Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Friday, December 11, 2009

Know your lgbt history - The Ricki Lake Show

Editor's Note - I am taking a very short break from the "Jennings County Wars." However the following links are for those looking for recent information about the newest smears against Kevin Jennings:

AIM Apologizes For Jennings Falsehoods -- Then Tries To Smear Him Again

Morrissey Should Have Been Silent On Jennings And Just Been Thought A Fool

Though some may disagree with my assessment, the Ricki Lake Show did a lot of good for lgbt visibility.

When the talk show, hosted by actress Ricki Lake, first appeared in 1993, it was a bit different from the powerhouse shows like Oprah and Donahue in the fact that it was very youth-oriented, particularly when it came to focusing on the lgbt community.

When lgbt issues were generally discussed in a talk show setting, the narrative seemed to always be making gays and lesbians look like pitiful creatures begging for society's "tolerance."

The Ricki Lake Show did deal with topics about how ignorance of gays and lesbians can affect families, such as the following:

The show also had topics that dealt with the lgbt community as we are and not some sad prototypes needing to appeal to an idea of normalcy or caged creatures looking for "tolerance."

The Ricki Lake Show presented the lgbt life as it was, with warts and all but with an appreciation of our culture:

Ugandan bill defended and criticized, attacks against Jennings flopping?, and other Friday midday news briefs

Ugandan MP Defends “Kill Gays” Bill - Paul Cameron's lies are global.

TWO Praises Pastor Rick Warren for Speaking Out Against Anti-Gay Uganda Bill - So he finally did it. Real men of God don't wait for outcry to publicly attack injustice. They are usually the ones leading the outcry.

Another Californian, another Speaker milestone - The news ain't all bad today.

The Jennings smear = the latest right-wing "scandal" to flop in the mainstream - The attacks on Jennings seem to be flopping. No one should be blamed for it. Reasonable people generally don't like sticking their hands in a hot mess of lies.

Nearly half of New Jersey Catholics support gay marriage - How is that for a shocker?

Bouncers bop gay dancer: cops - What kind of mess is this?

Latest smear against Kevin Jennings revists familiar lie - 'Little Black Book'

Gateway Pundit continues to tell its Mass Resistance fueled lies on Obama appointee Kevin Jennings.

This time the site is claiming that Jennings and the organization he founded to help lgbt children, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network), passed out a guide encouraging children to have sex with strangers in public parks.

It's the latest in the plethora of lies pushed against Jennings.

Let's look at the list of lies before hitting on the new one:

Gateway Pundit falsely claimed that Jennings and GLSEN were encouraging students to read explicit books. This was a serious misrepresentation of the facts.

The site brought up the Fistgate lie irregardless of the fact that this story had been refuted

It propagated a lie that Jennings had led the way to the passing out of "fisting kits" to children. The kits had nothing to do with "fisting" and they were created by Planned Parenthood.

Gateway Pundit made the false claim that Jennings and GLSEN passed out an explicit sex guide "Little Black Book" to students at a conference in 2005. This was another falsehood. Fenway Community Health officials said they accidentally left about 10 copies of the ''Little Black Book" on an informational table they rented at the conference. Furthermore, no students actually got copies of the book.

That last lie is important to remember because the new lie Gateway Pundit is pushing is linked to it.

You see, the guide that Gateway Pundit is claiming that Jennings and GLSEN distributed to children encouraging them to have public sex with strangers is "Little Black Book:"

Right-wing site removes post calling Kevin Jennings a pedophile

Post also falsely claimed that there were videos of Jennings teaching children sex acts.

Today comes the news that some on the right have thrown a slur at Kevin Jennings which may have scared even them.

From Media Matters comes the news that the right-wing group Accuracy in Media (pardon me for laughing) has thrown a very ugly slur at Jennings. So ugly in fact that the site backtracked like a dancer doing the moonwalk:

In attacking the media for allegedly insufficient coverage of Obama administration official Kevin Jennings, a blogger for Accuracy in Media, which purports to "set the record straight on important issues that have received slanted coverage" -- and which has a record of antagonism toward gays -- smeared Jennings as a "pedophile" and falsely claimed that "[v]ideos have surfaced of Jennings teaching 14-year-old boys the dangerous sexual practice of 'fisting,' and discussing with them the particulars of oral sex." In fact, Jennings did not conduct that seminar and, in fact, reportedly criticized it when he became aware of its content.

