LaBarbera Rants About "Pathological Gay Rights Advocates"

Based on the recent study that found many extreme homophobes to in reality be self-loathing closeted gays who direct their internal hate outward towards normal gays, Peter LaBarbera, a/k/a Porno Pete (pictured at right), must be subconsciously lusting for gay sex incessantly. And if anyone has "pathological" behavior, I would argue it's LaBarbera who by his own admission thinks about gays and gay sex "all the time." Probably far more than even the most promiscuous gays. Today's National Day of Silence is pushing LaBarbera to the brink and the flying spittle and batshitery is at a crescendo. Right Wing Watch looks at LaBarbera's over the top homophobia. Here are highlights:

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality president Peter LaBarbera thinks about gay people a lot, even admitting that he talks about issues concerning gays and lesbians “all the time.” Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise to see him appear on VCY America’s Crosstalk with Jim Schneider where he disparaged the Day of Silence for making students “celebrate perversion” and creating “pro-homosexual indoctrination zones,” and criticized same-sex parents and their children for appearing at the White House’s Easter egg hunt. And after all that, LaBarbera grumbled that gays and lesbians have “an almost pathological drive” to their activism

LABARBERA: I think there is great harm in the schools becoming pro-homosexual indoctrination zones and that’s what’s happening Jim. Now GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, has created a whole host of events, National Transgender Remembrance Day, all these various activities all designed to celebrate perversion, what we as Christians consider sin and perversion. So the school, a place of authority for schools, you have your parents and you have your teachers for your children and if the teachers and the administrators of the school are basically telling the kids that celebrating homosexuality is OK, then our schools are directly promoting immorality and corruption to children, and that’s wrong. This is one reason why many parents are just getting out of the public school system altogether.

LABARBERA: It’s so obnoxious, Jim, and I know we agree on this because we talk about it all the time. Everything they can use, the homosexual activists are using, even innocent events like an Easter egg hunt at the White House to promote homosexuality, because it’s all about the homosexual activists, right? Every institution, every event they can use to promote their lifestyle, they do. It’s an almost pathological drive to gain and to promote the acceptance of that which is unacceptable—homosexuality—so we see these innocent, wholesome events like the Easter egg hunt, being hijacked by the LGBT, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender movement, and this is one of those cases.

LABARBERA: When you open up the military to perversion, which is what President Obama and largely the Democrats although some Republicans helped, this is what you would expect. We shouldn’t be surprised when we assaults happening and Jim again, this administration, we’re going to see more homosexual activism in the military. Now they’re going to be lobbying hard for bases, for families, so-called gay families, to be allowed on bases. What does that mean? That means if you have a family with a young son or a young daughter next door could be homosexual soldiers modeling that immorality to your youngsters, right there in the military. . . . We’re seeing what we predicted which is that under the Obama administration, with the homoseuxalization of our military, the Pentagon has become the world’s largest so-called gay rights organization.

Porno Pete, in my opinion, needs serious mental health help. He might also do well to find himself a trick, have some hot sex and then realize that no lightning bolt is going to strike him dead. It is long past time that he cease inflicting his own pathological behavior on law abiding LGBT individuals and working to create an atmosphere where gay youth feel suicide is their best option.

Bullied Gay Ohio Student in Coma After Attempting Suicide

The list of lives damaged by religious based anti-gay bigotry and the the bullying it engenders continues to grow. Not the Maggie Gallagher, Tony Perkins and the other professional Christians and anti-gay hate groups give a flip about the lives they damage and destroy. No, to them, it's all about making a buck and allowing them to feel superior and self-congratulatory because of their "piety." I find it sickening, but it's the norm for the enemies of LGBT equality. The latest victim is Austin Rodriguez (pictured above), a gay teen at Wellsville High School in Ohio, whose so-far unsuccessful suicide attempt to escape constant bullying has left him in a coma. WFMJ-TV 21 has coverage and here are some excerpts:

AKRON, Ohio - An openly gay student at Wellsville High School is on a ventilator with lung complications after attempting to take his own life. His mother says her son was bullied at school. Bonnie Rodriguez of Wellsville says her son, 15-year-old Austin Rodriguez, was really lethargic on Friday evening, and when she asked him what was wrong, he collapsed.

