Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Monday, October 11, 2010

Let us love one another as well as come out of the closet

Today is National Coming Out Day and this year has a certain degree of poignancy due to the recent suicides of lgbt youth.

But I want us to do something a bit different this year because it's about more than just coming out.

Let's never forget about the children, but don't leave the adults out of the equation.

Just because you are over 18 doesn't mean you don't get hit with the slings and arrows of hopelessness.

Just because you are an adult doesn't mean that the realization that some people have awful preconceived notions about your life simply because you are gay won't leave you bedridden wishing to end it all.

Take it from me when I say that I know this on a personal level.

And please don't start bashing anyone because of what I say. I've done all I have done and said all I have said about the religious right. And I will continue to do so. Some people have attacked President Obama and they will continue to do so.

But all in all, we are the solution to this problem.

I don't mind telling you that there are some facets of the lgbt community that I'm unfamiliar with. I'm not a lesbian nor am I transgender so no, there are some things they go through that I will probably never understand.

But that doesn't mean I should dismiss their worries, fears, and concerns. And it definitely doesn't mean that when I see a lesbian or transgender whom I don't know that I shouldn't give then a friendly greeting.

For this National Coming Out Day, we are all going to get together in our groups and have our vigils complete with speeches, lighted candles, and tears.

But what about afterwards?

Why do we need to wait for our children to die before getting to know and respect each other? Why is it that death on this scale suddenly induces the Scarlett O'Hara in crisis mode in each of us when the most simple thing for us to do would be to treat each other with dignity and respect at all times.

For those who aren't transgender to respect those who are.

For those who are from a high socioeconomic background to respect those who aren't and vice versa?

For those who have their "circle of friends" to maybe say hello and make conversation with someone not in their clique.

For those who may or may not believe in religion or politics to respect the differences of opinion that their fellow lgbts bring to the table.

We talk about self-love but let's not forget about love and respect for each other no matter what race, religion, or background. We take the word "gay community" for granted because usually when we speak it, our minds gravitate to those who look like us, think like us, and at times behave like us.

The "gay community" is universal and diverse. No doubt people agree with me when I say this. But instead of simply agreeing with me, how about acting like you mean it.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

We need to STOP the HOMOSEXUAL MENACE!!

I'm sorry people. I love you but Peter LaBarbera, Matt Barber, and the rest have gotten to me. I am now dedicating my life to "stopping the homosexual menace."

And my first act is to show this very informative video courtesy of youtube:

Friday, October 08, 2010

Know Your LGBT History - Staircase

Not too many people remember Staircase (1969), the story of a two gay hairdressers in a 20 year relationship, even though it starred two legendary actors, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison. There is a reason for this. According to Wikipedia:

Instead of marketing it as the comedy-drama it was, the studio treated it like a camp comedy. It was panned by most critics, including Roger Ebert, who gave it one star in his review and called it "an unpleasant exercise in bad taste . . . Stanley[Donen] gives us no warmth, humor or even the dregs of understanding. He exploits the improbable team of Rex Harrison and Richard Burton as a sideshow attraction." The film was a commercial failure that lost most of its investment.

Rarely seen on television, the film was broadcast by Turner Classic Movies during its June 2007 tribute to gay cinema. Noting this broadcast, a month later film critic Armond White called the film "a rare Hollywood movie to depict gay experience with wisdom, humor and warmth", and "a lost treasure".

Judge for yourself:

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell cites my piece in takedown of David Barton and other Friday midday news briefs

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

Sorry for the brag but the Huffington Piece piece cited by MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell in his very awesome takedown of faux historian David Barton was written by yours truly. Thank you so much Jeremy Hooper for pointing that out. And if I may digress, this does a lot for my day. I have been contemplating for a while whether or not the work that I do in exposing religious right lies is having any effect. I've been doing this for over four years. Not too many people know me. I'm not on television. I do this part time and can't devote as much attention to it as I would like to. So when something like this happens, it lifts my spirits big time.

In other news

Will FRC Take Over The "Day of Truth"? - A lying organization taking over a lying event. Talk about your ugly matches.

Walmart Carrying Anti-Gay Book for Children - What the hell is this?

