Secret anti-gay Facebook group leader fails miserably to refute charges

Michael Brown

One of the administrators of the Truth4Time site, Michael Brown has taken it upon himself to make an attempt to refute the article written about the group in the Huffington Post. I personally think that he was being disingenuous. Allow me to break down his comments:


Michael Brown - 1) “Shortly after he wrote about the secret Facebook group, named "Truth4Time," he reported that the group disbanded.” That is completely false. The group did not disband, nor was that a subject of consideration for the group.

My source, a member of the group said differently. However, it is possible that the group felt the need to start up again.

Michael Brown - 2) It is stated that “the group included a ‘member of a state legislature,’ a ‘Fox News pundit,’ and various other unnamed prominent individuals,” which were then named, including Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization of Marriage and Dr. Keith Ablow of Fox News. This is actually quite misleading, since access to the site was given to people like Maggie and Keith, but to my knowledge they were never active on the site and might not even know of its existence.

Brown is being extremely deceptive here. All of these folks are listed on the membership roster. If this is a secret group, then wouldn't access be given to members?  Also Brown is not clear on whether or not they knew of its existence. While it is true that people can be added to groups without their say-so, they are generally made aware of their addition. So the question is why didn't they remove themselves from the group. It's a question they need to answer.


Michael Brown - 3) According to Signorile, “McEwen said that tactics the group planned to employ included ‘ganging up’ on ‘pro-gay pages with comments and flagging Facebook pro-gay pages multiple times with the intent on getting these pages removed.’” This is patently false, from beginning to end. The group was actually formed with the intent of doing the exact opposite of this. Some of our conservative colleagues documented for us attempts by some gay activists to have their Facebook pages removed by constantly reporting them to Facebook as containing “hate speech” or “hateful” content. One of the goals of our group was to be alerted to tactics like this so we could report this to Facebook in the interest of fairness and so as to combat cyber-bullying.

I don't even need to give a written refutation of this. Brown omitted this mission statement from the site's leader:

Seems to me that Brown is being "patently deceptive" with what he is omitting.

Michael Brown - 4) Lastly, McEwen claimed that one former member of the group (who somehow was approved for acceptance) was “especially disturbed by a plan, whether it will come to fruition or not, to bombard physicians and school boards with negative and distorted information about the gay community.” This again is as misleading as it is untrue. There was no such plan, but there was always encouragement to raise the issue of the health risks of homosexual activity, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and the like, whenever relevant in different discussions and blogs.

Brown calls it "encouragement," I call it a "plan." Read and decide for yourself:

And if I can nitpick just a bit, Brown makes it seem that the lgbt orientation is the cause for negative gay health choices, when in fact the CDC has said that racism, poverty, and homophobia play a big role.

Poor Michael. Other members of this group - with the exception of Peter LaBarbera via sad tweets - have opted to keep quiet about this controversy.

But not him. 

There is an old saying which speaks so aptly here to Brown's sad attempt to refute my information:

It is better to be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

'Secret anti-gay Facebook scandal explodes on Huffington Post' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Facebook Group, Included NOM Co-Founder, Fox News Pundit And More - Lord give me strength. I just made the top story of the Huffington Post.

Ministers Betray the Black Community by Defending Race-Baiting Group - Well this WAS going to be the leading post in today's news briefs. It is something I wrote then forgot about. The basic gist - any black minister who supports the exploitation of his/her people deserves a scathing so vicious that it would take the paint off of walls. I hope I did a good job here.

Video: Newt hopes he can impart his electoral karma onto North Carolina; me too - So Newt Gingrich, a man who has been married three times is giving advice on protecting marriage? Puleazeeee!

Missouri Don’t Say Gay Bill Sponsor: ‘There Is No Need To Talk About Billy Wanting To Marry A Goat’ - I've been known to date some "dogs" but I have never felt the inclination to marry a goat. LOL

Some are furious at my post on secret anti-gay facebook group

Some members of the religious right are no doubt raising hell amongst themselves about my Truth4Time, yesterday, looking at each other with heightened suspicion.

Like I actually care that these folks are angry. To paraphrase one of my favorite television show characters, their anger only makes the lgbtq community stronger. And I recommend that folks not get discouraged at these groups and the phony facts they attempt to throw out. The gist of the matter is that my post yesterday gave some of these folks a deserved kick where it counts.  And if any of them are reading this post, please be aware that your plans are being watched.

Now - cheap plug time - if you haven't heard the interview I had yesterday with Michelangelo Signorile in regards to the secret Facebook group Truth4Time, please take a listen again:



It's interestingly funny how I pivoted from not wanting to reveal the names of the people in that group to naming quite a few. Hopefully that ends the debate which was started on whether or not some of these people should have been named and also quells notions from a bitter blogger (who shall remain nameless) that I made up the entire thing.

