Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Monday, December 06, 2010

Mike Huckabee tries to defend the Family Research Council from hate group designation and fails miserably

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Porno Pete LaBarbera proud of his anti-gay hate group status and other Monday midday news briefs

LaBarbera: "If You Are Not On The SPLC Hate List, You Are Not Doing Enough" - That's our Porno Pete. Always willing to show himself to be a complete homophobic moron. And for the edification of those not aware, I have assembled reasons why Peter LaBarbera and his group Americans for Truth (not!)should and are rightfully considered to be a hate group.

VA official Eugene Delgaudio's latest: 'homos recruit our children into their filthy perversion' - Ugh. How can you say anything when someone is so hateful. You let those words speak for themselves.

Gay and lesbian teens are punished more at school, by police, study says - This ain't good!

Christian Conservative Must Replace Jewish TX House Speaker Because Christians "Do The Best Jobs Over All" - Nothing like a little anti-Semitism to make your Mondays go wrong.

Irony alert - Family Research Council accuses SPLC of "cherry-picking" science

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council is still smarting over the Southern Poverty Law Center designating his organization as an anti-gay hate group.

Perkins is of course not angry enough to address the charges head on but still angry enough to play the victim.

In an interview with a "friendlier" political journalism webpage, Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller, Perkins again complained about being unfairly attacked. But then he added a new charge against the SPLC:

Perkins told TheDC that the SPLC cherry-picked the scientific evidence it chose to cite against the Family Research Council and other similar groups in its related report, titled “10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked”, and ignored contrary evidence.

“We actually went through the studies they cited in their report and have seen the flaws in them, and we pointed to other peer-reviewed research,” Perkins said. “We’re not saying every homosexual has a proclivity to abuse children or that most of them do, but we are saying there is a link that is out there in the research.

Perkins did not say which studies were cherry-picked. But the comment he made to the Daily Caller does represent a retreat from a position he made during an interview on Hardball:

If you look at the American College of Pediatricians' research, they say the research is overwhelming that homosexuality poses a risk to children.

Perkins did not address his citing the ACP, a sham group created to launder religious right distortions about the lgbt community.

And also in a serious irony, while he accused the Southern Poverty Law Center of cherry-picking science, Perkins never addressed the fact that he did the same thing during the Hardball interview when he cited a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

In this study, according to Perkins, 86 percent of men who molest children identified as gay. He conveniently did not mention that in the study of 229 convicted child molesters, 63 victims were male, and 166 victims were female. Eighty-six percent of 63 isn't a drop in the bucket and it's certainly not enough to make a generalization in regards to the gay community.

Wendy Wright of the Concerned Women for America, another organization profiled by SPLC for it's anti-gay bias, was also interview in the Daily Caller article.

The Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America say the studies SPLC cites in its reports suffer from serious methodological errors and politically motivated biases.

“Liberal groups claim all of the science is on their side, and that’s simply not true,” Wright said. “They refer to studies that often were conducted by homosexual activists or people associated with the homosexual movement.

“Unbiased studies back up the fact that engaging in homosexual behavior carries detrimental consequences; oftentimes these studies were sponsored or paid for by homosexual advocacy groups.”

In its profiles and list of anti-gay myths, SPLC cited many sources including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, A. Nicholas Groth (who was ironically cited by the Family Research Council in one its past studies on homosexuality and pedophilia before he demanded that they remove his name and research from their work), The Child Molestation and Research Institute, the Child Welfare League of America, the National Organization of Male Sexual Victimization, Nicholas Eberstadt, of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, The Palm Center, and Richard J. Wolitski, an expert on minority status and public health issues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Neither Perkins nor Wright pointed out just how these sources showed any bias or initiated studies "conducted by people associated in the homosexual movement," although Wright later claimed that lgbts have "taken over" leading mental-health research organizations.

Perkins also said the following:

The social conservative groups take particular aim at SPLC’s claim that the minority status of gays and lesbians accounts for the “higher rates of anxiety, depression and depression-related illnesses, and behaviors like alcohol and drug abuse than the general population.”

Perkins points to peer-reviewed studies done in the Netherlands and elsewhere, where homosexuality is tolerated to a greater degree than in the U.S., that show gays and lesbians still suffer from these same maladies, including elevated rates of suicide, even in the absence of widespread anti-gay prejudice.

As stated many times in past posts, this position about "studies in the Netherlands" is a distortion of a study by Dr. Theo Sandfort which looked at the mental health of gay men in the Netherlands.

