Apr 19
2007
Punted| Category: Americans for "Truth", Lies, Peter LaBarbera |
How can students in the United States of America be allowed to promote the acceptance of homosexuality (e.g., the national Day of Silence) but not criticize it? Remember: many people of faith (and others) do not agree with the modern, trendy notion of “gayness” as personhood — i.e., that it is a part of a person’s intrinsic identity. Instead, they view homosexuality as changeable, unnatural and/or sinful behavior, as evidenced by the many men and women who once considered themselves “gay” but have since left their homosexual lifestyle behind. Judge Hart’s decision creates classic viewpoint discrimination in a public, taxpayer-funded forum (schools) and we hope ultimately that it will be struck down in appeal. I trust that even some of our “gay” critics will see how this ruling is incompatible with the First Amendment.– Peter LaBarbera
Well, Peter, since you said “I” could call you that, but the problem with your statment is…a public school, even though it is run by the government, has the right to limit certain speech. They can limit speech, in the form of signs, banners, and clothing, that goes contrary to policy and law. An example is a student wearing a t-shirt that says “One Tequila, two Tequila, three Tequila, Floor” because that kind of message is incompatible with an alcolhol and drug free environment. Schools can also keep students from wearing shirts with disruptive messages or words on them like F*ck, Sh*t, and D*mn or even saying them and is incompatible with a learning environment. Finally a public school has a responsibility to uphold the fundamental right that students have to a safe friendly and inclusive environment.
An inclusive, safe, and friendly environment cannot be maintained when students are presented with messages that they are not welcome because of some difference that they may or may not have. Students can’t be expected to feel included when a message is being worn by others that say they are immoral, sinners, or that they should change when EVERY CREDIBLE MAINSTREAM PSYCHOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION DENOUNCES SUCH PRACTICES as destructive to one’s mental health. The added hostility and intimidation that students would feel from such a message
Publicly funded schools also have an obligation to prevent messages of faith from ostracizing students who may not share the same faith. If they did that would send a message of established religion which would be against the First Amendment rights of the students that they teach. By this simple logic, the First Amendment rights of the students are being upheld in your school. Whereas, if the message was being squelched on a public street corner, or actually in a church, then yes, their First Amendment rights would be violated and the individuals would have a legitimate case on their hands.
“I” hope this clears things up for you, because otherwise I’m sure your school will let you sit in on a few civics classes.
Apr 15
2007
JoeBrummer| Category: American Family Association, Americans for "Truth", Cross-Posted, Exodus International, Family Research Council, Hate Speech, Lies, Peter LaBarbera |
Crossed posted at Replace the Lies with Truth
A 1933 article published in a German magazine made one of the first calls for the extermination of the Jews. It should have been the first sign for people to be wary of the Nazi’s and what immoral things they were planning. Sadly, we know that over 6 million Jews, Homosexuals, Gypsies and others were in fact exterminated. The last part of the 1933 article states:
The Jewish people is the people of the Devil. It is a people of criminals and murderers. The Jewish people must be exterminated from the face of the earth.
Now here were are in the year 2007 making the same mistakes all over again. Anti-gay activists including Peter La Barbera, Exodus International, the American Family Association, and many others are touting the work of anti-gay propagandist, Paul Cameron. While I think it is great that pro-gay writers like Jim Burroway of Box Turtle Bulletin and RTLWT writer Kevin Kaatz have exposed the most recent study by Dr. Cameron for all its lies, flaws and propaganda like qualities, I can’t help fear that the greater and more alarming issue is that anti-gay activists, much like Nazi supporters of the early part of the 20th century are giving further platform to a scientist who has called for the extermination of gays and lesbians. Paul Cameron, speaking to a 1985 Political Action Conference made the following comments:
“Unless we get medically lucky, in three or four years, one of the options discussed will be the extermination of homosexuals.”