ABC Family Developing Movie About Lesbian Teen Who Was Banned from Prom - Excellent! Good things keep happening to Constance McMillen.

Gay Member of Rev. Eddie Long’s Church Speaks Out In BET Video - No "new scandal" but excellent nonetheless.

One News Now, Matt Barber dehumanizes recent suicide victims

Our "friend" at the Liberty Counsel, Matt Barber - the same person who defends countries persecuting lgbts - is accusing the lgbt community of exploiting the recent suicides of gay youths.

By way of the American Family Association's One News Now:

Four recent homosexual youth suicides have sparked a fresh cry for anti-bullying laws.

According to the Cyberbullying Research Center's survey of 4,400, one in five youths between the ages of 10 and 18 have been a victim of cyberbullying or admit to participating in it.

Matt Barber, director of cultural affairs for Liberty Counsel, thinks harassment and bullying of all children should be corrected immediately, but he also finds it "absolutely disgusting to watch as the Human Rights Campaign and other extremist gay pressure groups lick their chops and really rub their hands together over the tragic suicides of these troubled and sexually-confused young men. Before these kids have even been laid to rest, the radical homosexual lobbyists pounced."

He decides those groups are "shamelessly exploiting their deaths in order to further their own selfish political self-interests," and he feels their approach is political exploitation "at its slimiest."

Interesting how Barber and One News Now can refer to these children as "sexually confused" but didn't have the decency to say their names.

These children had names, guys. Couldn't you have at least said their names? Or the circumstances which led to their deaths.

Naw, you wouldn't do that. That would be acknowledging them as human beings and calling attention to how your nonsense leads to the stigmatization of not only these children but all gay youth in general.

Their names were:
Seth Walsh
Asher Brown
Tyler Clementi
Raymond Chase

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Shocking new video by Breitbart rocks the White House

A scandal has rocked the White House and the Obama Presidency through a videotape pushed by Andrew Breitbart and James O'Keefe.

The video allegedly shows the president urinating in some undisclosed bathroom, shaking himself once and allegedly not washing his hands.

You may remember that Breitbart is the owner of several blogs, including Big Government, where he daily exposes the Liberal Illumnati out to destroy America. Breitbart was recently tricked into pushing a distorted video of a government worker, Shirley Sherrod, falsely claiming to be racist to a white farmer.

It was later discovered that Sherrod was the one who sent Breitbart the distorted video in an attempt to scandalize the work he does against the liberal agenda.

O'Keefe was the young man who exposed the organization ACORN for the communist thugs they were by dressing up as a pimp and exposing how they defraud the government.

The videos were successful in exposing ACORN's agenda until a secret cabal of liberal attorney generals conspired to claim that O'Keefe had doctored the tapes.

This liberal cabal was also responsible for framing O'Keefe on a charge that he tried to interfere with the telephone system of U.S. Senator Mary Landreau and also had a hand in framing him in a attempt to discredit CNN by trying to trick correspondent Abbie Boudreau to have sex with him on a boat.

According to Breitbart, he and O'Keefe put the video out there to expose the nasty elements of the Obama Presidency in retaliation of not only the unfair branding of tea party members as racists, the planting of racists signs at tea party rallies, but the mind control techniques used by the Obama Administration to make tea party participants create the signs and carry them.

Reaction from the conservative media was swift.

Fox and Friends had a diverse group featuring right-wing columnist Cal Thomas, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, and Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America.

All of the three agreed that Obama was secretly assuring that homosexual community that he still would pursue their agenda.

The show also featured a urologist who really didn't have time to talk about the video because everyone, the urologist included, was busy complimenting Gretchen Carlson for searching google to discover what the word "urologist" meant.

Sarah Palin's ghost twitterer voiced her displeasure at the President:

"Once again, President Obama has demonstrated how he is unlike regular Americans. Everyone knows that all American men use two hands to shake their whatchamacallits."

Palin's tweet had to be rewritten because it misspelled "whatchamacallits."

Glenn Beck had a very interesting discussion on his show with Dinesh D'Souza and Newt Gingrich, although neither could agree on whether Obama shaking himself once had anything to do with Saul Alinsky or his "Luo Tribesman father."

