Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Monday, November 09, 2009

Let the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission wallow in the filth of its own ignorance

Next week, there will be a "challenge" to the new lgbt-inclusive hate crimes bill recently signed by President Obama. The "challenge" is being led by the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission:

On November 16th, CADC, along with other pro-family leaders and ministers, will go to Washington DC for a Rally for Religious Freedom. It will occur immediately in front of the Department of Justice.

Ministers, from various denominations, will preach the truth of the Word of God, especially the “politically incorrect” truth of the sin of homosexuality! We will challenge U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to charge this group of peacefully assembled clergy with a hate crime for simply preaching the Bible.

We will clearly establishing that this law cannot and will not silence God’s servants. We will continue to declare the whole counsel of God both publicly and in our pulpits. If we are arrested, we challenge the law in court.

This bold, public stand for Christ and freedom of speech will cost thousands of dollars. We need to pay for permits, rent a sound system and generators. We will need to send out press releases and get the word out to as many pro-family leaders and ministers as possible. There will be travel expenses and we also need to cover our ongoing overhead.

For those who need a reminder, the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission is that group which defends churches trying to exorcise lgbt children.

It's that same group which defends anti-gay hate groups run by discredited researchers who accuse gay men of molesting children and wallowing in feces.

In short, the CADC is a colossal joke.

And that is how we should treat its protest.

Hate crimes legislation protects free speech and religious freedom. And I don't think that the CADC or any other group who will participate in this protest are actually dumb enough to advocate violent action against lgbts.

At least I hope not.

What CADC and the other groups are doing is ridiculous grandstanding.

However, I think that these groups are attempting to exploit the lgbt community's anger. I think that they are counting on some of us to be there at their "protest." They are counting on us to be extremely angry and extremely vocal. They are counting on us to shout them down so that they can portray themselves as innocent Christians beset by "evil homosexuals."

The solution to this reminds me of a story told to me about when the Ku Klux Klan came to a small town. The community leaders got together and organized a boycott. When the Klan came, no one was there to greet them, shout at them, or allow themselves to be exploited by the ugly words emanating from the hate group.

Certainly I am not saying that we should be absent when the CADC and their allies come to the Justice Department. What I am saying is that we should let them wallow in the filth of their own ignorance.

Everything is on our side here. If they advocate violent action against lgbts, then their Christian guise is eliminated. If they merely speak as to what they say are "Biblical words" about homosexuality and nothing happens to them (which it won't), then there is egg on their faces.

And if any of us is there when the latter happens, I think we should not only take note of the egg on their faces but also remind the nation of it every chance we get.

Related posts:

Christian Anti-Defamation Commission defends exorcists and hate groups from the 'scary gays'

Gaybasher blames God and other Monday midday news briefs

Cops: Beating suspect said 'God made me hate gay people' - Number one of the "now I've heard it all" charts

Conservatives cry foul over Fort Worth policy proposals that are gay-friendly - Oh Heaven forbid!

House Passes Health Reform Bill with Key LGBT Provisions - This is good news!

Providence exhibit examines achievements of gay black men - About time, too. Now others need to follow suit!

Tampa council grants protections to transgender people - Nothing makes me smile more than a huge crop of good news.

Should the right to call a fellow employee 'a deviant' be protected under law?

Last week, I talked abut Peter Vadala, a young man claiming that he was fired from his job at Brookstone (a Massachusetts retailer store) for "merely" voicing his so-called Christian beliefs abut a colleague's legal gay wedding.

Well now many religious right groups and organizations have picked up on the story, making sure to make Vadala seem like an innocent victim. The most lurid headline coming from World Net Daily:

Man fired after saying homosexuality wrong
Accused of 'harassment' even though lesbian approached him

In World Net Daily's usual lying style, the headline gives the inaccurate impression that Vadala was somehow sexually harrassed.

Now this incident has sparked a lot of discussion in the lgbt community. I got into a huge discussion with some folks who felt that either the lesbian employee should have kept her mouth shut or that what Vadala said was not ground for termination.

I'm personally of the opinion that Vadala deserved to have some reprimand for to his actions and if that reprimand was his termination, then so be it.

It bothers me, however, that people want to simply gloss over this for the sake of either being overly nice to Vadala or exploiting his situation for their own purposes.