Former US Surgeon General, C. Evert Koop, states that Dr. Paul Cameron has been suggesting the extermination of gays and lesbians since 1983, yet the machine known to us as the anti-gay industry has been using this man’s writings for years and continue to do so even after this has been made public. Aside from the fact Dr. Cameron’s work is flawed; Aside from the fact Dr. Cameron has misrepresented the place he has printed and presented this flawed work, one has to ask: Why is Peter La Barbera and the rest of this machine using the work of a man who is calling for a systematic genocide of gays and lesbians?
Mr. La Barbera has gone as far as to try and defend Dr. Cameron with this statement before printing Dr. Cameron’s latest research:
Homosexual activists reject out-of-hand any research that shows homosexual behavior, generally speaking, is unhealthy compared to normal sexuality.
Homosexual activists, as well as everyone on this planet should reject the work of Dr. Paul Cameron. After any man on this planet calls for the extermination of an entire group of people, we as a human race should reject anything they say further. Why this is past Mr. La Barbera and why he would defend the work of a man calling for murder is beyond my understanding. I would suggest to Mr. La Barbera to retract the statements he has made in support of Cameron’s work, and remove the article promoting the work of the evil scientist.
I would urge all to read the sources and references on any anti-gay science they read on the websites of Americans for Truth, the American Family Association, Stephen Bennett, Concerned Women for America, Matt Barber and others for the name Cameron and reject it. These are all people who have, at one point or another used or help to further through others, Dr. Cameron’s work to dehumanize and demonize gays and lesbians.
If any of them are curious why GLBT people call their speech hate, this is it! This is the reason!
Apr 09
2007
JoeBrummer| Category: Cross-Posted, Ex-Gay Issues, Exodus International, Hate Speech, Peter LaBarbera, Uncategorized |
Daniel Gonzales wrote a great video piece on the “Day of Truth”. It has been release by “Truth Wins Out“. Dan examines the lies and misinformation behind the “Day of Truth” and shows you how their is sadly, little truth in the day of truth or the anti-gay industry behind it!
Apr 09
2007
JoeBrummer| Category: Americans for "Truth", Cross-Posted, Hate Speech, Peter LaBarbera, Uncategorized |
Paul Cameron, almost famous for distorted research, has once again put out some shady statistics on how married gays die younger. The conclusions reached in this latest study not only are absurd, they have been misrepresented to the Christian Press as way more legit than they are. This hasn’t stopped Americans for Truth and others from shouting from the rooftops how gays die younger and that homosexuality is worse than smoking.
Jim Burroway over at Boxturtle Bulletin has the details on the Cameron and Cameron study.
Jim writes:
In 1993, Paul Cameron, of the Family Research Institute, began touting a paper he said he presented at the Eastern Psychological Association entitled, “The lifespan of homosexuals.” Using obituaries from various gay newspapers around the country, Cameron claimed that the average lifespan for gay men was a mere 42 years. For lesbians, the average was 44.
While that study was roundly criticized for its ridiculous methodology, those statistics have persisted as a sort of macabre urban legend among some anti-gay activists. Among them include Christopher Rosik, a California psychologist who cites Cameron’s lifespan figure as justification for sexual orientation conversion therapy.
Well, Cameron’s at it again, hijacking the Eastern Psychological Association’s reputation once again to claim that gays and lesbians in registered partnerships in Denmark and Norway experience a lifespan up to 24 years shorter than their heterosexual counterparts. His latest claims are already being picked up by anti-gay activists, conservative news organizations, blogs, and pundits. Conservative columnist Armstrong Williams commented on Cameron’s claims and asked, “Considering these statistics, do you now believe that vulnerable children should be raised in such an unstable environment?” It’s only a matter of time before these statistics make their way into the mainstream media.
