The Daily Agenda for Wednesday, June 19
Another Exodus Conference Is Upon Us. Let's Review.
For Our Opponents: Talking to Your Kids About Same-Sex Marriage
The Daily Agenda for Tuesday, June 18
The Daily Agenda for Monday, June 17
The Daily Agenda for Sunday, June 16
The Daily Agenda for Saturday, June 15
The Daily Agenda for Friday, June 14
Featured Reports
What Are Little Boys Made Of?
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.
Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate
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.
David Benkof: Behind the Mask
At first glance, David Benkof appears to be a young gay man who believes that same-sex marriage will damage the institution of marriage, that there are better options for gay couples than marriage, that the community should join him in prioritizing other more pressing issues, and that the marriage discussion is harming the efforts of gay couples in red states to get recognition for their unions. He also claims that he’s a gay columnist, that he speaks for an influential collection of gay thinkers, and that he is part of the gay and lesbian community and that he shares our goals and dreams. But none of that is true.
“Repeat After Me”: The Reparative Therapy Echo Chamber
The April 2008 edition of the pay-to-publish vanity journal Psychological Reports featured a new report from NARTH. Written by NARTH president A. Dean Byrd, past president Joseph Nicolosi, and Richard W. Potts, the report carries the unwieldy but self-descriptive title, “Clients perceptions of how reorientation therapy and self-help can promote changes in sexual orientation.” While the title describes what the authors meant to show — how clients describe the benefits of reparative therapy — the report itself actually illustrates something very different: the ex-gay movement’s remarkable ability to instill an almost robot-like parroting of ex-gay rhetoric among their clients.
Testing the Premise: Is MRSA The New Gay Plague?
The Toronto Star said that a new study “discover[ed] a new strain” of a super-bug “hitting gay men.” Headlines in Britain screamed, “Flesh-eating bug strikes San Francisco’s gay community,” and anti-gay extremists across America spread the alarm that gays were introducing another plague into “the general population.” But there was a small problem with all of this: None of it is true!
Paul Cameron’s World
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.
From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”
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"
The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths
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.
Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?
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.
Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples
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.
The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing
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.
Review: The Gay Report
When Karla Jay and Allan Young published The Gay Report in 1979, it quickly a favorite source of statistics for many anti-gay extremists. But before you accepts these statistic at face value, you should examine the inner workings of this survey very carefully. What you learn might surprise you.
Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count
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.
News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric
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beachewtoy75
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Here’s my prediction…
He’ll settle the suit for an undisclosed amount of money (but it will be ALOT).
He’ll say it was in the best interests of the church.
He’ll step down and he’ll lose his mansion and fancy cars, etc. Church attendance will drop.
He’ll disappear from the spotlight for a year or two and start up a new church.
He’ll admit that there was wrongdoing on his part. He will say that he has undergone “spiritual counseling” or something after being at the mercy of Satan and now he’s saved.
OR
He will admit no wrongdoing, but that will give him plenty of time to come up with a story about why a married straight man is taking sexy pics with his phone and giving them to teenage boys.
Soren456
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
There’s no criminal case against him (yet), and the civil cases are apparently quite weak. They amount to claims of clergy malpractice, which generally go nowhere.
So Long will skate free (legally), spinning his “victory” as proof of innocence. I’d bet on it.
But once the word has been spoken, it can’t be taken back; Long’s life will never be as it was, and his voice never again respected much beyond the walls of his building.
It will be our victory, but a quiet one.
Tone
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
I marvel at the mental gymnastics that Long’s flock must go through in justifying his caviar lifestyle. They listen to every word he says, dutifully offer up their tithe, and then go home to their ordinary but worthwhile lives for another week.
Long isn’t so much preacher as entertainer. He’s selling the sizzle of eternal happiness and the promise of material prosperity, yet offering only Hamburger Helper to his congregation. Perhaps this is the type of church that the Apostle John wrote about in Revelations, the lukewarm one that Christ would spit out of his mouth in the last days.
Beware “bishop” Long… your sin has found you out.
Steve
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
History certainly has a way of repeating itself:
Ted Haggard slithered out from under the rock of shame and reinvented himself all the while refusing to admit that he is gay.