She immediately took him to a local hospital and on Saturday morning he was flown by medical helicopter to the main campus of Akron Children's Hospital. 21 News traveled to Akron to sit down with the mother of the Wellsville teenager.

Bonnie Rodriguez says her 15-year-old son declared his homosexuality just six to eight months ago. First telling family, then friends, and then no longer hiding it from classmates at school.

The teenager's mother says it was shortly after coming out that her son, who is a straight-A student, began getting bullied at school. She says at first her son appeared happy and relieved, and then she thought he may have been going through a depression and asked him about it several times, but he never really explained the extent of what he was going through.

Austin Rodriquez is now heavily sedated, and on a ventilator to help him breath. His mother says her son swallowed more than 100 of his own prescription pills. She has now learned from his friends that the bullying became overwhelming. Rodriguez says, "I actually didn't know how bad it was for him in school until he actually did this. And until friends came out of the woodwork saying we knew Austin was going through this, we thought he was handling it a lot better. We didn't know what to do."

[T]he bullying was not only cruel, but enough to make a teenager who was already introverted, feel like an outcast. "It was electronic, it was face to face bullying, they were hiding his gym clothes because they didn't want him changing in the locker room with them. They didn't want him to eat by them, or in the school lunchroom," Rodriguez said.

The Wellsville mother prays that what happened to her son will spark open discussions on the issue of bullying in school. She warns parents that if you feel there's something going on with your child, trust those instincts and be aggressive in getting to the bottom of it. . . . . she's determined to raise awareness about the dangerous impact of bullying and how it nearly cost her son his life.

Yet more of the foul fruits of the "love" peddled by the Christianists, professional Christians and GOP presidential nominee candidates who oppose the National Day of Silence and any form of decency towards LGBT individuals. It makes me feel like vomiting.

Warren Throckmorton: Day of Silence Derangement Syndrome is Breaking Out

As I have noted before, years ago Warren Throckmorton and I had very heated e-mail exchanges arguing about the Christianist backed myth that gays can change their sexual orientation. At the time, Throckmorton was an advocate for the change myth. With the passage of time, additional research studies and APA findings that so-called reparative therapy is basically snake oil that doesn't work and, in fact, can be dangerous, Throckmorton has evolved and now disavows and writes against the most virulent anti-gay poison of the Christianists. Would that more conservative Christians would accept scientific knowledge and recognize that their anti-gay views might just possible be wrong. Next month on April 20th is the annual "Day of Silence" which focuses on anti-gay bullying. It goes without saying that the anti-gay hate merchants are once again having fits over the event which candidly aims to stop the bullying and humane treatment advocated by the Christianists. Warren comments on the whining and shrieking of the haters in part as follows:

On April 20, thousands of students will remain silent for part of the school day to call attention to anti-gay bullying and harassment. Called the Day of Silence, the event is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.

In 2008, some Christian right organizations called on parents to keep their kids home on the Day of Silence. This is happening again this year.

The Day of Silence brings out some really odd statements from those opposed to it. One would think that sending your kids to school on that day is sinful. Take for instance this exchange, reported on Right Wing Watch, between Linda Harvey and Laurie Higgins:

Harvey: You can keep your kids home that day if you suspect or you find out that teachers are going to accommodate this protest silence in order to honor homosexuality, let’s be clear about what this is, this is a God-dishonoring day that honors sin, sinful, immoral behavior that most parents don’t want their children involved in.

Higgins: Christian teachers out there and if you’re working in a public school plan activities that involve student communications so students are not allowed to do this.

Laurie Higgins says the Day of Silence people promote kids remaining silent in class. While the organizers are fine with teachers who allow this response, GLSEN is clear that students do not have the right to remain silent if the class activities call on them to speak.

The irony is that Higgins and Harvey accuse the Day of Silence participants of violating school rules by remaining silent, and then turn around and urge truancy. Higgins and Harvey are fine with skipping an entire day of school, but become unhinged when those opposed to anti-gay bullying want to remain silent during non-instructional times.

I urge parents to resist Day of Silence Derangement Syndrome and send their kids to school on the Day of Silence (and even the misguided Day of Dialogue the day before). Send them to school and encourage them to become part of the solution via opposition to bullying. Students may want to remain silent, or take part in the Golden Rule Pledge which can take place any day of the year.

