fellow student in the school's parking lot.
. . . McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi told Windy City Times that despite arguments being made by many locals about the right to free speech, what the two girls did is clearly a hate crime.'They had the intent to alarm and disturb another, and they were successful in that,' Bianchi said. 'In alarming and disturbing, they also committed a hate crime. Their words ... were directed against a specific individual of a certain sexual orientation.'
Bianchi would not comment on the exact wording of the flier because it is evidence. However, other sources quote those who have viewed the flier as containing a picture of the male student kissing another male, with the wording 'God hates fags.'
The hate crimes charges were dropped because the two girls pleaded to lesser charges. For Porter to attempt to make them poster children for "gay oppression" is beyond the pale.
I'm more concerned about the target of their vendetta.
If Porter was any type of Christian, she would have been too instead of attempting to distort the case to suit her agenda.
From Pam's House Blend and Tips Q comes news that one of my favorite religious right spokespeople, Janet Folger-Porter, has gone on a tear about the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA):
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or “ENDA” is “hate crimes” – or more accurately, “thought crimes” – for the workplace. It means the “ENDA” freedom of speech, the “ENDA” freedom of religion, the “ENDA” freedom of association and the “ENDA” freedom of conscience.
And like pretty much all religious right spokespeople, Porter provides "examples" of cases in which people's freedoms have been "trampled" by us "evil homosexuals."
All of her examples are vague rehashing of actual events - so vague that we don't know the truth behind the cases. And a lot of them are from foreign countries - you know, countries that don't have our Constitution, laws or legal system.
One of Porter's examples that come from the United States has to do with the Ocean Grove Pavilion controversy:
. . . the Christian Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in New Jersey, which was found “guilty of discrimination” for standing by their beliefs instead of renting their facilities to a homosexual couple who wanted to use the Christian camp for their same-sex union in March 2007.
Of course Porter is being highly deceptive about this situation. I will let Tips-Q tell you why:
Janet sort of forgets that the gay couple wanted to rent an oceanfront pavilion that is owned by the Christian organization but is open to the public. Indeed, as part of their zoning law variance, the organization entered into a written agreement to comply with New Jersey’s anti-discrimination laws.
Another example caught my eye:
The 16-year-olds who were charged with felonies in Chicago for handing out flyers that criticized homosexuality . . .
Just like in the case of Ocean Grove, Porter leaves out crucial details:
Two female 16-year-old Crystal Lake South High School students face hate-crime charges after allegedly plastering their high school's halls and distributing anti-gay fliers directed towards a fellow student in the school's parking lot.
. . . McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi told Windy City Times that despite arguments being made by many locals about the right to free speech, what the two girls did is clearly a hate crime.'They had the intent to alarm and disturb another, and they were successful in that,' Bianchi said. 'In alarming and disturbing, they also committed a hate crime. Their words ... were directed against a specific individual of a certain sexual orientation.'
Bianchi would not comment on the exact wording of the flier because it is evidence. However, other sources quote those who have viewed the flier as containing a picture of the male student kissing another male, with the wording 'God hates fags.'
The hate crimes charges were dropped because the two girls pleaded to lesser charges. For Porter to attempt to make them poster children for "gay oppression" is beyond the pale.
I'm more concerned about the target of their vendetta.
If Porter was any type of Christian, she would have been too instead of attempting to distort the case to suit her agenda.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday news briefs
Where Are the Black Gay Men? - from the article: "Two weeks ago individuals and organizations across the nation marked National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Judging by many of the articles, press releases and events commemorating the day, however, you might never guess that the highest percentage of new HIV infections in 2006 was among black gay men.
Why, even on a day dedicated to black AIDS awareness, do black gay men remain a footnote?"
Those are my sentiment exactly
Buttars Has a Friend in Matt Barber - Well at least Chris Buttars has one friend. It's kinda sad when even Peter LaBarbera won't defend your anti-gay words. But never fear, Matt Barber will be a friend to homophobes the world over.
Perkins Contemplating Primary Challenge to Vitter - Great. Jason vs. Freddy part 2.
Bobby Jindal Response Panned By Pundits, Republicans And Democrats Alike - I tried watching Bobby Jindal last night in an attempt to be fair but I couldn't finish. It was a disaster. And let's face it - him mentioning Hurricane Katrina as proof of government ineptness is like the Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback throwing an interception twice to the same Dallas Cowboy player in Superbowl XXX.
Schultheis: HIV testing for pregnant moms rewards ‘sexual promiscuity’ - First Renfroe, now this. Have Colorado legislators lost their damned minds?
Where Are the Black Gay Men? - from the article: "Two weeks ago individuals and organizations across the nation marked National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Judging by many of the articles, press releases and events commemorating the day, however, you might never guess that the highest percentage of new HIV infections in 2006 was among black gay men.
Why, even on a day dedicated to black AIDS awareness, do black gay men remain a footnote?"
Those are my sentiment exactly
Buttars Has a Friend in Matt Barber - Well at least Chris Buttars has one friend. It's kinda sad when even Peter LaBarbera won't defend your anti-gay words. But never fear, Matt Barber will be a friend to homophobes the world over.
Perkins Contemplating Primary Challenge to Vitter - Great. Jason vs. Freddy part 2.
Bobby Jindal Response Panned By Pundits, Republicans And Democrats Alike - I tried watching Bobby Jindal last night in an attempt to be fair but I couldn't finish. It was a disaster. And let's face it - him mentioning Hurricane Katrina as proof of government ineptness is like the Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback throwing an interception twice to the same Dallas Cowboy player in Superbowl XXX.
Schultheis: HIV testing for pregnant moms rewards ‘sexual promiscuity’ - First Renfroe, now this. Have Colorado legislators lost their damned minds?
Another state legislator, another show of 'Biblical' disrespect
The Chris Buttars situation continues to cause controversy in Utah.
And the religious right continues to be silent about it.
Which is totally opposite of their behavior last year in the case of Oklahoma legislator Sally Kern. When Kern made and defended her comments comparing gays to terrorists, the religious right all but made her a patron saint, including having a huge rally for her in the Oklahoma State House.
Whether it be the stark nature of Buttars's comments or the fact that he is a Mormon rather than an "evangelical Christian," the religious right hasn't given him the time of day.
But now comes a situation where I dare them to sink their sanctimonius teeth in:
On the floor of the State Senate, right-wing Senator Scott Renfroe (R-Greeley) actually referred to gay and lesbian people as an "abomination" and an "offense to God."