Megyn Kelly had shocking new information that didn't need to be corroborated by anyone other than herself that President Obama was at the New Black Panther Party headquarters when he was using the bathroom.

Liz Cheney of the organization "Keep America Safe" also blasted the President:

"The nonchalant way the President shakes himself emboldens the terrorists. If he can't be seriously concerned with eliminating all of his water, how can we be sure that he can be serious about protecting the country?"

In an unusual first, Rush Limbaugh participated with Michelle Malkin in a panel on Sean Hannity's show where they both blamed Michelle Obama for the president's one handed shake. The other panelist, Pam Geller, said Obama was secretly signaling Muslims that he was for the alleged "Ground Zero Mosque."

Hannity said that the video has him conflicted. He said he couldn't decide whether President Obama was a demonic monster or a monstrous demon.

Bill O'Reilly had someone on his show but the person was not identified because O'Reilly kept talking over him or telling him to shut up.

The White House had no comment about the alleged video but according to the site Politico, a White House insider claimed that the video left some things out.

"Of course the President washes his hands after using the bathroom," the insider said.

Editor's note - Just in case someone tries to be stupid, what was written is what one calls satire.

Online bullies make fun of recent suicides and other Thursday midday news briefs

Tasteless online bullies makes fun of recent lgbt youth suicides:

Hat tip to Jeremy Hooper.

In other news:

NJ Senator Calls For Anti-Bully Law After Rutgers Suicide - Well it's about time.

FRC: DeMint So Right In Wanting Gays Banned From Classroom We Don't Even Have To Defend Him - Speechless.

Straight people are hurt by homophobia too - The piece speaks for itself

Chris Armstrong speaks out about attacks from Andrew Shrivell

From AC360, University of Michigan student Chris Armstrong finally speaks out on the campaign of harrassment waged against him by Assistant AG Andrew Shrivell

Hat tip Joe.My.God.

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Exodus International dropping support of anti-gay event Day of Truth

From the Department of What Took Them So Long:

A national Christian organization will stop sponsoring an annual event that encourages school students to "counter the promotion of homosexual behavior" because the event has become too divisive and confrontational, the group's president told CNN on Wednesday.

"All the recent attention to bullying helped us realize that we need to equip kids to live out biblical tolerance and grace while treating their neighbors as they'd like to be treated, whether they agree with them or not," said Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, the group that sponsored the event this year.

Called the Day of Truth, the annual April event has been pushed by influential conservative Christian groups as a way to counter to the annual Day of Silence, an event promoted by gay rights advocates to highlight threats against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.

The Day of Truth, held on the same day as the Day of Silence, "was established to counter the promotion of homosexual behavior and to express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective," according to a manual for this year's event published by Exodus International.

On the Day of Silence, students take a "a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools," according to a web site run by the event's sponsor, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

The Day of Silence began in 1996. The Day of Truth started in 2005 and attracted the participation of 6,000 students nationwide this year, Chambers said.

"I thank Exodus for making this very important step," said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard on Wednesday after hearing of Exodus' decision. "The Day of Truth was an effort to push a very specific set of opinions about homosexuality into schools in a way that was inappropriate and divisive."

More here

It's a nice article but let's be honest. The Day of Truth was a flop from the beginning. It was a bad idea pushing bad information on children. Compared to the Day of Silence, the Day of Truth paled like snow. It got very little support and even less media attention, unlike the Day of Silence, which so many folks got on board. Exodus International probably pulled support from Day of Truth to save face.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Hat tip to Truth Wins Out

Related posts:

Religious right 'Day of Truth' peddles same old lies to youth

Whatever happened to the Day of Truth?

Day after the Day of Truth - another Day of Silence

Day of Truth? Give me a break!!

Groups demand apology for Sen. DeMint's comments against gays and women and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Gay, women's groups wants apology from SC's DeMint - Good luck with getting that from Senator DeMint(ed).

'Reply all': NC state lawmaker sends out mass email calling gays 'fruitloops' and 'queers' - Apparently it's "disrespect the lgbts" month on the legislative calendars in North and South Carolina.