Did I mention that Linda Harvey's anti-gay cottage industry, Mission America is a registered anti-gay hate group (Harvey is pictured above at left)? As for the supposed "Day of Dialogue" pushed by hate merchants like Harvey, the participants basically focus on telling LGBT students that they are sinners and doomed to Hell for eternity because of their sexual orientation. Friendly Atheist as a parody of the "you're a sinner who is damned to Hell" cards the Christianist minions will be trying to hand out to LGBT students and their allies:

Focus on the Family Takes Over "Day of Truth" Lie

One thing that can be always counted on when it comes to Focus on the Family (FOTF") is that its propaganda against gays will be toxic and that it will always be based on lies and untruths. Sadly, it is all to typical of alleged "family values" and professional Christian organizations which have apparently excised the Commandment against lying and bearing false witness from the Ten Commandments. Earlier this year Exodus International - itself not exactly an organization known for truth and veracity - dropped the promotion of the so-called :Day of Truth" which is the Christianist response to the "Day of Silence" that originated at the University of Virginia back in the 1990's and then went nationwide. Exodus' reason for dropping the "Day of Truth" was that it was considered too divisive and insensitive in the wake of the much publicized gay teen suicides. Hence, enter FOTF which I personally believe savors and feels a sense of triumph with each gay teen who dies at their own hand, unable to tolerate the hate and abuse their experience due to the efforts of FOTF, the Mormon Church, Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention - all of which have a great deal of blood on their hands. FOTF is changing the name of the effort to "Day of Dialogue," but do not be fooled by this attempted slight of hand. My blogger friend Jeremy Hooper true to form goes after FOTF and is lying spokeswoman, Candi Cushman, pictured above, for its/her foul hypocrisy and untruthfulness. Here are some highlights:
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"Day of Dialogue"? Of course that's what they're calling it. Because this matches perfectly with the new "nicer, softer" strategy that Focus on the Family executives have been trying to cultivate in the days post-Dobson (and that less image-focused "pro-family" peeps have been calling out ever since).
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But here's the thing: Just yesterday -- JUST. YESTERDAY! -- we saw FoTF's schools official, Candi Cushman, pushing an article that called on Christian students to see their gay classmates as "messed up sexually." As embracing "sexual brokenness." As in need of "change." There is no room for dialogue there! At the end of the day, Focus on the Family is still pushing anti-scientific "ex-gay" rhetoric that wishes to put wholly unbacked, entirely faith-based teachings on the same level as credible, peer-reviewed information. In America's PUBLIC SCHOOLS, they wish to do this. They want us to "agree to disagree," in a conversation where we are we are saying that the millions of the LGBT people who make up this planet are normal parts of the world's spectrum, while they continue to say, "No, I don't think so, sorry. But I'll pray for you."
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The new version of Focus on the Family is all about telling us that they are more modern and less divisive. Telling us that their new leader is less into anti-gay politicking and more into conversation. Telling the public that the controversial religious right is gone for good. That the Dobson boat has sailed, and less choppy waters are ahead. It's all hollow. And in many ways: It's more dangerous.
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Like Maggie Gallagher (and Victoria Cobb at FOTF's Virginia affiliate, The Family Foundation), Candi Cushman makes the sleaziest, nastiest whore look down right reputable. Their stock in trade is lies, bigotry and hatred and, if there is a God, one can only hope there's a special place in Hell for such vile and dishonest individuals.

Exodus International Shuts Down Bogus "Day of Truth"