It gets worse:
Renfroe equated gay and lesbian people with murderers and quoted the Book of Leviticus suggesting that gay people should be put to death.
He also said that women were created to be "helpers" for men, quoting the Book of Genesis.
Renfroe was referring to Senate Bill 88, a bill that would extend healthcare coverage to the same-sex partners of state employees. SB 88 is about healthcare. It's about gaining some measure of equality for gay and lesbian state employees. And regardless of how people like James Dobson and Scott Renfroe feel about gay people, their shameless hate-mongering has no place in public debate and we should reject them completely.
Now I could say that Renfroe's absolutely stupid comments proves that the opponents of gay marriage lie when they say their position is only to clarify the "fact" that marriage is between one man and one woman.
In so many cases, they have used the anti-gay marriage laws to keep gay couples from job benefits, healthcare benefits, and adopting children.
But I would be preaching to the choir and highlighting something that has been said on much better blogs than this one.
I really want to commend Renfroe for saying it all. Usually when someone cites Leviticus while making the statement that homosexuality is against God's will and that we should listen to "God's word," they leave that part out about death.
If there's anything I hate, it's a lukewarm Christian.
At any rate, just as in the case of Buttars, I don't suspect that there will be any call to make Renfroe the new icon of gay "intolerance."
For one thing, his speech was nasty. I don't think anyone in their right mind would try and spin his words as simple Christian truth.
Of course we are talking about the religious right so I reserve the right to take back my "right mind" statement.
But secondly, and most importantly, how many times must this sort of thing happen?
The routine of religious right groups is to portray themselves and their supporters as innocent upholders of moral values who are beset by "intolerant radical homosexual activists."
But in the cases of Buttars, Renfroe, and even Kern, it hasn't been the gay community who have started the fight - it's been the "Christian" politicians.
I don't care what your biblical or world view is of homosexuality, no community should have to be put up with being called terrorists or disrespected in any form.
Gays are not criminals, so you cannot compare us to murderers. Gays are not mentally sick so you cannot compare us to alcoholics.
We are thriving, successful members of the American community and as such, we have every right demand respect from our leaders and politicians even if they disagree with what they think our so-called lifestyle entails.
If the religious right continues to defend every politician who attacks the gay community, how long will it be before this country stops buying into their phony claims of innocence and finally realizes that they are inciting the problem?
After all, you can't continue to clutch the pearls in shock when you are the ones doing the shocking.
The Chris Buttars situation continues to cause controversy in Utah.
And the religious right continues to be silent about it.
Which is totally opposite of their behavior last year in the case of Oklahoma legislator Sally Kern. When Kern made and defended her comments comparing gays to terrorists, the religious right all but made her a patron saint, including having a huge rally for her in the Oklahoma State House.
Whether it be the stark nature of Buttars's comments or the fact that he is a Mormon rather than an "evangelical Christian," the religious right hasn't given him the time of day.
But now comes a situation where I dare them to sink their sanctimonius teeth in:
On the floor of the State Senate, right-wing Senator Scott Renfroe (R-Greeley) actually referred to gay and lesbian people as an "abomination" and an "offense to God."
It gets worse:
Renfroe equated gay and lesbian people with murderers and quoted the Book of Leviticus suggesting that gay people should be put to death.
He also said that women were created to be "helpers" for men, quoting the Book of Genesis.
Renfroe was referring to Senate Bill 88, a bill that would extend healthcare coverage to the same-sex partners of state employees. SB 88 is about healthcare. It's about gaining some measure of equality for gay and lesbian state employees. And regardless of how people like James Dobson and Scott Renfroe feel about gay people, their shameless hate-mongering has no place in public debate and we should reject them completely.
Now I could say that Renfroe's absolutely stupid comments proves that the opponents of gay marriage lie when they say their position is only to clarify the "fact" that marriage is between one man and one woman.
In so many cases, they have used the anti-gay marriage laws to keep gay couples from job benefits, healthcare benefits, and adopting children.
But I would be preaching to the choir and highlighting something that has been said on much better blogs than this one.
I really want to commend Renfroe for saying it all. Usually when someone cites Leviticus while making the statement that homosexuality is against God's will and that we should listen to "God's word," they leave that part out about death.
If there's anything I hate, it's a lukewarm Christian.
At any rate, just as in the case of Buttars, I don't suspect that there will be any call to make Renfroe the new icon of gay "intolerance."
For one thing, his speech was nasty. I don't think anyone in their right mind would try and spin his words as simple Christian truth.
Of course we are talking about the religious right so I reserve the right to take back my "right mind" statement.
But secondly, and most importantly, how many times must this sort of thing happen?
The routine of religious right groups is to portray themselves and their supporters as innocent upholders of moral values who are beset by "intolerant radical homosexual activists."
But in the cases of Buttars, Renfroe, and even Kern, it hasn't been the gay community who have started the fight - it's been the "Christian" politicians.
I don't care what your biblical or world view is of homosexuality, no community should have to be put up with being called terrorists or disrespected in any form.
Gays are not criminals, so you cannot compare us to murderers. Gays are not mentally sick so you cannot compare us to alcoholics.
We are thriving, successful members of the American community and as such, we have every right demand respect from our leaders and politicians even if they disagree with what they think our so-called lifestyle entails.
If the religious right continues to defend every politician who attacks the gay community, how long will it be before this country stops buying into their phony claims of innocence and finally realizes that they are inciting the problem?
After all, you can't continue to clutch the pearls in shock when you are the ones doing the shocking.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Editor's note - This is the only post I will write today because I am sidelined with a nasty fever. Enjoy the post, respond if you deem it necessary, and by all means, check out last night's post on the definition of bigotry.
Anger over Milk's Oscar wins yields ignorance and evasion
I am disappointed.
When Milk won two Oscars (Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor), I knew some members of the religious right would register their disappointment and anger.
But I didn't realize how pathetic some of this anger would be.
Ted Baehr of Movieguide has written a piece attempting to scold Hollywood for its Oscar picks.
First of all, who is Ted Baehr and what is Movieguide?
If you type in http://www.movieguide.com/, you will come to a legitimate Hollywood site.
That's not Baehr's Movieguide. The address for his site is http://www.movieguide.org/
Not that I am accusing Baehr of attempting to piggyback credibility on a legitimate site or anything.
