Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyDecember 28th, 2009
There are currently a handful of candidates for the Republican nomination to the US Senate seat in Illinois vacated by Barack Obama and currently held by Roland Burris. Two are in the news today.
Congressman Mark Kirk is a moderate Republican who has voted favorably on issues before Congress which would impact the gay community. He has been supportive on ENDA and hate crimes legislation and voted against amending the US Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. He is involved in Republican groups that are seeking to make the party less about social issues and return its focus to fiscal conservatism and small government.
He also has been the subject of rumors relating to his sexual orientation.
Andy Martin, on the other hand, is a colorful character primarily known for creating and disseminating conspiracy theories (e.g. Obama is a closet Muslim), filing lawsuits, and for his flagrant Antisemitism. In short, he’s pretty much a complete loon.
But Martin has developed a strategy to get attention and, perhaps, hurt Kirk: repeat rumors in hopes of stirring up homophobia. He ran the following radio ad:
I’m Andy Martin, Republican candidate for United States Senator. I approved this message because Illinois Republicans deserve the truth about their candidates.
I have over forty years of experience and integrity fighting corruption, and fighting for the truth in politics.
I helped expose many of Barack Obama’s lies in 2008.
Today, I am fighting for the facts about Mark Kirk. Illinois Republican leader Jack Roeser says there is a, “solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual.” Roeser suggests that Kirk is part of a Republican Party homosexual club. Lake County Illinois Republican leader Ray True says Kirk has surrounded himself with homosexuals.
Mark Kirk should tell Republican voters the truth.
I\’m Andy Martin a Republican you can trust for U.S. Senator.
Please vote for Andy Martin.
Paid for by Illinois Republicans for Andy Martin.
Now, I don’t know anything about Mark Kirk’s sexual orientation. But I also know that as an active Navy reservist, he’s not going to announce that he’s gay any time soon. And as he is not a enemy to our community, accusations of “hypocrisy” sound hollow.
As for Martin, he again proves my contention that haters are often inclusive. Martin is bigoted towards both Jews and gays (at least).
And his campaign is pure unvarnished bald-faced homophobia. Let’s hope it backfires.
Latest Posts
Featured Reports
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
“Google” is a trademark of Google Inc.
© Box Turtle Bulletin. All Rights Reserved.
Posts 
Posts via daily email:
bearchewtoy75
December 28th, 2009
I miss the good-old days of politics when candidates smeared each other on the basis of things that they knew to be true, like, ya know, THE FACTS.
To quote Kathy Griffin, “It’s a rumor, so that’s good enough for me!”
Pender
December 28th, 2009
It already has backfired; I believe the national Republican party has publicly denounced Martin.
Fortunately, we are past the point where “homosexual!” is an effective political tactic, and its use here suggests political incompetence or desperation; I doubt it is culturally instructive. The state of the art against a gay candidate is now about dredging up incidents from the candidate’s past that implicate some sort of “radical agenda” — and that, not coincidentally, make the candidate’s gayness topical. Kevin Jennings is the most prominent victim of this technique. The parallel to Lee Atwater’s Southern Strategy is perfect; eventually “nigger!” became a counterproductive strategy and the racial slurs were refashioned as innuendo about school busing, voting legislation and the like.
Tina
December 28th, 2009
its unfortunate that “accusing” someone of being gay is the equivalent of character assination.
here’s Andy Martin’s email, if you’d like to share your thoughts with him:
[Ed: email address removed. We do not encourage hate mail, it tend to be counterproductive.]
better yet, and focusing on the positive, Rep Kirk can be reached at:
info@kirkforsenate.com
these comment boards are great, but let’s not stop there. Remember Bayard Rustin’s saying…
“The proof that one truly believes is in action.”
Tina
December 28th, 2009
@BTB
thanks for the reminder about hate mail being counter-productive.
my intention was to encourage feedback that shares how this message is harmful to everyone.
i would hope that we can respond with information and personal stories that are educational and not hateful.
Timothy Kincaid
December 28th, 2009
Thanks, Tina.
I do believe that your intentions were above reproach. And I know that many, especially BTB readers, are responsible when they contact opponents of equality.
Sadly, that isn’t always the case.
John
December 28th, 2009
The Repubican Party in Illinois really seems to be struggling when it comes to Senate seats. The party imploded in its last run against Obama and in the end put up a crazy, religious right, carpet bagging nut from Maryland.
Matt
December 28th, 2009
Don’t know if this has been reported or not, but the Illinois GOP is apparently cutting ties with Martin:
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x664195621/GOP-calls-ad-questioning-candidates-sexual-orientation-bizarre-repugnant
Ephilei
December 29th, 2009
“Martin is bigoted towards both Jews and gays (at least).” And Muslims.
John
December 29th, 2009
Rep. Kirk supports Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. I don’t have much sympathy for a gay person who supports discrimination against gay and lesbian servicemembers. If he really is gay, I hope his outing leads to his dismissal from the military under the policy that he supports so strongly.
Timothy Kincaid
December 29th, 2009
John, please provide a link to support that claim.
Richard W. Fitch
December 29th, 2009
I don’t know that much about the source, but here is a web link:
http://mediamattersaction.org/blog/200910160001
Rep. Kirk: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Has “Worked Out Well”
October 16, 2009 9:39 am ET by Matt Finkelstein
Timothy Kincaid
December 29th, 2009
Richard,
Thanks.
Media Matters is a partisan site so I take what they say with a grain of salt. I’m still waiting for a source that can be tied either to Kirk’s campaign or to something he has actually said.
I know that he is not a cosponsor of the legislation to reverse DADT, but I’m having difficulty finding a good source for his supporting the policy that can be read in context.
John
December 29th, 2009
Timothy,
There is video of Congressman Kirk stating his support for Don’t Ask Don’t Tell:
http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/10/12/dont-ask-dont-tell/
Timothy Kincaid
December 29th, 2009
John,
Thank you for the source. Yep, you’re right, he definitely has stated his support for DADT.
Perhaps ironically, though I don’t want to assume the Miller has anything other than pure speculation at this point.
Leave A Comment