The question remains was Vadala fired for his beliefs?

No he wasn't.

He was fired for the unprofessional way he expressed his beliefs.

I have a copy of his termination letter, which Vadala provided to the anti-gay group Mass Resistance. Mass Resistance posted the letter on its webpage no doubt thinking that it would help Vadala's cause. In my opinion, it did just the opposite.

From the letter, we learned that (click on the graphics to read the letter):

* Vadala acknowledged calling the lesbian employee "deviant."

* in explaining the incident to a member of the Human Resource Department, Vadala contradicted himself.

* another sales associate offered a written letter saying that while she did not witness the incident, Vadala told her about the lesbian employee marrying another woman and said he hates people like that.

If you look at the letter, you will notice that Mass Resistance adds ridiculous editorial comments disputing several claims in it.

But this is irrelevant. The letter goes on to acknowledge that while Vadala has a right to his religious beliefs, his comments were inappropriate and unprofessional.

I think what is happening here is that people are being blinded by:

* the need to be overly courteous due to a belief that while lgbts seek our rights, we shouldn't seem pushy, or

* the inability to acknowledge that lgbts make up a considerable amount of the American workforce and just like heterosexuals, we deserve the same type of protection.

What if the employee was heterosexual, unmarried, and bragging about her children's success in school. If Vadala had approached her and said something like "you are denying your child a chance to have a father. You and your children are deviants," there wouldn't be any discussion of whether or not he deserves termination.

Until someone explains to me how this situation is any different from the one I described, then I am all for the notion of Vadala seeking other employment.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Words of love? The top ten anti-gay statements as determined by Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

This so-called cultural war is all about perception. Those who are on the front lines of opposing lgbt equality like to claim that their position is either religion-based or based upon love.

Their position based upon ignorance and hate. We know this. The only problem is conveying that sentiment to the population.

So, I've decided to remind everyone of 10 statements which I think encompass the actual mindsets of various religious right groups and personalities

As we relax on Sunday, go to church, or watch football, let's take a trip down memory lane (but watch where we step so we don't get it on our shoes) to remind everyone (ourselves included) of the lovely statements and comments of those who purport to be on the "correct" side of this so-called cultural war.

10. Linda Harvey - the former advertising executive who "found Jesus" and founded the religious right group Mission America. Subsequently this supposedly entitles her to become an "expert" of all things regarding the lgbt community. It allows her to say the following mess:

When people have views supporting homosexuality, they should not be involved with youth in any way, period. Here’s why:
• They will provide inaccurate, misleading information to kids;
• They may limit a student’s opportunity to hear warnings about the behavior;
• They may advocate or model inappropriate behavior;
• They may be directly involved in the molestation of kids themselves; or
• They may be in a position to allow others to do so. - Fairy Tales Don't Come True: Impressionable Kids and Homosexuality

9. Kevin McCullough - conservative columnist, leader of the so-called "Musclehead Revolution" and an all-around strange character who feels that since he is a man who has fathered a son whose skin is darker than the average African American (his exact words), he can tell the black community just how "evil" Obama is.

Hush up y'all about how "right" McCullough may be about Obama. The point is that his ridiculous comments about the President falls in line with the absolutely inane things he has said about the lgbt community in 2003:

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. - The 'gay' truth

8. Guy Adams - Rounding out the lower echeleon list of anti-gay nobodies is this mean looking fellow, Guy Adams. If you are not familiar with him there is a reason for that. In 2006, the one-time bodyguard of Alan Keyes said probably the most ugly, rudest thing ever about lgbts. It was so nasty that I don't think that Peter LaBarbera or Matt Barber at their most logically gymnastic could defend it:

The newest thing in Chicago, it's becoming a trend—and you're going to 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. So, I just don’t believe that there are a lot of really, really good gays.

After this comment, Adams has since retreated into his cocoon of crazy and I haven't heard from him since.

7. Ken Hutcherson - Of course this list must be multi-racial because ignorant, homophobic comments are like diseases; they know no color, gender, or religion. And who better to put in this list than perennial Microsoft stock threatener Ken Hutcherson. Hutcherson has never met a self-aggrandizing comment that he didn't like.

But the one thing he does not like are polite men because polite men are not macho:

"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."

