NOM - anti-gay marriage amendments keep lgbt teens safe

Oh Brian Brown, you make it so easy.

Sometimes I enjoy reading the posts from the National Organization for Marriage's president Brian Brown. My fellow lgbts and our allies tend to get angry at his basic lies (i.e portraying the entire lgbt community and those who support marriage equality as bullies while conveniently ignoring the how his group stoops to demonizing lgbts) and the "ha, ha, ha, we are protecting marriage and the gays are losing" tone his posts tend to take.

I choose not to fall for the subterfuge and mind games because that's all it is. Brown says what he says because he needs an excuse to raise funds (or rather pretend to raise funds. We all have an idea where NOM's money really comes from).

I would rather focus on the cluelessness of his words. They do more than enough to betray the absolute emptiness of Brown's position and those who believe as he does.

Last week he made a complete ass of himself and NOM by pushing a lie that students in schools were forced to learn about gender identity in schools without their parents' permission even though a video NOM put on its blog and a news story the organization linked to showed otherwise.

The question this week is can Brown top his nonsense from last week? Why of course he can:

The CDC released a report showing that teenagers who self-identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender engage in much, much higher rates of behavior suggesting social, emotional, or psychological distress, including smoking cigarettes, binge drinking, and attempting suicide.

The media and many experts were quick to say social stigma is the main culprit. Surely it plays a role.

But buried in the same report are data from two different states, Wisconsin and Massachusetts. One has had gay marriage since 2003, and the other has had a marriage amendment since 2006.

Which do you suppose is a safer place for LGBT teens?

The answer: Wisconsin by a mile. For example, about 25 percent of Massachusetts teens who self-identify as "gay" said they had missed schools because they felt unsafe, compared to 14 percent of Wisconsin teens. More than half (50.5 percent) of Massachusetts gay teens said they felt "sad or hopeless" compared to 29 percent of Wisconsin teens. Thirty-three percent of Massachusetts gay teens attempted suicide, compared to less than 20 percent of Wisconsin teens. Massachusetts gay teens were about twice as likely as Wisconsin gay teens to commit a suicide attempt serious enough to require medical care (15 percent to 8 percent). (By contrast, heterosexual teens in both states were about equally likely to have committed a suicide attempt that required medical care: around 2 percent.)

It's hard to be a gay teen, but if you are going to be one, it's much better to live in Wisconsin, a state which passed a marriage amendment by 60 percent, than Massachusetts, a state which has gay marriage.

First of all, I want to give Brown a little credit. Usually when religious right figures cite studies regarding homophobia and how it contributes to negative behavior amongst lgbts - particularly lgbt teens - they blame the negative behavior on the lgbt orientation, making sure to omit the part about how the homophobia plays a significant role (I'm talking to you, Family Research Council.)

Is the Catholic Church overstepping its bounds in marriage equality fight ?

The more the National Organization for Marriage fight against marriage equality statewide, the more it becomes clear just how deep the Catholic Church seems to be involved in the organization's efforts.

And now with the campaigns in New York and Minnesota, possibility is becoming a bit more disturbing. Today, Archbishop John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, wrote a piece called Marriage amendment deserves our support. Nienstedt is speaking about the amendment which will be voted on by Minnesotans in 2012:

Theologically, the definition of marriage predates any government or religious denomination. As we read in the Bible, it reflects God’s plan for man and woman to share in his creative power of bringing new life into the world (Genesis 1:27-28). This is ratified by Jesus himself in Matthew 19:8-9. It is a truth that is also evident in light of the natural moral law, which grounds our understanding of the dignity that belongs to each human person.

In addition, the very biological, not to mention spiritual, complementarity of the two sexes defines the reproductive nature of their relationship which, in turn, enhances the well-being and joy of that union. The enfleshed oneness of a man and a woman is indeed a communion of life and love.

Ironically, Nienstedt chose to end his piece by publishing, word-for-word a piece from Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan called Marriage: the core of every civilization. New York is also facing a fight over marriage equality.

Nienstedt really shouldn't have bothered because Dolan's piece says pretty much the same thing as his:

“We are not anti anybody; we are pro-marriage. The definition of marriage is a given: it is a lifelong union of love and fidelity leading, please God, to children, between one man and one woman.”

“History, Natural Law, the Bible (if you’re so inclined), the religions of the world, human experience, and just plain gumption tell us this is so. The definition of marriage is hardwired into our human reason.”

I can't help wondering if the two archbishops wrote these pieces themselves or did they lend their name to press releases written by someone else?

Am I being paranoid? Maybe or maybe not. NOM is already rumored to be a bit more linked to the Catholic Church than a non-profit group should be. From the webpage NOM Exposed:

NOM is comparatively unguarded about its ties to the Catholic Church, acknowledging that its early funds in California came from “well-off Catholic individuals,” and NOM openly aligned with the Catholic Archdiocese in Maine. The largest known donation to NOM is $1.4 million from the Catholic fraternal organization the Knights of Columbus in 2009; that comes on top of the Knights’ $500,000 donation in 2008.

All three of NOM’s top leaders – Brian Brown, current president, Maggie Gallagher, founding president, and Robert George, board chairman emeritus – are Catholics. Additionally, NOM founding board member Luis Tellez, is a numerary of Opus Dei, a highly secretive Catholic organization. He lives in a house on the Princeton University campus that the Daily Princetonian has described as the hub of Opus Dei activities in the area.

NOM and the Catholic Church teamed up to fund almost the entire Maine campaign against same-sex marriage in 2009. According to the Bangor Daily News, “…$1.1 million of the $1.4 million raised by Stand for Marriage Maine in October 2009 came from a single source: the National Organization for Marriage. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland has poured more than $550,000 into the campaign to repeal the law, including more than $150,000 from its general treasury since October 1, 2009. The Portland diocese also collected more than $200,000 for Stand for Marriage Maine from bishops and dioceses outside of Maine.”