From a December 10 AIM blog post by Allie Duzett, "an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia":

I get nasty facebook message about Kevin Jennings and other Thursday midday news briefs

Hey Alvin McEwen, where's your chipmunks? or is it gerbels? I can't remember which small furry kicking and screaming and scratching little rodent you freaks prefer!! I'm sure Kevin jennings has some pre-adult advice on this topic as well.

I got that message on Facebook. Since my coverage of the Jennings situation this week, it's the third ugly message I've gotten. I don't know what's worse; being called a rat, a pedophile (and I'm being nice because the person couldn't spell the word correctly), or this one.

It's almost comical except for the fact that it reveals the mindset behind some of the people targeted by the anti-Kevin Jennings that has flowed out this week from the right:

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

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

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

Since they can't refute the lies, they stoop to personal attacks.

No one really should be surprised. After all, look at the folks who are leading them by the nose.

Now on to other more vital news subjects:

This Uganda thing is getting scary. Like wake up in night sweats, fearful for your life scary. - It was just a matter of time before some knucklehead religious right member in America voiced open support of the Ugandan anti-gay bill.

GLAAD Responds to Recording Academy Statement on Buju Banton's Grammy Nomination - With the recent mess going on in Uganda and with Kevin Jennings, I failed to give this story adequate coverage. Luckily other folks are nailing it down rather awesomely.

Anti-Gay Rhetoric Rises in Race for Houston Mayor - Why oh why should we be surprised?

Tila Tequila Claims She's Engaged! - Frivilous I know but cut me some slack. It has been a week from hell! WORK IT GIRL!

Time magazine covers Ugandan anti-gay bill, calls attention to Rick Warren's cowardice

Time magazine has now reported on the Ugandan anti-gay bill and there are so many good things in this article, including the fact that it puts the blame for the bill on the shoulders of members of the United States religious right:

The bill has an American genesis of sorts, inspired to a large extent by the visits of U.S. evangelicals who are involved with a movement that promotes Christianity's role in getting homosexuals to become "ex-gays" through prayer and faith. Ugandan supporters of the bill appear to be particularly impressed by the ideas of Scott Lively, a California conservative preacher who has written a book, The Pink Swastika, about what he calls the links between Nazism and a gay agenda for world domination, which, by itself, would have raised the anti-colonial sensitivities of Ugandan society. Says the Rev. Kapya Kaoma, an Episcopalian priest from Zambia who authored a recent report on anti-gay politics in Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya: "The U.S. culture wars have been exported to Africa."

The article goes on to report the new developments about the bill - that the death penalty portion has been dropped.

You will forgive me of course for not shouting off of the rooftops on that one. I would be much happier if the entire bill was dropped.

The article calls attention to Rick Warren's inaction regarding this bill:

. . . the popular preacher released a statement to Newsweek saying, "It is not my personal calling as a pastor in America to comment or interfere in the political process of other nations." That position irks the Rev. Kaoma, who is an Anglican pastor with the Archdiocese of Boston. Warren, he says, has immense influence among Uganda's political élite, counting many parliamentarians, including the country's First Lady Janet Museveni (who is reportedly close to Ssempa), among his friends. "He eats with them, he knows what goes on, they respect him," said Kaoma in a conference call. At the very least, Warren could get his purpose-driven nation to reflect on the purpose of this severe piece of legislation.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

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

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

Another day, another lie about Kevin Jennings.

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

The Gateway Pundit blog falsely suggested that the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, a group founded and formerly headed by Department of Education official Kevin Jennings, had distributed to children an explicit safe-sex booklet.

But GLSEN wasn't the ones who brought this book:

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

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

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

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

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

The rest of the post is here.

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

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

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

Oh the horror!

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

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

And by the way:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But there seems to be another component to this madness.

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

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

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

You might be wondering who’s behind GLSEN.

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

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

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

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

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

What can we do?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well get ready for "Fistgate II."

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

Including the following factoid:

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

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

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

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

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

From Daily Kos:

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

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

And it gets better:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now the Associated Press is hitting on the issue:

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

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

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

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

More here.