Supposedly it was a joke. But Hutcherson comes across as funny as "the itch." And his comments take a deeper resonance when one remembers his past protests against GLSEN's Day of Silence.

6. Chris Buttars - This lovely Utah representative who looks as if he has a low tolerance for gassy people doesn't necessarily like lgbts. But the folks in Utah seem to like him because they keep electing him to office. Maybe some folks like to hear such comments as:

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. 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. 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."

Tea party-like distraction mess erupts on the floor of Congress

Not an lgbt issue per se, but still an important one.

So now the Republican party is not only encouraging the rudeness of tea party protestors, they are actually emulating them on the floor of Congress.

Regardless of how anyone feels about President Obama or his health care bill, there is no excuse for this type of behavior. What's next? Throwing punches?

More about what's going on here.

Presenting the most stereotypically gay anti-government video EVER

The following video is courtesy of Youth Revolution, which calls itself:

The Voice of a Christian Generation

The group's webpage goes on to say:

Teens and “20 something’s” are on the frontlines of every cultural battle raging today, from secularism in schools to seductive advertising, and social networking to political correctness. Youth Revolution works through the church and youth ministries to better prepare them, through education, training and opportunity to make a difference for Christ in this momentous time.

Apparently this video comes from their efforts. It's a VERY INTERESTING take on how evil the government is by using the same old talking points of how it unfairly taxes people and steals their money.

But with a twist:

Actually VERY INTERESTING is an overstatement. This video is gayer than a drag queen doing a rendition of the number Rose's Turn from Gypsy (don't laugh. I know it by heart.)

According to Pam's House Blend:

YR's Executive Director is none other than Russell Johnson, Director of Governmental Affairs for the Focus on the Family/Family Research Council affiliate Family Policy of Institute of Washington. This is the local organization that helped funnel over $200,000 of James Dobson's Colorado money into Washington's Referendum 71 campaign.

I'm guessing that the star of the video, Tim Hawkins, probably feels that despite the criticisms he is sure to receive, there is no such thing as bad press.

Of course he doesn't because he has his web address plastered at the end of the video.

Maybe or maybe not, but to quote actor Will Smith in Men in Black:

DAMN

Friday, November 06, 2009

Know your lgbt history - Mannequin

I HATE it when good actors do insulting roles.

I'm sure that on almost every actor's resume is a role he or she regrets taking.

And I am also sure that in Designing Women alumni Meschach Taylor's case, it's his interpretation of a gay man in the movie Mannequin (1987).

Mannequin tells the story of an artist (Andrew McCarthy) and the mannequin (pre - Sex in the City Kim Catrail) he creates coming to life.

The premise is silly, the soundtrack was awesome, and Meshach Taylor was simply embarrassing as this clip will show:

Carrie Prejean to appear at 'pro-family' function. Will she talk about 'the tape'

UPDATE - Prejean will not be appearing. Pan down to the end of the post for more details.

Based on the above flyer, Prejean will be appearing in front of a so-called pro-family group in New Jersey where she will no doubt feed everyone the same line about her "persecution" and receive a standing ovation.

I bet she won't mention "the tape."

I bet she won't mention "the tape" as she goes around the country during her "I'm a victim of the homosexual conspiracy" tour.

And she hasn't been the only one conspicuously silent about "the tape."

In my post which talked about Maggie Gallagher's failed attempt to pull a "Phyllis Burgess," I failed to mention that when she was asked about the tape, she claimed to not have all of the facts.

That's fair. According to the gossip site TMZ, here are some of those facts:

Fired employee, religious right groups want lgbts to follow different rules at the workplace

One of the most effective tactics of the religious right is to truncate an incident to claim that lgbts are violent and intolerant or that Christians are in danger of losing their rights if pro-lgbt legislation passes.

We've seen it in the case the group Repent America who was arrested at a Pride festival after they wouldn't comply with police. Religious right grous made it seem that they were unfairly arrested.

We've seen it in the case of talking head Matt Barber who claimed that he was fired from AllState Insurance for righting an anti-gay piece "on his own time." Of course Barber and everyone else who pushed this narrative conviently left out that he still used company equipment to write the piece and identified himself as an employee of AllState Insurance in short biography of the piece.