This is what Sandfort told me in a Jan. 2009 email:

There is a difference between the U.S. and the Netherlands in terms of acceptance of homosexuality. That does not mean that there is no homophobia (and homophobic damage) in the Netherlands. It is not clear how difference in climate affects the prevalence of mental disorders. We don't know the final answers, but in the U.S. as well as the Netherlands, homophobia is related to mental health problems.

If Perkins and Wright sought to quell the discussion on whether or not their organizations can be considered as anti-gay hate groups, again they have failed.

Instead, they seemed to have unintentionally opened up a new avenue of questions by accusing SPLC of cherry-picking studies, but not naming these studies.

I, for one, is interested in seeing their evidence of cherry-picking on the part of SPLC, that is if they have any evidence.

Related posts:

The dangers of anti-gay propaganda - A personal story

Family Research Council's Tony Perkins pushes George Rekers flavored falsehoods on Hardball

Concerned Women for America plays the race card while Bryan Fischer makes a Freudian slip

The American Family Association must address Bryan Fischer's hateful comments

Concerned Women for America - endorsing hateful anti-gay comics and bad data

The Family Research Council should be apologizing to the gay community

Saturday, December 04, 2010

If Matt Barber hates gay sex so much, then why does he keep talking about it?

One organization profiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its anti-gay dogma - but not designated as an official anti-gay hate group - was the religious right lawyer consortium, the Liberty Counsel:

Created in 1989, Liberty Counsel is affiliated with Liberty University Law School in Lynchburg, Va., a legacy of the late conservative icon Jerry Falwell. It was founded and is still chaired by Mathew (Mat) Staver, who also serves as director of the Liberty Center for Law and Policy at Liberty University, and provides legal assistance with regard to religious liberty, abortion and the family.

The organization may be best known for its campaigns to ensure that “public displays of religion” are maintained during the Christmas holiday, and it has adopted broad right-wing views, including the allegation that the Obama Administration has a “socialist liberal agenda.” But it also has focused heavily on anti-gay activism.

In 2009, J. Matt Barber, formerly with Concerned Women for America and Americans for Truth About Homosexuality joined Liberty Counsel as director of cultural affairs (also becoming Liberty University’s associate dean for career and professional development). A year earlier, Barber had argued that given “medical evidence about the dangers of homosexuality,” it should be considered “criminally reckless for educators to teach children that homosexual conduct is a normal, safe and perfectly acceptable alternative.”

The Counsel also has been active in battling same-sex marriage, saying it would destroy the “bedrock of society.” In 2005, the group’s blog said: “People who … support the radical homosexual agenda will not rest until marriage has become completely devalued. Children will suffer most from this debauchery.” A 2007 blog posting said same-sex marriage would “severely impact future generations.”

Like other anti-gay groups, Liberty Counsel argues that hate crime laws are “actually ‘thought crimes’ laws that violate the right to freedom and of conscience” — an opinion rejected by the Supreme Court. In fact, the laws raise penalties for crimes already on the books — assault, murder and so on — that were motivated by hatred of people based on their sexual orientation. They do not, and could not under the Constitution, punish people for voicing opinions.

Since 2006, Liberty Counsel has also run its “Change is Possible” campaign with Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays to protect people who say they’ve changed from gay to straight from “discrimination” by “intolerant homosexuals.”

You will notice that the profile mentioned the name of J. Matt Barber and this is important. Barber is right-wing creation through-and-through.

In 2005, he lost his job at AllState Insurance in part for penning an anti-gay column. Since that time, the story was spun that he was fired due to his beliefs However, like all religious right stories of gay persecution, there are details omitted (such as Barber using AllState Insurance equipment to write his column or him identifying himself as an employee of AllState in the same column). To paraphrase critic Mary McCarthy's famous statement on playwright Lillian Hellman, just about all of Barber's tale of being a victim of the "gay agenda" is a lie including the words "and" and "the."

But Barber parlayed that narrative into cinchy gigs with Concerned Women for America, the Liberty Counsel, and a book deal (a book, by the way, sporting a cover which made him look like a sleazy Las Vegas lounge singer rather than an upstanding "culture warrior"). And along the way, he has raised many eyebrows with the ways he has chosen to denigrate the lgbt community, including:

saying that lgbt-inclusive anti-discrimination laws are a bad idea because:

“Imagine, if you will, a 280 lb linebacker who likes to wear a dress and high heels and lipstick, you know comes to church wanting a job at the front desk as a receptionist and they turn him away because they don’t feel that that represents their values or the image that they’re trying to hold at that church, under ENDA they could be held accountable for discrimination against that individual.”

criticizing Home Depot for daring to acknowledge that same-sex households exist,

slurring the name of an Obama appointee in a pitiful attempt to be clever,

defending countries that persecute lgbts,

telling a highly dubious story about a gay man sexually assaulting men in his military unit, and

comparing lgbts and progressives in general to idol worshippers and child sacrificers of Biblical times.