According to Jeremy Hooper of GoodAsYou.org, Gallagher appeared at “a ‘private meeting for Catholic clery’…at the request of Maine’s Bishop Malone” in Maine in September 2009 at the height of the Question 1 campaign.

At least a half-dozen Roman Catholic bishops met with NOM board chairman emeritus Robert George to discuss his 4700-word manifesto called the “Manhattan Declaration” that warned of civil disobedience if same-sex marriage or stem cell research were approved by the New York legislature. According to Church & State, the Declaration “also represents perhaps the most far-reaching effort to date to juice up the Religious Right by adding the political power and media respectability of the Catholic and Orthodox hierarchies.”

I'm certainly not trying to offend anyone who is Catholic but the subject of marriage equality isn't necessarily a religious issue. It's a state issue. The Catholic Church is not forced to marry same-sex couples.

Now as for the adoption mess (i.e. the Catholic Charities in Illinois which are suing for the right to use taxpayer money to discriminate against same-sex couples), I stand by the belief that the Catholic Charities shouldn't take state money if they aren't willing to follow state rules. There is nothing with the Catholic Charities pursuing private adoptions.

But the fact of the matter is this - I feel very uncomfortable when I think of the possibility of how deep the Catholic Church is putting itself into this state issue. I think people should vote as their faith dictates. But I have a serious problem with a church official using his office or name to marshal  large groups of people to vote in a particular way. And my problems become even more deep when I realize that the church where that official belongs is tax-exempt.

And the Catholic Church is rumored to be involved in efforts to hinder marriage equality via NOM in ways that may not ethical or legal. Perhaps this is why NOM has fought so hard against statewide disclosure laws.

An entity flexing its power over how large groups of people should vote while being exempt from laws which cover this sort of thing is a dangerous entity in terms of manpower and money. Moreover this entity's actions is a slap in the face to an American core belief - the right to vote as your conscience dictates and not be threatened via implied threats, be they physical (you are going to be murdered) or spiritual (you are voting against God's law and will go to hell for it.)

It's definitely a license to create havoc. You may not think it's a big deal but it is. In fact, it is a nasty precedent. Today it's marriage equality. Tomorrow it could be another issue decided, not by individual choice, but by spiritual groupthink.

The Catholic Church needs to be upfront with just deeply involved it is with the political fight of marriage equality. And if it has legally or ethically overstepped its bounds, then the Catholic Church needs to make amends.

You cannot defend morality through unethical actions.

Why 'ex-gay' pride month is a bad idea and other Thursday midday news briefs

Focus On The Family Leader: Why Not Have An Ex-Gay Pride Month? - Cause no one exciting would come to the events and the parades would be boring as hell!

Rick Perry’s Prayer Event Confirmed As Anti-Gay - To the surprise of no one, of course.

Related post - Perry's prayer event will put Christianity's worst on display

NYC: Another anti-gay rally, another civil marriage/personal faith obfuscation - Great. ANOTHER homosexuality is the tool of Satan reference. So much for the civil conversation, NOM.

Portland City Council Unanimously Approves Transgender-Inclusive Health Benefits - Good for Portland!

Rick Santorum demonstrates hypocrisy of 'intolerant homosexuals' lie

An upcoming article from the Associated Press will feature a host of religious right leaders whining their familiar refrain that they are in fact the victims of so-called lgbt aggression.

It's a nonsensical view. And the lgbt community can easily prove this by pointing to the comments of one of the religious right's favorite "joyboys" - presidential candidate and former Senator, Rick Santorum.

Yesterday, Santorum said that if elected, he would support a constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage:

Santorum - Once people realize the consequence to society of changing this definition, it’s not that we’re against anybody. People can live the life they want to live. They can do whatever they want to do in the privacy of their home with respect to that activity. Now you’re talking about changing the laws of the country. and it could have a profound impact on society, on faith, on education. Once people realize that, they say, you know what, we respect people’s life to live the life they want to lead but don’t change how with that definition.

That "people can live the life they want to live but they have no right to mess with marriage" junk is the same stuff organizations like the National Organization for Marriage and the Family Research peddles.

And it's a lie that reduces lgbt lives to that of sexual activity. Furthermore, these groups do not feel that lgbts can live the life we want to live, seeing how they interfere with our right to be free from discrimination and to raise children.

Funny I should mention that last part. Santorum has opinions about lgbts raising children:



Long story short - Santorum said that it is "common sense" that we should not "defy nature" just because "a certain group of people want to be affirmed by society."

It gets more interesting. In an interview earlier this year with Glenn Beck, Santorum responded to charges from former Congressman Alan Simpson that he makes cruel comments about lgbts by reiterating that "gay sex" should be outlawed:

Santorum - There were no “cruel, cruel” remarks. All I can ponder is that Alan Simpson is talking about a comment that I made, which I paraphrased, almost word for word, but paraphrased a Supreme Court justice in a case called Lawrence v. Texas, before that case came out, which had to do with, as you know, a Supreme Court case on the issue of sodomy, and I said that if you have -- if the Supreme Court changes the legal standard to say that sexual -- consensual sexual activity is now a constitutional right, then we open up the gates for all sorts of consensual activity.

 . . . It’s not homophobic. It’s a legal argument, and it’s a correct legal argument. In fact, that’s exactly what’s happening. We went from Lawrence v. Texas to now a constitutional right to same-sex marriage and they’re going into a constitutional right to polyamorous relationships. This is the slippery slope that we’re heading down, and I stand by it.

No matter how he tries to justify it,  if Santorum had his way, lgbts would be unable to marry, adopt children, or be free from criminal prosecution under trumped up "morals" charges.

The sad reality is that if Santorum had said these things about any other group - i.e. Latinos, those of the Jewish faith, African-Americans - he would be rode out on a rail.

BUT since his comments were directed to lgbts, the usual appropriate levels of shock and derision that come when folks make prejudiced and insensitive comments don't apply here.

Why is that? Or better yet, that fact that it is this way is a sad indictment on this country.