According to Wikipedia:
Baehr began publishing MOVIEGUIDE as a biweekly magazine of movie reviews "from a biblical perspective" aimed at helping parents use informed judgment when deciding what entertainment products are suitable for their families' enjoyment. Movieguide's reviews address not only specific portrayals of sex, violence, and profanity, but also address the "worldview" implicit in a movie's theme.
In other words, Baehr's scolding is going to be a hatchet job perpetrated by a phony pro-values group attempting to be credible while putting its biases on the front shelf.
And that's what it is:
Hollywood Denounces God and Applauds Pedophilia at the Oscars
The Academy Awards showed its support for sexual perversions last night at its annual Oscar ceremony.
And, the Academy wrongly painted the Entertainment Industry as a bunch of Commie rats, as it applauded Communist sympathizer Sean Penn’s gleeful greeting after winning an award for portraying an assassinated homosexual leader, “You Commie, homo-loving sons of guns!”
For the record, what Penn said was strictly tongue-in-cheek. That's why the audience applauded - it was a funny line.
At the beginning of the show, host Hugh Jackman described the message of MILK as, “It’s okay to be gay.”
Of course, Jesus Christ believes otherwise.
“Haven’t you read,” he says in Matthew 19:4-6, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So, they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not tear apart.”
Actually, Jesus never said a word about being gay. You won't find anything in the Bible proving so.
But then Baehr really gets cooking with his "how dare Hollywood show filth-flarn-filth" whine:
The movie industry also gave an Oscar to Kate Winslet for playing an illiterate escaped Nazi war criminal and pedophile who repeatedly seduces a 15-year-old boy.
Even though she played a pedophile, Hollywood decided that Kate Winslet finally deserved to get an Oscar for her performance in THE READER.
Gee I don't know. Maybe they gave her the Oscar because it was a good performance. Baehr makes it seem that Hollywood is honoring her for playing a pedophile rather than creating an excellent portrayal.
Baehr continues the criticism with an attack on Meryl Streep:
The attack on biblical values continued as Meryl Streep was praised for portraying a strict Catholic nun who struggles with herself and the fact that modern times are passing her by.
How is this an attack on Biblical values? Showing a nun who is concerned with modern times? I guess in Baehr's world, only nuns like those portrayed in The Story of Bernadette and Come to the Stable should warrant Oscar nominations.
But the next part is where Baehr trips up. And it's always where these so-called pro-family types make their biggest errors - when they manipulate the data to suit their point of view. Baehr contends that based on his group's figures, films with lgbt or "anti-Christian" (his words) content are not as successful as films with what he calls "very strong Christian worldviews."
. . . statistics show that movies with very strong Christian worldviews like PRINCE CASPIAN and FIREPROOF averaged $43.5 million at the box office while movies with very strong atheist or anti-Christian worldviews like Maher’s RELIGULOUS averaged only $11.2 million and movies with very strong pro-homosexual content like MILK averaged even worse, only $6.3 million.
In fact, the more homosexual content a movie had, the less it earned at the box office, according to MOVIEGUIDE®’s Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry, which examined the Top 250 English-language movies at the box office:
First of all, what constitutes "very strong pro-homosexual content?"
Secondly, Baehr's contention about the "more homosexual content a movie had, the less it earned at the box office" is ridiculous because it does not take into account the movie's budget, how many screens it is shown on, or reviews.
Baehr is clearly channeling Paul Cameron here.
Also, RELIGULOUS is a documentary and documentaries usually do not get a much push or are shown on as many screens as movies like Prince Caspian.
But RELIGULOUS was a successful documentary - It's budget was $2,500,000. It made $11,478,638 - which constitutes a profit.
Milk has only been in wide release since January. Before then, it was in limited release. It's budget was $15 million and it has already made $28,853,456. Most likely this will increase.
Baehr is being highly deceptive by including Prince Caspian in the mix because it was a big budget studio feature in wide release from its first day at the box office.
The worldwide total for Prince Caspian was $419,649,113 but its budget was $225 million.
The other "positive" movie, Fireproof, was pushed heavily by religious right groups such as Focus on the Family and Christian groups (the two sets of groups are not similar).
On a budget of $500,000, it made $33,351,975.
But Fireproof's success still does not prove Baehr's theory, especially when one takes into account just how much Prince Caspian figures into his numbers.
By the way, Iron Man and the Dark Knight made more money than all of these films combined.
I wonder if Baehr would label them as movies with "strong Christian worldviews."
But the bottom line is Baehr's piece is poorly done.
And unfortunately, so damn typical of the religious right.
Anger over Milk's Oscar wins yields ignorance and evasion
I am disappointed.
When Milk won two Oscars (Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor), I knew some members of the religious right would register their disappointment and anger.
But I didn't realize how pathetic some of this anger would be.
Ted Baehr of Movieguide has written a piece attempting to scold Hollywood for its Oscar picks.
First of all, who is Ted Baehr and what is Movieguide?
If you type in http://www.movieguide.com/, you will come to a legitimate Hollywood site.
That's not Baehr's Movieguide. The address for his site is http://www.movieguide.org/
Not that I am accusing Baehr of attempting to piggyback credibility on a legitimate site or anything.
According to Wikipedia:
Baehr began publishing MOVIEGUIDE as a biweekly magazine of movie reviews "from a biblical perspective" aimed at helping parents use informed judgment when deciding what entertainment products are suitable for their families' enjoyment. Movieguide's reviews address not only specific portrayals of sex, violence, and profanity, but also address the "worldview" implicit in a movie's theme.
In other words, Baehr's scolding is going to be a hatchet job perpetrated by a phony pro-values group attempting to be credible while putting its biases on the front shelf.
And that's what it is:
Hollywood Denounces God and Applauds Pedophilia at the Oscars
The Academy Awards showed its support for sexual perversions last night at its annual Oscar ceremony.
And, the Academy wrongly painted the Entertainment Industry as a bunch of Commie rats, as it applauded Communist sympathizer Sean Penn’s gleeful greeting after winning an award for portraying an assassinated homosexual leader, “You Commie, homo-loving sons of guns!”
For the record, what Penn said was strictly tongue-in-cheek. That's why the audience applauded - it was a funny line.
At the beginning of the show, host Hugh Jackman described the message of MILK as, “It’s okay to be gay.”
Of course, Jesus Christ believes otherwise.
“Haven’t you read,” he says in Matthew 19:4-6, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So, they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not tear apart.”
Actually, Jesus never said a word about being gay. You won't find anything in the Bible proving so.