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

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

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

Not Focus on the Family

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

Not Peter LaBarbera

Not Matt Barber or the rest of the Liberty Counsel.

Not any of them.

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

Related posts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Media Matters:

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

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

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

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

Nada.

Zilch.

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

And here is what I said:

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

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

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

Lesbians in South Africa getting raped as a corrective measure? What the hell?

Things don't look for lgbts in Uganda and they really suck for our community in South Africa:

Lesbians in South Africa are being dragged off the street and raped to "correct" them, it has been claimed.

Sky News has found evidence of widespread abuse against the lesbian community - resulting in a new trend of so-called "corrective rape".

In the the township of Khayelitsha, on the outskirts of Cape Town, Sky spoke to a group of women who said they live in fear of their lives.

All of them said they know someone who has been violently dragged off the streets and raped because they had come out as a lesbian.

Funeka Solidaat said she had been attacked on two occasions - on the second she was raped.

She said the men covered their faces with balaclavas and that she had been repeatedly threatened with rape in the township.

More here

Raping someone to "correct" them? How does someone figure violently attacking someone else and forcing them to have sex will make them suddenly fall in love with their attacker?

I'm speechless.

UPDATE - It gets worse. I found the following video via youtube. The attitudes expressed by the men in this video are just flat out ugly:

Yale students take a stand against 'evangelist' and other Monday midday news bries

Evangelist causes a stir - No he isn't one of the kissing couples in the picture but he is easy to spot. If you ask me, I think we caused a bigger (and nicer) stir here. Hat tip to Box Turtle Bulletin

Going Undercover in the Crazy, Tragic World of Christian Gay-Conversion Therapy - Ugh. Talk about someone who really needs prayer.

Is The NRCC Using Anti-Gay Innuendo Against Dem Candidate? - It sounds like it to me.

Gay bishop elected in Los Angeles - And the religious right will plotz in 10 . . .9 . . .8 . . .7

Answer to Donnie McClurkin: Black & Gay is Beautiful - You damned right it is

From Rod 2.0 Beta comes news that should be given more coverage:

Black gay activists take out a full page advertisement in response to Donnie McClurkin's hateful "ex-gay" and 'anti-gay" rants. The advert runs in (Friday's) Metro NY. Click for larger version.

Pastor Joseph Tolton of Rehoboth Temple wrote the official response on behalf of New York’s black gay men and counters the "hypocrisy in the pulpit" and "spiritual" violence of McClurkin and homophobic black churches. It reads in part: "For those of us in faith who have always loved the black church, the defining issue of our lives has been the churches damning stance on homosexuality. As children, the condemnation broke our spirit. As adolescents, this ridicule broke our hearts. As young adults, this disdain has attempted to drive us to the brink. Spiritual violence is wrong and it kills the spirit. The black church must find new ways to talk about sex and sexuality."

Tolton adds this message to McClurkin: "You are not a man who loves men because of being molested as a child. That grave and despicable tragedy broke your spirit and damaged your mind; however, it did not have the capacity to change your DNA."

Pastor Tolton is seen in the center of the photo. From left to right: Actor Cornelius Jones; Activist Sheldon DeSouza; Michael Whittaker; Tolton; HIV activists Gaynel Sheffield and Pat Desrolers; and openly gay R&B singer Nhoji. Bravo to Pastor Tolton and these activists. Donnie McClurkin's experience was the exception and not the rule. This is much more accurate picture of our black LGBT community—diverse and confident.

While the ad ran Friday, the knowledge that self-hating loudmouths like McClurkin aren't the only ones with a voice in the black church is an excellent way to start off the week.

Related posts:

Donnie McClurkin's self-hatred is a teachable moment for lgbt community

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Rick Warren's Ugandan dodge, more lies against Kevin Jennings, hate group leader loves Manhattan Declaration

This is a little recap of some of the most interesting (and unfortunate) "hits" of the religious right from last week:

New smear launched against Kevin Jennings using old tactics of omission - As the Deerfield so-called controversy and the newest smear against Kevin Jennings proves, it's so simple how the omission of a few basic facts can unfairly paint someone as a monster out to harm children. The two incidents also show that more scrutiny needs to be aimed at those making such accusations rather than the acceptance of their words at face value.

