I think it would look something like Genesis 1:26: “Let them have dominion over … all the earth. …”

First, we must regain control of the public debate and the battlefronts, including:

1.  
   1. the schools
   2. the universities
   3. the legislatures
   4. the courts
   5. the White House
   6. the media
   7. the music
   8. science
   9. business
   10. technology
   11. and Hollywood

Janet Folger takes a passage from Genesis on how mankind should have dominion over the animals and all that is in it and twists it to mean that Christians should have dominion over all other people on the earth.  From her list she wants to control everything from education to science to the media.  She isn’t describing a democracy–she is describing a theocracy. 

She continues and uses another Old Testament passage:

Second, we must move from defense to offense.

The Lord your God has given you this land to take possession of it. – Deuteronomy 2:18b

In each battle, we pour out all our time, all our energy and all our money just to try and keep what we already had. But in a defensive posture, even when we “win,” we lose. You see, if they set a dozen brushfires, and we put out nine, we still have a net loss of three. When we “win” in defensive mode, we gain nothing.

Again, this passage is talking about the Hebrews taking possession of Palestine, but she twists it to mean that Christians in the U.S. should take possession of all the land and all the people living in it.  This is scary stuff.

And what kind of a country does she want it to be?  I’ll give her entire list:

Imagine for a moment that you had all the resources you needed. What would our demands be?

1. We demand an end to abortion – now.
2. We demand Planned Parenthood be defunded and pay back all tax money received where they have violated state statutory rape reporting laws.
3. We demand marriage between a man and a woman remain the only recognized, protected and subsidized union. All counterfeit unions will not to be legally recognized.
4. Freedom of religion will be practiced unhindered in every facet of America including public schools, the workplace, media, Internet and the public square.
5. Freedom of speech will not be relegated to “zones” but rather practiced in every corner of society including schools, the workplace, media, Internet and the public square.
6. Judges who usurp their authority will be automatically removed from office.
7. Executive officers and legislatures shall not obey illegal court decisions but rather remove the judges who made them.
8. We demand that any school who puts a minor in harm’s way in violation of all 50 state laws by promoting dangerous behavior, including homosexuality and abortion, will automatically lose its public funding.
9. Creationism will be taught in public schools as an alternative theory.
10. The government school monopoly will be broken with tax vouchers for parents to choose their child’s education including homeschooling.

She is describing a theocracy, run by “christians” like herself (except in a Christian theocracy a woman like herself would have no say in matters–I guess Janet Folger hasn’t thought about the actions she is calling for).  She wants judges removed from office if they don’t agree with her agenda.  Any legislation that she disagrees with should be tossed.  She wants education to be controlled by Christians of her kind and wants schools shut down that teach what she doesn’t like.  She wants the religious idea of creationism taught as a science and if they don’t, she wants the schools shut down. 

Look at her list again, and all of us in this country who believe in democracy and free speech (even for those who hate gays and lesbians) should be very afraid of Janet Folger and those who support her.  She wants to overthrow the government we have and replace it with a theocracy.  You know what I think we should do with her words?  Contact your elected officials.  Send them her agenda (and this is an agenda that is supported by many others like her).  Talk to them about the dangers of these people to our way of life.  Spread her words far and wide and let the people have a say in whether or  not our country should be turned into a theocracy.  People like her always look back to the founding fathers, but what she is describing is exactly the opposite of what they created.  We have to use our right to free speech before people like Janet Folger and those like her take ours away.

Now I could say a lot about this 14 year old.  It is tragic, but this is something that could have been avoided.  But instead you have people like Peter LaBarbera, DL Foster and the rest of their buddies calling gays and lesbians wicked and evil.  So an impressionable 14 year old hears this message and takes it into his own hands to deal with it.  And now we have a dead 15 year old because of it.  The message that these anti-gay activists spread in the name of religion is poison and this is one result of that poison. 