But then Baehr really gets cooking with his "how dare Hollywood show filth-flarn-filth" whine:
The movie industry also gave an Oscar to Kate Winslet for playing an illiterate escaped Nazi war criminal and pedophile who repeatedly seduces a 15-year-old boy.
Even though she played a pedophile, Hollywood decided that Kate Winslet finally deserved to get an Oscar for her performance in THE READER.
Gee I don't know. Maybe they gave her the Oscar because it was a good performance. Baehr makes it seem that Hollywood is honoring her for playing a pedophile rather than creating an excellent portrayal.
Baehr continues the criticism with an attack on Meryl Streep:
The attack on biblical values continued as Meryl Streep was praised for portraying a strict Catholic nun who struggles with herself and the fact that modern times are passing her by.
How is this an attack on Biblical values? Showing a nun who is concerned with modern times? I guess in Baehr's world, only nuns like those portrayed in The Story of Bernadette and Come to the Stable should warrant Oscar nominations.
But the next part is where Baehr trips up. And it's always where these so-called pro-family types make their biggest errors - when they manipulate the data to suit their point of view. Baehr contends that based on his group's figures, films with lgbt or "anti-Christian" (his words) content are not as successful as films with what he calls "very strong Christian worldviews."
. . . statistics show that movies with very strong Christian worldviews like PRINCE CASPIAN and FIREPROOF averaged $43.5 million at the box office while movies with very strong atheist or anti-Christian worldviews like Maher’s RELIGULOUS averaged only $11.2 million and movies with very strong pro-homosexual content like MILK averaged even worse, only $6.3 million.
In fact, the more homosexual content a movie had, the less it earned at the box office, according to MOVIEGUIDE®’s Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry, which examined the Top 250 English-language movies at the box office:
First of all, what constitutes "very strong pro-homosexual content?"
Secondly, Baehr's contention about the "more homosexual content a movie had, the less it earned at the box office" is ridiculous because it does not take into account the movie's budget, how many screens it is shown on, or reviews.
Baehr is clearly channeling Paul Cameron here.
Also, RELIGULOUS is a documentary and documentaries usually do not get a much push or are shown on as many screens as movies like Prince Caspian.
But RELIGULOUS was a successful documentary - It's budget was $2,500,000. It made $11,478,638 - which constitutes a profit.
Milk has only been in wide release since January. Before then, it was in limited release. It's budget was $15 million and it has already made $28,853,456. Most likely this will increase.
Baehr is being highly deceptive by including Prince Caspian in the mix because it was a big budget studio feature in wide release from its first day at the box office.
The worldwide total for Prince Caspian was $419,649,113 but its budget was $225 million.
The other "positive" movie, Fireproof, was pushed heavily by religious right groups such as Focus on the Family and Christian groups (the two sets of groups are not similar).
On a budget of $500,000, it made $33,351,975.
But Fireproof's success still does not prove Baehr's theory, especially when one takes into account just how much Prince Caspian figures into his numbers.
By the way, Iron Man and the Dark Knight made more money than all of these films combined.
I wonder if Baehr would label them as movies with "strong Christian worldviews."
But the bottom line is Baehr's piece is poorly done.
And unfortunately, so damn typical of the religious right.
Monday, February 23, 2009
We call them bigots because they act like bigots
Utah State Senator Chris Buttars has been on my mind lately. Mainly because of this comment he made last week:
In recent years, registering opposition to the homosexual agenda has become almost impossible. Political correctness has replaced open and energetic debate. Those who dare to disagree with the homosexual agenda are labeled “haters,” and “bigots,” and are censured by their peers. "
Or as Peter LaBarbera put today in an attack on Georgia Log Cabin Republican head James Ensley:
Once again, the hypocrisy of the claims of homosexual groups’ commitments to tolerance is laid bare in all its ugliness in Mr. Ensley’s letter . He has charged Mr. LaBarbera and anyone else who shares the orthodox Christian, mainstream, historical view of homosexual behavior as immoral with being bigoted, anti-American, anti-Christian, fringe, radical, extremist domestic terrorist.
This tendency to feign innocence and claim victimhood is a common tactic of religious right groups and their supporters. “Why are we being attacked when we are simply expressing our Biblical opposition to the radical homosexual agenda.” “It’s the homosexual activists who are intolerant. They attack everyone who oppose their agenda by calling them ‘haters’ or ‘bigots.’”
In his attack on Ensley, LaBarbera included a column from fake lgbt expert Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Council. What was interesting about it was this part:
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a bigot as a person who is “obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance.” Clearly, there is a distinction between bigotry and moral views. Bigotry cannot simply refer to holding opinions or being in possession of moral precepts, for if it did, everyone but sociopaths would have to be considered bigots because everyone but sociopaths holds certain behaviors as moral and others as immoral. Moreover, “prejudice” refers to “an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.”
So apparently LaBarbera, Higgins and Buttars think that they and others who share their beliefs about gays are unfairly being called bigots?
Well rather than a long expository on why this is not correct, allow me to let these folks speak for themselves. Using the definition of bigot laid about by the Webster dictionary (by way of Higgins), what do you think?:
Homosexuals cannot reproduce, so they must recruit. And to freshen their ranks they must recruit the youth of America." - Anita Bryant from a 1970s Save Our Children statement
For the sake of our children and society, we must OPPOSE the spread of homosexual activity! Just as we must oppose murder, stealing, and adultery!" says one such recent fundraising letter. "Since homosexuals cannot reproduce, the only way for them to 'breed' is to RECRUIT! And who are their targets for recruitment? Children!" - American Family Association direct mail appeal
"[O]ur poor boys on the front lines will have to face two different enemies, one from the front and one from the rear." - the late Jerry Falwell On President Clinton's proposal to lift the ban on gays in the military.
And speaking of calling people Nazis:
'Hitler and his supporters were Satanists and homosexuals. That's just a true statement.' He added, 'The notion that is involved in homosexuality, the unbridled sort of satisfaction of human passions' leads to 'totalitarianism,' 'Nazism,' and 'communism.' " - Alan Keyes , People for the American Way, "Hostile Climate," 1997, p.26.