No person who has been as vindictive as Santorum has to lgbts deserves to be treated as a serious presidential contender.

And no one who supports his mess should be considered as victims when the subjects of their ire responds to being disrespected (albeit in reasonable manners).

Upcoming AP article will feature religious right crybabies

In an Associated Press article that was published then taken back, various religious right figures are whining that lgbts are picking on them.

The article was originally published Burlington Free Press but was taken back. The following note was left:

Editor's note: This story was mistakenly published on Wednesday on burlingtonfreepress.com ahead of Sunday's release date.
We regret the error.
Please check back on Sunday to read this story.

I can only hope that the article's author, David Crary, goes back and does more research because ThinkProgress totally panned it:

Rather than recognize the historic and systemic oppression and violence against the LGBT community, AP reporter David Crary instead gives multiple anti-LGBT groups (including several hate groups) a pedestal for propagating their lies. Here are the individuals Crary invited to whine that their bigotry is not well-received:

JIM CAMPBELL (Alliance Defense Fund): The ADF regularly spreads negative stereotypes about the LGBT community as part of their legal “defense” of Christian hegemony.
 

RICHARD BARNES (New York State Catholic Conference): The Catholic Conference has defended the vitriolic rhetoric of Sen. Rubén Díaz (D) and been a primary opponent of marriage equality in New York.

CHUCK COLSON (The Manhattan Declaration): In addition to signing the odious Manhattan Declaration (a willful commitment to ignore any laws that protect same-sex couples’ equality), Colson, a convicted felon from the Watergate Scandal, regularly condemns LGBT people.

ALAN CHAMBERS (Exodus International): Exodus International is perhaps the most dangerous anti-gay propaganda machine, reinforcing the harmful junk science that same-sex orientations are disordered and can be changed.

ROBERT GEORGE (National Organization for Marriage): Crary neglects to even mention George’s connection to NOM, let alone that he is, in fact, its chairman and cofounder. NOM regularly reinforces the victim meme by distorting supposed “consequences” of LGBT equality. It’s no surprise George helped draft the Manhattan Declaration.

Think Progress said that those representing our side - Evan Wolfson (Freedom to Marry), Fred Sainz (Human Rights Campaign), Evan Hurst (Truth Wins Out) and James Esseks (ACLU’s gay rights project) - was forced to play "defense."

I managed to read a little bit of the article before it was taken back and I liked what I saw. But ThinkProgress does have a point.

The lgbt community is forced to play defense too often. However, this isn't totally the fault of the news media.

When have you seen a good expose in the major lgbt magazines (The Advocate, Out, etc) detailing religious right lies?

When has the lgbt channel Logo ever covered this subject with as much fervor as they show episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race or reruns of Absolutely Fabulous? And don't even get me started about the idea for news segment strictly devoted to the lgbt community on this channel?

Our problem is that we expect the media to do the work when we should be the ones doing it - and before the right starts attacking us on a specific issue. We should be directing the media where to go and pushing their attention to stories and issues pertaining to the lgbt community.

Anything beats complaining after the fact.

NOM helping to push pedophilia, incest lies and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Rick Perry Proud To Stand With the Bigots At The AFA - Rick, your allies at the AFA aren't exactly helping your cause.

NOM giddily slides down Vicky Hartler's slippery slopes - Yes NOM is helping to push the pedophilia angle. And now incest is added to the mix.

And apparently NOM isn't above stealing videos to do this - NOM Endorses Hartzler's Anti-Gay Comments

Mitt Romney Suggests Activists To Blame For His Opposition To Gay Marriage - Someone want to be president REALLY BAD.

Anti-transgender bill defeated in Maine legislature - Not bad at all, Maine.

Homophobe attacks Old Navy for combating lgbt bullying, suicides

Here is an example of the nonsense I was talking about yesterday in regards to Texas governor Rick Perry's prayer event:

A nationally prominent retail store has announced it will sell "gay pride" T-shirts in support of presidentially proclaimed "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month."

Old Navy will sell rainbow-styled T-shirts as part of the its "Love Proudly: Pride 2011" campaign. The shirts reportedly went on sale June 1 and will be available at select stores throughout the country. Old Navy announced it will donate 10 percent of the proceeds to the "It Gets Better Project," a pro-LGBT campaign.

Gary Cass of DefendChristians.org says Old Navy is promoting a lifestyle that is in "complete rebellion against God."

"Rather just focusing on giving good products to their customers, they want to use their products now to advocate for a very controversial topic, much less a very immoral and very deadly topic," notes Cass.

Now I could say that it's very interesting that this article (by the American Family Association's One News Now) omits the fact that the "It Gets Better" project combats the issues of bullying and suicides amongst lgbt teens, but why bother?

I think it's relatively clear why this fact wasn't mentioned.

And I could say that Gary Cass is yet another charlatan in the conservative evangelical movement looking to make a name for himself by pulling the martyr card - although attacking Old Navy is a step up from defending the discredited Paul Cameron and churches who performed "exorcisms" on gay teens. And that this is the second time he has attacked the "It Gets Better" project

But again why bother?

Here is the point I want to make:

It's just a damn t-shirt, not the end of American society as we know it.

And it is yet another example of how far Christianity has fallen in this country and how far it will continue to fall until someone (preferably a true person of faith) steps up and calls out people who use the faith to divide and gain material prominence for themselves.

Perry's prayer event will put Christianity's worst on display

Texas governor, Rick Perry

Texas Governor Rick Perry will be holding a huge prayer event in August because apparently America is suffering a "moral crisis:"

PERRY: Right now, America is in crisis: we have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for the blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy.

Now the optimist in me says what heck. Prayer never hurts. And I have prayed many a minute after last year's mid-term election.

However, the cynic in me has several problems with this.

First of all is this the thousandth "moral crisis" America has been in? To hear some conservatives tell it, we are always in some sort of moral crisis. What are we - a country or a character in Biblical soap opera?