But it is in the area of "criticizing," i.e. talking about gay sex where Barber has made a, shall we say, niche for himself.

During one of those annoyingly dreary "God is telling us to take back America" conferences in September of last year, Barber not only used Nazi imagery* (see end of column) to describe lgbts but also dismissed notions that those arguing against homosexuality should use only religious arguments. Reportedly, he urged attendees to

. . .focus on the “ick” factor around gay sex and on claims that homosexuality is a health threat, which he called the movement’s “Achilles heel.”

And apparently he truly believes this because Barber will always be remembered for saying describing gay relationships as:

“one man violently cramming his penis into another man’s lower intestine and calling it ‘love."

That comment created a very amusing feud between "ex-gay" group Exodus International, Americans for Truth, and Barber's group, the Liberty Counsel. Barber sought to end that feud by painting his own organization as liars (the Liberty Counsel initially said Barber didn't make the comment at all, but Barber later claimed that he made the comment before joining the Liberty Counsel).

If Barber continues on the road he has paved for himself, the Liberty Counsel will be considered an anti-gay hate group in no time.

* It is highly ironic that Barber used Nazi imagery to describe the lgbt community in that conference last year. In a column this week, Barber claimed that the organizations listed as anti-gay hate groups and profiled have already "won the argument" because as he puts it, "It’s often said that the first to call the other a Nazi has lost the argument."

I guess that would make Barber a loser from the offset. But of course we already knew that.

Friday, December 03, 2010

Know Your LGBT History - The Willie Witch Project

Remember the Blair Witch Project (1999)? It was the independent horror film about three film students who disappeared after searching for a legendary witch in a deep wooded area. It made a ton of money because initially people believed that it was a documentary being shot.

I personally found it tiresome and boring. But from it sprang many parodies, including a straight-to-video release called The Bogus Witch Project. In this awful film - cause it was terrible - there are comedic versions of The Blair Witch Project.

All were bad but for the purpose of this site, let's talk about one of them - The Willie Witch Project.

Here is the scoop - three black men, after hearing how much money was made by The Blair Witch Project, decided to make their own movie.

One of the characters isn't just gay. He is extremely flamboyant. The first time we meet him, he is fixing a young lady's hairdo in his kitchen. And it goes all downhill from there.

This particular clip parodies the scene in The Blair Witch Project where one of the main characters, Heather, faces the camera, expresses her deeply felt fears, and apologizes for getting everyone involved.

But this gay man has a couple of other different things to apologize for. The crucial part of the clip starts at 4:20.

Sometimes there are movies out there which are so bad that you stand in awe that they were actually made:

Organization proud of it's anti-gay hate group label and other Friday midday news briefs

"If Hating Homosexuals Makes Our Church a Hate Group Then That's What We Are" - As nauseating as it is, I prefer this group's candor to the phony "we really love gays even though we think of them as invading, oversexed, diseased, child molesting freaks" that I hear from Maggie Gallagher, Bryan Fischer, and the rest of that bunch.

Gay groups are cold-hearted, hateful, and cruel, says man who blames gays for six million dead Jews - Speaking of Bryan Fischer, he continues to dig that hole for the American Family Association.

Military Chaplains Voice 'Intense' Views on DADT - It's not as negative as you would think.

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': Closeted Gay Troops Build Secret, Worldwide Support Network - I was divided about posting this. I am in favor of it but why make "everyone" aware of it. But then I remembered, "everyone" includes those folks who need a group like this but maybe aren't aware of it.

The Daily Show skewers John McCain over DADT hypocrisy

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Gaypocalypse Now

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

The Daily Show on Facebook

Someone should strap John McCain down and make him watch this segment of The Daily Show. In the future, when all things are said and done, this segment will be remembered as the sad chronicle of a man fighting against progress.

Best comment from the clip - "McCain (is) like one of those Japanese soldiers living on Okinawa in 1949. Still fighting because he doesn't realize that the war ended a long time ago. And for some reason, even though he's been alone on this island for years and years, doesn't like gay people."

Thursday, December 02, 2010

AFA's Bryan Fischer tries to refute hate group designation, gets smacked down HARD

Editor's note - This post inaccurately named Mark Potok as the author of the SPLC piece. The author was Robert Steinbeck

Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association (AFA) is not happy that the Southern Poverty Law Center declared the AFA to be an anti-gay hate group and he is especially distressed that his comments was listed as a big reason for this designation.