I think that this “Bishop” will do the same. Once you have experienced the good life it is hard to go back to a simpler life without all the niceties.
And again, we see the old adage that the most vitriolic gay haters have issues with their own sexuality and spout off out of self loathing.
On a non sexual level, we again see the preacher living anything but the kind of life that Jesus would have lived. This “Bishop” has twisted the life of Jesus into his own version in which staggering wealth and a life of luxury is perfectly okay because God says he deserves it. Far be it from others to criticize and remember the many poor blacks in the South that eke out a hand to mouth existence while this self appointed man of God lives in a mansion and rides around in his luxury SUV.
And how many times have we seen the fools who support these so called holy men and all their riches?…..Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, Ted Haggard,Benny Hill, and all the others.
It will be hard for him to admit any degree of “gayness” in the South where homophobia is still rampant among black Southern Baptists.
Oh well, life goes on and history keeps repeating itself.
Patrick
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Steve: “And how many times have we seen the fools who support these so called holy men and all their riches?…..Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, Ted Haggard,Benny Hill, and all the others.”
Thanks for providing a bit of unintended humour here. Benny Hill? Yes, he was notorious for running around luxury mansions chasing scantily clad women but I don’t think many actually considered him a “holy man”! I think you meant Benny Hinn.
Steve
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Yep, you’re right. Sorry for the “holy man” mixup. Benny Hill was the “holy one” but both were chasing holes.
Steve
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Or make it Benny Hinn the “holy one”. Damn, have a hard time getting the names straight.
Tone
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
I bet Benny Hill’s church *would* have been fun specially with those stop motion sermons he always did whilst chasing scantily clad beauties!
Mark F.
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
These legal cases seem pretty weak to me. “He abused his power by asking for a blow job after giving me money, clothes and trips.” Oh, the horror!
TomTallis
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
David and Goliath??? Oh, the irony!
Rob San Diego
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Has anyone been watching this on CNN? You know who they bring in for expert knowledge on such things, none other then Ted Haggard.
I agree with beachewtoy75 on everything except him loosing his money and property. In fact, donations might even pick up for him and his church. I’m sure the black community will pull together for him.
KEW
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Not to split hairs here, but from everything I have heard in the boys’ cases,the only details of sexual acts say it’s the bishop giving the head.
So, now he can’t even say they were trying to pleasure him and now feel guilty about it or want the money.
I can’t wait for the investigation into his “twink-mentoring group”!Other sites are saying that there may be as many as 30 men in this suit.
Emily K
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
If he’s David, who’s Jonathan?
Alex
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Yummy pass the popcorn. The spectacle of Af-Am homophobia is about to be exposed far and wide. Lots of cringing and hemming and hawing and blaming the “gay agenda.” Is it too much to ask for this to connect to Fierce Advocate Obama?
Please please let this go to court, please? But there’s more of Long’s boys out there so they might not settle to avoid more suits, and prolly there’s some ‘blue dress’ evidence; he hasn’t actually denied hooking up with dudes.
main meme: Every Flamboyant Homophobe Is A Closeted Homosexual. Ten bucks says Tony Perkins is also a closeted homosexual.
Neil
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
He defends himself by comparison to a Biblical poof. I wonder if he’s read the Bible.
Gregory Peterson
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
I wondered what professional forensic photo-enhancement of the bike shorts photo might reveal. I’m not one, but here’s what I got from low buck and obsolete Photoshop Elements 3 software.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2071331&id=1608524690&ref=mf#!/photo.php?pid=1144706&id=1608524690&ref=fbx_album
TampaZeke
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Trading sex and companionship for money, gifts, trips, nights out wining and dining?
Sounds like standard heterosexual courtship to me.
Maybe that’s how he’s going to make the case that what he did wasn’t “gay”.
Bernie
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
I smell GUILT!
And yes, he will be born again, and again.
Tom in Lazybrook
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
Its a real shame that he doesn’t refuse to fight against Gay rights in the court of public opinion as he refuses to address the accusations of rape against him in the court of public opinion.
Lightning Baltimore
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
He’s “got five rocks,” eh? Does that mean we can expect a fifth young man to come forward?