Cameron’s paper, “Federal Distortion of Homosexual Footprint,” is filled with all the strange and bogus statistics we’ve come to expect from him. I examined his methods and in my latest report, “Paul Cameron’s Footprint,” I show you why the claims he makes based on data from Denmark and Norway are completely worthless. My conclusions:
Yes, Cameron is up to his same old tricks again. You can bet that this won’t be the last time we hear from him. And no matter how ridiculous his methodologies may be, he will continue to provide statistical fodder for the anti-gay lobby. But with his latest paper on the “Homosexual Footprint,” he doesn’t have a leg to stand on. This time, as always, his “footprint” is planted firmly in his mouth.
You can read the whole report here.
Apr 03
2007
JoeBrummer| Category: Ex-Gay Issues, Hate Speech, Peter LaBarbera, Stephen Bennett |
A coalition of anti-gay advocates led by Stephen Bennett, have banded together to urge parents to pull their kids from school on April 18th as a protest of the protest, a “Day of Silence“. I have been pondering this protest of the protest and think it is great! Good for them and good for the protest.
Here are the reasons why:
To start with the only kids left in the schools will be kids who are silent. I suspect, the numbers of kids who will stay home won’t be that big since the youth of today are far more accepting of gays, according to national surveys. The show of solidarity will be a very supportive thing for gay youth to see. The show of silence from more kids will send a stronger message to school officials of the problem at hand. (Read the latest reports on kids being bullied for their perceived sexual orientation, also read what mental health advocates say about the damage that does to youth)
Gay youth will see who their friends are and so will everyone else. Much like the Children’s March of 1963, the world will be watching this one. For one of the first times, many will see who supports violence and discrimination against gays and lesbians and who doesn’t. The community will see the number that support the violence, discrimination the gay youth face is smaller than those who are opposed to the violence. The Day of Silence is a protest for those who can no longer speak since their voices have been silenced by violence. Without the kids who will not participate the percent of kids who will participate will be greater. Rather than 20% of the kids present taking part in the protest 80% will be. This sends a clear message to administrators that lots of kids support the day of silence since the only kids they see will be silent ones.
The best way to be silent, is to not be there at all. So even though the intention is to not participate in the Day of Silence, these kids pulled from school are participating. The absence is their silence whether they know it or not. I guess I should send Stephen Bennett a thank you note for making the Day of Silence more successful by taking the problems out of it, the bullies.
Day of silence is about kids being bullied by other kids who misunderstand, have been mis-educated by their parents and have misguided by their churches. If you are curious who is bullying the gay youth, it will be the absent youth on April 18th. Remember that hate is not born into people. Hate is taught to children by their parents. This action will help identify those kids who are being taught to hate by their parents. At least teachers will finally know who to watch out for!
Again I reminded myself that all tyranny falls. Even Stephen Bennett, one day I feel assured people will look back at him and say what they do about George Wallace or Senator Theodore Bilbo now.
Mar 23
2007
Punted| Category: Americans for "Truth", Fundies, Hate Crime Laws, Hate Speech, Lies, Peter LaBarbera, Uncategorized |
It came to my attention today on the AFT home page that Peter Labarbera has started yet another misleading website/organization aimed at fighting the forces of good and equality in Illinois. His new organization that he’s “director” of is called “Real Civil Rights Illinois.”
From the “About” section:
Real Civil Rights Illinois is a statewide pro-marriage, pro-life organization founded for the purpose of defending real civil and human rights as opposed to the modern, counterfeit variety based on homosexuality, abortion and pornography usage. We reject the notion of expanding “civil rights” to include homosexual behavior (”sexual orientation”) - which tramples on the rights of people of faith to oppose homosexuality - and abortion, which destroys the God-given right of children in the womb to live. We oppose the idea that citizens have a “right” to view pornography in taxpayer-funded public libraries. Real Civil Rights Illinois is part of Americans For Truth Action, a national C-4 organization. Gifts to RCR-IL and Americans For Truth Action are not tax-deductible, allowing us greater freedom to lobby in defense of pro-family and pro-life values.