It's too early to know if it's the beginning of a trend, but Exodus International, a leading proponent of the "gays can change lie" - or Ex-gay myth as I call it - is canceling the utterly disingenuously named "Day of Truth." The "Day of Truth" - which would be more appropriately named the Day of Lies - was started in 2005 to counter the Day of Silence which originated at the University of Virginia (my alma mater) and has spread nationwide. Despite all of the statements of REAL medical and mental health experts condemning reparative therapy and the lack of any study that solidly supports the Christianist fueled ex-gay myth, Exodus International has continued to market the lie. I have long been involved in exposing ex-gay frauds and believe that defeating the choice and change myths is key to changing hearts and minds. The Christianists will fight tooth and nail to keep these myths alive because once it becomes a matter of common acceptance that gays are born gay, the ability to push anti-gay discrimination is seriously damaged. Here are highlights from Ex-Gay Watch:
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Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, has announced that they will no longer sponsor the annual Day of Truth (DOT) event which has been used for the past few years to counter the Day of Silence. The DOS was first proposed by Maria Pulzetti, and organized by other students at the University of Virginia in 1996. In 2000, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) proposed that it become an officially sponsored project.
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The first DOT was organized by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) in 2005, and has been held on the day after the DOS each year since. The ADF is a conservative activist legal organization which claims to have established the DOT “to counter the promotion of the homosexual agenda and express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective.” There have been several legal actions associated with the DOT
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In 2009, the ADF turned over responsibility for the DOT to Exodus International. In what has turned out to be their only year doing so, Exodus sponsored that years event. It is not known if the ADF will attempt to keep the DOT active or offer it to another group.
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We applaud Exodus’ decision to shutter this event. While we realize this does not signify a major change in their own policy or beliefs, we do respect the reasons given. We also challenge the ADF to take this as a signal to let it die here and now.
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Here are more details and highlights from CNN’s Belief Blog:
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A national Christian organization will stop sponsoring an annual event that encourages school students to "counter the promotion of homosexual behavior" because the event has become too divisive and confrontational, the group's president told CNN on Wednesday.
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"All the recent attention to bullying helped us realize that we need to equip kids to live out biblical tolerance and grace while treating their neighbors as they'd like to be treated, whether they agree with them or not," said Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, the group that sponsored the event this year.
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"I thank Exodus for making this very important step," said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard on Wednesday after hearing of Exodus' decision. "The Day of Truth was an effort to push a very specific set of opinions about homosexuality into schools in a way that was inappropriate and divisive."
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An expert in evangelical responses to homosexuality says Exodus' decision is likely to be criticized by some conservatives. "This is a very significant move, a very real break," said Warren Throckmorton, an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College. "Some will say that simply naming sexual orientation provides legitimacy for homosexuality." At least one major Christian group, Focus on the Family, stood by the Day of Truth on Wednesday.

Bigots' Response to Day of Silence

In sharp contrast to Colin Farrell's message of acceptance, tolerance and understanding of other human beings is the message being disseminated by the false Christians at Day of Silence Walk Out, an effort brought to the public by the usual bigots at Abiding Truth Ministries, American Family Association, AFA Michigan, AFA Pennsylvania, Americans for Truth, Association of Maryland Families,Campaign for Children and Families, Capitol Resource Institute, Citizens for Community Values, Coalition of Conscience, Community Issues Council, Concerned Women for America of Illinois, CWA of California, CWA of Washington, Culture Campaign Don Feder, Don Feder Associates, Faith2Action, Faith, Family & Freedom Alliance, Illinois Family Institute, Indiana Voice, Informing Christians, Liberty Counsel Action, Liberty Counsel, Maine Family Policy Council, MassResistance, Mission: America, and Montana Family Foundation.

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It is telling that several groups (their names are in bold face above) in this rogue's gallery of theocratic organizations have been certified as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center that tracks hate based organizations. Collectively, these groups represent some of the most dishonest and habitual liars one may ever encounter. Their goal? To disrupt the Day of Silence sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). These groups view freedom of religion and freedom speech as something only reserved to themselves and seek to stamp out any statements or actions to the contrary. Despite their disingenuous comments to the contrary, they welcome bullying and intolerance towards LGBT youth who they view - at least in my opinion - as some kind of vermin to be exterminated.. Here are some of the directives being given to parents:
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Explain to your children why you’re taking a stand:
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a. Homosexual behavior is not an innate identity.
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b. No matter what factors may influence homosexual feelings, freely chosen homosexual behavior is immoral and should be resisted.
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c. Homosexuality is not equivalent to race.
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d. Disapproval of homosexuality is not equivalent to racism; nor is it hatred; nor is it bullying; nor does it constitute an incitement to violence. It is permissible and ethical to express disapproval of homosexuality. Just because someone may feel bad when hearing that someone disapproves of homosexuality does not mean that disapproval is cruel or wrong.
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e. No school should support a view of homosexuality that is unproven and controversial, and that is physically, emotionally, and spiritually destructive to individuals and society.
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f. No school should allow instructional time to be politicized.
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Encourage your church leadership to follow the bold example of Pastor Ken Hutcherson who vocally opposed “Day of Silence” in his community in Redmond, Washington.
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Note how (as is always the case with Christianists) how homosexuality is dismissed as (1) not an innate characteristic, and (2) expert statements on the unchangeable nature of one's sexual orientation is "unproven and controversial." As if religion isn't less innate and immutable that sexual orientation. Pew surveys have shown that the drop out rate from organized religion and/or percentage of Americans who have changed religions is huge. Moreover, the fastest growing segment of the population is those who have left religion and claim no religion. This is an obvious demonstration of just how easily change of religious belief/affiliation is in fact. Meanwhile legitimate mental health and medical associations unanimously condemn the claim that being gay is a "choice" and something that can be "changed."