The Ventura County School system has a program for middle school kids to teach tolerance and acceptance (something that DL Foster, Peter LaBarbera, Mark at Chesterstreet and all the rest of the anti-gay crusaders are totally against and fight against).  But it wasn’t enough and you have people who I just mentioned that fight tooth and nail against these programs.  They must know that their actions have repercussions.  In fact, just the other day Peter LaBarbera wrote a post with the words Tranny Insanity.  Here are some words from the anti-gay activist about an 8 year old (and I don’t know if Lawrence King would have become a transexual:  now we’ll never know):

In the case of the eight-year-old boy, to what future are the politically correct adults — parents and school authorities included — consigning him with their “caring” embrace of deviance? 

And more to the point:

Also note that the Colorado school principal frames this as an issue of “diversity” — showing the elasticity of that term to include extremely disordered behavioral choices among even the youngest students. This story and the way it is being reported is a microcosm of America’s deep moral crisis.

So Peter LaBarbera is against diversity; he spreads his hate, and some people listen.  I wonder if that 14 year old had heard some of the message spouted against diversity by people like LaBarbera?

I don’t know how these people live with themselves.

And this is the reason why we can never stop fighting against this hate that they believe is based on religion. And this is why we must never let the so-called religious message of Peter LaBarbera and DL Foster (and all the rest of their buddies–you know who you are) become the law of this country.  We’ll see a heck of a lot more dead people if that ever happens.

In its February 2008 special Black History Month issue, Charisma Magazine will be featuring “10 Emerging Voices of the African American Church”. Incredibly, I was selected as one of those voices. I will be writing an article about the state of the black church and homosexuality.

I went to the website of this Charisma Magazine, and big surprise–there was an article on those nasty homosexuals, but it was not written by DL Foster, but someone named Kimberly Daniels.  It may not have been written by Foster, but their messages are the same. 

Apparently this Kimberly Daniels is referred to as an apostle, at least according to her own website (wow, what an ego to go along with everything else!).  She has some interesting ideas, including trying to get people to pray at certain times of the day:

Your assignment is to pray at least one hour between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. If your day makes this impossible and you are up late, pray at 1:00 a.m. (Only if feasible). The prayer assignment is to create an environment in the heavens before the sun rises conducive to the agenda of the Kingdom of Heaven. According to scripture, at sunrise the ordinances of the day will be released as it has been programmed through prayer. We will deprogram all the agendas of darkness before the break of daw

(the ‘daw’ is from her own website…)

Besides trying to ‘create’ a conducive environment in the heavens in the early morning, she is also involved in writing against homosexuals. 

Here is a bit of what the straight Daniels has to say in her article called “Gay Deception“: (more…)

Anyway, LaBarbera and his friend Allyson Smith made a special trip all the way to San Francisco to be part of the Folsom Street Fair.  They went to the Fair and then took video and pictures.  We all know how much LaBarbera likes to take pictures and video of gays and lesbians–especially gay men.  He apparently had a room full of pornography and leather suits when he worked at the Illinois Family Institute…(and it is also interesting that the Illinois Family Institute is hosting LaBarbera’s speech on their YouTube site).  So during his ’speech’ at the Press Club, he showed the video that was shot by the anti-gay activist (and friend of Stacy Harp) Allyson Smith. 

So here is part of the ethical statement put out by the Press Club:

I believe in the profession of Journalism.

I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of lesser service than the public service is a betrayal of this trust.

I believe that clear thinking, clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism.

I believe that a journalist should write only what he holds in his heart to be true. I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible.

I believe that no one should write as a journalist what he would not say as a gentleman; that bribery by one’s own pocket book is as much to be avoided as bribery by the pocketbook of another; that individual responsibility may not be escaped by pleading another’s instructions or another’s dividends.

I believe that advertising, news and editorial columns should alike serve the best interests of readers; that a single standard of helpful truth and cleanness should prevail for all; that supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public ser vice.