“If you look at the footage from Operation Rescue, um, vigils outside abortion clinics, you will see that the anti Operation Rescue demonstrators invariably have a pink triangle on and they are usually pretty big heavy set women who look like they’ve been over working October Fest for the last six years . . .” - Robert Knight, Reclaiming America For Christ Conference, “Homosexuality” panel, February 28, 1999
“If you isolate sexuality as something solely for one’s own personal amusement, and all you want is the most satisfying orgasm you can get—and that is what homosexuality seems to be—then homosexuality seems too powerful to resist. The evidence is that men do a better job on men, and women on women if all you are looking for is an orgasm.” - discredited researcher Paul Cameron, Rolling Stone, March, 18, 1999
The “alphas” in homosexual relationships, be they men or women, are many times recruiting younger partners. A vast percentage of those who enter the homosexual life do so after having been sexually initiated by an older person of their sex—be it consensual or not—it usually has the feel of enticement or seduction. - Town Hall columnist Kevin McCullough, The ‘Gay’ Truth, May 30, 2003
"I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain: if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died." - Jimmy Swaggart in a September 2004 evangelism television broadcast
“You really think that a pool of people (homosexuals) where 45% of them eat feces from the rear end of another male is “normal”? If you do, you are frankly nuts. A lifestyle where one of their past times is buying gerbils and hamsters from the pet store and cramming them up
their rears in an activity called feltching? - Mecklenberg County Board Commissioner Bill James, 2005
“The newest thing in Chicago, it’s becoming a trend, and you’re gonna find this hard to believe . . . sex with infants . . . It’s not enough that they have . . . you know when you engage in perversion, and homosexuality is perversion, we don’t hate the gays mind you, we don’t hate them, we hate what they’re doing . . . pretty soon that perversion is like addiction,
it’s not enough, so you need to graduate to something else. You need to move on. So now they’re having sex with animals, a small group that’s getting bigger, sex with infants, sex in the street in Chicago out in the open, it’s just getting more and more perverted.” - former Renew America columnist Guy Adams, August 2, 2006
“Sodomites and perverted ones,” - Traditional Values Coalition head Lou Sheldon when asked at a 2006 conference what designation should “Christians” use to describe gays.
“God hates soft men” and “God hates effeminate men. . . If I was in a drugstore and some guy opened the door for me, I’d rip his arm off and beat him with the wet end.” - Rev. Ken Hutcheron, 2008
“What is the morals of a gay person? You can’t answer that because anything goes . . . “They’re probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of.” - Utah State Senator Chris Buttars, 2009
And one more from our friend LaBarbera. Since he likes to complain about being called names, check what he said last year about the Gay Mens Health Crisis receiving federal funding (bold emphasis added by me):
"One of the recipients was the Gay Men's Health Crisis [Center]," notes LaBarbera. "[The Crisis Center] is a typical, radical, homosexual activist/AIDS organization that opposes abstinence and supports homosexual funding and subsidizing -- effectively, promotion of homosexual sex acts."
Bear in mind that I haven’t even touched the constant use of discredited studies ala Paul Cameron or the distortion of legitimates studies by LaBarbera and others on his side of this so-called cultural war.
But I will say this: seems to me that if something walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it should wear the designation of being a duck without argument.
Hat tip to the Southern Poverty Law Center and Wired Strategies.
Utah State Senator Chris Buttars has been on my mind lately. Mainly because of this comment he made last week:
In recent years, registering opposition to the homosexual agenda has become almost impossible. Political correctness has replaced open and energetic debate. Those who dare to disagree with the homosexual agenda are labeled “haters,” and “bigots,” and are censured by their peers. "
Or as Peter LaBarbera put today in an attack on Georgia Log Cabin Republican head James Ensley:
Once again, the hypocrisy of the claims of homosexual groups’ commitments to tolerance is laid bare in all its ugliness in Mr. Ensley’s letter . He has charged Mr. LaBarbera and anyone else who shares the orthodox Christian, mainstream, historical view of homosexual behavior as immoral with being bigoted, anti-American, anti-Christian, fringe, radical, extremist domestic terrorist.
This tendency to feign innocence and claim victimhood is a common tactic of religious right groups and their supporters. “Why are we being attacked when we are simply expressing our Biblical opposition to the radical homosexual agenda.” “It’s the homosexual activists who are intolerant. They attack everyone who oppose their agenda by calling them ‘haters’ or ‘bigots.’”
In his attack on Ensley, LaBarbera included a column from fake lgbt expert Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Council. What was interesting about it was this part:
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a bigot as a person who is “obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance.” Clearly, there is a distinction between bigotry and moral views. Bigotry cannot simply refer to holding opinions or being in possession of moral precepts, for if it did, everyone but sociopaths would have to be considered bigots because everyone but sociopaths holds certain behaviors as moral and others as immoral. Moreover, “prejudice” refers to “an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.”
So apparently LaBarbera, Higgins and Buttars think that they and others who share their beliefs about gays are unfairly being called bigots?
Well rather than a long expository on why this is not correct, allow me to let these folks speak for themselves. Using the definition of bigot laid about by the Webster dictionary (by way of Higgins), what do you think?:
Homosexuals cannot reproduce, so they must recruit. And to freshen their ranks they must recruit the youth of America." - Anita Bryant from a 1970s Save Our Children statement
For the sake of our children and society, we must OPPOSE the spread of homosexual activity! Just as we must oppose murder, stealing, and adultery!" says one such recent fundraising letter. "Since homosexuals cannot reproduce, the only way for them to 'breed' is to RECRUIT! And who are their targets for recruitment? Children!" - American Family Association direct mail appeal
"[O]ur poor boys on the front lines will have to face two different enemies, one from the front and one from the rear." - the late Jerry Falwell On President Clinton's proposal to lift the ban on gays in the military.
And speaking of calling people Nazis:
'Hitler and his supporters were Satanists and homosexuals. That's just a true statement.' He added, 'The notion that is involved in homosexuality, the unbridled sort of satisfaction of human passions' leads to 'totalitarianism,' 'Nazism,' and 'communism.' " - Alan Keyes , People for the American Way, "Hostile Climate," 1997, p.26.