The Religious Right’s Violent Bully Pulpit - More proof of the religious right's fraud on lgbt America.

Clearly the recent suicides have hit Linda Harvey's nerve; but hey, at least she still feels nerves -- dead gay teens do not - The former ad executive who "found Jesus" spreads her manure again.

Andrew Shirvell Needs to be Fired If We Want to End Violence Against Gays - Well duh.

Jennifer Keeton controversy, AFA prove link between racism and homophobia

Two recent incidents underscore just how linked racism and homophobia are.

The first involves Jennifer Keeton, the Augusta State University student who who unsuccessfully sued the university claiming that she was forced to compromise her beliefs about homosexuality in order to receive her degree. She just got some new defenders recently:

The Ku Klux Klan will hold a rally in support of the Augusta State University counseling student who claims her First Amendment rights were violated when the school ordered her to learn more about the homosexual community.

Bobby Spurlock, who identified himself as imperial wizard knighthawk and grand dragon of South Carolina and North Carolina, said the KKK has met with school officials and plans to protest the school's treatment of 24-year-old Jennifer Keeton on Oct. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. Klan members will be in full dress across from the school's main Walton Way entrance in the median at Fleming Avenue.

Spurlock said the KKK believes Keeton's rights were violated when the school required her to participate in a remediation program after she objected to counseling homosexuals.

"It's your constitutional right, so how could you tell someone you have to do something completely different?" Spurlock said. "We're not out to harm her. We're trying to protest the constitutional rights that they are trying to take away from her."

In Keeton's defense, she has not affiliated herself with this group.

Now the other case involves American Family Association's One News Now. Usually one can count on them to bash lgbts. But recently, the phony news service attacked not only President Obama but African-Americans who "dare" to continue to support him:

"It's a fascinating question, and it's one where I think because God chose to paint our skin a different color, we'll never know exactly what that experience is like," notes Janet Parshall, Christian conservative radio personality. "But I think that at some level, it has to be 'I want him to succeed because he was the first African-American president we had. So I will stay with him until the last possible minute.'"

But Parshall tells American Family Radio's Today's Issues program that that thinking goes against the aspirations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who dreamed of a day when people would be judged by their character rather than their skin color

Bear in mind Parshall is the same person who refers to lgbt families as "pretend families" and also, according to Media Matters, called the adoption of children by same-sex couples "state-sanctioned child abuse."

But the best part of the One News Now article is the comment section in which some of the supposed Christian readers of the publication let their true feeling show:

The average Afro-American does not understand that Obama is not trying to help any American, they grasp only that He is the same color. Mr Obama has an agenda, and, that is to completel;y destroy America, and no race, party, or anything counts except those who are helping him.

The correct name for the race is negro. They are either racist or stupid and I could make a case either way.

Sadly, with all the talk about ending racism, black racism in this administration continues to rear it's ugly head. The continued claims that most Americans who oppose Obama because he is black are nothing but propoganda to attempt to shut people up by playing the race card. It's disgraceful. Obama is failing, first and foremost, because he is a socialist/Marxist idealogue, and he will follow his Marxist ideas into abject failure because is also arrogant and narcissitc. Obama continues to make up facts and figures and lie to people about the healtcare and financial bills. Morally, he promotes infanticide via abortion and sexual perversion through many channels. He can lie all he wants, but he ultimately can't hide his failures and immoral behaviors that continue to weaken our country and drive us into financial and moral bankruptcy.

Some say stupidity, some say racism as for why blacks overwhelmingly support Obama. I think it's a combination of the two. Many are clearly racist as they want nothing to do with other races of people. And when you analyze Obama's economic policy, he ultimately hurts blacks in the long run, so their inability to recognize this justifies the position that it is stupidity (combined with apathy) that blinds them. And I think an alarmingly high percentage of blacks anticipated Obama just handing out money and freebies to them if elected. That is clear stupidity. But when you examine the inner city culture, the rap music scene and the absolute dismantling of the black family unit, I am not surprised by this at all. Conservative thought centered around a 100% return to God and His kingdom is the only antidote for this.