Some of these allies weren't exactly happy with me either. I hope they are now.

Unfortunately, some of my friends are deaf and therefore could not hear the video, so allow me to break down the juicy parts that some of you have been wanting to know. The names I listed include:

Oklahoma legislator Sally Kern
Peter LaBarbera
Bradlee Dean
Matt Barber
Scott Lively
Jennifer Morse
Maggie Gallagher
Brian Brown
Phyllis Schafly

These are the people listed as members of this organization. Now how they got involved the group or whether they are fully involved in the group is for them to say. That's not my problem.

But knowing these folks, they will probably ignore this controversy, hoping that it goes away.

That's all very well, but it's like I said before. There are members of the lgbtq community more savvy than those in the past. And while we don't march or shout, we plot and plan because we have to. Our very survival depends upon it.

And to the religious right - your plans are being watched.

Naming names in the secret religious right Facebook group

I caught some flack when it came to my post regarding Truth4Time, the anti-gay secret Facebook group, because I did not give the names of the individuals involved.

However during an interview today on the Michelangelo Signorile radio show, I go into detail about Truth4Time, including giving the name of several prominent figures involved with the organization. No private citizens were called out. Like I say during the interview, I have proof of all of my charges:

'Secret anti-gay Facebook group disbands' and other Monday midday news briefs

Editor's note on Truth4Time - According to my source, the secret anti-gay Facebook group Truth4Time have dismantled itself. As far as my source knows, the group is disabled/gone from Facebook. I'm not gloating by saying this but you all can run, but you can't hide. Seems to me that if you are doing God's work, you shouldn't be ashamed of said work.


Related post - Secret religious right Facebook group plotting cyber attack on gay community


In other news:

I have to give it up for the folks fighting that awful Amendment One in North Carolina. They didn't just come to fight, they came to win. Check out these two commercials:







Also:

Video: And the proud mother merit badge goes to… - This video is too awesome. This is the family environment that the religious right tries to unsuccessfully blot out.


Iowa Paper Spotlights Bullying On Front Page - Good. A problem which needs a spotlight.

Mat Staver says Day of Silence is a Tool of the 'Radical Homosexual Agenda' to push 'Deviant Lifestyles' - Maybe I'm old fashioned but to me, it's deviant to allow children to be picked on and fear coming to school. Staver needs to check himself.

Secret religious right Facebook group plotting cyber attack on gay community

Based upon information I received from an anonymous source, there is a project afoot by members of the religious right to strike at the gay community via sites like Youtube, Twitter and Facebook.

This project is conducted by a secret Facebook group called Truth4Time. According to the creator of the group (whose name shall remain anonymous because he is not a public figure), Truth4Time is supposed to be a library of anti-gay articles, blogs, and other materials for its members to use in their fight against the supposed "gay agenda." Apparently the group has a large lists of documents which contains anti-gay information (i.e. propaganda) that members are invited to use. The founder says that the group is supposed to be a sort of a "behind the scenes support system for the religious right. He seems to think that he is on some type of divine mission. If that is the case, I seriously doubt that it is God who is dictating his marching orders. :

In all fairness, the group isn't breaking any rules (or any laws) with this idea. Members of Truth4Time also encourage each other to go on webpages featuring anti-gay or pro-gay articles and freely comment. Some members of this group who have written columns in publications such as the conservative Town Hall also encourage fellow members to bombard the prospective sites with comments:

 Again, the group isn't breaking any rules or laws by doing this.

But it is the following questionable tactics, such as "ganging up" on pro-gay pages with comments and flagging Facebook pro-gay pages multiple times with the intent on getting these pages removed, which is sure to raise eyebrows. Truth4Time seems to be under the ludicrous impression that gays stoop to this action, so they figure "what's good for the goose is sauce for the gander:"

One member of the group, a certain Georgia pastor (who has a long history of maligning the gay community) provides tips on what he calls "leveraging public perception on the subject of homosexuality," or in layman's terms, providing an inaccurate picture of whether or not there is support for lgbt equality:

And just who are the members of this group you ask?  I have the list of the members, but  I won't reveal it because many are ordinary citizens, not public figures.

However, that's not to say that Truth4Time does not many contain public figures and prominent members of the anti-gay industry, including:

• a Fox News pundit,
• former employees of Concerned Women for America and The Family Research Council,
• a prominent member of the American Family Association,
• long term anti-gay activists, including those who testified in front of Congress,
• prominent members of the so-called "ex-gay" movement,
• a member of a state legislature, 
• college professors from right-wing universities,
• activists who have called for laws declaring homosexuality illegal,
• members of a prominent anti-gay marriage equality group, and
• various religious right talking heads who us bloggers have had to refute many times in the past.