I believe that the journalism which succeeds the best-and best deserves success-fears God and honors man; is stoutly independent; unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power; constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of the privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance, and as far as law, an honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world-comradeship, is a journalism of humanity, of and for today’s world.

(more…)

Many Christians are confused, discouraged, and even more troubling, seduced by the relentless assaults on biblical truth waged by the culture of homosexuality that tirelessly pursues its goal of total cultural acceptance by infiltrating our churches, schools, families, and the media.  This confusion, discouragement, and seduction are exacerbated by the relative silence of the church.

…The stubborn rebellious assaults on Scripture

…As satanic ideas about sexuality perpetuate, we must arm ourselves for battle where the Enemy is attacking.

…On the subject of homosexuality, our young people face diabolical attempts at indoctrination in high school, in college, and in the mass media

…We must be willing and determined to address these grave moral and spiritual deceptions without hint of concession to the world

…In the face of this sweeping spiritual and cultural assault, where, if not the church, do our pastors think their followers will be taught truth?

…We must stand tall in the face of the enemies of the Eternal Living God

…The powers of darkness lose something that matters when we obey Christ and renounce the spirits of fear, apathy, and conformity

…At different times in history, the enemy chooses different scriptural truths to attack with ferocity, and the church must respond accordingly

Now a couple of things here.  Look at the language of this letter and the message that DL Foster is trying to convey.  It really isn’t any different that his previous messages:  Gays and lesbians are evil, they are infiltrating everywhere, indoctrinating everyone, they are seducing the young, they are satanic and attacking, they are enemies of the Living God, they are the powers of darkness and the mighty warriors, like this Laurie Higgins and DL Foster and all the rest who spread this message, are on God’s side.

There is something deeply, deeply disturbing about this message.  This is really a call to violence against gays and lesbians, pure and simple.  There is no doubt that some simple-minded person (or not so-simple minded person) will read this and want to become a mighty warrior for God and do the bidding of Laurie Higgins and DL Foster and Mark at Chesterstreet (who is also spreading this message).  What other message can someone take away from this kind of language?  Granted, I have cut and pasted the worst parts of it, but the message is clear:  gays and lesbians are evil and need to be stopped by God’s warriors.  These people spreading this message should be ashamed and they should really think about what they are trying to do with it.

Laurie Higgins also writes:

“…Certainly, a pastor or youth group leader ought not to preach or teach on homosexuality continually…”

So do you think that DL Foster, who has spent his whole adult straight life doing nothing but preaching and ‘teaching’ about homosexuality, will heed her advice?  Will Peter LaBarbera (who is certainly not a minister, but has spent his entire adult life brooding over all things gay and lesbian) heed her advice?   Will Mark at Chesterstreet heed her advice?  My guess is, sadly, no. 

When the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) received its first-ever vote in the House of Representatives and passed the Education and Labor Committee on Oct. 18, it should have been a historic - and celebratory - moment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. But there was a cloud hanging over the vote, with over 300 LGBT and allied groups in the United ENDA Coalition advocating for the original form of the bill introduced earlier this year- one that finally included a ban on discrimination based on gender identity. The House Democratic leadership’s decision to strip those protections from the bill, leaving only sexual orientation covered, has turned what should have been a victory into an unnecessarily divisive, disappointing setback for the LGBT movement. Unfortunately, the mainstream media has characterized this primarily intra-community conflict as the protestations of a “fringe minority of transgender activists” or the “extreme left” of the LGBT population. Nothing could be further from the truth. One look at the list of organizations and the constituencies we represent makes that crystal clear. This is not a conflict between “pragmatic incrementalists” and “all-or-nothing idealists.” this controversy goes to the very core of what brings the LGBT community together, and it has forced a much-needed debate to the surface. It is time for some truth-telling and difficult conversations about what it means to be a community advocating for workplace protections.