Now from Massachusetts comes a new phony narrative just in time for the ENDA hearings courtesy of the anti-gay hate group Mass Resistance:

A Massachusetts man was fired from a national retail corporation because of his traditional beliefs on same-sex marriage. Peter Vadala was formally dismissed from his job as second deputy manager of the Brookstone store at Boston’s Logan Airport on August 12, 2009, after a supervisor reported him to Human Resources regarding an incident two days earlier.

. . .As Peter described the incident, he came to work on August 10 and began his day normally. A female manager from another store was in the store and began talking to Peter about her upcoming marriage. When Peter asked “where is he taking you for the honeymoon,” she corrected him and said she was not getting married to "he" but to another woman.

Tea baggers compare health care reform to Nazi death camps - and they show pictures to prove it

I told some people that I wouldn't cover this because it's so vulgar. But this needs to be put on as many pages and spread to as many folks as possible.

Congressional Rep. Michelle Bachman invited the "tea partiers" to descend on the Capitol today in an effort to scare (her words, not mine) lawmakers against voting for Obama's health care reform.

True to form, they showed up, though not in as many numbers as in the past.

But what they didn't have in numbers, they made up in crazy. Sorry but I can't be nice to people who have no problem with holding up the following images:

A closer view of the picture is here:

The sign supposedly reads “National Socialist Health Care: Dachau, Germany – 1945”

NOM's Maggie Gallagher goes to gay protest event looking for trouble, gets disappointed

Say what you will about why we lost in Maine, you have to admit that lgbts have learned the lesson from the aftermath of Proposition 8.

After that vote last year, some lgbts allowed their anger to rule their minds, acted the fool, and created a few events that folks like Mike Huckabee, Peter LaBarbera, Matt Barber, and the rest replayed continuously as proof of "intolerant angry lgbts."

Well that didn't happen this time when NOM head Maggie Gallagher showed up at a DC rally protesting the marriage equality loss in Maine:

It appeared to bother some attendees of tonight's rally that Gallagher would appear at a pro-gay marriage event, yet the estimated crowd of 120 mostly left her alone as she observed the hour-long protest.

Gallagher said she had just been at a nearby building and it was by "great coincidence" that she was passing by. She stated that she was not attending the event as part of a professional capacity and did not wish to go on camera for an interview.

Just who is she trying to fool? My guess is that Gallagher went to that event looking to exploit anger as more ammunition for her tired narrative of "gays label people who want to protect the sanctity of marriage as bigots but it is the gays who are bigots."

No doubt she came to that event looking for new stuff to use in television interviews.

I'm willing to bet a paycheck that if someone tossed a paper cup in the trash which may have been next to where she was sitting, within minutes Gallagher would have been twittering about how she "had objects thrown at her."

The folks in D.C. should be commended for not prey to Gallagher's game.

They clearly show how it should be done - harness the anger against the wrongs done to us and not the folks behind it.

Carrie Prejean uses up the last of her 15 minutes

Every now and then I must succumb to temptation and report on "popular" issues.

In this case, I will console myself with the fact that this is a very important issue outlining the hypocrisy of the religious right:

Carrie Prejean, former Miss California who was fired under scandal, has dropped her lawsuit against pageant officials. Both parties have withdrawn their lawsuits and in an official settlement statement reads, “ Carrie Prejean, Keith Lewis, and K2 productions have dropped their claim against each other and wish each other the best in their future endeavors.” Carrie gets no money other than her attorney fees. The reason, as reported by TMZ, Carrie settled the suit is that the pageant officials were going to release a tape of the lovely Miss California masturbating. Yes it looks like the good Miss Prejean had made a little home movie that got into the hands of pageant officials and she did not want it to go public. On a lighter note, Carrie Prejean will get to keep the money she was given for breast implants and her book will hit the stores soon.

I wonder will the National Organization for Marriage call this a case of persecution against Christians?

Really though, while people are most likely tired of the Carrie Prejean saga, it's important to remember just how quickly the religious right embraced Prejean, making it seem that she was the victim of lgbt persecution rather than the words of just one, albeit highly annoying, lgbt blogger and "personality."

They even went as far as to call her a latter-day Queen Esther.

One wonders what the spin will be on this one?