So recently, he took it upon himself to try and refute a key portion of SPLC's reasoning - a list it compiled of the 10 top myths spread about the lgbt community by organizations like the AFA. Fischer claimed that SPLC's Top Ten Myths list was false and the things his organization (and other religious right groups designated as anti-gay hate groups) say about the lgbt community are in fact true.

Fischer should have kept his mouth shut because Robert Steinbeck of the SPLC took his phony refutations head on. Steinbeck does not answer all of Fischer's refutations because the ones he does answer are enough to cast doubt on the rest of Fischer's claims.

Fischer - TRUTH # 1

Homosexuals molest children at far higher rates than heterosexuals.

Absolutely true. Homosexuals comprise perhaps two percent of the population, yet according to the Journal of Sex Research, homosexual pedophiles are responsible for 33% of all child sex offenses. Homosexuals molest children at at least 10 times the rate of heterosexuals.

Steinbeck - Fischer displays the sly predilection of anti-gay activists to cite legitimate research as supporting their claims when the researchers themselves explicitly reject them. Fischer is referring to a 1989 Journal of Sex Research article by the late researcher Kurt Freund, who concluded that homosexuals were not any more disposed to pedophilia than heterosexuals — a finding exactly opposite to what Fischer suggests.

Fischer constructs the 33% figure from Freund’s research by assuming that every case of men molesting boys is committed by a “homosexual” man — a conclusion rejected by virtually all legitimate sex researchers. As Freund said, since most pedophiles have no sexual interest in adults of either gender, terms like “homosexual” and “heterosexual” don’t apply at all. It is the child’s prepubescent nature, not his or her gender, that attracts this type of “fixated” pedophile, most of whom will prey on children of either gender. Freund and other researchers have found that those pedophiles who are capable of forming sexual relationships with other adults — so-called “regressive” pedophiles who only resort to pedophilia when under stress — overwhelmingly identify themselves as heterosexual.

Fischer - TRUTH # 2

Same-sex parents harm children.

Research indicates that children raised by homosexuals experiment with sexually aberrant behaviors at a higher rate than children raised by heterosexuals and at earlier ages, and do worse, according to a 1996 study by an Austrian sociologist, in nine of 13 academic and social categories compared to children raised by heterosexual married couples.

A 2001 article in American Sociological Review reported that children raised by lesbians are more likely to engage in homosexual behavior and are "more sexually adventurous."

Steinbeck - Fischer identifies neither report by name — and for good reason.

In the first instance, he is referring to an obscure 1996 study by Sotirios Sarantakos, an Australian, not Austrian, researcher. Anti-gay groups frequently cite this article — yet the article, the journal that published it, and Sarantakos himself, are all but impossible to locate online.

The other study Fischer cites was conducted in 2001 by professors Timothy J. Biblarz of the University of Southern California and Judith Stacey of New York University (pdf).

. . . In an E-mail to Hatewatch this week, Stacey blasted Fischer’s misuse of her research. “They are misrepresenting our 2001 article … by cherry-picking out of context one finding we mentioned that came from one very small British study,” she wrote. “Even so, their claim that children raised by lesbians are more sexually adventurous is also inaccurate. In the small study we mentioned … it was only the daughters who were sexually active a bit earlier than daughters of straight moms. Boys raised by lesbians were less sexually active than sons of straight moms! Our interpretation was that IF this tentative finding were to be replicated, it suggested that lesbians were transmitting a more egalitarian, single standard of sexual behavior to daughters and sons compared with the conventional double standard of sex being more permissible for boys. Moreover, it turns out that the … finding has NOT been replicated. In fact, a new study finds kids raised by lesbians from birth to be less sexually active!”

Fischer - TRUTH # 4

Homosexuals don't live nearly as long as heterosexuals.

According to an extensive study of the homosexual community in Vancouver, B.C., active participation in the homosexual lifestyle will rob an individual of a significant portion of his life span. Say the researchers, "[L]ife expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for all men." In fact, they observe that participation in the homosexual lifestyle knocks life expectancy for a Canadian male back to what it was in 1871.

Steinbeck - Again, Fischer ignores that the authors of that 1997 study updated it in 2001, pointing out that advances in treatment of HIV-AIDS even at that point had significantly improved the expected longevity of those infected, which would inevitably narrow any gap between gay and straight life spans caused by the disease. Moreover, the authors explicitly rejected the attempts of anti-gay organizations to construe the 1997 observations to justify denigration of gays.