Homophobia Is Killing Our Youth

Yesterday was the National Day of Silence - a program started in the 1990s at the University of Virginia - and with the recent deaths of teens the mainstream media seems to be waking up if ever so slightly to the fact that homophobia is killing our nation's youth. Unfortunately, they stories do not properly lay the blame for these deaths squarely at the feet of the professional Christians and anti-gay hate mongers of the Christian Right who do all in their power to create an atmosphere where gays are denigrated, youth are bullied to the point of suicide, and it's fine to kill LGBT citizens for being different. As I have noted often, I simply cannot understand the twisted mindset where tormenting people and disseminating lies and hatred are deemed to be the cats of Christians. Is money and perceived political power - not to mention feeling self-satisfied and superior - that important to people like Rick Warren, Tony Perkins, and James Dobson that people must die? Disturbingly, Barack Obama has appointed individuals representing this foul set of Christianists to his advisory counsel on faith based issues rather than exile them to the political wilderness where they rightly belong. First the Huffington Post takes a look at the toxic phenomenon. Here are some highlights:

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Today, across the country schools will participate in a National Day of Silence to protest the homophobic bullying that is killing teenagers and honor those whose lives have been taken by the barbaric hands of hatred. In less than two years there have been four brutal teenage deaths resulting from homophobic bullying. Just last week Carl Walker, an eleven year old in Springfield, Massachusetts , who never actually identified as gay, hung himself with an extension cord from the 3rd floor landing of his home. This was after his mother repeatedly implored his school to do something about the homophobic bullying he experienced.

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Last summer a transgendered teenager, Angie Zapata, was brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado. Last February Eric Mohat, a 17-year old student from Ohio, who also never identified as gay, committed suicide after being repeatedly harassed with anti-gay epithets such as "fag" and "homo." Also, last year, Lawrence King, a fifteen year old who identified as gay, was shot in the head twice in his English class. He died a few days later. His heart was donated the day after Valentine's day.

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Change has been a pervasive concept in our country over the past two years. Barack Obama's presidential election, along with the dissolution of our economic institutions, are catalysts for significant change. We need to start applying this same principal of change to the institution of hatred entrenched in our culture. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, and social psychology pioneer Albert Bandura have both shown that aggression and hatred are learned behaviors. If a child is taught to hate and fear diversity, then the next place he or she expresses that hate is at school. If hate is learned, then it lies on the shoulders of our schools, church officials, parents, teachers, and communities to teach our young kids acceptance before they continue hurting each other, and before they become adults who will likely pass their hatred to the next generation.

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[P]eople who choose to hate in the name of "their" God are simply immersed in a human experience that is built on irrationality, fear, hatred and ego; . . . I cannot say when, but I have faith that one day those who attack in the name of "their" god will discover that they are also attacking themselves.

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Judith Warner in the New York Times also chimes in on this issue and looks at the releated issue of how perverted ideas of masculinity can be in American society where those who do not fit one a particualr narrow range of stereotypes get treated with contempt. Personally, I have always felt that males who feel threatened by gays are the ones who have issues, not the gays. Here are some highlights from Warner's column:

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I’m only partly talking about homophobia, which, though virulent, cruel and occasionally fatal among teenagers, is not the whole story behind the fact that words like “fag” and “gay” are now among the most potent and feared weapons in the school bully’s arsenal. . . . . It’s really about showing any perceived weakness or femininity – by being emotional, seeming incompetent, caring too much about clothing, liking to dance or even having an interest in literature.

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“To call someone gay or fag is like the lowest thing you can call someone. Because that’s like saying that you’re nothing,” is how one teenage boy put it to C.J. Pascoe, a sociologist at Colorado College, in an interview for her 2007 book, “Dude, You’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School.”