I think I know: "Carrie Prejean didn't commit a sin because Jesus never said a word about masturbation."

Related post:

Carrie Prejean saved traditional marriage - a lie you can't believe even if you were high on acid

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Anti-gay marriage forces getting wrecked in D.C.

To paraphrase one of my favorite singers, Anne Murray, we sure could use a little good news today.

So how about this from D.C.

During the recent hearings about marriage equality, the anti-lgbt forces have been slipping and they have been slipping badly. First comes our friend Sista Hot Mess from last week. Remember her?

Then comes Ruth Jacobs and her fascination with the "anus":

And those are just the preliminaries. Next is National Organization for Marriage head Brian Brown. It turns out that Brown doesn't do that well when faced with someone who will not fall for his silly talking points. Geez, why are the cute ones so dumb:

And for the main event - This is Walter Fauntroy. He is a black minister who is against marriage equality. He is also a former Washington, D.C. delegate and an organizer for the 1963 March on Washington. That last point is important to remember because every now and then, the conservative groups he aligns himself with sometimes try to slip in the notion that he was the main organizer of 1963 March on Washington; a notion that is inaccurate because the main organizer was Bayard Rustin, an openly gay black man.

His testimoy was been labeled as "bizarre" and "incomprehensible"

Transcript:

''I have advocated, where there are contractural relationships between people who, who have same-sex relationships, that they ought to be granted; and provided the contractural that the courts re -- provide everyone. However, on the question of marriage -- you cannot equate marriage with a contract when marriage is nature's schoolroom for teaching people how to care for, protect and defend one another.... That's why across the world, we are in danger, quite frankly, of violating the principle of perpetuation of the species. I have many, many friends, who are -- have, uh, sexual preference to others of the same sex. But they cannot reproduce....

''I just want to make it very clear that we who are most concerned about this issue, are concerned as political scientists, who know that this issue has been used by people who want to deny people five things, and are doing it effectively, in order to win eleven states in 1984 by diverting the attention of the people from the issue which was an ill-advised WAR in Iraq that has wrecked the world.... I've known homosexual couples for years and always advised, 'Protect yourself.' Please, get rid of -- I've married couples -- heterosexual couples who need a contract to make sure, that 'if you rat on me' -- uh, excuse me! If -- if we buy this house and, and you -- you're not gonna have it. You, it's -- as we used to say on the street -- uh, um -- 'It's cheaper to keep her!'''

Two lessons to take out of this:

1. Smile, folks. Things aren't as bad as you think. We will win this.

2. The vast importance of having lgbt elected officials. In the Jacobs, Brown, and Fauntroy clips, the city councilman who basically breaks them down is openly gay David Catania.

It's something to contemplate when one thinks of our city council victories last night.

And if it doesn't cheer you all up, then we could always talk about the "alleged" Carrie Prejean sex tape.

Don't let the tears of a Maine loss blind us from seeing our victories or the entire struggle

I won't do it. I refuse to do it.

No matter how sad folks are over the loss in Maine, I will not give in to the malaise of anger and bitterness.

I understand the anger and bitterness over Maine, the need to spell out portents of doom and to seek inner meanings into the defeat.

But it was a defeat amongst a crop of victories.

In Kalamazoo, Michigan, voters rejected the phony notion that giving lgbts non-discrimination rights would somehow lead to a legion of predators invading women's restrooms.

What is that? Two victories in the face of an ugly lie (I say two victories because earlier this year, Gainesville, FL rejected the lie also.)

We are still leading in Washington state as far as I know.

And along with the openly lgbt mayor in Chapel Hill, NC comes this news from Houston, TX:

Houston City Controller Annise Parker was the top vote-getter Tuesday in the race for mayor, garnering more than 30% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates. Parker will now face former city attorney Gene Locke, who finished second, in a runoff election in mid-December.

Furthermore, lgbts were elected on city councils in Detroit, MI; Atlanta, GA; Akron, OH; and St. Petersburg, FL.

And last but not least, the House of Representatives will start debate on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act today.

While we cry over Maine, let's not forget our other victories or battles. The fight for lgbt equality is an eternal struggle on many fronts. The opposition knows that.

We should too.

So let's cry as much as we need to over Maine, fix our faces, and come out swinging.