“These homophobic groups appear more interested in restricting the human rights of gay and bisexuals rather than promoting their health and well being,” the authors wrote in their 2001 update.

. . .“I am aghast that the misrepresentation of these data continues,” Steffanie Strathdee, associate dean of global health sciences at the University of California, San Diego, and one of the authors of the two reports, told Hatewatch in an E-mail this week.

As I said before, Steinbeck did not answer all of Fischer's refutations because he didn't need to. Steinbeck was able to point out Fischer's bad errors in the refutations that he did address. And his answers does cast doubt on Fischer's entire piece. How can Fischer's seven other refutations be believed when he made such egregious errors on the three which were addressed?

But because I like to butt in, allow me to address a refutation that Potok didn't.

Fischer - TRUTH # 8

Homosexuals are more prone to be mentally ill and to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Even the pro-homosexual Gay and Lesbian Medical Association admits that homosexuals "use substances at a higher rate than the general population," have "higher rates of alcohol dependence and abuse," and are subject to higher rates of "depression and anxiety." Homosexual activists attempt to blame homophobia for this, but the same trends are evident even in Scandinavian countries where homosexuality has received virtually unanimous societal approval for decades.

Me - Fischer omitted the fact that the GLMA clearly say that these behaviors are not indicative of the lgbt orientation but reactions to homophobia of society:

GMLA: 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.

GMLA: Research indicates that lesbians may use illicit drugs more often than heterosexual women. This may be due to added stressors in lesbian lives from discrimination. Lesbians need support from each other and from health care providers to find healthy releases, quality recreation, stress reduction, and coping techniques.

Fischer's claim about Scandinavian countries is a distortion of a study by Dr. Theo Sandfort which looked at the mental health of gay men in the Netherlands. And Fischer is not the first religious right figure to distort this study.

This is what Sandfort told me in a Jan. 2009 email. At that particular time, PFOX (an "ex-gay" group) was distorting his study:

There is a difference between the U.S. and the Netherlands in terms of acceptance of homosexuality. That does not mean that there is no homophobia (and homophobic damage) in the Netherlands. It is not clear how difference in climate affects the prevalence of mental disorders. We don't know the final answers, but in the U.S. as well as the Netherlands, homophobia is related to mental health problems.

He also commented on how the religious right distorts his work:

"They use data to promote their moral convictions without truly understanding what the issues are. They are not interested in understanding how people's lives are affected by their social environment."

It is clear that the SPLC designation has struck a nerve amongst these so-called Christian, pro-family groups. Unfortunately, it's not enough for them to at the very least address the charges.

But does anyone really expect them to? After all, that would be showing actual values and morality, two things which Fischer and the rest of his ilk lack in abundance.

Hate group leader Porno Pete LaBarbera must be feeling left out so he smears Barney Frank

It is obvious that our anti-gay "friend" Peter LaBarbera is feeling left out of the controversy regarding the Southern Poverty Law Center's designation of his colleagues as hate groups.

After all, his group Americans for Truth about Homosexuality also made the list. And it's probably for stuff like the above picture which LaBarbera is displaying on his page to illustrate a ridiculous phony panic he made earlier about gay TSA agents getting their "thrills" by feeling up men.

Putting up a mock photo of openly gay Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) as a randy TSA agent is as funny as putting up a picture of Barack Obama flashing a toothy grin while biting into a thick slab of watermelon.

Way to go with wholesome Christian attitude, Porno Pete!

Related posts:

10 reasons why Americans for Truth is a hate site

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

NOM still bellyaching about being profiled as an anti-gay hate group and other Thursday midday news briefs

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Hearings: Live Updates From Washington - Just my personal opinion - Sen. John McCain is destroying his own legacy.

NOM Compares SPLC To Joseph McCarthy - Awwww poor, picked-upon hate groups. Keep it in the press, NOM. All the better that everyone knows your real face.

Conservative Christians blast Apple decision to discontinue app - They will have to get over it.

I respect gay rights, says Kenyan PM - It remains to be seen.

Report: Gays targeted more than any other minority - Southern Poverty Law Center vouches for something some of us probably knew already.

Christian Minister: Muslim Congressman's Support Of 'Homosexuals' Is Part Of Sharia Plot - Or lesson one in how to get some press. All you do is say some of the dumbest, most outrageous things and link your statements to Muslims, or lgbts, or both.

Why we must not ignore anti-gay hate groups - a visual demonstration

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Wednesday, December 01, 2010

'It's just fairness, y'all' - Illinois State Senator Rick Hendon on why he voted for civil unions

If you haven't seen this video yet, you had better.