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The message to the most vulnerable, to the victims of today’s poisonous boy culture, is being heard loud and clear: to be something other than the narrowest, stupidest sort of guy’s guy, is to be unworthy of even being alive. . . . . Boys were showing each other they were tough. They were afraid to do anything that might be called girlie,” she [Barbara J. Risman, a sociologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago] told me this week. “It was just like what I would have found if I had done this research 50 years ago. They were frozen in time.”

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Malina Saval, who spent two years observing and interviewing teenage boys and their parents for her new book “The Secret Lives of Boys,” found that parents played a key role in reinforcing the basest sort of gender stereotypes, at least where boys were concerned. “There were a few parents who were sort of alarmist about whether or not their children were going to be gay because of their music choices, the clothes they wore,” she said. Generally, she said, “there was a kind of low-level paranoia if these high-school-age boys weren’t yet seriously involved with a girl.”

Christianists Decry Criticism

Recently, I have written tow posts about two suicides of two boys bullied for being perceived as gay and I labeled their deaths as more fruits of Christianist anti-gay hate since the non-stop anti-gay mantra of these self-styled Christians creates the atmosphere where it is fine to bully and torment gays and those who are perceived to be gay. For this, the author of one comment - which I did not publish - alleged that I "hated Christianity" and that I had "twisted" the facts simply so that I could malign Christians.

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For the record, I am hardly against Christianity and do not "hate" it - the boyfriend and I went to church on Easter at my ELCA parish. Thus, I consider myself a Christian in the good sense. What I do oppose is the toxic, poisonous version of Christianity marketed by James Dobson, Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, Tony Perkins, Fred Phelps, Concerned Women for America, et al, which is infused with hatred towards gays - and non-Christians, immigrants and many others. It is a perverted form of Christianity which is defined by who its adherents hate and which shows absolutely no love of neighbor as commanded by Christ.

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Driving back from Martinsville yesterday I listened to Michelangelo Signorile's four hour show during which he played a video being promoted by the Illinois Family Institute - an identified "Christian" anti-gay hate group by the way - attacking gays and the National Day of Silence which takes place today. The video is vile and is a perfect example of who anti-gay hatred is generated and individuals are emboldened to bully and harass LGBT citizens. Here's how these "loving Christians" describe their hate propaganda:

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The "Day of Silence", sponsored by the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) will take place Friday, April 17th in schools across the nation. Participating teachers and students are told to remain silent during class time to protest discrimination and bullying felt by students who believe they are gay and/or transgender. The 6 minute video, made by a Bible believing church here in Illinois, exposes how our children are being indoctrinated, held captive and forced to accept an unproven and dangerous ideology while Biblical Truth is undermined.

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The video talks of gays as being diseased and basically a threat to Christians. Interestingly enough, the Illinois Family Institute is attacking Warren Throckmorton for his moderation of his anti-gay activities and his effort to counter the Day of Silence with a "golden rule" approach that treats gays with dignity. Here's the IFI's commentary on Throckmorton:

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A national coalition of pro-family organizations is urging parents to call their children out of school on the Day of Silence (DOS), an annual event sponsored by the partisan political action group, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). . . . Grove City College professor, Dr. Warren Throckmorton, on the other hand, is recommending that students join his "Golden Rule Pledge" effort which urges them to remain in school and pass out cards on which the Golden rule is printed. . . . Dr. Throckmorton misapplies the "Golden Rule" in his efforts to promote heretical views of the nature and morality of homosexuality.

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It is a bizarre circumstance when Throckmorton - historically no friend to LGBT Americans - is being attacked for supporting homosexuality. But then, the folks at IFI live in a very warped and perverted mindset.

Warren Throckmorton Offers Day of Silence Response for Evangelicals

Having faced off with Warren Throckmorton in e-mail exchanges and having been trashed by him by name in a column in TownHall.com after "ex-gay" Michael Johnston was exposed as a fraud in 2003, I do not really trust anything Throckmorton does. In general, I continue to think his religious fanatiscm and desire to prey on distraught parents of young gays and cash in on the ex-gay financial gravy train strains the credibility of his actions.