You want pity because of Maine? You won't be getting it from me

We lost in Maine but I don't view it as a total defeat.

I know that we have a reason to be angry. The opposition lied, they stooped to underhanded tactics. They used the time honored false implication of "the gays are after America's children."

But in 2004, we lost a multitude of anti-gay marriage votes by double digits and the momentum was totally against us.

Last night, while we did not get all that we wanted in Maine, it was very close.

In these votes over marriage equality, the opposition may have crossed the finishing line before we did 31 times but every time we get just a little closer.

And let's not forget that we won in basic non-discrimination rights in Kalamazoo (despite the lies about the transgendered community and bathrooms) and continue to hold the lead in Washington state, which expands the rights of same-sex couples.

Not to mention that we now have an openly gay mayor in Chapel Hill, NC.

Unfortunately, all of the sadness and hyperbole will be directed towards Maine, which like a sponge will soak up all of the attention; some of it totally undeserved.

Sorry if I sound too pragmatic for some but I live in South Carolina, the state that is never on the radar regarding lgbt rights.

The lgbt community here have had the wolf at our door so many times that we could sue him for non-support.

I know the lesson not giving up when things look down and everyone has written you off.

So basically, I break it down to the following:

Forget the crap about Maine being supposedly independent and progressive because the fact of the matter is that marriage equality is still a murky issue which confuses and scares a lot of people, lgbts included.

And there is still enough uneasiness about what it could mean for the schools and children for religious right groups to exploit.

That is the reality and no amount of hand wringing or grousing about how we are "second class citizens" (and I really hate the tendency of my community to grab a catchphrase and use it to death) is going to change this fact.

But the landscape is changing. The more America sees lgbt couples, the more America sees lgbt families, and the more open and out we are, the more opportunistic charlatans like Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, and the rest of the "we need to protect marriage" crowd will be seen for what they are - silly clowns repeating silly catchphrases rooted in scare tactics and phony victimology of being called a "bigot."

The momentum still remains with us.

So I'm truly sorry for the folks who feel that last night was a total loss, who feel that last night is another excuse to sit in front of their computers, engage in pity parties, bring up fond memories of past street protests, or go so far as to make ignorant comments about the physical features of the opponents of equality.

Because I refuse to view last night as a loss. Any time that we can stand up and fight and educate people about our rights is never a loss.

A good fight was fought by many people and instead of contemplating about what we didn't get, why don't we take time out of our day to commend those who devoted time and effort to the cause.

The campaign workers, the volunteers, the bloggers - everyone who worked their tail off in pursuit of our equality deserve our praise and our thanks instead of the self-cannibalization that's sure to come. They deserve a big thank you instead of "see, I told you so," or "if I had run the campaign, I would have . . ."

So what do we do now that this election is over?

We continue to work for our rights and not just the right of marriage equality.

Despite the tendency of our opponents to make grand prognostications, our spirits may be diminished just a little but our backs aren't broken.

The round may have been lost, but the fight isn't over yet.

View last night as a teaching lesson.

Lgbts gaining full equality, including marriage equality, will probably be at times slow and tedious, tiring and time consuming.

There is no place for slackers or armchair warriors or those who get easily tired and discouraged.

If lgbt equality is to be achieved, it's going to have to be via sweat and toil.

There is no other choice.

There is no other alternative.

There will be no deux ex machina descending from the sky making everything right.

There will be no addendums or loopholes.

It's a job that will have to accomplished the hard way because there is no other way.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Religious right worries about 'proper' use of the anus and other Tuesday midday news briefs

To my brothers and sisters fighting the good fight today:

Get the people out and get them voting.

Despite the outcome never give up on yourself or the community. If you win, be gracious in victory. If by chance there are any losses, don't get discouraged. But keep pressing on.

Those with power never give up that power without a fight. The barriers of ignorance and fear can't hold back the rushing tide of enlightenment, equality, and righteousness.

Now onto news briefs:

Anus Designed for Exit: Doctor tells DC Council no gay marriage ... because black men spread AIDS via ''down-low'' anal sex?! - This is just so incredibly ignorant that I could't let it go by without comment. Apparently religious right figures are so concerned with the anus not being "properly used" that their mouths are taking up the slack.