“If you look at the footage from Operation Rescue, um, vigils outside abortion clinics, you will see that the anti Operation Rescue demonstrators invariably have a pink triangle on and they are usually pretty big heavy set women who look like they’ve been over working October Fest for the last six years . . .” - Robert Knight, Reclaiming America For Christ Conference, “Homosexuality” panel, February 28, 1999
“If you isolate sexuality as something solely for one’s own personal amusement, and all you want is the most satisfying orgasm you can get—and that is what homosexuality seems to be—then homosexuality seems too powerful to resist. The evidence is that men do a better job on men, and women on women if all you are looking for is an orgasm.” - discredited researcher Paul Cameron, Rolling Stone, March, 18, 1999
The “alphas” in homosexual relationships, be they men or women, are many times recruiting younger partners. A vast percentage of those who enter the homosexual life do so after having been sexually initiated by an older person of their sex—be it consensual or not—it usually has the feel of enticement or seduction. - Town Hall columnist Kevin McCullough, The ‘Gay’ Truth, May 30, 2003
"I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain: if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died." - Jimmy Swaggart in a September 2004 evangelism television broadcast
“You really think that a pool of people (homosexuals) where 45% of them eat feces from the rear end of another male is “normal”? If you do, you are frankly nuts. A lifestyle where one of their past times is buying gerbils and hamsters from the pet store and cramming them up
their rears in an activity called feltching? - Mecklenberg County Board Commissioner Bill James, 2005
“The newest thing in Chicago, it’s becoming a trend, and you’re gonna find this hard to believe . . . sex with infants . . . It’s not enough that they have . . . you know when you engage in perversion, and homosexuality is perversion, we don’t hate the gays mind you, we don’t hate them, we hate what they’re doing . . . pretty soon that perversion is like addiction,
it’s not enough, so you need to graduate to something else. You need to move on. So now they’re having sex with animals, a small group that’s getting bigger, sex with infants, sex in the street in Chicago out in the open, it’s just getting more and more perverted.” - former Renew America columnist Guy Adams, August 2, 2006
“Sodomites and perverted ones,” - Traditional Values Coalition head Lou Sheldon when asked at a 2006 conference what designation should “Christians” use to describe gays.
“God hates soft men” and “God hates effeminate men. . . If I was in a drugstore and some guy opened the door for me, I’d rip his arm off and beat him with the wet end.” - Rev. Ken Hutcheron, 2008
“What is the morals of a gay person? You can’t answer that because anything goes . . . “They’re probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of.” - Utah State Senator Chris Buttars, 2009
And one more from our friend LaBarbera. Since he likes to complain about being called names, check what he said last year about the Gay Mens Health Crisis receiving federal funding (bold emphasis added by me):
"One of the recipients was the Gay Men's Health Crisis [Center]," notes LaBarbera. "[The Crisis Center] is a typical, radical, homosexual activist/AIDS organization that opposes abstinence and supports homosexual funding and subsidizing -- effectively, promotion of homosexual sex acts."
Bear in mind that I haven’t even touched the constant use of discredited studies ala Paul Cameron or the distortion of legitimates studies by LaBarbera and others on his side of this so-called cultural war.
But I will say this: seems to me that if something walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it should wear the designation of being a duck without argument.
Hat tip to the Southern Poverty Law Center and Wired Strategies.
Monday mid-day news briefs
AP: Did TV News Miss Point In Covering Stimulus Plan? - Well I'm sure that people with actual experience in matters such as this couldn't get a word in with all of the self-serving think tank denizens, talking heads and overrated media types jockeying for position.
Educators fail gay students of color - Unfortunately at times I feel that they aren't the only ones who are failing these children. - Hat tip to Deb Price who writes extensively on lgbt issues.
Transgender vets a hidden population - An excellent article on our transgender brothers and sisters.
Supreme Court won't hear anti-gay speech case - Religious right martyr of the month coming up.
Kudos to Milk's Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black - Yes! Again and again! This needs to be played continuously, especially Black's speech. Our youth need to know how special they are.
AP: Did TV News Miss Point In Covering Stimulus Plan? - Well I'm sure that people with actual experience in matters such as this couldn't get a word in with all of the self-serving think tank denizens, talking heads and overrated media types jockeying for position.
Educators fail gay students of color - Unfortunately at times I feel that they aren't the only ones who are failing these children. - Hat tip to Deb Price who writes extensively on lgbt issues.
Transgender vets a hidden population - An excellent article on our transgender brothers and sisters.
Supreme Court won't hear anti-gay speech case - Religious right martyr of the month coming up.
Kudos to Milk's Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black - Yes! Again and again! This needs to be played continuously, especially Black's speech. Our youth need to know how special they are.
The morning after the Oscars - religious right bitch fit to come
Wait for it cause you know it's going to happen.
Last night, actor Sean Penn won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as gay icon Harry Milk.
And we know what is going to happen next:
"Hollywood, as usual, has proven itself to be at the beck and call of the radical homosexual agenda," - the soon-to-be words of Donald Wildmon, James Dobson, Peter LaBarbera, Matt Barber, or some other phony pro-family talking head.
As I understand it, the zombies at Free Republic are already flipping out over Penn's win, his speech and the speech of Dustin Lance Black, who won Best Original Screenplay for Milk.
And here I thought it was going to be a bad Monday.
One more thing - after months of sounding the alarm of hysteria over the Fairness Doctrine, One News Now finally addressed the fact that President Obama does not support the law:
A conservative author and magazine editor warns that although Barack Obama says he "does not believe the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated," the president wants to impose comparable regulations on radio broadcasters.
Okay, never mind.
Wait for it cause you know it's going to happen.
Last night, actor Sean Penn won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as gay icon Harry Milk.
And we know what is going to happen next:
"Hollywood, as usual, has proven itself to be at the beck and call of the radical homosexual agenda," - the soon-to-be words of Donald Wildmon, James Dobson, Peter LaBarbera, Matt Barber, or some other phony pro-family talking head.
As I understand it, the zombies at Free Republic are already flipping out over Penn's win, his speech and the speech of Dustin Lance Black, who won Best Original Screenplay for Milk.
And here I thought it was going to be a bad Monday.
One more thing - after months of sounding the alarm of hysteria over the Fairness Doctrine, One News Now finally addressed the fact that President Obama does not support the law:
A conservative author and magazine editor warns that although Barack Obama says he "does not believe the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated," the president wants to impose comparable regulations on radio broadcasters.
Okay, never mind.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Am I the only one who thinks what Alan Keyes said is dangerous?
Everyone seems to be laughing at Alan Keyes's comments about President Obama. To reiterate, here is what he said:
“Obama is a radical communist and I think it is becoming clear. That is what I told people in Illinois and now everybody realizes it is coming true,” said Keyes who ran unsuccessfully against Obama for the Senate in 2004. “He is going to destroy this country and we are either going to stop him or the United States of America is going to cease to exist."