Our coalition is urging Congress either to restore gender identity protections via an amendment offered by Congresswoman and out lesbian Tammy Baldwin or, if that cannot be accomplished, to drop the effort to pass LGBT anti-discrimination legislation this year. The reality is that this President will not even consider signing such a bill, whether it covers gender identity or only sexual orientation.  This gives us the opportunity in the coming months to continue to educate our elected officials  - and the public - about how matters of gender affect people of all sexual orientations.

Legal experts have criticized the existing bill as having far too many flaws to provide adequate protections for  ndividuals based on sexual orientation, which often is closely linked to their actual or perceived gender expression. Gay, lesbian and bisexual people who are “straight-acting and appearing” might indeed face a safer future following the passage of this bill, but those who more outwardly transgress gender norms would remain vulnerable under the stripped-down ENDA. Sadly, this has been lost in nearly all of the media coverage of this issue.

Simply put, men who are perceived as effeminate and women who are seen as masculine are often singled out for discrimination in the workplace, and federal case law is not settled as to whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides sufficient protection for such individuals.  Take the example of Christopher Vickers, a private police officer at an Ohio hospital.  He claimed that he had been discriminated against and verbally and physically harassed on a daily basis after he became friends with a gay man.   Much of the harassment focused on questioning Vickers’ masculinity and suggesting that his sexual practices were those traditionally associated with women.  Just last year, a federal appellate court  threw out Vickers’ case  because it found  that Title VII does not forbid this type of discrimination.  Keeping gender identity protections in ENDA would help correct such rulings and represent a major advance in the civil rights of all Americans — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight. While under most circumstances we would support efforts to achieve a tactical victory in the House this year, we feel that seriously weakening the bill and dividing the LGBT community represent a price that is simply too high to pay for a purely symbolic exercise. We believe that maintaining an inclusive ENDA, with protections for the entire LGBT community intact, is both the pragmatic and principled way to proceed.

Advocates of the stripped down ENDA have said that insufficient education has been done concerning transgender Americans and broader issues of gender identity. However, they appear to have overlooked the dramatic, recent gains made in adding gender identity protections to state and local law. Twelve states,  the District of Columbia and more than 90 counties and municipalities now protect transgender people from workplace discrimination. Together, these jurisdictions contain more than 100 million people, about 37 percent of the U.S. population. While more states and localities have sexual orientation protections (representing just over 50% of the U.S. population), the gap is narrowing rapidly.

Since 2003, every state and nearly ever municipality that has enacted sexual orientation protection has also covered gender identity. In large measure, this progress has been the result of the growing unity, solidarity and cohesion of the LGBT community.

United ENDA’s primary goal is to keep our community and our allies united behind an inclusive ENDA until progressive forces have strengthened their position in Congress and there has been a change for the better in the White House. Our coalition represents not only LGBT people, but their parents, family members and straight allies who understand the importance of keeping the community united rather than pulling it apart.  Watering the bill down now and dividing the LGBT community for a victory that is more apparent than real is a dangerous distraction and the wrong precedent to set.

If members of Congress need more education on gender identity issues, let’s continue to increase our work to do that now.  Let’s make sure they know that surveys show that 60 percent of transgender respondents have either no source of income or earn less than $10,000 a year, demonstrating the desperate need for employment protections for transgender people. Let’s make sure they know how frequently lesbians, gay men and bisexuals are subjected to discrimination based  not on their sexual orientation but also because of attitudes about how “real” men and women are “supposed” to look and act. Let’s work together to pass the right bill, one that unites LGBT people, their families and straight allies together, not an inadequate bill that fails protect everyone equally.

Jody M. Huckaby, Executive Director, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National. PFLAG is one of nearly 350 organizations that are part of www.UnitedENDA.org

This is the important defining moment.  We all need to contact our congressional offices and let them know that they need to support the ENDA bill and the Baldwin Amendment.  Let them know the importance of a fully inclusive society and one that provides protection from bigotry based on prejudicial bias.