Peter LaBarbera, Director
630-717-7631
Send E-mail
Where to begin? Has Peter LaBarbera gone daffy? Discrimination and fomenting violence are not rights. Ensuring that a group of law-abiding, tax-paying, citizens remain second-class is not a right. Forcing people in a free society to live by the rules of someone’s God is not a right. Peter apparntly doesn’t know what a civil right is.
| civil right |
| noun |
| right or rights belonging to a person by reason of citizenship including especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments and subsequent acts of Congress including the right to legal and social and economic equality |
Poor, poor, Peter. He pulls out the religious persecution card again, saying equal civil rights would trample of the rights of people of faith to oppose homosexuality. How is this so? In the United States he and everyone else that is opposed to LGBT equality are and will be forever able to spout their anti-gay rhetoric. What is not acceptable and that we fight for unapologeticaly is the same fundamental rights that heterosexuals have. We want to know that if we’re attacked solely because of our real or percieved sexuality that law enforcement officials will not be able to turn a blind eye because of their personal bias agianst us. No one is going to take away Peter’s right to be a ‘Peter’ and disagree with us.
Besides, Peter, aren’t two anti-gay organizations enough? Now you need to inject a third dosage of poison into Naperville?
Mar 02
2007
JoeBrummer| Category: Americans for "Truth", Hate Speech, Peter LaBarbera, Uncategorized |
I have written before about the “big question.” Where do people like La Barbera see gays in the world when their mission is complete. What end goals are people like La Barbera working for? What happens to gays and lesbians who don’t subscribe to his insane notions? Are we in jail? Are we in camps waiting to be gassed? Does La Barbera really think his hate for us is stronger than our love for our partners? The answer is in.
La Barbera writes on his blog (bold print mine):
LaBarbera is encouraging conservatives and people of faith likewise to think long-term. “We must retain the goal of repealing all ’sexual orientation’ laws - in Illinois and across the nation - since they are incompatible with the basic American freedoms of religion, conscience, and association,” he says on his group’s website. “And we must act to protect marriage as between a man and a woman at the state and federal constitutional levels.”
Repeal of all “sexual orientation” laws? So in other words, he wants to reinstate Sodomy laws and make homosexuality illegal? He wants to roll back nondiscrimination laws so we can be fired from our jobs? He wants to bar us from seeing our partners in ER’s across the nation? No offense but this is the purest evil I have ever heard. It lacks any compassion that he has ever tried to convince us he has for “homosexuals”.
It appears that La Barbera failed science as well since he says:
“Greg Harris is the new homosexual rep representing ‘Boystown,’ which is the homosexual neighborhood in Chicago. He replaces another homosexual,” says LaBarbera. “He is HIV positive and even put … on his resume, publicly, that he has AIDS.” The Americans for Truth spokesman says he finds that both sad and ironic. “He’s bearing a disease that is caused by this lifestyle,” he notes, “and now he wants to take this lifestyle and say that it merits being called ‘marriage.”
Does he not know that HIV/AIDS is cause by a virus not a lifestyle? Is he unaware that most gays do not have AIDS? This type of language is so close to the propaganda of the Nazi’s is scares me. Gays are the source of disease. Gays are destroying marriage. Gays this and gays that. La Barbera is one misinformed man with evil works. He is saying that being gay is just a lifestyle, and that the lifestyle causes disease. Now lets look at the Nazi Propaganda again….
Insidious Jews spread disease like rats
“In this way, they (the rats) spread disease, plague, leprosy, typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, and so on. They are cunning, cowardly, and cruel, and are found mostly in large packs. Among the animals, they represent the rudiment of an insidious and underground destruction - just like the Jews among human beings.”- Nazi propaganda film, “The Eternal Jew,”
“Jews are like rats that spread disease”, is what the Nazi’s claimed to incite fear in others about the Jews. This is the same tactic La Barbera is using. We as a society should be deeply alarmed that this type of hate speech is surfacing again.