Secondly, what's the deal with Rick Perry anyway? Wasn't he all gung-ho a while back with talks about tea parties and secession?

Just when did he start waxing philosophical about God and prayer? Probably the same time folks began to figure out just how bad of an economic shape Texas is in. And I haven't even talked about the teachers' protest which recently took place.

But I am most reticent about Perry's "let's all come to Jesus" moment because he is partnering with the American Family Association.

That's the organization designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group due to its penchant for demonizing and passing propaganda about lgbts, Muslims, and others who don't fit into its narrow definition of Christianity.

NOM contradicts itself on gay parenting

Today, some Catholic Charities in Illinois (the dioceses of Springfield, Peoria and Joliet) announced that they are suing the state of Illinois for the right to exclude gay and lesbian couples from adopting and becoming foster parents even though they receive taxpayer funds for these services.

Naturally the National Organization for Marriage (NOM)'s blog is trumpeting the news as a case of "religious liberty."

As a matter of fact, in posts about gay adoption and foster care vs. religious groups receiving taxpayer dollars while discriminating against gays and lesbian, NOM has been careful in its attempts to portray the issue as one of "religious liberty," rather than religious groups discriminating on the taxpayers' dime (i.e. gays and lesbians do pay taxes).

This seems to be par for the course for NOM. According to Equality Matters, the organization has posted several pieces that speaks against same-sex parenting -  the implication being that a same-sex household supposedly" robs children of a chance to have a mother and a father:"

May 12: New Book: Psychologist Writes of Daughters' Father Hunger

May 17: Sociologist Brad Wilcox: The “Elite Wisdom” on Moms & Dads is Dead Wrong

May 19: Dr. Jenet Erickson on Why Having a Mother Really Matters

May 26: Canadian Sociologist on Why Mothers Matter

May 27: Gender Confusion over at Slate

But here is the interesting part about NOM's position on gay parenting: Maggie Gallagher, chairwoman of NOM, said during a recent Congressional hearing that "there are some gay people who make wonderful parents." She also said she thinks its unfortunate that people misinterpret things she says as a condemnation of "gay people" and their parenting skills."

This is a heavy contradiction.

If Gallagher thinks that gays make wonderful parents, then why does her organization go out of its way to undermine gay parenting?

Harvey Milk Day turns kids gay? and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Save California: Harvey Milk Day Releasing A "Tsunami Of Perversity" In Order To Make Kids Gay - Sometimes the only thing you can do is to just let members of the religious right speak. It's highly entertaining.

Minn. For Marriage's chief lobbyist: Gays 'live in conflict with how we are made' - More homophobia from those wanting a "civil conversation" about marriage equality in Minnesota.

BTB Original Investigation: The True Story of George Rekers And “Kraig” - If only the George Rekers scandal took place BEFORE the homophobe ruined this young man's life.

More on Rekers here:

AC360 special report: "The Sissy Boy Experiment"

Rekers Responds In CNN’s “Sissy Boy Experiments” Tonight

Alleged incident of gay violence in New York looks contrived and phony

I was all prepared to write something about Texas Governor Rick Perry's phony call for the nation's governors and "Christian" leaders to pray for America because apparently we are in a "moral crisis" (again) but something from my "favorite" anti-gay activist caught my eye.

Apparently, Peter LaBarbera is promoting a video from a bizarre anti-gay group the TFP (The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property) Student Action - for info about that group, go here -  which supposedly shows the group protesting marriage equality in New York when a "pro homosexual activist" came rushing up to destroy their banner. LaBarbera prefaces the group's press release about the incident by saying the following:

Folks, we’ve seen this nasty brand of homosexual bullying and intolerance so often that we’re no longer shocked by it. Watch the TFP Student Action video as peaceful TFP members shout “Aggressor!” as this troubled man walks up and destroys their banner, in Fairport, New York. Imagine if a bunch of pro-family activists did this to a pro-”gay banner” banner! (CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN would be lining up to tell the story.)

The press release itself says the following:

As young TFP volunteers stood at the corner of Main Street and Church Street with signs, a pro-homosexualist hurled himself against the group’s thirteen foot long banner inscribed with “God’s Marriage = 1 Man & 1 Woman.” The banner, held by three volunteers, was knocked down and violently torn to pieces.

Watch video footage of the attack HERE.

The assailant also threatened to destroy the group’s cameras used to document their campaigns for moral values. “I’ll smash your camera,” he said.

Approaching another TFP volunteer who was holding a sign that read “Honk for Traditional Marriage,” the aggressor said: “Are you going to give me your sign, or do I need to rip it up too!?”

In a separate incident at the same demonstration, another supporter of “gay marriage” threw a beer bottle at TFP volunteer Michael Shibler from a moving vehicle. The glass bottle hit him on the forehead, causing it to swell and bleed. Local police are investigating both incidents.

“These bully tactics do not even slightly dampen my resolve to continue promoting the truth about marriage in charity. Our cause is noble and we will win,” said Shibler.

There are just a few things I have a problem with. First of all, while the video shows someone rushing up and ripping the banner, it has not made clear who this man is.

We don't know if the man is a "pro-gay activist" or just some random nut who doesn't like the group's outfits.

The second problem I have is the alleged incident with the beer bottle. This what the press release said:

In a separate incident at the same demonstration, another supporter of “gay marriage” threw a beer bottle at TFP volunteer Michael Shibler from a moving vehicle. The glass bottle hit him on the forehead, causing it to swell and bleed. Local police are investigating both incidents.

But look at the video at 1:37 when Shibler first announces that he was hit. Maybe it's my vision, but it doesn't look like to me that Shibler's forehead is swelling or bleeding. And the only thing we see of the incident is a bottle lying on the ground.

Now it could be that members of this group are being truthful about the incident.

But then again, look who is promoting it.

Peter LaBarbera does have a track record for trying to create moral panics about rampant homosexuals which turn out to be nothing more than incidents either set up by him or blown out of proportion by his fevered imagination - such as when he falsely claimed that GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) was promoting "gay sex" to teens on Facebook.