Call the Capitol Switchboard TODAY!  (202)-224-3121 is all you have to dial.  It’s the easiest way to effect change without donating to any organization.  Your representantives hear from you!

Call now!  Simply type in your zip-code and you’ll be routed to aides of your representative.  Remember to be polite, be on point, and be brief.  Let them know who you are, and give them your information so if the representative or memebers of their staff want to call back with questions they can.

What are you waiting for?  Make change for the better.  Call NOW!  Operators are standing by.

With our community apparently incapable of understanding the concept of keeping your internal strife to yourself and instead combatting your opposition (a strategy our opposition has mastered to perfection), the public battle over trans-inclusive ENDA vs. gutted ENDA continues to rage on. The latest:

-Lambda Legal finds a stripped down version of ENDA to be inadequate.

-Barney Frank says Lambda’s assessment is wrong.

-Americablog’s John Aravosis questions why “trans” was added to ENDA in the first place if it was just going to be dropped

-The only transgender member of the Human Rights Campaign board, Donna Rose, steps down from her post over this situation

-The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition is protesting the October 6th annual HRC National Dinner in Washington, DC, at which Nancy Pelosi is to be honored.

-This despite the fact that HRC has now launched a “full-scale nationwide call to action” in support of Inclusive ENDA

Meanwhile, just like that uncle we don’t care for who continues to stuff his face with turkey and stuffing while we argue with our brothers and sisters over Thanksgiving dinner, our opposition continues to sit back and enjoy the feast of material we are giving them with this public family food fight.

It needs to come to an end.

As I was looking up DL Foster’s church tax-free status, I noticed that Guidestar listed the ‘Chief Executive Profile’, who is DL Foster.  One thing I noticed is that his educational credentials are listed.  If you remember, a couple of weeks ago I exposed his own shaky credentials after he made an attack on someone else’s. 

On his official bio he lists these schools that he went to:

He also furthered his education at the University of Maryland and Liberty University.  Pastor Foster is currently pursuing a B.Th. at Atlanta Bible College. 

I looked at this Atlanta Bible College, and since I had heard of U. of Maryland, I figured I wouldn’t bother looking this university up.  It is well known.  But when I went to the Guidestar description, it listed these schools that DL Foster went to and these were McClennan Community College, Liberty University, and the University of Maryland (European Campus). 

Now look at the difference–his official church bio lists University of Maryland.  But his Guidestar description lists U. of Maryland (European Campus). I thought this sounded fishy, so I did a Google search for it and since DL Foster attacked Bishop Wyatt using a Wikipedia article, I decided to read what Wikipedia had to say about this U. of Maryland, European campus:

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC), located in the unincorporated community of Adelphi in Prince George’s County, Maryland in the United States, is the second-largest university in Maryland. The University in its entirety has one focus: the educational needs of the non-traditional student. UMUC is a separate institution from the well-known University of Maryland located in College Park, MD.

I have bolded and underlined that last sentence–the school he lists on his official bio is NOT the University of Maryland, but the University of Maryland University College.  It sounds like the good reverend is actively trying to fool people about his education (and this is what he was trying to point out in his attack on Bishop Dr. Wyatt). 

University of Maryland University College does have facilities in Europe:

In Europe and Asia, UMUC delivers graduate and undergraduate classes on military sites for active-duty service members, government employees, and their families. The university is a global institution that offers on-site, instructor-led classes at over 110 overseas US military bases in 23 countries throughout the world through its European and Asian Divisions, including some USCENTCOM installations. UMUC administrative facilities are located on Yokota Air Base, Tokyo, Japan and in Heidelberg, Germany near United States Army Garrison Heidelberg.

But IT IS NOT the University of Maryland as DL Foster has on his official Church biography.  Now why is that?  Foster attacked Wyatt for phony credentials (if that is really true) but now it has come to light that DL Foster’s credentials are not quite what he states they are.  Maybe it is time for DL Foster to come clean about his educational credentials and tell the truth–especially since he demands it from other people.