However, compared to his prior gay bashing jihads, this proposal looks like a decided improvement. Nonetheless, I believe a stronger way to demonstrate the Golden Rule would be for Throckmorton to SUPPORT the National Day of Silence. That way, there would be no other agenda being served and Throckmorton would be unequivocally acknowledging that abuse against gays does occur and that it is generally fueled mainly by his "Christian" friends. Here are some highlights from Pam Ferguson at Ex-gay Watch (http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2008/04/warren-throckmorton-offers-day-of-silence-response-for-evangelicals/#more-2868):

While Dr. Throckmorton may have the best of intentions with the Golden Rule Initiative, he’s getting mixed reviews from all sides. He says…

Although we are being criticized by some on both extremes, I believe the Golden Rule Initiative is an effort to affirm consensus in attitude and action that schools should be safe places to learn for all students. We all should agree that bullying and harassment of GLBT students is wrong. The Golden Rule group is making a stand on that common ground.

I believe there’s merit to Dr. Throckmorton’s idea. Now, lest you begin rotting your tomatoes to toss my way, hear me out on this. I grew up in an anti-gay, evangelical home. It took years for me to understand the depth of the bigotry because it was couched in scripture, dowsed in guilt, and lit up with the flames of charismatic fundamentalism. I was not as clear-thinking and transparent in my youth as some in the amazing crop of young people I’ve had the privilege of befriending.

I understand that many view the Golden Rule Initiative as a distraction from the very important and vital message of The Day of Silence.

12th Annual National Day of Silence Honors the Memory of Lawrence King

While my alma mater, The University of Virginia, is certainly not the most liberal university in the country, I am pleased that it was at UVA in 1996 that students organized the first Day of Silence in response to a class assignment on non-violent protests. Over 150 students participated in that first Day of Silence, little knowing where their actions would lead. In 1997, organizers took their effort nationally and nearly 100 colleges and universities participated. Subsequently, in 2001, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network ("GLSEN") became the official organizational sponsor for the event. Now, this year, hundreds of thousands of students at varying grade levels will participate. Here are highlights concerning this year's event dedicated to Lawrence King (http://www.dayofsilence.org/content/news.html):

NEW YORK: This year’s National Day of Silence on April 25 will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old California student who was shot and killed at school in February by a 14-year-old classmate because of King’s sexual orientation and gender expression.The Day of Silence is held by students every year to bring attention to anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) name-calling, bullying and harassment. The senseless tragedy at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, Calif., brings even more meaning to a day that has brought hope to millions of students.

Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate by taking some form of a vow of silence for the entire day or part of it. Their efforts will be supported by hundreds of community-based "Breaking the Silence" events at the end of the day. Together, concerned students will create a powerful call to action in order to prevent future tragedies.

GLSEN’s 2005 National School Climate Survey found that four out of five LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and 29% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety. The Day of Silence is one way students and their allies are making anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling unacceptable in America’s schools.

Christianists Are Whining About the National Day of Silence

As we approach another year’s observance of the National Day of Silence, the Christianist hate merchants are predictably whining and carrying on about the event and once again showing themselves to be anything but the followers of the Jesus of the Gospels who preached a message of love of neighbor and compassion. Rather they show no compassion and constantly disseminate a message of hate and non-acceptance, not to mention outright lies, in respect to anyone who does not perfectly mirror their belief system or world view.

NOTE: The American Family Association which is leading the whining is so dishonest and disingenuous that it is peddling “ex-gay” materials that feature Michael Johnston, the fraud that my client and I working with Wayne Besen exposed as a complete fraud in August, 2003 Johnston is featured on the DVD cover at left (http://www.pageoneq.com/news/2005/Besen_AFA_12_06_05.html). How AFA can market materials with Johnston claiming he was “cured” by accepting Jesus is mind numbing and I challenge them to cease the dishonesty. The following are highlights of a story outlining the AFA’s latest disingenuous bleating (http://www.star-telegram.com/state_news/story/559166.html):

Some area students are planning a silent observance late this month to denounce the harassment of gays, but a national family values organization is urging parents to keep their children home that day to fight the protest. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a New York-based nonprofit, set April 25 as a national Day of Silence to bring attention to the harassment of some students by peers because of their sexual orientation or gender expression, organizers said.