It's not accidental that the Southern Poverty Law Center declared his organization, Americans for Truth, to be an anti-gay hate group.

And  religious right groups have on occasion manipulated incidents of public chaos to demonize the entire lgbt community.

In 2008 after the Prop 8 vote in California, a video of a elderly woman getting a styrofoam cross ripped out of her hand during a protest of this vote was played continuously through conservative or right-wing channels as an example of how "violent" and "intolerant" gays were. Mike Huckabee even mentioned the incident on the ABC talk show "The View."

However, no one gave the entire story, i.e. the violence occurred after the woman, Phyllis Burgess, had knocked down a disabled man  in an attempt to get on camera.

By the time the entire story did come out, the religious right had gotten enough mileage to paint the entire lgbt community as mean-spirited and aggressive.

And that sounds like what's happening now. We don't know what exactly happened in the incident regarding the marriage equality protest. It could have been a incident of violence by a gay man. But then again, it could have been just random. And then again, it could have been staged.

And the beer bottle claim is extremely specious as far as I am concerned.

Folks should reserve judgement until the police investigation is done. That is if there is an investigation. According to TFP Student Action's press release, the police were called.

That's something we don't know for sure. But thanks to the press release, we do know for sure where to donate money (preferably $79 or more) to the group.

I'm just saying . . .

UPDATE - I left a message on the group's page asking for details. Naturally it wasn't posted.

Alliance Defense Fund play the 'pedophilia' and 'bestiality' cards against marriage equality

Check out this nonsense from the Alliance Defense Fund against marriage equality.

Notice how it's long on awful portents of doom about marriage equality but short on actual facts that these claims are true.

 Like the following:

This radical social revolution demands courts redefine law, fabricate same-sex “marriage,” and opens the legal door for polygamy, polyamory, bestiality, and child “marriage,” among other disturbing changes.

Pedophilia and bestiality again? The Alliance Defense Fund must be taking their cues from the Minnesota Family Council.

Note to the National Organization for Marriage - refer to this brochure please. I double dare ya.

Hat tip to Goodasyou.

Gay marriage as bad as 9/11? and other Monday midday news briefs

Sen. Díaz’s Lesbian Granddaughter Rebukes Him, But Religious Arguments Are Succeeding Against Equality - If these arguments are truly succeeding it is because they are merely an excuse for folks not wanting to bring marriage equality to New York.

Ryan-Perkins-Bachmann: FRC is red meat for a GOP sandwich; the meat matters - Why we can't ignore the Family Research Council. Look who they hang out with.

Long Announces Church Audit In Sunday Sermon - Look who's asking for more money.

Gay Marriage Just Like 9/11, Says Hysterical Talking Man - Pure insanity from the right.

NOM can't stop lying even in its headlines

In a recent entry on its blog, the National Organization for Marriage posted an item about Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benedetto calling for both sides of the argument over marriage equality to tone down the rhetoric:

According to the NY Daily News:

Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, who supports legal gay marriage, sort of inserted himself as a referee, issuing a statement about the tone of the argument between Diaz and advocates:

"The state legislature has been presented with an important and historic issue and whenever topics of such import fall before the house a civil and rational dialogue is required. Unfortunately, in the discourse between the Senator and bill proponents things are getting out of hand. The Senator is entitled to his views and to vocalize his support of those views. His critics are entitled to challenge them and respond to them. However, there is a responsibility that both sides must adhere to: to carry on their discussions in a manner that is respectful to both sides of the debate. Threats of bodily harm, profanity and overly harsh statements do not contribute to the debate and only serve to cheapen the importance of the issue."

That's all well and good but the headline of the item reads - Another Defender of Sen. Rev. Diaz Steps Forward

And of course that headline is misleading. Benedetto is not defending Diaz. He is merely telling both sides of the argument to act in a more mature fashion.

NOM's misleading headline seems to be a part of a plan to canonize Diaz as an "innocent defender of marriage who is being viciously attacked." Of course that's a big lie. Diaz is giving as good as he is getting.

Diaz, probably the most visual and vocal legislator against marriage equality in New York (not for the power he holds, but for the color of his skin, no doubt, i.e. yet another way NOM plays communities against one another) has been allegedly receiving death threats.

While this is not a good thing, Diaz himself is hardly an an innocent.

A recent march against marriage equality - which Diaz led - featured many anti-gay statements including one pastor saying that gays are worth of death and Diaz's wife calling gays an abomination during her speech.

Diaz himself compared homosexuality to being a drug addict in a recent interview on NY1 Spanish-Language Public Affairs Program.

So to make Diaz out to be an innocent is a colossal lie. And to make it seem that a marriage equality supporter is also supporting Diaz, when he is actually telling everyone - Diaz included -  to cool it with the hot rhetoric is yet another lie.

But we know how NOM hates to be called liars even when caught in the act.

Related post:

NOM's attempt to exploit 'gay indoctrination' lie backfires

NOM is running a sugary con game on America

NOM showing large scale hypocrisy in Minnesota

Marriage Equality - Simple answers to NOM's complicated lies

NOM's attempt to exploit 'gay indoctrination' lie backfires

The National Organization for Marriage has - in its own way - admitted that it erred in a video claiming that a gender identity lesson in an Oakland, CA school was targeted at kindergartners.

Originally in a letter to supporters, NOM's president, Brian Brown said:

Just when you think it can't get any weirder or more disturbing, an Oakland grade school decided to teach kindergartners about multiple genders, under the banner of preventing bullying.

Watch that video. Look at the children's faces. And then look at the activist from a group called "Gender Spectrum" who wants to embed in these children's minds the idea that we all have a right to make up our own gender(s).

But the video (seen below) clearly showed that the students NOM called kindergartners were in fact fourth graders. An announcer on the video also said so.