Transcript:

''The immediate action of passing the same-sex marriage bill, 18 40 82, is to normalize predominantly homosexual activity such as anal sex and require the promotion in the schools as a legal, normal activity and part of the sex education.... Who will protect the children? There are more HIV infections among young black men who have sex with men, aged 13-29, than among any other age group.... I am aware that students are terrified to be taken out of sex ed. They get on their knees and beg to their parents to be included. Because, to be outside is to be labeled the conservative. To go to the library while everyone else is in class having sex ed, means that you then --. When you refuse to go to sex ed, you then become the group that is discriminated against.... The anus was designed for exit, not entrance.... [Lesbian marriages] are not my argument.''

From Metro Weekly in DC:

Conservative activist Dr. Ruth Jacobs presenting ridiculous testimony as a public witness during the DC City Council's hearing about a pending same-sex marriage equality bill. It's not clear why Jacobs was there since she appears to have traveled down from Rockville, MD, and that she knew nothing about existing District law. In 2007, Jacobs led an effort against a transgender equality bill in Montgomery County claiming that men would expose their genitalia to women and girls, and testifying that the bill would discriminate against ''ex-transgenders.'' During a questioning period, she admitted to Council chair Phil Mendelson that she had no evidence of her claims of a connection between same-sex marriage and HIV infection. Councilman David Catania asked her what gay male sex had to do with lesbians and marriage, especially since lesbians have the lowest rate of HIV infection. Jacobs became flustered and said she wasn't there to talk about that fact. (City Council via Office of Cable Television)

Ken Hutcherson's 'Minority Thought Pattern' as he defends Rush, slavery - You COULD go onto the link to see what exactly is Hutherson is talking about but if you don't have time and want a condensed version of his words, then check this out:

Traditional Values Coalition distorts marketing statistics to attack ENDA

In the midst of the hoopla about ballot initiatives that we have to put up with today, it's "touching" that religious right groups take time out of their busy schedule of trying to deny us marriage equality and non-discrimination rights to make the case that we are so rich that we don't deserve any employment protection at all.

Take the case of Lou Sheldon and the Traditional Values Coalition's push against upcoming ENDA hearings:

ENDA is designed to get homosexuals, bisexuals, cross-dressers, and transsexuals added to the list of federally-protected minorities. If this is accomplished, the LGBT agenda will be imposed on businesses, local, state and federal governments, including public schools K-12, Christian day care centers and camps, plus religious broadcasters with more than 15 employees.

This legislation is based on the false premise that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals are victims of widespread and systematic discrimination in the workplace.

Marketing statistics from gay marketing companies indicate that the average income for a gay or lesbian is $80,000 a year. The U.S. Census notes that the median income in 2008 for blacks was $34,218; for Hispanics it was $37,913; for Asians it was $65,637. Median income for non-Hispanic white households was $55,530.

In addition, gay marketers say that gays and lesbians spend an estimated $45 to $65 billion a year on travel!

The first part of this statement is a mishmash of bad talking points, distortions, and aggressive semantical words.

We've heard it all before. And what else should we expect from a man who has no shame in referring to lgbts as "sodomites."

But that claim regarding lgbt income is sure to come up again.

It's a huge distortion but an old strategy used by religious right groups to make the case against non-discrimination protection for lgbts.

In looking at lgbt income, Sheldon cites research done by "marketing companies," but in looking at African-American, Asian, and Hispanic income, he cites the U.S. Census.

The problem with this is that work done by marketing companies is totally different from the work done by the U.S. Census. Marketing companies are generally hired by businesses in order to find where the appeal would be for their product. Of course their work is geared to folks with money, whether they be lgbt or not.

The U.S. Census is mainly an objective way to count numbers and income to gain an idea of how large a population is and what their needs are.

Let me put it this way.

According to religioustolerance.org:

A number of surveys promoted by conservative Christian organizations claim that gays and lesbians have higher incomes than heterosexuals, and thus have no need of civil rights protection in employment.