For the record, I never liked Alan Keyes because I think he is a phony. He reminds me of a restaurant trying to fill its patrons on appeitizers because it lacks entrees.
I know he can tout his credentials (he is a former ambassador or something or another) but what has he really done besides make speeches about "America's moral crisis."
That's his schtick, you see. Just about in every second speech, he whines that this country is on the onset of doom and despair.
To paraphrase Rod Serling, Keyes has put America at death's door so many times he has worn out the welcome mat.
On more than one occasion, he has given many of us a reason to laugh at him and poke fun.
But his recent comments are not funny:
“He (President Obama) is going to destroy this country and we are either going to stop him or the United States of America is going to cease to exist."
Someone should ask Keyes what exactly does he mean by stopping Obama. I know that he is leading the charge in a lawsuit opposing Obama's election on citizenship grounds, but his comments go far beyond this action.
I know that there are going to be some who will pull the "they said the same thing about President Bush" card with the "they" in question meaning "liberals" and "the left."
But to do this only clouds the issue.
Let's be honest and frank here. Many people aren't happy with Obama's election to the presidency. For whatever reason it may be, they view him as more than a person whose policies they oppose.
They view his victory as evil defeating good with Obama owning the horns, tail, and pitchfork. A perfect example of these people are on World Net Daily.
The last thing they need is goadings of their paranoid fears. And the very last thing they need is encouragement to "stop" the so-called evil of Obama.
This is not to say I don't support Keyes's right to speak as he wishes. But I also wish that he and others who oppose President Obama would use restraint and common sense.
Keyes, in particular, should follow his own advice and act like an adult.
I fear that if this type of rhetoric keeps up, none of us will be laughing later on.
Everyone seems to be laughing at Alan Keyes's comments about President Obama. To reiterate, here is what he said:
“Obama is a radical communist and I think it is becoming clear. That is what I told people in Illinois and now everybody realizes it is coming true,” said Keyes who ran unsuccessfully against Obama for the Senate in 2004. “He is going to destroy this country and we are either going to stop him or the United States of America is going to cease to exist."
For the record, I never liked Alan Keyes because I think he is a phony. He reminds me of a restaurant trying to fill its patrons on appeitizers because it lacks entrees.
I know he can tout his credentials (he is a former ambassador or something or another) but what has he really done besides make speeches about "America's moral crisis."
That's his schtick, you see. Just about in every second speech, he whines that this country is on the onset of doom and despair.
To paraphrase Rod Serling, Keyes has put America at death's door so many times he has worn out the welcome mat.
On more than one occasion, he has given many of us a reason to laugh at him and poke fun.
But his recent comments are not funny:
“He (President Obama) is going to destroy this country and we are either going to stop him or the United States of America is going to cease to exist."
Someone should ask Keyes what exactly does he mean by stopping Obama. I know that he is leading the charge in a lawsuit opposing Obama's election on citizenship grounds, but his comments go far beyond this action.
I know that there are going to be some who will pull the "they said the same thing about President Bush" card with the "they" in question meaning "liberals" and "the left."
But to do this only clouds the issue.
Let's be honest and frank here. Many people aren't happy with Obama's election to the presidency. For whatever reason it may be, they view him as more than a person whose policies they oppose.
They view his victory as evil defeating good with Obama owning the horns, tail, and pitchfork. A perfect example of these people are on World Net Daily.
The last thing they need is goadings of their paranoid fears. And the very last thing they need is encouragement to "stop" the so-called evil of Obama.
This is not to say I don't support Keyes's right to speak as he wishes. But I also wish that he and others who oppose President Obama would use restraint and common sense.
Keyes, in particular, should follow his own advice and act like an adult.
I fear that if this type of rhetoric keeps up, none of us will be laughing later on.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Saturday news briefs
AL: Birmingham mayor slapped with lawsuit for discrimination against Pride Fest - The story is clear. The mayor is discriminating against Pride Fest. Amongst other things, he has refused to let city employees city workers hang banners for the Pride festival from city light posts, which was allowed for other events.
I can just hear the arguments from the religious right now - "It's his personal beliefs. Why should he sacrifice his deeply held religious beliefs?"
He wasn't elected as a Christian but to be mayor for all citizens. How long is it going to be before people start saying "personal deeply held religious beliefs" is no excuse for being disrespectful or discriminatory?
‘Ex-Gay & The Law’ Released by Truth Wins Out and Lambda Legal - A landmark kick in the crotch to the so-called ex-gay groups and the religious right groups behind their planning and funding. It should be a required document for all lgbt centers and groups across the country.
Now let's work on a publication outlining all of the religious right's phony positions and arguments regarding the lgbt community as well as its history of misinformation and lies.
Ready for his close-up: Vintage black gay film unveils a ‘Portrait of Jason’ - Just in time for Black History Month.
Anti-gay forces work to regain national influence - They want us to forget about Paul Cameron, the phony studies, the stereotypes and the legitimate studies they intentionally took out of context. I say don't let them forget it.
Hey Pete: First apologize for your own Nazi comparisons, brother! - Peter LaBarbera shown to be a hypocrite? We must be on planet Earth.
AL: Birmingham mayor slapped with lawsuit for discrimination against Pride Fest - The story is clear. The mayor is discriminating against Pride Fest. Amongst other things, he has refused to let city employees city workers hang banners for the Pride festival from city light posts, which was allowed for other events.
I can just hear the arguments from the religious right now - "It's his personal beliefs. Why should he sacrifice his deeply held religious beliefs?"
He wasn't elected as a Christian but to be mayor for all citizens. How long is it going to be before people start saying "personal deeply held religious beliefs" is no excuse for being disrespectful or discriminatory?
‘Ex-Gay & The Law’ Released by Truth Wins Out and Lambda Legal - A landmark kick in the crotch to the so-called ex-gay groups and the religious right groups behind their planning and funding. It should be a required document for all lgbt centers and groups across the country.
Now let's work on a publication outlining all of the religious right's phony positions and arguments regarding the lgbt community as well as its history of misinformation and lies.
Ready for his close-up: Vintage black gay film unveils a ‘Portrait of Jason’ - Just in time for Black History Month.
Anti-gay forces work to regain national influence - They want us to forget about Paul Cameron, the phony studies, the stereotypes and the legitimate studies they intentionally took out of context. I say don't let them forget it.