It's no secret to anyone with their eyes open that blacks are the most racist group in America - by a wide margin. How else can you explain the overwhelming support for Obama by the black population? That and playing the race card at the drop of a hat are indeed NOT what MLK had in mind. It will never stop however, as long as people like Obama, Sharpton and Jackson are making their livings off racism. Bad situation to be sure.

It is a shame that the most racist people in America have turned out to be Blacks. Not all of course but as a group they have become more so while at the same time whites have become much less.

Blacks don't have any sense when it comes to voting. They back the most corrupt person if they are a) negro, or b) anyone who promises them the world for free. Look at the Black Caucus if you want to see a group of scum!

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Phony historian David Barton denigrates gay community

David Barton is a so-called historian who has been a guest on Glenn Beck's show on numerous occasions.

I guess that speaks to his "veracity," or lack thereof.

Indeed, Media Matters has documented his errors on more than one occasion. Also according to writer Chris Rodda, Barton has no credentials to speak of:

. . . many people have been pointing out that he has no degree in history. His educational credentials consist of a B.A. in religious education from Oral Roberts University, and an honorary doctorate from Pensacola Christian College

As for myself, I seldom paid attention to Barton, though I am aware of his exploits with the Texas school board (Rodda's article is an excellent read). However, my interest perked up today I read that he choose to say a bunch of highly inaccurate things about the lgbt community.

According to People for the American Way's Religious Right Watch, Barton and Rick Green of Wallbuilders was discussing the so-called need to "regulate homosexual behavior" on the radio today. That was when Barton choose to spin his anti-gay yarn.

For one thing, Barton didn't cite any sources for what he claimed, so allow me to do the best I can in disseminating where his distortions came from:

Barton - Homosexuals die decades earlier than heterosexuals. That doesn’t sound healthy.

Truth - Barton may have gotten this from either the discredited work of Paul Cameron or a 1997 Canadian study. Cameron is the same man who had been dismissed or censured from several medical associations for distorting the credible medical information or not cooperating with investigations into his methodology.

Now the authors of the Canadian study, in 2001, went on record complaining about how their work in 1997 was distorted.

Barton - Nearly one-half of practicing homosexuals admit to five hundred or more sex partners and nearly one-third admit to a thousand or more sex partners in a lifetime.

Truth - Barton could have gotten this from a number of places from Paul Cameron's phony data to statistics from STD clinics. However, it really doesn't matter. The meme that "gays are incredibly promiscuous" is a favorite of religious right spokespeople. Like Joseph McCarthy and his "communist list," they tend to change the number whatever audience they are addressing:

“One study determined that homosexual males have from between 20 to 106 sexual partners per year. It’s no wonder that homosexual men account for over 50% of all hepatitis cases, and still account for over 50% of all AIDS cases despite the fact that they only make up 1-3% of the population.” - The Gay Agenda vs. Family Values, Matt J. Barber

“Fidelity is almost unheard of in homosexual relationships; the average number of partners for each person is eight. These relationships are not open—they are wide open. A homosexual publication, The Advocate, reports that 57 percent of its homosexual readers claimed they had sexual relations with 30 or more partners. Twenty-nine percent of their readers had anonymous bathhouse sex. A 1991 study of homosexual men in New York revealed an average of 308 sexual partners per man.” - Supremes Ruled Wisely: Arizona Can’t Afford Same Sex Marriage, The Arizona Conservative

An article in USA Today in November 1984 reported that homosexuals have an average of 50 different sexual partners each year. - Offering Hope to Homosexuals - http://www.firststone.org/articles/topic/homosexuality/offering_hope_to_homosexuals.htm

“Homosexual activists claim their lifestyle, which in some cases includes thousands of sexual partners, should be sanctioned, protected, and granted special rights by society. Would you critique this stance?” -a biased question on the Focus on the Family web page

I want to group the rest of Barton's statements together:

Barton - Homosexual/bi-sexual individuals are seven times to contemplate or commit suicide. Oooh, that doesn’t sound very healthy.

Homosexuals have an HIV prevalence sixty times higher than the general population.

Homosexuals have Hepatitis B virus five to six times more often and Hepatitis C virus infections about two times more often than the regular population.