I should also add that I did not steal this information. A member of the group - who has been disturbed by the comments and plans of this group  - freely gave me this information. The member in question was especially disturbed by a plan (whether it will come to fruition or not) to bombard physicians and school boards with negative and distorted information about the gay community:

Gayterribletruth is a quackery webpage. It's filled with headlines implying that gay men are beset with all sorts of awful diseases due to their orientations alone. However, if one took the time to read several of the articles, they clearly demonstrate that the bad health besetting these gay men have less to do with their orientation and more to do with how homophobia leads to their poor health choices. And other headlines lead to biased religious right articles on the gay community.

Studies already show that the gay community faces negative health problems in part due to the perceived homophobia of their health physicians. Information such as this sent out to physicians can only serve to exacerbate this problems.

And I don't think that I have to mention what would happen to gay youth if at least one school board takes this information as fact.

One hilarious thing about Truth4Time is how members absolutely despise Joe Jervis of the famous blog Joe.My.God (which of course makes me jealous as hell). Many members of the right have been on a tear against Jervis since he won the GLAAD Blogger of the Year award two years ago. Also Jervis has never been known to mince words when it comes to confronting members of the religious right. Naturally that drives them nuts:

I omitted the post in which members speculated whether or not Satan whispers in Jervis' ear.

Lastly, according to my source - the member of the group who gave me this information - several members have a serious hang up about "gay sex"  like such:

While I am not an armchair psychiatrist, that last point brings to mind the recent study which says that those who speak out the loudest against homosexuality are secretly gay themselves.

But there is something else you should know. According to my source, there is one other secret Facebook group like this one which refers to the gay community in a viler language. And a few folks from Truth4Time are members of that group.

While it is not my intent to make the gay community paranoid as to the plots of the religious right, I am a firm believer of knowing all you can about those who designate themselves as your enemies.

Perhaps it's time for members of the gay community to stop laughing some of these folks off as mere homophobes and take into account the depths they will stoop to in their homophobia.

After all, you never know who is lurking on Facebook.

Editor's note - I deliberately obscured all the names in the listed graphics because the comments of private citizens are mingled with those of religious right public figures. I thought it would be best to be consistent and obscure all of the names.

'It Gets Better' at the University of South Carolina

I have to give extreme kudos to University of South Carolina students, faculty members, and staff for an awesome "It Gets Better" video.

I'm proud to say that I know many of these folks featured on the video and consider them as friends as well as people I extremely admire.

And it illustrates a point that the gay community must address. Unfortunately those of us from the South are written off by some members of the mainstream gay community for fighting a "losing battle."

Some allow their ignorant stereotypes of the South to blind them to the fact that those of us down here have talent and the wherewithal to create a highly successful and highly powerful gay community. And we have done this.

It all comes down to a clique mentality and unless some members of the mainstream gay community abandon this mentality, a lot of talent will be wasted.

Religious right hatred and insanity on display at The Awakening

Even as we enjoy the leisure of a Saturday, religious right talking heads are gathering for something they call The Awakening.

Personally, the event sounds like some God-awful horror movie I once saw starring Charleton Heston. We would all be so fortunate if it actually was that. But it's worse.

Apparently The Awakening is when various religious right spokespeople and heads gather together to simultaneously pat themselves on the back for their deluded belief that God favors them most of all and also to whine about the "secularlists" and "gays."

 While I can't give you a report of this dreary affair, People for the American Way's Right-Wing Watch has a twitter feed which details the highlights lowlights of this monstrosity complete with the usual cast of characters spewing their hatred:

Right Wing Watch ‏ @RightWingWatch 

Rena Lindevaldsen says "Satan is hard at work" pushing gay rights #Awakening2012

Right Wing Watch ‏ @RightWingWatch

Matt Barber says gay rights supporters say "the most vicious and vile things" #Awakening2012

Right Wing Watch ‏ @RightWingWatch

Matt Barber says pro-choice and pro-gay rights advocates will "be remembered akin to those who supported slavery" #Awakening2012

 

Right Wing Watch ‏ @RightWingWatch

Matt Barber says it is "an act of hate" to affirm gay people's sexual orientation #Awakening2012

 

  Right Wing Watch ‏ @RightWingWatch

Ryan Sorba says gay rights leads to "tyranny" #Awakening2012

Right Wing Watch ‏ @RightWingWatch

Ryan Sorba says gay rights is a sign of "the return of paganism" #Awakening2012

 

Right Wing Watch ‏ @RightWingWatch

Matt Barber: "homosexualists" and "sexual anarchists" using "Glee" to "indoctrinate" kids #Awakening2012

  Right Wing Watch ‏ @RightWingWatch

Greg Quinlan: "There is zero scientific evidence that anyone is born a homosexual" #Awakening2012

Mercy! It's going to be a wild day! The irony is that these are the same folks who whine about the gay community doesn't show the tolerance. You should never tolerate someone who kicks you in the ribs, whether it be literal or rhetorical.