In an interview with “Republicans for Fair Media,” La Barbera makes some of the most outrageous claims yet. Someone should just give him a soapbox and let him speak since his words are more damaging to his mission than anything I could say to expose his lies. He shoots himself in the foot when he makes statements like:
(more…)
Feb 09
2007
Punted| Category: Americans for "Truth", CWA, Lies, Pam's House Blend, Peter LaBarbera, Rules, Threats, Violence |
Recently a commenter on Pam’s House Blend went out of bounds of the Blend community rules by posting private information and making threatening comments in the comments section of a blog posting that briefly discussed a story that was broken by Dr. Kevin Kaatz, a blogger on this site. The commenter, ”Barry G. Wick,” has been kicked off of the blog and his comments deleted permanently as a result.
Consequently this was picked up immediately by Concerned Women for America and Peter Labarbera who politicized this event by first posting a press release about it blaming Pam Spaulding for Mr. “Wick’s” comments.
In what was, at the very least, an apparent attempt to intimidate and frighten LaBarbera, who is married with children, “House Blend” published his home address in a January 13, 2007, thread titled, “Saturday this and that.” Shortly thereafter, someone identified as “Barry G. Wick” posted the following comments: “It’s across from a park in an area with cul de sacs. I’d bet it’s a residence … and across from a park. Snipers take note.”
“Wick” later seemed to suggest that shooting LaBarbera would amount to an act of self-defense: “Self-defense for gay folks isn’t PC, is it? No, we have to be sure that we’re victims all the time. … When we start standing up for ourselves, we lose all the status of an under class. I refuse to be part of an underclass. I’m equal. And I’m gonna use any language, even outrageous language, to get my point across. … I’m a citizen … equal, proud, and willing to defend my way of life with my life. …”
Later in the same thread “Wick” made his true intent clear: “If I were Azerbaijani and living in Russia right now, I’d want to advocate violence against skinheads … [LaBarbera] and others like him ought to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what future awaits them from a cadre of selected defenders willing to give up everything in order to protect the lives of gay and lesbian citizens. The greatest thing ever to happen to the [Martin Luther King] movement was the Black Panthers. Americans were shocked by an open display of firearms and Black Pride … Pushing back verbally … or with selected action isn’t dishonorable, it’s necessary.” (emphasis Peter Labarbera’s)
Needless to say that threats of violence, whether serious or joking, are COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE and will get you banned from this and many other sites. It’s hard to monitor comments at all times and Pam has said as much on her blog and in her emails to Peter Labarbera.
Being on the recieving end of threats of violence as a lot of us have been is never fun. It however is not a ball we here at Tiny Queer Footballs will ever toss back to either side of this debate.
It is also important to note that Concerned Women for America, have contacted Pam’s employer due to the private information that Peter Labarbera has posted on his website. Peter should condemn such actions as IT WAS NOT Pam who posted the comments. Concerned Women for America should be ashamed of themselves for politicizing this event and offering no correction as Peter LaBarbera clearly has.
On a side note that still needs some mentioning. Mr “Wick” has faxed a personal letter of apology to Concerned Women of America and Peter LaBarbera.
Jan 28
2007
JoeBrummer| Category: Americans for "Truth", Ex-Gay Issues, Exodus International, Hate Crime Laws, Janet Folger, Lies, Peter LaBarbera, Sonja Dalton, Uncategorized |
Reposted from “Replace the Lies with Truth“, my daily blog.
While bullying and violence continue to be a problem in this country for all youth, anti-gay forces have done zilch to solve this problem. 365gay.com is reporting today that two states, Florida and Iowa have anti-bullying laws on the table that are moving forward with protections for students perceived to be gay or lesbian. It doesn’t really matter if the students are or are not gay, it is about how people perceive them. Just so the anti-gay forces don’t try to claim this is a special rights thing, it covers all students, even if those students claim the ex-gay identity.