The Illinois Legislature passed a bill for civil unions and state Senator Rick Hendon gives a speech on why the bill is important.

This speech breaks it down on a level that's sorely missing in the national debate over marriage equality. Watch it and be impressed.

And yes (I don't mind saying this), it does my heart good to see that this is coming from a black man.

SUCCESS! Chris Matthews addresses distortion of Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council

Chris Matthews: On Monday night's edition of 'Hardball', we had a debate of course between the Southern Poverty Law Center's Mark Potok and the Family Resarch Council's Tony Perkins. The Southern Poverty Law Center labelled the Family Research Councel a hate group over its position on homosexuality. Well, during the debate Monday night, Perkins made this claim about what he says is the risk posed by homosexuality to children.

(clip)

FRC's Tony Perkins: If you look at the American College of Pediatricians' research, they say the research is overwhelming that homosexuality poses a risk to children. So, I, uh, Mark is wrong. He needs to go back and do his own research, because this evidence is out there.
(end clip)

Matthews: Well, we need to note right now that the group Perkins sourced, the American College of Pediatricians, is not the same as the American Academy of Pediatrics, but a group of about 100 conservative-minded doctors that formed in 2002, in response to the Academy's support of gay parental rights. We like to straighten these things out.

Thank you everybody for your emails and correspondences to Matthews. While I would have liked for Matthews to have gone further in addressing what Perkins said, I think he made it quite clear that the group Perkins cited has a serious bias.

And just in case you need more evidence of this, check out these two past posts on the ACP:

The American College of Pediatricians and the Laundering of Junk Science

Phony Medical Group Attempting to Peddle Anti-Gay Propaganda to Schools

Big hat tip to my online buddies at Pam's House Blend and Americablog.

The dangers of anti-gay propaganda - A personal story

In continuing to talk about the Southern Poverty Law Center's designation and profiling new anti-gay hate groups, the lgbt community needs to demonstrate just what harm these group commit with their lie. Here is a little bit of my story:

As an African-American, I was constantly inundated with positive reinforcements while growing up.

I attended schools which celebrated Black History Month when it was Black History Week and Dr. King's birthday long before it became a national holiday.

I was constantly assured that my racial heritage was an asset rather than a liability and it was something which I should be proud of.

It wasn't the same with my sexual orientation.

Instead of positive reinforcements, I was bombarded with vague, negative statements regarding the "sinfulness" or the "danger" of my supposed lifestyle. This confused me because at the time, my life consisted of going to my college classes, studying, or socializing with friends. I hadn't done anything which could have been construed as a "lifestyle," gay or otherwise.

What made it worse were the claims about gay men and sex, or gay men and child molestation, or the supposed automatic connection between gay men and death by AIDS.

And a lot of these claims were emanating from these so-called Christian groups now declared as anti-gay hate groups.

I remember a time in particular when I was reading a magazine at my university's library. The article in question was about gay rights and one of the interviewees was a wife and mother who talked about God, her country, and her children.

She made it a point to talk about how she would protect her children from the "homosexual lifestyle," making sure to list a number of "studies" and "talking points" about the dangers of homosexuality to back her up.

In a later moment of lucidity, I discovered that she received her claims from the Family Research Council.

Bear in mind that I said a later moment of lucidity. At the time which I read the article, I wasn't lucid. In fact, I was downright upset and almost moved to tears because a certain reality struck me in the face.

Here was a woman who considered herself a mother and a Christian and though she didn't know me, she considered me as an outsider, a threat to not only her family, but the notion of family in general. And not because of what I had or hadn't done, but because of what some group, which clearly exploited her religious beliefs and fears, told her I was.

The last time I was ever that upset was in the ninth grade when some ignorant fool called me a "stupid n - - - er."

Because of the positive reinforcement I received as an African-American, I quickly got over being called that racial slur. Unfortunately, it took me some time to get over being thought of as an "oversexed, diseased pedophile."

All of us try to get through life the best we can, hoping to be successful and leave some type of positive legacy. But you can't do any of that when your self-esteem is crippled.

You see that's the problem with the so-called information put out by organizations like the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, and the American Family Association. The information is not factually based nor does it serve to properly educate the American public but rather to shock and scare them.

It's also designed to cut the lgbt community off at the knees, to psychologically strip us of our self-worth and dignity, thereby creating a type of self-actualizing dichotomy in which we have no other recourse (because these same groups also attack credible information pertaining to the gay community) but to be the monsters they predicted us to be.