Homosexuals are less than three percent of the population but they account for sixty-four percent of the syphilis cases.

Truth - Now while there is some truth to these cases (little truth), Barton's connotation of these health problems is inaccurate. He makes it seem that these problems are indicative of the lgbt orientation.

However, studies have shown that the majority of health problems regarding the lgbt community is indicative of how society stigmatizes them.

Take suicide for example:

Depression and anxiety appear to affect gay men at a higher rate than in the general population. The likelihood of depression or anxiety may be greater, and the problem may be more severe for those men who remain in the closet or who do not have adequate social supports. Adolescents and young adults may be at particularly high risk of suicide because of these concerns. Culturally sensitive mental health services targeted specifically at gay men may be more effective in the prevention, early detection, and treatment of these conditions.

As for the other issues, it is a matter of getting access to good medical information and the ability to trust your doctor. Unfortunately too many lgbts are in the closet or don't feel that they can be completely honest with their physicians. Also, there is a serious problem with access to good information regarding STDs, particularly in the African-American gay community.

The sad thing is that someone actually takes Barton's nonsense seriously. The sadder thing is that his words most likely contribute to the problems of lgbt stigmatization rather than the solution.

Barton's claims is a perfect example of just how easily inaccurate negative information about lgbts is spread. They are also an example of just how the lgbt community aren't combatting this misinformation. I have read many places where Barton's claims are repeated verbatim by members of the lgbt community without the courtesy of correction as sort of a way to make fun of his assertions.

That's a mistake. We know that Barton's claims are false. Our allies know that Barton's claims are false. However, the key is demonstrating to everyone else that they are false.

And we aren't doing that.

More trouble for lgbts in Uganda and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Ugandan Tabloid May Have Used Facebook To Obtain Photos In Anti-Gay Vigilante Campaign - This is NOT good.

Pence’s Priorities: Stopping Marriage Equality Is As Important As Fixing The Economy - Win one religious right straw poll and boom, we got another monster.

'I'm nothing you've heard' - Based upon how you have treated the lgbt community, Christine O'Donnell, you are something worse.

Gary Cass' One-Sided Definition of Anti-Christian Defamation - Bear in mind, this is the SAME MAN who defended a church which tried to "exorcise" a gay youth.

Peter LaBarbera calls recent suicide victims 'sexually confused'

"Porno" Peter LaBarbera has weighed in on the recent suicides. And as expected, his comments are highly circumspect:

Enough is enough: from my Facebook page:

No shame: HRC and other homosexual groups are exploiting the tragic suicides of sexually confused kids to attack religion: http://www.hrc.org/14955.htm.
The following is excerpted from Human Rights Campaign’s latest attack on religion– Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org:

HRC to Mormon Apostle: Your Statements are Inaccurate and Dangerous
Mormon Leader’s Inaccurate Statements Yesterday Fuel Anti-LGBT Violence, Teen Suicides
[Human Rights Campaign website] 10/4/2010
Washington – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality, today called on Boyd K. Packer, the president of the Mormon Church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles, to correct statements he made yesterday calling same-sex attraction “impure and unnatural,” claiming that it can be corrected and characterizing same-sex marriage as immoral. Packer’s inaccurate and dangerous rhetoric comes on the heels of the suicides of at least four teenagers over the past month, all victims of anti-gay bullying or harassment. ….

For the record, LaBarbera is defending the decision by Mormon apostle Boyd K. Packer’s weekend speech in which he condemned marriage equality and made the charge that people can change their sexual orientation.

Some, HRC and myself, see the speech as not only inaccurate but a show of bad taste in the wake of the recent suicides of several lgbt youth.

Word to LaBarbera - those "sexually confused youths" as you called them had names. And any "confusion" they had are due to ignorant people like yourself who seem to be obsessed with demonizing and stigmatizing the lgbt community to the point of making us hate ourselves. Those of us who are adults have gotten used to your nonsense. We laugh at your empty press conferences and your "undercover" missions to leatherfests. But those youths are the main reason why you must be exposed as the lying sack of homophobic !#@ you are.