Know Your LGBT History - LGBTs who are changing the world for the better

As expected, GLSEN's Day of Silence was a massive success this year and so I want to end it with a positive note.

When I was a young African-American, my heritage and history was drilled into me by adults seeking to make me realize how much potential I had for greatness.

And I think the same needs to be done for not only our lgbt youth but also lgbt adults. We may not be related by blood, but lgbts are related through our similar struggles.

We have potential to change the world for the better and that's something we must never forget. Enjoy this video montage of our lgbt brothers and sisters who have done positive things in their life, thereby enriching the lives of others. Let's never forget what they did and especially the simple fact that we are capable of doing the same:








Past Know Your LGBT History posts:

GLSEN's Day of Silence is about safety and love

Today is GLSEN's Day of Silence.

In the past days, I focused on how the religious right are pathetically attempting to undermine this day.

But not today. Today, I want to present a series of video as just a way to remind us all - me included - what this day is all about.

It's not about indoctrination or "forcing people to accept homosexuality." The Day of Silence is not about none of the junk the right likes to claim it's about. It's about our children. Our children. And even though during this day, many of them will choose not to speak, please take a gander at this video montage, listen, and pay attention:

'Ex-gays' attempt to undermine GLSEN's Day of Silence will fail

Tomorrow will be GLSEN's Day of Silence and I anticipate it being a huge success.

Of course, as they attempt every year, various religious right groups will attempt to undermine it. From the ridiculous Day of Dialogue to encouraging students to be absent, these folks just don't quit with their futile tactics.

And now one can add the supposed 'ex-gays' to this list.

 From One News Now:

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) is encouraging students to celebrate the "Day of Silence" by distributing flyers discouraging ex-"gay" bashing at school.

The "Day of Silence," scheduled for tomorrow, is an annual event put on by Gay-Straight Alliance organizations in schools nationwide and sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The purpose is to draw attention to alleged homosexual discrimination and bullying by remaining silent throughout the school day. But PFOX board member Peter Sprigg sees the event as an opportunity to get his group's message out as well.

"One way that we're encouraging people to do that is by going to the PFOX website … downloading some of these flyers and publications, and distributing them yourselves in the schools," he says.

He reports there are a variety of downloadable flyers aimed at students who might want out of a homosexual lifestyle, and they include facts about youth and sexual orientation, gender identity, and pointing out that discriminating against ex-gays is wrong.

Please bear in mind that Sprigg did not even elaborate just how those who call themselves "ex-gays" have been bullied in our nation's schools. Of course we all know why he didn't. This is nothing more than a ridiculous attempt by PFOX  to disrupt and undermine the Day of Silence. And it won't succeed.

However, let's not allow this moment to escape us without demonstrating the religious right's hypocrisy yet again.

You will notice that Sprigg was quoted extensively in this article. Too bad the article omitted questioning him about when he said that homosexuality should be outlawed:



Or when he said that gays should be exported out of the United States:



Seems to me that if Sprigg is truly concerned about anyone being bullied, he would first watch his own tongue.

'Rachel Maddow demolishes ex-gay movement' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Rachel Maddow give the ex-gay movement a deserved swift kick:

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

In both this video and the one I posted with Dan Savage, one fact is clear. The fight for lgbtq equality will not be fought simply in the streets. It will be fought online and in the halls of public opinion. In our zeal to become angry and call upon the protests of the past, we forget to use all of our resources in combating the right. We allow them to have the advantage by not studying their distortions and using our voices to not only shout slogans but also to expose their distortions to the world. Our fight shouldn't entail solely marches, but quiet rooms where we study their lies, formulate rebuttals and use these rebuttals aggressively and on the offensive instead of waiting for the right to attack us.

In other news:

Conservatives’ Anti-Gay Day Of Dialogue Encourages Students To Promote Shame, Depression, And Substance Abuse - Lest we forget, today is the religious right's sham event, the Day of Dialogue. I wouldn't have said a word about this but Think Progress published a dynamite rebuttal to this lie of a day and it needs to be read by as many folks as possible.