Let's be honest about what's going on here. These statements, talking points, and "studies" about the lgbt community put out by groups like the Family Research Council are lies and nothing more. They are no more valid than a racist group distorting FBI statistics to claim that black men are more violent than white men or distorting CDC statistics to claim that AIDS in the black community is indicative of African-American inferiority.

But what makes religious right lies even more insidious is that they are done in the name of God.

The groups peddling these lies whine about "deeply held Christian beliefs" regarding homosexuality. But what about the Christian beliefs regarding lying or bearing false witness?

Just where in the Bible did Jesus say "Obey ye the word of God unless you are talking about homosexuals. In that case, then go forth and lie with impunity."

Republicans don't want to vote on DADT repeal and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Republicans May Be Pressuring Reid To Drop DADT Repeal In Return For A Vote On START And Bush Tax Cuts - As if we didn't know that they would do this.

The Failure Of Cable News To Follow Up - Wayne Besen on the failure of cable news to show journalistic standards regarding their guests.

Illinois House Passes Civil Unions Bill - Good news from Illinois. NOM's money can't win all of the time.

Audio: Peter LaBarbera is single-minded and sick, says Peter LaBarbera - Are we getting to Porno Pete?

Elected Official Says TSA Pat Downs Promote 'Homosexual Agenda'- Yep. It's on the list right aftre getting Judy Garland's birthday declared a national holiday.

A sad poem for World AIDS Day

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Write Chris Matthews and Hardball to complain about Tony Perkins's lies

The news of the Pentagon study confirming the repeal of DADT is awesome. Now while attention is focused on that, allow me to get a little of your attention to something that needs our participation.

The following is an email I sent to Chris Matthews and the staff of Hardball in regards to Tony Perkins's appearance on the show yesterday. It is imperative that as many of us also submit emails. You can feel free to use my letter or submit your own. The email address is hardball@msnbc.com

To: Chris Matthews and the staff of Hardball,

Dear Mr. Matthews,

On November 29, you had Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council on your show speaking against the designation of his organization as an official anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. In making his point, Mr. Perkins committed several distortions which need to be brought to your attention.

1. When he cited work from the American College of Pediatricians as proof that homosexuality is a "dangerous lifestyle," he did not mention that this organization is not a legitimate medical group. The American College of Pediatricians is not a legitimate medical group. It is a sham organization dedicated to the laundering of junk science about the lgbt community, i.e. the kind of "science" which demonizes the lgbt community. One of its chief researchers was George Rekers, that is before he got caught coming from a European trip with a "rentboy."

Earlier this year, the American College of Pediatricians tried to push a webpage, Facts About Youth, to American schools.

Among other things, this site made the following claims about gay men:

Some gay men sexualize human waste, including the medically dangerous practice of coprophilia, which means sexual contact with highly infectious fecal wastes

2. Perkins claimed according to a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, 86 percent of men who molest children identified as gay. He conveniently did not mention that in the study of 229 convicted child molesters, 63 victims were male, and 166 victims were female. Eighty-six percent of 63 isn't a drop in the bucket and it's certainly not enough to make a generalization in regards to the gay community.

I am well aware of the fact that when discussing controversial issues, journalists have a duty to show a degree of parity and present "both sides." However, journalists also have a duty to call out any distortions made by either side of the issue.

At the very least, I would hope that you and your staff come to the realization that when it comes to discussing gay issues, neither Tony Perkins nor anyone else in the Family Research Council can be trusted to be accurate or truthful.

Thank you for your time,

Alvin McEwen

www.holybulliesandheadlessmonsters.blogspot.com

Feel free to copy what is in this letter or send your own. But by all means, please be polite. We have a right to be angry with how Perkins distorts facts to demonize us, but we are still a people with dignity. The point is to let Matthews know how Perkins and FRC lie about lgbt issues.

Family Research anti-DADT repeal poll demonstrates sloppy work and other Tuesday midday news briefs

That poll referred to by the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins that supposedly shows that 63 percent of the military opposes the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell? It's a lie. Check out this interesting statistic via Goodasyou.org:

43% [of respondents] are supporters of the Tea Party movement (3,691 people).

Demographically, 62% are pro-life, 70% support traditional marriage 70% are historical contributors, 45% are male and 71% are 50 years of age or older.

*FULL POLL DATA: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF10K46.pdf

Talk about your skewed poll. And bear in mind also that comes on the heels of legitimate work which says while most Americans support the repeal of DADT, the tea party doesn't. Of course FRC is going to get the result it wants against the DADT repeal when almost half of those polled are from a group against the repeal in the first place.

And in other news briefs:

Colorado urged not to hire coach over gay views - This is interesting.