But a Mississippi-based nonprofit is trying to stop the observance. The American Family Association has posted information about the event on its Web site and has circulated e-mails in recent weeks listing schools that the association says are participating. "It's just foolishness for children to be subjected to this social activism at school," said Buddy Smith, an administrator with the association. "It is not the place for this type of educational malpractice."

Eliza Byard, deputy executive director of GLSEN, said the American Family Association's message distorts the day's meaning. "This is an opportunity for concerned students to speak out on the issue of violence and aggression against students based on sexual orientation or gender expression," she said. The harassment is "simply unacceptable, and it has to stop." Smith said his group's efforts are intended to protect children from what he called the homosexual lifestyle. "I would not want my child subjected to a push for a lifestyle that goes against everything I'm trying to teach my child about what is right and wrong," he said.

April 25 is the national Day of Silence. The event was organized in 1996 by University of Virginia students to bring attention to the harassment and violence some gay students face. This year's event is in honor of Lawrence King, a California eighth-grader who was killed in February because of his sexual orientation, according to news reports. Nationwide, 4 of every 5 gay or transgender students are harassed at school, according to the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network. GLSEN became the event's sponsor in 2001. For more information about the event, go to www.dayofsilence.org

National Wingnut Coalition Urges Parents to Keep Kids Home on "Day of Silence"

With the recent murders of Lawrence King and Simmie Williams, one would think that the hate merchants of the Christian Right would at least have the decency to tone down the anti-gay rhetoric for at least a little while. However, decency and the Christianists are clearly mutually exclusive. I increasingly believe that they welcome, indeed seek to encourage, violence against gays. Even a moron should realize that their constant bad mouthing and maligning of gays leads to a dehumanization of LGBT citizens, which is the first step in making it acceptable to kill us. Their tactics are basically little different from what Hitler and the Nazis did to the Jews in the 1930’s in the lead up to the Holocaust (http://www.hatecrime.org/subpages/hitler/hitler.html). Sadly, the MSM never calls these folks what they truly are: dangerous hate-filled bigots. Here are some highlights of the venom being disseminated in advance of the National Day of Silence next month. If you go to the linked web site, note how the coverage is ironically described as “in depth, conservative, honest news and commentary.” I believe “dishonest” is the more apt adjective. I wonder whether Lawrence King and Simmie Williams would consider what happened to them to be “alleged injustice, harassment, prejudice, and discrimination?” These people are truly sick and vicious and, yes, they make me angry, particularly the ones who have made a lucrative career out of the intentional dissemination of anti-gay hatred. (http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_19595.shtml):

COLUMBUS, OH -- A nationwide coalition of Christian and pro-family groups is calling for parents to keep children out of schools on Friday, April 25, 2008 — the day when thousands of middle schools, junior highs, and high schools will observe the 12th annual “National Day of Silence.” The coalition includes: Abiding Truth Ministries, American Family Association, AFA of MI, AFA of PA, Americans for Truth, Christian Information Service, Christian Civic League of Maine, Concerned Women for America, Culture Campaign, Defend the Family International, Exodus Mandate, Illinois Family Institute, Indiana Voice for the Family, Informing Christians, Liberty Counsel, MassResistance, Mission America, New Generation Christian Center, Parents' Rights' Coalition, Right March, Stephen Bennett Ministries, Values USA, Watchmen on the Walls.

Buddy Smith of American Family Association asserts, “It’s outrageous that our neighborhood schools would allow homosexual activism to intrude into the classroom. ‘Day of Silence’ is about coercing students to repudiate traditional morality. It’s time for Christian parents to draw the line — if your children will be exposed to this DOS propaganda in their school, then keep them home for the day.”

“Day of Silence” is promoted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a homosexual activist group that targets schools. The event is typically organized by a school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and is designed to pressure students to regard homosexual, bisexual, and transgender behavior as normal and worthy. Students and even some teachers remain silent throughout the school day, disrupting the teaching environment. Protesters wear t-shirts and hand out “speaking cards” protesting alleged injustice, harassment, prejudice, and discrimination toward “LGBT” people and their “allies.”

Explain to your children why you’re taking a stand: Homosexual behavior is not an innate identity; it is sinful and unnatural. No school should advance a physically, emotionally, and spiritually destructive sexual lifestyle to students. Encourage your church leadership to follow the bold example of Pastor Ken Hutcherson who is vocally opposing “Day of Silence” in his community in Redmond, Washington.