Perhaps the most famous survey is the one conducted by the Simmons Market Research Bureau in 1988-OCT. It is commonly promoted by the American Family Association, Focus on the Family, Freedom Heritage Forum and other conservative Christian groups. The conclusions were reported in The Wall Street Journal in 1991-JUL. The raw data looks impressive:

Average household Income: Homosexuals: $55,430; National Average: $32,286/yr

Percent College Graduates: Homosexuals: 60%; National Average: 18%

Workers in Professional or Management Jobs: Homosexuals: 49%; National Average: 16%

Taking overseas vacations: Homosexuals: 66%; national average: 14%

The problem with the data is that the values quoted for "homosexuals" are in no way representative of the average gay and lesbian. the survey was taken among homosexuals who subscribe to one of 8 leading gay newspapers; they thus belong to a select group within the les/gay community.

Media Matters.org puts it this way:

The survey's findings, however, did not reflect a representative sample of the national gay population. The Simmons survey polled only readers of popular gay-oriented magazines and those who filled out sign-up sheets for the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. As the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Inc. (NOGLSTP) noted, "People who buy and read newspapers and magazines tend to have more education and higher incomes. Gay events attract people who can afford to travel or pay an entrance fee."

Media Matters goes on to bring up a fact that is sure to put a kink in Sheldon's obvious attempt to play the lgbt and African-American community against each other:

Indeed, as NOGLSTP also noted, a 1989 study by Simmons found that readers of African-American-oriented magazines like Jet, Ebony, and Essence earned 41 to 82 percent more than the average African-American.

So Sheldon and the Traditional Values Coalition are misappropriating "marketing research" to make a false case against ENDA.

Why that's almost as bad as distorting studies that looked at non-married gay couples to make a case against marriage equality.

Wait a minute. TVC was already beaten to the punch on that one by the Family Research Council.

In all honesty though, truncating credible studies, i.e. distorting their conclusions, the information included in the study, or the purpose of the study, is a religious right hallmark.

So much so that it obviously must be approved Christian behavior according to that new Conservapedia version of the Bible I keep hearing about.

One of these days, I'm going to have to read that thing.

Related posts and articles:

Passive Aggressive

Another flawed piece of work courtesy of the Family Research Council

What are the top religious right lies about the gay community?

Researchers complain about religious right distortion of their work

Family Research Council head misrepresents credible information to hurt ENDA

Bathrooms, Church Exemptions, and Lies: Five ways the religious right misrepresents ENDA

Catholic writer unsuccessfully tries to refute my ENDA post

Monday, November 02, 2009

A collection of articles about tomorrow's ballot initiatives

Tomorrow will be a busy day with ballot initiatives against marriage equality and lgbt non-discrimination rights in several states states.

I thought it would be best to link up to a collection of pieces done by those in the middle of these fights.

Keep praying that we come out on top:

Religious Right Very Much Alive in Tomorrow's Elections

It's time for people in Maine to see 86-year-old Philip Spooner again

Video: Twas the night before [another day where gay lives are put to offensive vote]

Six Tests for Equality and Fairness

In Maine, turnout is the key to success

The eyes of the nation is on tomorrow and the New York Times breaks it down

Six Tests for Equality and Fairness - The New York Times breaks it down for us about tomorrow.

Don, we now are gays in peril: And we're the one's getting decked in the halls - It never fails. In almost every ballot initiative, the religious right truncates an incident to create a phony martyr.

Guess Who Just Played the Gay Card? - Speaking of something that never fails.

Maine to vote on gay marriage - An important battle that must have a good ending. The Washington Post wages in on the battle.

CNN reports on being black and gay in America

The above clip is from a recent CNN Report on "Blacks and Gay Equality."

While I'm not happy about the name - I don't like the subtle way it pushes the idea that gays and blacks are two separate entities - the clip is awesome.

One thing though - can anyone tell me what exactly is the "gay lifestyle."

I'm not trying to attack my heterosexual brothers and sisters but so many of them have things mixed up.

Homosexuality is not a "lifestyle." Putting on a skin tight dress or wearing your pants down past your ass, drinking and hitting on each other in a club, and then having wild sex that leads to illegitimate births is a lifestyle.

Having four children from three different women, now that is a lifestyle.

Like I said, I am not trying to downplay heterosexual African-Americans but this self-righteous duplicity, the hypocrisy that many invoke in an attempt to justify their ignorance about their lgbt brothers and sisters is stifling.

And when people continue to be stifled, they either die or rebel:

Big hat tip to Pam's House Blend.