ACLU sues Miami Beach on behalf of gay man wrongly arrested by police near Flamingo Park - And I hope that the ACLU wins. The case is ugly.

Panic among Kenya's gays and lesbians after prime minister's threat to have them arrested - Things may be bad for us here in America but it's worse overseas. Please keep these folks in your prayers.

The end of gay men being camp - Not while I'm alive, honey!

Senator McCain's opposition to DADT repeal contradicts his earlier statements

To the surprise of no one:

The Pentagon study that argues that gay troops could serve openly without hurting the military's ability to fight is expected to re-ignite debate this month on Capitol Hill over repealing the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Officials familiar with the 10-month study's results have said a clear majority of respondents don't care if gays serve openly, with 70 percent predicting that lifting the ban would have positive, mixed or no results. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings hadn't been released.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, who have both said they support repealing the law, were scheduled to discuss the findings with Congress Tuesday morning and with reporters Tuesday afternoon.

Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain of Arizona, have mostly opposed repealing the law because they say efforts to do so are politically driven and dangerous at a time of two wars.

It's interesting that McCain would take this tone. In 2009, he said the following:

My opinion is shaped by the view of the leaders of the military. The reason why I supported the policy to start with is because General Colin Powell, who was then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the one that strongly recommended we adopt this policy in the Clinton administration. I have not heard General Powell or any of the other military leaders reverse their position, just like when on other issues, that people are expert and knowledgeable of, I rely on their opinion. But this is unique. These military leaders are responsible for the very lives of the men and women under their command, and that's why I am especially guided, to a large degree, by their views.

And in 2006 (via John Aravosis of Americablog), he said:

And I understand the opposition to it, and I've had these debates and discussions, but the day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, Senator, we ought to change the policy, then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it because those leaders in the military are the ones we give the responsibility to.

Seems to me that McCain is ducking and dodging.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Family Research Council's Tony Perkins pushes George Rekers flavored falsehoods on Hardball

And the lies continue

Today on the news show Hardball, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council sought to defend his organization's claim that gay men molest children at a higher rate than heterosexuals.

In attempting to do this, Perkins cited research by the American College of Pediatricians. However, there are several things about this group that Perkins omitted:

The American College of Pediatricians is not a legitimate medical group. It is a sham organization dedicated to the laundering of junk science about the lgbt community, i.e. the kind of "science" which demonizes the lgbt community. One of its chief researchers was George Rekers, that is before he got caught coming from a European trip with a "rentboy."

Earlier this year, it tried to push a webpage, Facts About Youth, to American schools.

Among other things, this site made the following claims about gay men:

Some gay men sexualize human waste, including the medically dangerous practice of coprophilia, which means sexual contact with highly infectious fecal wastes

In addition, it also contained several errors in regards to research and other claims about the lgbt community.

But these things are irrelevant because the big story is how the American College of Pediatricians benefits people like Perkins.

Just as he did on Hardball, Perkins can cite the ACP without going into details about its errors. The official sounding name of the organization obscures all of that, and thus makes Perkins's position sound accurate.

The sad thing is that I think Perkins knows this.

And apparently this was not the only distortion Perkins committed during his Hardball appearance. Perkins said the following:

If you go back to the Archives of Sexual Behavior, a peer-reviewed reviewed journal, that stated that in self-identified… 86% of men, homosexual men, or who engage… or men who engage in molestation of children, 86% of them identified as homosexual or bisexual. That study has not been refuted.

However, according to the site Box Turtle Bulletin:

The study was not “refuted,” in Perkins’ terminology, simply because the finding was not considered to be significant, not even by its authors. The study, “Behavior patterns of child molesters” by W.D. Erickson, N.H. Walbek, and R.K. Seely which appeared more than twenty years ago (1988, to be exact), didn’t set out to determine the sexual orientation of child molesters. The study, of 229 convicted child molesters in Minnesota, (which, by the way, was never intended to be nationally representative in any way) was focused on the types of sexual contact the men engaged in with their victims — vaginal or anal penetration, oral contact, and so forth. In this particular sample, 63 victims were male, and 166 victims were female. The “finding” that Perkins and company found so exciting is encapsulated in just one sentence: “Eighty-six percent of offenders against males described themselves as homosexual or bisexual.”

That’s right, one lone sentence out of a ten page document, buried deeply within the text. In other words, the authors themselves didn’t see it as a significant finding. And it may be because the authors didn’t delve into the adult relationship makeup of these offenders, or what criteria the offenders used in their self-labeling. Nor did they attempt to investigate whether there was any validity to their self-labeling.