And then he’ll use his five rocks to kill his five terrifying “Goliaths?”
justsearching
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
I’m feeling unkind and hope that both this man and his church fall to pieces after the truth is made known (if it is made known.)
andrewdb
September 26th, 2010 | LINK
So he won’t try this in the Court of Public Opinion, but in a Court of Justice, he said AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. Oh the irony.
customartist
September 27th, 2010 | LINK
Judgin
Yes, unfortunately, this congreration (not necessarily a Black thing) will surely support him In His Recovery, because they will surely stay in the condition of Denial that Gays actually exist in the world as a valid calss of people, undeserving of their hate.
WHICH BTW links to one of the statements within the Prop 8 brief filed by the group of 12 Religious Orgs (The Dirty Dozen) which states:
“…our faiths also entreat us to love and embrace those who reject our beliefs, not to hate or mistreat them. Bigotry is contrary to our most basic religious convictions.”
When I read this I vomited a bit, choked, and blew it through my nostrils onto my monitor!
“We don’t hate or mistreat gays, [OR] believe in bigotry”?? You gotta be kiddin me! This is Exactly what they believe,…AND exactly what they DO!
Perfect Holy Denial.
B John
September 27th, 2010 | LINK
beachewtoy75 comes closest to how this will play out. He’s got the money to settle, so he will. And really, it’s because he loves those guys so much you know. He just doesn’t want them to have to through the embarrassment of having their butts legally kicked in court, so he’ll just help them out. And it’s also just better for the ministry to get this behind them, so keep the contributions coming.
It does seem they were of the age of legal consent in GA, so it’s a pastoral malpractice case…which the courts are loath to get into.
While we’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty in this country, I do find it interesting that Long’s carefully worded statements don’t just include an outright denial of the charges. He’s not obligated to say that, but if you are innocent, why not just say so. The out with his statement is that if he can find just one little detail that’s wrong in the story of the guys, then “he’s not the person being portrayed in the gay-agenda controlled liberal christian-bashing media.”
If these four (as bad as it is) are the only ones who come forward, his “flock” will be able to demonize them at the Bishop’s urging (you know, just kids being manipulated by a lawyer to try to get money from a wealthy pillar of the community), and Bishop will weather the storm. If more keep coming forward, it’ll be a little harder for him to stay where he is. I mean for crying out loud, one of the girls from the church interviewed yesterday could only say that she just didn’t see pedophile in him…because she’s such an expert I guess, so none of this could be true. These people are willing to suspend all sense of reality to hold to their belief in this guy. Common in evangelical circles. Their whole lives, social, spiritual, family, personal identities, etc. all center around churches and leaders like this. That’s a hard thing to give up.
TomTallis
September 27th, 2010 | LINK
Bishop Schlong.
elaygee
September 27th, 2010 | LINK
Mr. Long is Goliath in this story, not David. His victims are the Davids of the story.
Jonathan Justice
September 27th, 2010 | LINK
If we are talking about David here, it is the mid-career David and his problematical process of acquiring of yet another wife, Bathsheba, by arranging for her husband Uriah the Hittite to get killed in battle. The late teen guys in question were members of Long’s congregations and even participants in a special youth development program. What they report is emphatically contrary to reasonable expectations.
TonyJazz
September 27th, 2010 | LINK
If you haven’t, seek our a picture of the huge mansion this guy owns.
If he is so scummy as to bleed the poor for this mega-mansion, then nothing is beyond him.
…there’s no morality happening here…move along, move along….
cd
September 27th, 2010 | LINK
Sad to say, beachewtoy75 is probably right in almost all respects.
But. The facts and realities are going to hang over Eddie Long, just as they have for Ted Haggard. Oh, the game will go on for years with both and their congregations adamantly ignoring the cloud over them that just hangs there, that remains in the sky at all times. The denial and rationalizations and excuse-making and keeping silent will just grow and grow. And that will sap them emotionally, a slight and subtle bleeding or poison that never stops. Ten or fifteen years down the road everyone’s expended, there’s an I-just-can’t-do-this-anymore point for even the truest true believer. And people will quietly walk out and stay away.
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