They have yet to develop their survival skills and your words to them are like psychological dynamite. If you had any moral bone in that overbloated body of yours, you would realize just how much damage you do on a daily basis.

But I doubt that you do. You are so obsessed with yourself and your phony, futile mission of "eradicating homosexuality."

Related post:

Peter LaBarbera - the self-destruction of an anti-gay activist

Peter LaBarbera's pictures contradict his ramblings

Monday, October 04, 2010

Blogger takes a nasty shot at Tyler Clementi

If this doesn't tick you off, check your pulse:

That tweet is by Bob Owens, conservative blogger and Washington Examiner contributor.

But really this isn't a situation about conservative or liberal. It's one of common decency.

Tyler Clementi killed himself because he was humiliated beyond belief. Seems to me that we need to focus on solutions so that our children, whether they be lgbt or straight, are not put into a position where they feel the need to end it all.

That would be the decent, human thing to do.

Instead, Owens seems to taken advantage of the situation to be ignorant and self-righteous. His First Amendment right is immaterial. Owens certainly has a right to say what he feels. And I have that same right to call him an inconsiderate, hateful dumbass.

Hat tip to Media Matters.

Religious right determined to stop anti-bullying policies and other Monday midday news briefs

In Minnesota, Religious Right Fights Anti-Bullying Policies, GSA’s - When it's all said and done, what the religious right is doing in the wake of lgbt youth suicides will come back to haunt them.

Comedian Kevin Hart on 'preventing' his two-year-old son from being gay - Just when I thought Hart couldn't do any worse than the movie Soul Plane, he comes across with this "gem." Oh yeah, beating up on a child because you are worried that he is gay. Where have we seen this before?

Student teacher says Beaverton School District discriminated against him - And while we are at it, let's get rid of the potential role models too.

Exodus’ New Book Substitutes Fear for Faith While Undermining the Armed Services - Exodus International continues to lie on lgbts.

Growing Backlash Against Kenyan Gov’t Minister Who Called for Gay Acceptance - This ain't good.

Schwarzenegger expands unemployment benefits for gay couples - Let's close this out with some good news.

New York Times looks at rash of recent suicides

The New York Times had an excellent write up on the recent rash of gay teen suicides as well as showcasing how members of the lgbt community are trying to prevent more. And while I hate to admit it, the best part of the article is that the Times didn't feel the need to seek comments from Focus on the Family or any of those other phony moral values group for some sake of false parity:

When Seth Walsh was in the sixth grade, he turned to his mother one day and told her he had something to say.

“I was folding clothes, and he said, ‘Mom, I’m gay,’ ” said Wendy Walsh, a hairstylist and single mother of four. “I said, ‘O.K., sweetheart, I love you no matter what.’ ”

But last month, Seth went into the backyard of his home in the desert town of Tehachapi, Calif., and hanged himself, apparently unable to bear a relentless barrage of taunting, bullying and other abuse at the hands of his peers. After a little more than a week on life support, he died last Tuesday. He was 13.

The case of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University freshman who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after a sexual encounter with another man was broadcast online, has shocked many. But his death is just one of several suicides in recent weeks by young gay teenagers who had been harassed by classmates, both in person and online.

The list includes Billy Lucas, a 15-year-old from Greensburg, Ind., who hanged himself on Sept. 9 after what classmates reportedly called a constant stream of invective against him at school.

Less than two weeks later, Asher Brown, a 13-year-old from the Houston suburbs, shot himself after coming out. He, too, had reported being taunted at his middle school, according to The Houston Chronicle. His family has blamed school officials as failing to take action after they complained, something the school district has denied.

The deaths have set off an impassioned — and sometimes angry — response from gay activists and caught the attention of federal officials, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who on Friday called the suicides “unnecessary tragedies” brought on by “the trauma of being bullied.”

“This is a moment where every one of us — parents, teachers, students, elected officials and all people of conscience — needs to stand up and speak out against intolerance in all its forms,” Mr. Duncan said.

More here.

Saturday, October 02, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, October 01, 2010

Know Your LGBT History - Beautiful Thing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GLSEN's report found that in 2009:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related posts:

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

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