When NOM's error was exposed, Brown's letter was surreptitiously changed to say:

Just when you think it can't get any weirder or more disturbing, an Oakland public school decided to teach grade-school children about multiple genders, under the banner of preventing bullying.

Watch that video. Look at the children's faces. And then look at the activist from a group called "Gender Spectrum" who wants to embed in these children's minds the idea that we all have a right to make up our own gender(s).

And now a note on the NOM blog entry reads (Correction: The Oakland class in multiple genders was addressed to fourth-graders, not kindergarteners, and this post has been update to correct the error.)

However, the title of the video still said Public School Teaches Kindergartners There Are Multiple Genders Without Parental Consent.

That is until now. You will notice that the title of the video has been changed:



However, NOM still seems to be holding out on the idea that parents were not notified, even though the video said - at 1.45 -  that the parents did not have a problem with the lesson AND an article on the Fox News website quoted Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint saying that parents were given prior notice and in fact, three families opted their children out of the lesson.

I might also point out that the article also quoted a spokesperson for a group opposing the lesson, who also said that three families opted their children out, thus giving more proof that parents knew beforehand of the lesson.

The question here isn't were kindergartners incorporated in these lesson plans but why did NOM feel the need to push this incident to the brinks of hysteria.
 
Why did NOM feel the need to go the extra mile and bring up false visions of scared  and possibly tear-stained kindergartners held captive in classes being taught lessons that could potentially scar them for life?

Why did NOM feel the need to embellish the lessons plans in such a way that not only channeled the "gay recruitment" lies of Anita Bryant, but also the daycare sex abuse hysteria of the 1980s?

As if I have to ask that question.

In spite of Brown's talk of civil and respectable discussion regarding marriage equality, this is the modus operandi of NOM.

The organization does not want a civil discussion on marriage equality and they certainly don't want to talk about the same-sex couples or the same-sex couples with children who are the true center of discussions on marriage equality.

Instead, the organization wants to scare people into opposing marriage equality by pushing phony horror stories of children getting their minds corrupted via a plot by a group of hedonistic monsters out to wreck American values and Christianity.

I think it's safe to say that in this case, it was NOM which got wrecked. And while this embarrassing incident is probably a momentary, very small setback for the group, I sincerely hope folks remember it and file it away for future reference.

Know Your LGBT History - Torch Song Trilogy

Thank you everyone for what you did to make this a very productive week. The anti-NOM talking points went viral and was seen by over 3,000 people. And we still have a long way to go. I want to end today with a positive movie.

I could kick myself for waiting to long to include Torch Song Trilogy in my Know Your LGBT History posts.

Torch Song Trilogy, which was originally a hit Tony-award winning Broadway play (Best Play, Best Actor) which told the story of Jewish drag queen (played by Harvey Firestein) living in New York during the late 1970s/early 1980s. The audience sees his trials and tribulations from losing a lover (Matthew Broderick) to an awful gay bashing, to adopting a child, to his constant struggles with his mother to get her to understand him.

When it was made into a movie in 1988, there were small changes, but the tone of the play stayed the same.

And it is a simple enjoyable movie about self-love and most importantly self-respect.

There are so many good scenes in Torch Song Trilogy. Here are just few of my favorites.

The first one is the musical number done by Firestein and the other drag queens (one being played by the legendary Charles Pierce):




The second one is when Firestein is sparring with his mother (played by Anne Bancroft) at the grave of his father. She can't understand how can Firestein compare the relationship he had with his murdered lover to her marriage. It's a powerful retort he gives her:



And the last one is a collection of scenes between Firestein and Bancroft which should give us all something to think about concerning coming out and trusting people with our lives, especially our parents:




Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

NOM's lies gets a complete debunking AGAIN and other Friday midday news briefs

Good Things Made To Sound Bad – NOM’s Latest Plea For Discrimination - Apparently NOM's president Brian Brown told so many lies in his letter that I missed some. Zach Ford of Think Progress gives a complete debunking of Brown's mess.

Right Wing Mobilizes Against Adoption And Foster Care By Gay Couples - Bring it on. Even if we lose this round, the venomous hate and lies coming from the religious right will be further exposed.

Planned gay pride picnic in heart of Harlem puts local church leaders in a tizzy - Further proof that lgbt equality isn't an issue of African-Americans vs. whites. The nasty comments coming from the black pastors against their own brothers and sisters is just sad.

Kerry Eleveld: “LGBT Journalists Are More Necessary Than Ever” - You ain't just whistling Dixie, girlfriend.

Big Bird Causes Gay Prom Queens in Virginia, Say Wingnuts - Yep. That's how it happens.

NOM tries to cover its tracks after being caught in a blatant lie

UPDATE - As you can see, NOM has changed the title of the video. For an update on this story, go here.

Last night, I posted an emergency item regarding a letter that National Organization for Marriage Brian Brown posted on NOM's blog. The letter was the typical "we have to do something before the homosexual agenda overcomes us" tripe that folks have come to expect from Brown.

The first item in the letter talked about a recent incident in Oakland, CA where students were taught lessons on gender identity:

Just when you think it can't get any weirder or more disturbing, an Oakland public school decided to teach grade-school children about multiple genders, under the banner of preventing bullying.

Watch that video. Look at the children's faces. And then look at the activist from a group called "Gender Spectrum" who wants to embed in these children's minds the idea that we all have a right to make up our own gender(s).

But when this letter was first posted, Brown originally said:

Just when you think it can't get any weirder or more disturbing, an Oakland grade school decided to teach kindergartners about multiple genders, under the banner of preventing bullying.

Watch that video. Look at the children's faces. And then look at the activist from a group called "Gender Spectrum" who wants to embed in these children's minds the idea that we all have a right to make up our own gender(s).

Not only have the words in Brown's letter have changed, but the video, which was on NOM's blog, is now gone.

And why is that? Because it proves that Brown wasn't originally telling the truth:



At .42 seconds of the video, the announcer says "these fourth graders were told that in nature, things aren't always what they seem."