Uganda President Defends Anti-Gay Laws - This, my friend, is what you call a super hot mess.

Vote For Marriage NC is bombing - It couldn't have happened to a nicer group of homophobes.

Richard Land's Terrible Week Gets Even Worse as ERLC Launches an Investigation - Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at gays.

Dan Savage exposes religious right talking head for his lies

I've given Dan Savage hell before, but when he nails something, I've given him his props.

And in this case, Savage gets tremendous props for doing something I have done only once and have dreamed of doing more times - Calling out a religious right talking head on his/her deception.

Equality Matters gives the full story:

On the April 16 edition of KCTS 9’s new show, Public Affairs with C.R. Douglas, the program spotlighted Washington state’s recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage. Panelists included Joseph Backholm – leader of the Protect Marriage Washington effort and president of the Family Policy Institute of Washington (FPIW) – and prominent gay activist Dan Savage.

While much of the episode followed the show’s signature use of the Socratic Method, the debate became more confrontational after Backholm began discussing same-sex parenting:

BACKHOLM: I think there’s a general understanding of the fact that if you have a million kids who are raised by their mother and father and a million kids who are not raised by their mother and father, knowing nothing else about them, that the million kids who are raised by their mother and father are going to do better.

SAVAGE: That’s bullshit.

BACKHOLM: Now there’s certainly going to be outliers in that–

SAVAGE: Sorry, that’s bullshit.

DOUGLAS: What is your basis for that?

BACKHOLM: I think it’s observable reality. And of course, to my left here, Professor Schwartz knows a lot more about the data, and as she just admitted there’s a lot that we don’t know about this because we have not been -- we haven't been far enough down this road. We don’t have longitudinal data to really be able to study this. But I think most people understand that it’s good for kids to have a mom and a dad and that’s one of the reasons why the current definition of marriage is one that we are in support of.

Savage went on to point out that Backholm’s “observable reality” and “general understanding” actually contradicted the majority of data relating to same-sex parenting. As Savage noted, opponents of marriage equality incorrectly cite studies about single parenting, usually ignoring the “mountain of evidence” – including longitudinal studies – demonstrating that committed same-sex couples are capable of effectively raising children.

Notice how Savage's take down reduced Backholm to ridiculous explanations of his distortions. Savage's ability to call Backholm out for his distortions came no doubt from studying how the opposition works and distorts.

And that highlights something sorely missing from our side. It's not enough to call these folks bigots. We have to study how they lie. And believe it or not, it's relatively easy because these folks are lazy. They rely on the same tactics using the same junk science and the same cherry-picked studies time and time again. It's sad to say but a matter of truth to realize that the only reason why they have gotten away with it is because we have not done the work to call them out.

Savage has clearly shown how it's done.. Now if more of us can do this when we are debating folks like Maggie Gallagher, etc (even though Gallagher will probably talk over you and whine about being unfairly attacked), just think of how much ground we would gain.

And how much ground folks like Gallagher would lose.

Homophobic Matt Barber's sickening love of violent rhetoric leaves one to wonder

Our favorite homophobe, Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel, is at it again. A week after being humiliated by yours truly for attacking a study with no proof that the study was false, Barber is today whining about bullies, making sure to use violent terminology. In this clip, he is talking about the so-called "secular left":

Barber: They're bullies. And we know that we people stand up to the bully on the playground - the bully on the playground intimidates, that's what he does, intimidates people into silence, into fear, into avoiding the bully. And oftentimes the bully is the paper tiger and when the righteous individual who is being bullied defends his or herself and punches the bully in the mouth, guess what, the bully more times than not has a glass jaw, falls down and then everyone on the playground says "whoa, the bully was a weakling after all."

I'm not as concerned with Barber's violent imagery more than the fact that it's so unoriginal. He said pretty much the same thing in 2010 about the Southern Poverty Law Center:

Sometimes the most effective way to deal with a bully is to simply pop him in the chops. While it may not shut him up entirely, it usually gives him pause before he resumes flapping his toxic jaws. It also has the effect of showing the other kids in the schoolyard that they have nothing to fear. Though the bully struts about projecting the tough-guy image, he’s typically the most insecure pansy on the block.

And then there is the following he said about gay sexual intercourse:

 There is nothing "conservative" about "one man violently cramming his penis into another man’s lower intestine and calling it 'love'";

Far be it from me to act as an armchair psychiatrist, but I feel comfortable in saying that Mr. Barber has issues.

Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

'Religious right defends criminalizing homosexuality (again)' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Religious Right Defends Criminalization of Homosexuality with Warnings of God's Judgment for 'Sexual Paganization'- Stuff like this is why gays get so angry. I mean putting people in jail for being gay? And Richard Land can't talk after the plagiarism scandal he just got caught in.
  


Don't get so angry that you don't study the words and the names of the people involved in this video monstrosity. You see some of these folks (particularly Michael Brown and Peter Sprigg) like to claim that gays are "intolerant" against Christians. When they push that line, I suggest that we throw this video up in their faces . . . every chance we get.

In other news

Catholic Priest Receives Standing Ovation For Shunning Anti-Marriage Equality Petition Drive - And he is one of six who will not team up with the madness in the preceding post.
  
Anti-Gay Extremists Teaming Up For Washington Marriage Fight - You should read the pedigrees of these folks. They are simply nuts! 
  
Openly Gay Candidate Brian Sims Victim Of Vicious, Lying Smear Tactics - Just plain nasty.

Attacks on GLSEN's Day of Silence will fail

The religious right's attack on GLSEN's Day of Silence will fail as it always does.

And the following is the reason why:

Yesterday, I posted a clip from the right-wing Alliance Defense Fund advertising the anti-gay Day of Silence event, Day of Dialogue. Supposedly this Day of Dialogue encourages students to present opposition to the "Day of Silence" in a supposedly "lovingly Christian way."

The name of the event denotes discussion and dialogue. But those who push this event aren't necessarily interested in dialogue. They seem to be pushing the same rhetoric which makes the Day of Silence necessary:


Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel: "This is not about tolerating any issue or person," he asserts. "It is about a radical and forced agenda of homosexuality that these [days] of silence are promoting, sponsored by the GLSEN organization -- and sometimes under pressure by the schools."

The American Family Association: The Day of Silence, which is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), fast approaches. This year it will take place in most public schools on April 20. On this day, thousands of public high schools and increasing numbers of middle schools will allow students to remain silent throughout an entire day-even during instructional time-to promote GLSEN's socio-political goals and its controversial, unproven, and destructive theories on the nature and morality of homosexuality.

Linda Harvey of Mission America: "The Day of Silence goal is not, as I am told frequently by outraged emails from misinformed students, to help end all bullying. The goal is to exploit the tender sympathies of kids to promote approval of homosexuality and gender confusion. The agenda is everything; Judeo-Christian morality is the enemy; and sadly, kids are the tools."

Jerry Newcombe of Truth In Action Ministries who comes with the most ludicrous reason to oppose Day of Silence:" It’s sad to see groups like GLSEN be accepted by the teacher's establishment and then allow the platform to go into the public schools and try and indoctrinate children. For example, they have something called the Day of Silence. Now they chose April 20 of all days to be the Day of Silence, I looked that up, I was like, ‘isn’t that Adolf Hitler’s birthday,’ I looked it up and sure enough it is Adolf Hitler’s birthday. I don’t think there’s a link there but how ironic. But they are using this day as a means by which to promote their lifestyle as if it is a positive thing."

It's important to bring those comments to the forefront so that you can further take into account that these supposed Christian individuals are making wild accusations against children who merely want create an understanding of what they go through every day in our nation's schools:





It leaves one to ask just who are the bullies and the indoctrinators?

The Day of Silence will take place on Friday, April 20. For more information about this day, see GLSEN's Day of Silence webpage.

Minister continues to choose NOM's race-baiting over the black community

Harry Jackson

Yesterday, Minister Harry Jackson attempted to defend the National Organization for Marriage from the outcry that the organization planned to manipulate the gay and black communities against each other on the subject of marriage equality.

He sidestepped actually talking about the controversy by claiming that it was a conspiracy between The New York Times and the Human Right Campaign.

Today, Jackson doubled down on that ludicrous conspiracy theory:

In the midst of this fight, LGBT activists have created a mythology to try to explain the fierce minority opposition to their agenda. Primary among these myths is the idea that the National Organization for Marriage, with whom I and many African Americans have been proud to stand, is responsible for dividing racial minorities against the gay community. Nothing could be further from the truth. NOM has instead provided a national platform for racial minorities to voice their heartfelt outrage at an agenda that is trying to hijack the moral authority of the Civil Rights struggle.

Yesterday, Jackson exploited his title as a minister to run defense for the National Organization for Marriage's racism. Now today, he is flat out lying.

Remember again the portion of the documents which Jackson continues to conveniently ignore:

The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks - two key democratic constituencies. We aim to find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage; to develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; and to provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots.

LGBT activists did not "create any mythology" because lgbt activists did not write the documents in question (including the passage.) The National Organization for Marriage did. And when confronted with the documents, NOM leaders Brian Brown and Maggie Gallagher did not deny writing writing it. In fact, they embraced it, claiming that the wording was merely "inapt."