Matt Barber's slur of Chai Feldblum's name was unnecessary but so very indicative - Barber's juvenile name-calling belongs on an elementary school playground and not in a serious public discussion regarding discrimination. And most of all, definitely not in a publication that considers itself Christian.

Rick Warren continues to lose integrity over proposed Ugandan anti-gay bill - . . . no should be persecuted because of their faith and by that same point, no one should be persecuted because of their orientation. A true man of God would find that commonality.

Martin Ssempa and the Family - Why Rick Warren won't speak out against anti-gay Ugandan bill - MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and journalist Jeff Sharlet recently discussed Uganda's anti-gay bill which, among other things, would push the death penalty for sexually active HIV positive lgbts and imprison any relative, pastor, or doctor who failed to report an LGBT person to police within 24 hours.

Family Research Council's anti-lgbt stance built on distortions - The Media Matters Action post did an excellent job breaking down just how anti-lgbt the Family Research Council is, but I think some specific attention should be paid to just how deceptive they have been in pushing their anti-lgbt stance. The following posts by me and others demonstrate few instances in which the group have distorted facts to make the case against lgbt equality.

Hate group leader joins Manhattan Declaration - So by my count, that's two signers of the Manhattan Declaration who favor jailing lgbts. Maybe some will say that it's only two out of 150,000. But to me that's too many. I wonder how many other signers of the Manhattan Declaration favor jailing lgbts.

Scott Lively: American, European gays are to blame for harsh anti-gay laws in Uganda - No one should be surprised about that last point. According to Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center, (Paul) Cameron and Lively are two of a kind:

We see Lively the same way we see Paul Cameron; the two of them in our view consciously promote easily provable false defamations. They don’t seem to care at all what the truth is.”

Friday, December 04, 2009

New smear launched against Kevin Jennings using old tactics of omission

Dept.of Education official Kevin Jennings is being attacked again.

From Mediamatters.org:

Conservative blogs have claimed that Department of Education official Kevin Jennings is unfit as "Safe Schools Czar" because he supposedly promoted "child porn" by allowing an education organization he founded to recommend for students in grades 7-12 books that included sexually explicit content.

. . . In a December 4 post on his Gateway Pundit blog - headlined, "Breaking: Obama's 'Safe Schools Czar' Is Promoting Child Porn in the Classroom" - Jim Hoft wrote that "Scott Baker from Breitbart-TV.com and Co-Host of 'The B-Cast' submitted this shocking report today on Obama's deviant Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings." In the post, Baker wrote that the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which Jennings founded and previously served as executive director, published a reading list for students in grades 7-12 that contained books which included "X-Rated" and sexually explicit content.

But like all the other attacks against Jennings, this one is full of holes.

Know your lgbt history - Which Way Is Up

Richard Pryor's 1977 movie Which Way Is Up proves that lgbts can be disrespected tremendously even when we are not on the screen.

In this movie, (a vile exercise that was so very beneath the talents of everyone involved), Pryor portrays a man seduced by corporate interests. As he moves up the corporate ladder, he finds himself losing control of his life.

Amongst other things, Pryor's character is juggling two women. Because of a vow he made to his girlfriend, he cannot have sex with his wife.

Needless to say, his first wife and all of their friends think he is gay (and I'm being nice here because they use a slur for gay).

The irony is that when Pryor becomes an outcast, he decides to show his friends his girlfriend and son.

And the revelation impresses them.

You get that? To these men, being gay is something to be ashamed of but having a wife and a girlfriend makes you "the man."

Like I said before, a vile, nasty movie:

Ugandan bill called genocide, religious right leader warns of D.C. 'bloodletting' and other Friday midday news briefs

Ugandan church leader brands anti-gay bill 'genocide' - Say it again. Louder this time!

FOTF's Citizenlink blog: GLSEN is sexualizing Santa - Okay this is beyond stupid but so typical of Focus on the Family.

Harry Jackson Warns of "Bloodletting" In DC - What in the hell is that supposed to mean?

Matt Barber vs Adam Lambert - I know you all are tired of the "Adam Lambert" thing but this is good. People for the American Way catches the Liberty Counsel in a HUGE lie.

Chase: NOM Ineligible for Charity Contest - Chase smacks down the National Organization for Marriage!