Hey Pete: First apologize for your own Nazi comparisons, brother! - Peter LaBarbera shown to be a hypocrite? We must be on planet Earth.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Chris Buttars needs to get off of the cross - he brought it all on himself
Utah legislator Chris Buttars lost his committee chairmanship today after anti-gay comments he made to a documentary filmmaker. He of course took the tone of a martyr:
In recent years, registering opposition to the homosexual agenda has become almost impossible. Political correctness has replaced open and energetic debate. Those who dare to disagree with the homosexual agenda are labeled “haters,” and “bigots,” and are censured by their peers.
The poor thing. What exactly did he say again?:
Homosexuality will always be a sexual perversion. And you say that around here now and everybody goes nuts. But I don’t care.”
…”They’re mean. They want to talk about being nice. They’re the meanest buggers I have ever seen.”
And just seconds later, Buttars draws a comparison between some gays and radical Muslims. “It’s just like the Muslims. Muslims are good people and their religion is anti-war. But it’s been taken over by the radical side.”
…Buttars: “What is the morals of a gay person? You can’t answer that because anything goes.”
And finally, this is how senator Buttars refers to the “radical gay movement.” “They’re probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of.”
What Buttars did was conduct unbecoming of an elected official. It's one thing to think that homosexuality is a sin, but his comments were something altogether different.
Buttars isn't being called to the carpet because of a "gay agenda." He is being called to the carpet because he let his mouth speak before his brain had time to tell his mouth to shut up.
If he had said the same thing about women, or Jewish people, or those of another religon or African-Americans, I really don't think he would be getting as much sympathy.
And it leads me to ask this question - Why is it that some people feel that they can say anything negative about lgbts and then try to gain sympathy when they are criticized for it?
Is it that much of open season on lgbts that we have to allow ourselves to be disrespected in ways that no other group would?
This has nothing to do with "opposing the gay agenda." It has to do with respect and no matter how you feel on the issue, no group should have to sit and allow themselves to be disrespected.
Buttars needs to get off of the cross and take his lumps like a man.
Utah legislator Chris Buttars lost his committee chairmanship today after anti-gay comments he made to a documentary filmmaker. He of course took the tone of a martyr:
In recent years, registering opposition to the homosexual agenda has become almost impossible. Political correctness has replaced open and energetic debate. Those who dare to disagree with the homosexual agenda are labeled “haters,” and “bigots,” and are censured by their peers.
The poor thing. What exactly did he say again?:
Homosexuality will always be a sexual perversion. And you say that around here now and everybody goes nuts. But I don’t care.”
…”They’re mean. They want to talk about being nice. They’re the meanest buggers I have ever seen.”
And just seconds later, Buttars draws a comparison between some gays and radical Muslims. “It’s just like the Muslims. Muslims are good people and their religion is anti-war. But it’s been taken over by the radical side.”
…Buttars: “What is the morals of a gay person? You can’t answer that because anything goes.”
And finally, this is how senator Buttars refers to the “radical gay movement.” “They’re probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of.”
What Buttars did was conduct unbecoming of an elected official. It's one thing to think that homosexuality is a sin, but his comments were something altogether different.
Buttars isn't being called to the carpet because of a "gay agenda." He is being called to the carpet because he let his mouth speak before his brain had time to tell his mouth to shut up.
If he had said the same thing about women, or Jewish people, or those of another religon or African-Americans, I really don't think he would be getting as much sympathy.
And it leads me to ask this question - Why is it that some people feel that they can say anything negative about lgbts and then try to gain sympathy when they are criticized for it?
Is it that much of open season on lgbts that we have to allow ourselves to be disrespected in ways that no other group would?
This has nothing to do with "opposing the gay agenda." It has to do with respect and no matter how you feel on the issue, no group should have to sit and allow themselves to be disrespected.
Buttars needs to get off of the cross and take his lumps like a man.
Note to the African-American community - The religious right doesn't care about you
A quick quiz:
The New York Post just published a highly racist editorial cartoon depicting the first black president of the United States as a dead chimpanzee.
What do you do?
A. Criticize the cartoonist for creating the racist cartoon?
B. Criticize the New York Post for publishing the racist cartoon?
C. Ignore the racist cartoon entirely and criticize U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for commenting (pretty much at the same time frame that the cartoon was published) that when it comes to discussing racial issues, the country is a nation of cowards?
If you are One News Now and Rev. Harry Jackson, the answer is C:
Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., a Maryland pastor and chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, disagrees with Holder and says it was "horrible" for the attorney general to read those comments as a prepared speech.
"He intended to give us a signal, however, that he was going to overcome cowardice as he administrates and adjudicates the law of the land. And he began to list, somewhere toward the end, that blacks had opened the door for women's rights, for other groups," he notes. "And I can't help but think that he is going to try to prosecute affirmative action cases and even cases that deal with gay rights and issues such as hate rimes in the days ahead."
There is no big point to be made here.
But it's something to remember the next time One News Now, Jackson or anyone connected with religious right groups pretend as if they are the black community's savior against those so-called "evil gays who are trying to exploit the civil rights movement to validate their sinful lifestyle."
The black community should remember that sometimes those who claim to be your saviors are the ones you should be wary of.
A quick quiz:
The New York Post just published a highly racist editorial cartoon depicting the first black president of the United States as a dead chimpanzee.
What do you do?
A. Criticize the cartoonist for creating the racist cartoon?
B. Criticize the New York Post for publishing the racist cartoon?
C. Ignore the racist cartoon entirely and criticize U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for commenting (pretty much at the same time frame that the cartoon was published) that when it comes to discussing racial issues, the country is a nation of cowards?
If you are One News Now and Rev. Harry Jackson, the answer is C:
Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., a Maryland pastor and chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, disagrees with Holder and says it was "horrible" for the attorney general to read those comments as a prepared speech.
"He intended to give us a signal, however, that he was going to overcome cowardice as he administrates and adjudicates the law of the land. And he began to list, somewhere toward the end, that blacks had opened the door for women's rights, for other groups," he notes. "And I can't help but think that he is going to try to prosecute affirmative action cases and even cases that deal with gay rights and issues such as hate rimes in the days ahead."
There is no big point to be made here.
But it's something to remember the next time One News Now, Jackson or anyone connected with religious right groups pretend as if they are the black community's savior against those so-called "evil gays who are trying to exploit the civil rights movement to validate their sinful lifestyle."
The black community should remember that sometimes those who claim to be your saviors are the ones you should be wary of.
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