 Let's cut through the bull slung by both Jackson and NOM. It is true that NOM did not create the division between the gay community and some members of the African-American community on the subject of matter equality. But that's not the point. The fact of the matter is that NOM is attempting to exploit this division to the detriment of both groups.

NOM's plan was a  deliberate attempt to exploit both the gay and African-American communities, to play with them like they are lowly toys, and to pull their strings as if they were puppets. It was a deliberate attempt to get the two communities digging at each other's throats and possible put black leaders in harm's way by deliberately provoking the gay community to attack these leaders.

Jackson should be aware that this isn't something you do with communities you are supposed to partner with. This is something done by folks engaging in cock fighting or dog fighting.

It's a classic case of divide and conquer used by the powers-that-be designed to impede the progress of minority communities time and time again.

And what makes it worse is how NOM is able to get Harry Jackson,  a black minister, to run defense for this monstrosity. Harry Jackson, one who is supposed to be a man of God and a protector of the black community, is defending the use of the African-American community as pawns or like toys in a game which in the long run will only benefit probably just one African-American - Harry Jackson.

It is a sad commentary on how some of our black leaders have sacrificed their integrity for the spotlight and the media attention. They seem to reconcile some ludicrous belief in their heads that supposedly since the Bible calls homosexuality a sin, they can engage in any underhanded, morally questionable tactic to undermine the gay community.

While Jackson is grabbing all of his undeserved adulation, in a church somewhere, an lgbt of color is feeling alone and marginalized.

Elderly lgbts of color are feeling like outcasts in their own community.

More importantly, issues in the black community such as education, poverty, and socioeconomic inequality are taking a backseat because this useless weapon of mass distraction that is NOM's plan to divide gays and blacks.

If NOM succeeds in its effort, will the organization be around to help the black community combat our real problems? Will Harry Jackson be around? Or will the lure of being the token black man in the predominant white religious right power structure continue to seduce him?

Jackson's actions remind me of the civil rights movement song "We Shall Overcome," but not in a good way.

As long as folks like Jackson abandon their integrity and exploit their status in the black community to create division and hate, some of us will never overcome, particularly lgbts of color.

I sincerely hope that Jackson is proud of himself.

Related post: Minister sells out Black community for race-baiting National Organization for Marriage

'Gays blamed for Secret Service scandal' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Tony Perkins blames Secret Service Prostitution Scandal on the Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell - A case in which heterosexual men are discovered cheating on their wives with prostitutes (female prostitutes), but apparently gays are to blame for this?

Referendum fails for Baltimore Co. trans law - An attempt to put a just passed transgender non-discrimination bill on the ballot fails in Baltimore. This is good news which needs to be spread to more outlets.

Top 5 Ways Marriage Inequality Hurts Gay Couples During Tax Season
 - A must-read.

More callous than Marie Antoinette - An excellent refutation of a recent anti-Day of Silence piece.

'Bully' question: 'Daddy, what does gay mean?' - A heartbreaking piece on how a father handles the news that his eight-year-old son is being bullied.

Day of Silence vs. 'Day of Dialogue'

This year, GLSEN's Day of Silence will be held this Friday. And to combat it, the religious right are attempting to do something different. Rather than have the event opposing Day of Silence (it used to be called Day of Truth but they have renamed it as Day of Dialogue) after Day of Silence, the religious right is having the event a day before.

Fair enough. But let's be clear about something. The Day of Silence was created to create a dialogue and an  understanding of what many gay youth go through every day in our nation's schools.

'Day of Dialogue' is merely a sad way to combat Day of Silence. There is no dialogue going on nor any truth. It's just an event created by adults who concern themselves more with their false claims about the gay community rather than ensuring that all of our children are safe.

But enough of me talking. For a more to-the-point view, let's compare PSAs.

First there is "Day of Dialogue"



And now, let's look at the Day of Silence (Editor's note - this is a PSA for last year's Day of Silence. This year, the Day of Silence will be held on April 20) :



Which is a genuine attempt to combat a problem and ensure safety and what's a sad attempt to undermine something positive?

You tell me.

Minister sells out Black community for race-baiting National Organization for Marriage

Harry Jackson

The National Organization for Marriage has been steadily attempting to blunt the charges that it engaged in attempts to drive a wedge between the black and gay communities on the subject of marriage equality.

Ever since confidential documents came out detailing NOM's strategy to play the gay and black communities against one another, the organization has engaged in several tactics push aside the knowledge that these documents exist.

