Daddy Dobson Retiring!

Speaking of someone obsessed with sex - especially gay sex - and pornography, James Dobson has announced his retirement from the board of directors Focus on the Family ("FOF"). In my view, Dobson is perhaps the leading promoter of anti-gay hate in the USA today and his "Love Won Out" program is a leading promoter of the "choice myth" which is cynically used to sway legislators that being gay is a "choice" and hence gays deserve no legal protections. In addition, FOF rakes in money from the program which is a parasite that preys on parents of gays and religiously brainwashed gays. Moreover, here in Virginia, the FOF affiliate, The Family Foundation, is a constant source of anti-gay poison. Therefore, hearing that Dobson is retiring from the board of directors of FOF can only be a good thing in my opinion even if he will still be peddling lies and bogus science via his radio show. The man is a menace and is the Dick Cheney counterpart of the Christian Right. Here are some highlights from the San Francisco Chronicle:

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Conservative evangelical leader James Dobson has resigned as chairman of Focus on the Family but will continue to play a prominent role at the organization he founded more than three decades ago. . . . Dobson notified the board of his decision Wednesday, and the 950 employees of the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry were informed Friday morning, said Jim Daly, the group's president and chief executive officer. Dobson, 72, will continue to host Focus on the Family's flagship radio program, write a monthly newsletter and speak out on moral issues, Daly said.

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Gay-rights and liberal groups issued statements Friday warning that Dobson is not leaving the scene. Americans United for Separation of Church and State portrayed the move as Focus on the Family "merely rearranging the deck chairs on its big, intolerant ship."

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D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist who studies evangelicals and politics, said that although Dobson will continue to be Focus on the Family's public face, his board resignation is significant because "he no longer has his hands on the levers of power" there. Observers have questioned whether Dobson's organization can remain a key player once its founder steps away.

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Daly said there is no timetable for Dobson to leave the radio program, and the group will "look for the next voice for the next generation" while Dobson remains on the air. That will likely mean not one person behind the microphone but several speaking on their respective areas of expertise, Daly said. The organization, anticipating a post-Dobson era, for several years has tried out different voices on the broadcast and in giving media interviews on hot-button social issues.

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At the same time, Focus officials have acknowledged difficulties in raising money from younger families critical to its future. The economy also has hurt. Last fall Focus on the Family eliminated more than 200 staff positions, its largest employee cutbacks ever.