A father whose son was badly beaten in school by other students told the school board:
“For 22 minutes of my life I had to sit there and watch that clock tick by, and I had to contemplate I was going to have to go home and tell my wife we didn’t have a son no more”
It is proven by the science, over and over again that kids are bullied based on sexual orientation. Many of these kids are not even gay, but seen as gay by their peers. Anti-bullying laws would send a message that this violent behavior towards fellow students is wrong, yet anti-gay groups are against any form of anti-violence, anti-hate crime, or other that would reduce, stop or prevent violence against GLBT students, and even adults.
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Jan 14
2007
JoeBrummer| Category: Americans for "Truth", Fundies, Hate Crime Laws, Janet Folger, Peter LaBarbera, Uncategorized |
(Split post to preserve front page space. Please follow the link at the bottom or click the title to view the entire post. -Punted)
Faith 2 Action, a group led by Janet Folger recently had Peter La Barbera on her radio show entitled, Faith2action. This group is making a blantent call to Christians to go against their faith’s message of nonviolence and calls them to fight in the cultural war rather than do the right thing.
To start with the host of the show Janet Folger is planning to launch a new website against hate crime laws called http://www.stophatecrimesnow.com/. The site will be dedicated to stopping hate crime laws from protecting gays and lesbians. No words on whether the site will stop hate crime protections for christians. I will be watching to see the day the site goes up and keep you posted.
In the second half of the show, Janet had long time activist, Peter La Barbera from Americans for Truth on the show. Here is my sum up of the show:
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Jan 11
2007
Kevin| Category: Americans for "Truth", Fundies, Lies, Peter LaBarbera, Uncategorized |
(Split post to preserve front page space. Please follow the link at the bottom or click the title to view the entire post. -Punted)
**Update Below**
***I have to admit that I made a mistake by republishing some material from the GuideStar website. Below was an email I sent to Guidestar. Anyone can see the information for free at www.guidstar.org. They just cannot republish it as I did. I have taken the information off this blog, although as I said, anyone can see this information for free.***
I see on a couple of websites that Americans for Truth About Homosexuality is attacking a 16 year old for writing about the truth that sits behind the Americans for “Truth.” Well, I’ve just done a bit of background checking about this group and found out some interesting things.
I didn’t realize that the actual name for Americans for Truth is Americans for Truth about Homosexuality. I suppose that is what AFTAH stands for, but why don’t they put their full title in their website? I think when this group is mentioned the full legal title should be used.
What also really made me angry is that when I looked this organization up in GuideStar (a source of information about non-profit organizations), their ‘National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities,’ code is R26–Lesbian/Gay Rights. These NTEE codes are used to help people search for non-profit organizations. And get this–this code of R26 is used for “Civil Rights, Advocacy for Specific Groups”! So Americans for Truth about Homosexuality is listed under civil rights groups for lesbians and gays! (more…)
Jan 11
2007
Punted| Category: Americans for "Truth", Fundies, Lies, Peter LaBarbera, Sonja Dalton |
Americans For Truth (AH?) have a fairly prominent theme or modus operandi for how they get their “truth” out to readers. It’s a fairly simple one. “Don’t refute the message. Attack the messenger !”
Instead of simply refuting the arguments against them, they attack the very people who express their point of view. While holding the bible in their hands to boost the credibility of AFT, they use personal attacks to insult the sincerity of those making the opposing view points.
If one were to go to their page today or any day really but starting with the post at the bottom ”An Open Letter … ” dated January 5th, 2007 and work our way up to the top to “NEA’s Anti-Bullying Statement …” dated January 10th, one can see this trend of “blame the messenger” very clearly. I’m going to analyze the stories on the page today and then let you, the reader follow along in the preceding days to see how they handle this.
The first post we’ll analyze is “An Open Letter to Peter LaBarbera.” This was written by a person who comments on and reads Pams House Blend. It was an open letter addressed to Peter LaBarbera in which he states as a gay man who has come to Christ he can’t understand why AFT instead of helping people come to Christ as is commanded in the Bible and helping those that are truly needy, they only pick on a small minority of the population and work as hard as is possible to condemn in every way possible. (more…)