Now some folks may say "what difference does this make?" It should make a big difference because neither Brown nor NOM acknowledged that the original claim - that these children were kindergartners - was made in error.

Also, the title of the video - Public School Teaches Kindergarteners There Are Multiple Genders Without Parental Consent - has not been changed.

Lastly, that part in the title about the parents not giving consent seems to also be inaccurate.

At 1:45, the announcer said, "the school maintains most parents, teachers, and students had no problem with what was taught."

This statement calls into question the accusation  that parents did not consent for their children to be taught these lessons.

A written Fox News story further calls into question that accusation.  The article quoted Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint saying that parents were given prior notice and in fact, three families opted their children out of the lesson.

Either through sloppy work or intentional distortion, NOM exploited a very useful and legal lesson regarding respect and tolerance in an Oakland school to demonize the lgbt community. And now, when caught red-handed, the group is trying to slowly maneuver itself out of the potential hole it's in.

Now I ask you.  Can anyone really trust this group to lead a civil and dignified debate on marriage equality in Minnesota or anywhere else for that matter?

NOM's Brian Brown sets record for most lies told in a letter

UPDATE -  For an update on this story, go here.


It's one thing to lie. But it's quite another to lie so poorly that you are immediately exposed and not care.

The National Organization for Marriage's president, Brian Brown post a letter on NOM's blog. In the letter, he talked about a recent incident in California in which a class was taught gender diversity:

Just when you think it can't get any weirder or more disturbing, an Oakland grade school decided to teach kindergartners about multiple genders, under the banner of preventing bullying.

Watch that video. Look at the children's faces. And then look at the activist from a group called "Gender Spectrum" who wants to embed in these children's minds the idea that we all have a right to make up our own gender(s).

Let's ignore Brown's hysterical tone and do exactly what he says.  Look at the video:




At .42 seconds of the video, the announcer says "these fourth graders were told that in nature, things aren't always what they seem."

Did you catch that? In spite of Brown's and the video claims that these are kindergartners, the announcer clearly says that they are fourth graders.

Now some folks may say "what difference does this make?" It should make a big difference. Why did Brown and NOM feel the need to lie about the grade of the children involved in the lesson plan? To add further hysteria to the false meme of "gays recruiting children," no doubt.

And that's not the only lie told by NOM.

At 1:45, the announcer said, "the school maintains most parents, teachers, and students had no problem with what was taught."

This statement calls into question the accusation lodged by Brown and the title of the video that parents did not consent for their children to be taught these lessons.

A written Fox News story further calls into question the accusation by Brown and NOM that this situation took place without parental consent. The article quoted Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint saying that parents were given prior notice and in fact, three families opted their children out of the lesson.

The rest of Brown's letter is filled with pathos and descriptions of morality and truth - in between the phony anecdotes of gays persecuting Christians. He even mentions the Catholic Charities in Illinois controversy while omitting the crucial part about taxpayer money and an incident involving a therapist who was busted using "ex-gay" therapy in Great Britain - making sure to make her sound like the victim of course. For the truth of that story, go here.

He even mentions  NOM's efforts to ban marriage equality Minnesota, making sure to omit the ugliness regarding his organization's partner in that effort, the Minnesota Family Council, and its manual linking homosexuality to pedophilia, bestiality, urine and feces consuming:

In 2012, we hope, pray and expect that the people of Minnesota, after a dignified and civil debate, will join 31 other states in voting to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

I think he can kiss that hope goodbye. Finally Brown ends his letter in part with:

Thank you for all you make possible. At NOM we want no less than to be your voice for your values—and for the truth about the human person: We are born male and female, called to come together in love so that the future can happen.

I know what you are thinking because I was thinking it too.

Why can't that old wives tale about lightning striking audacious liars be true?

NOM is running a sugary con game on America

From Equality Matters comes something which I noticed but didn't talk about that much. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is only pretending to be an organization solely concerned about "traditional marriage."

While NOM chairwoman Maggie Gallagher talks all sweetness and light about how NOM is about the philosophies of love and proving that "children need a mother and a father," the organization is running an anti-gay chop shop which is geared at denigrating the lgbt community on levels that go beyond opposing marriage equality:

In reality, NOM is a run of the mill anti-gay hate group, intent on spreading fear and misinformation to prevent LGBT equality.

This May, Equality Matters decided to examine just how far away from its only-marriage message NOM has strayed.

The results might (not at all) surprise you.

Roughly 20% of the entries on NOM’s blog in the month of May were unrelated to the organization’s stated goal of “protecting marriage.” Instead, these posts dealt with a number of more traditional anti-gay topics.

According to Equality Matters, these topics include:

Opposing Civil Unions

NOM’s opposition to marriage equality is just part of the organization’s broader opposition to any legal recognition of same-sex couples. Using the argument that civil unions create a “backdoor” into same-sex marriage, the group has aggressively opposed efforts to provide same-sex couples with even fraction of the rights and protections currently afforded to heterosexual couples.

May 4: Press Release: NOM-RI Critiques New Civil Union Legislation in Rhode Island

May 5: Gay Rights Groups Seek to Exclude Religious Adoption Agencies

May 12: ADF, NOM, and GLAD All Agree - Civil Union Legislation is a Bad Deal for Rhode Island

May 12: Breaking News from AP: Civil Unions Bill Flops in Rhode Island

May 12: Rhode Island Hispanics Deliver 2,000+ Signatures Against CU Bill

May 13: IL Religious Adoption Agencies Push for Right to Help Kids

May 16: Ted Olson Comes Out Against Civil Unions for New York

May 17: Gay Activists Stage "Kiss In" During Mass after Brazil High Court OKs Civil Unions

May 19: Rhode Island House Committee Approves Civil Unions Bill Nobody Likes

May 27: Breaking News: Catholic Charities of Rockford Ceases Adoptions, Foster Care

Opposing Pro-LGBT Curriculum

In recent weeks, NOM has become increasingly involved in the fight against anti-bullying efforts that attempt to teach kids to respect and appreciate their LGBT peers. These lessons have nothing to do with marriage, but NOM opposes them anyways. In May, NOM pushed polls opposing Harvey Milk Day, fear-mongered about a “gender diversity” lesson in California, and freaked out about a Queerty post that supported teaching students about “queer sexuality.”