The most egregious has been when NOM shines a spotlight on black ministers defending the organization's attempts to manipulate the black community.

The last time NOM tried this was with Bishop George McKinney and in his attempt to defend NOM, he went out of his way to avoid talking about the specific passage in the documents which outlined NOM's wedge strategy.

This week, NOM spotlighted Minister Harry Jackson of the High Impact Leadership Coalition.

Jackson says the following on a post naturally published on NOM's blog:

For three years, I have stood shoulder to shoulder with Brian Brown and the National Organization for Marriage, fighting to protect marriage in Maryland and in our nation's capital.

Together—for the first time in Maryland—we have built a true rainbow coalition of Blacks, Latinos and whites, Republicans and Democrats, Catholics, evangelicals, Mormons and Jews, all working together to protect and preserve marriage. It's a new phase in the battle for marriage—and critical as we head toward a referendum this fall.

The National Organization for Marriage has done so much to protect marriage, not only in Maryland, but in similar battles all across the country.

It's no wonder groups like the Human Rights Campaign and The New York Times are trying to tear our coalition apart.

My answer? Not a chance!

The ugly insinuations and outright lies I have seen over the past two weeks are nothing short of reprehensible. They're trying to create the impression that NOM is exploiting racial division—using Blacks and Hispanics to further its political agenda.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Naturally Jackson doesn't address NOM's documents anywhere in his piece. The documents which said the following on page 11:

The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks - two key democratic constituencies. We aim to find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage; to develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; and to provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots. No politician wants to take up and push an issue that splits the base of the party.

This is nothing that Jackson hasn't done before You see, Jackson has provided cover for the religious right several times. In fact, according to a People for the American Way report, Harry Jackson: Point Man for the Wedge Strategy, he is considered a star in the religious right's supposed outreach into the black community:

In recent years, Religious Right leaders have made a major push to elevate the visibility and voices of politically conservative African American pastors. The star of that effort has been Bishop Harry Jackson. Jackson, the pastor of a congregation in Maryland, has been ushered into the Religious Right’s inner circle since he announced in 2004 that God had told him to work for the reelection of George W. Bush. Since then, Jackson has become somewhat of an all-purpose activist and pundit for right-wing causes – everything from judicial nominations to immigration and oil drilling -- but his top priorities mirror those of the Religious Right: he’s fervently anti-abortion and dead-set against gay equality. And he has enthusiastically adopted the Right’s favorite propaganda tactic: he routinely portrays liberals, especially gay-rights activists, as enemies of faith, family, and religious liberty.

Jackson has big ambitions. He sees himself as a game changer in the culture war, someone who can help conservative Christians “take the land” by bringing about a political alliance between white and black evangelicals. Religious Right leaders see him that way, too, which is why they’ve helped Jackson build his public profile.

The irony is that this report was written over a year before the documents regarding NOM came out. And if you have never heard of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, then don't hate yourself. It's nothing more than a silly shell group which has not pull nor any power in the black community as the vast majority of us have never heard of it. The organization is nothing more than an ego booster created by Jackson to make it seem that the Black church is going hand-in-hand with the predominantly white religious right on several issues.

 Like so many other African-Americans put on a pedestal by conservative groups, Jackson's purpose is not outreach in the black community, but to give the inaccurate impression that predominantly white conservative groups actually care about the black community.

In other words, Harry Jackson is a token. Other African-Americans would use stronger words to describe Jackson's bowing and scraping and "yess suh bossin" to the predominantly white conservative movement.

But I won't. At least not here.

I will say however that  I find Jackson's willingness to defend NOM to be extremely distasteful. He is a liar who sold his integrity and soul to defend an organization who is exploiting his people like they aren't human, but rather chess pieces who exist on NOM's will and pleasure.

His personal feelings about gays are irrelevant. Jackson is a minster, which is a prime leadership position in the black community. Ministers in the black community are seen as protectors. They are not only our voices but our consciences. They are not supposed to lead the community into any type of danger, whether it be physical, mental, or spiritual.

If Jackson was a true black leader, then he should have been demanding answers from NOM for its race-baiting and its attempt to use black people as soulless pawns. But instead, he not only provides cover for it, but participates in this exploitation. I wonder if he realizes how many lgbtq youth will be harmed from hearing their pastors attack them in the pulpit thanks to NOM's strategy.

I wonder if Jackson thinks about the many resources wasted in the black community because of NOM's divide and conquer strategy.

And I wonder if Jackson thinks about how much focus and attention will be taken away from the true problems which plague the black community because of NOM's strategy.

I'm sure that Jackson has thought about these things. And frankly, I'll bet that he just doesn't care.