May 3: New Poll: 65%-22% Americans Reject Teaching Gay Subjects in Grade School

May 16: Queerty: Can We Admit That We Do Want To Indoctrinate Kids?

May 16: Queerty's Wrong About One Thing

May 16: Should Public Schools Teach About Gay Marriage? (Includes Video)

May 17: Prominent Gay Blogger: Not educating kids about SSM "makes them ignorant, hateful little morons."

May 19: Poll: Should California Public Schools Celebrate Harvey Milk's Birthday?

May 19: What's Next After SSM? BC Parents Face School Policies Condemning "Heterosexist" Ideas

May 24: School Teaching Kindergartners That There Are More Than Two Genders

May 27: CA Elementary School Students Get Lessons in Gender

May 27: Education Author: Some Fish Change Sex, Humans Don't

May 31: UNESCO Approves Sexually Explicit Instruction Under Anti-Homophobia Label, Brazil's President Rejects After Public Outcry

Opposing Same-Sex Parenting

NOM relies heavily on the myth that same-sex parents aren’t fit to raise children in order to promote their agenda against marriage equality. NOM’s chairwoman Maggie Gallagher advanced this assertion under oath during a House hearing on the Defense Of Marriage Act, so it’s not surprise that NOM’s blog is following in lock-step.

May 12: New Book: Psychologist Writes of Daughters' Father Hunger

May 17: Sociologist Brad Wilcox: The “Elite Wisdom” on Moms & Dads is Dead Wrong

May 19: Dr. Jenet Erickson on Why Having a Mother Really Matters

May 26: Canadian Sociologist on Why Mothers Matter

May 27: Gender Confusion over at Slate

Opposing Non-Discrimination Laws

NOM is also in the business of opposing non-discrimination laws that protect LGBT Americans. The group routinely downplays the existence of oppression of the LGBT community and supports clearly discriminatory laws and policies on the grounds of religious liberty. This past month, NOM focused on protecting religious adoption agencies that choose to discriminate against (non-married) same-sex parents. The organization also criticized an ABC show for exposing the impact that NOM’s talking points can have on LGBT families. 

May 5: Australian Gay Groups Seek to Narrow Religious Liberty Protections for Schools, Ministries

May 17: UK High Court Rules Against Last Catholic Adoption Agency

May 24: After Pushing Out Christians, England Faces Foster Shortage

May 24: ABC News Propaganda: People who Think Children Need Moms and Dads are Intolerant Bigots Who Accost Families in Restaurants

There are a multitude of other topics, but I think these will suffice to prove the basic point that NOM is not concerned with "traditional marriage." It, like so many other anti-gay groups, busies itself with demonizing the lgbt community and reducing our dignity and worth.

At least with the Family Research Council and the American Family Association, the lgbt community knows where it stands - even if it is in quicksand.

NOM should take off the mask of sweetness and light  and bare its fangs because no one is fooled any longer.

Another NOM ally linking homosexuality with bestiality and other Thursday midday news briefs

Watch: Anti-Gay NY Senator Ruben Diaz Defends Comparing Homosexuality to Bestiality - Didn't he just hold a "dignity" march in New York with the National Organization for Marriage last month? I swear between him in New York and the Minnesota Family Council in that state, I'm guessing that NOM really doesn't want a "civil" discussion on marriage equality, no matter what the organization says.

It gets better, batter: SF Giants release pro-equality clip - This is not only cool but very necessary.

Obama Administration Seeks To Address Homeless Crisis Among Gay Teens - It's about time too.

In South Africa's black townships, being gay can be fatal - Pray for our brothers and sisters in other countries.

In issue of adoption, Catholic charities must adhere to basic fairness

The Family Research Council is upset over a recent development in Illinois regarding a Catholic charity:

The Roman Catholic diocese in Rockford has announced that it will close its doors on the church's adoption program before subjecting children to placement in homosexual homes. Like it did in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., the Catholic Church refused to violate its convictions. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before other dioceses follow suit. For the church, this is an act of self-defense. Without a religious exemption, the law makes programs like this one vulnerable to lawsuits or state budget cuts. Much to the frustration of the bill's own sponsor, the state refused to carve out special protections for the religious organizations like this one.

Horror stories like this are common in religious right propaganda - i.e. the gay agenda is causing discrimination against Christians. One of the talking points from the National Organization for Marriage claims that marriage equality will cause Catholic Charities to close, thus depriving children a chance to be placed in a good home.

Of course the real story is a bit more complicated.

When FRC and NOM paints this as an issue of discrimination against Christians, they omit one crucial detail - the Catholic Church is receiving taxpayer funds for its adoption programs. When it canceled the adoption program, the Roman Catholic diocese in Rockford said goodbye to $7.5 million dollars in state contracts. In fact, Catholic Charities in Illinois receive $30 million in taxpayer money for its adoption program.

So this isn't a question of the supposed gay agenda, but rather an entity (the Catholic Church) using taxpayer money but not wanting to follow the laws which come attached to that money.

And in this case, asking for a religious exemption just won't cut it. While I understand wanting to adhere to one's faith, this is an issue in which the welfare of the child must come first. Studies have shown that children do not suffer from a same-sex household. Other than religious teaching, there is no justifiable reason for the church to deny gay couples to adopt children.

So in essence,  Catholic Charities are telling Illinois gay residents, "we think that your households aren't good enough to raise children and yes we will take an obscenely large amount of your money to adhere to this belief." 

That's neither right nor fair. It's not right nor fair to the child - who is denied a chance at a good home simply because of religious doctrine. And it's certainly not right or fair to the gay couples - who are hardworking taxpayers and should be treated with the dignity and respect which comes with that title.