Boy Scouts of America Votes To Allow Gay Members, Retains Ban On Gay Leaders
Nevada House votes to reverse marriage ban
The Daily Agenda for Thursday, May 23
It's Not the Principle, It's the Prejudice
Congratulations Mitch!
Gay Couples Excluded from Immigration Bill Markup
How To Spot A Swivel-Eyed Loon
The Daily Agenda for Wednesday, May 22
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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Lucrece
July 6th, 2011 | LINK
And why isn’t this gay panic defense being banished from the court room?
That flirting with someone is labeled “sexual harassment” and much more so precipitating a bullet to the head is just specious.
NickT70
July 6th, 2011 | LINK
There is a problem with raising the issue of “gay panic” since the victim here had a history of sexually harassing other boys. This included taunting them about their bodies, making lewd references, threatening boys by accusing them of being gay, and also in the case of the accused, behavior verging on stalking. This was well documented even by the school staff. When asked why he did so by school staff, the victim said he loved to get a kick out of it. These are in fact considerations for what degree of murder the jury will settle on. It’s a forgone conclusion that the accused will be convicted of some charge.
This isn’t exactly the perfect case. I see it as a complete failure on all sides, the kids, school, and parents, involving murder, homophobia, and also sexual harassment.
Wyzdyx
July 6th, 2011 | LINK
Do you think a lesbian would be allowed to use the “gay panic” defense if she shot a man who came on to her? Why is any court permitting MEN to use this so-called defense when another man makes advances? Murder seems to be an over-reaction under the circumstances. A simple “No, thank you” ought to be sufficient.
Scott L.
July 6th, 2011 | LINK
Well, Nick, it’s also well documented that Lawrence had been bullied for YEARS! And all of his “actions” were VERBAL! IF he had grabbed one of his tormentors by the genitals then maybe, MAYBE, a good right to the jaw would’ve been called for, but NOT being MURDERED!
Richard Rush
July 6th, 2011 | LINK
If women typically responded to unwelcome male advances the way some men feel justified in responding to unwelcome male advances, the earth would be littered with millions and millions of severely injured and murdered men. And then I suppose the “straight panic” defense would be commonplace.
Timothy Kincaid
July 6th, 2011 | LINK
NickT70
I’ve followed this story closely and have heard no evidence of “taunting them about their bodies, making lewd references, threatening boys by accusing them of being gay, and also in the case of the accused, behavior verging on stalking.”
So you’ll forgive me if I doubt your motivations.
ken
July 7th, 2011 | LINK
Lucrece
July 6th, 2011
Because it is a defense that has been all too effective in the past. Not in vindicating the defendant, but in reducing his sentence. It generally stopped being used because of hate crimes laws. To use this defense, the defendant would have to admit to committing a hate crime, which would erase any gain of being convicted of a lessor offense.
I suspect, that since the prosecutor already decided to charge McInerney with a hate crime, the defense figured it has nothing to lose by using the gay panic defense.
ken
July 7th, 2011 | LINK
Timothy Kincaid
July 6th, 2011
then I suggest you re-read the newsweek article you cited a little more closely Timothy. ex.:
http://www.newsweek.com/2008/07/18/young-gay-and-murdered.html
(page 4)
(page 5)
While this article may not constitute “well documented” it does indicate Lawrence’s behaviour had become antagonistic.
Timothy Kincaid
July 7th, 2011 | LINK
Ken,
I’m sorry. I should have clarified that other than Setoodeh’s repeating of the defense claims I found no such evidence. By now I’m sure that you know that I consider Setoodeh to be a nincompoop and his Newsweek tale to be faulty to the point of dismissal.
Nevertheless, even if one were to accept Setoodeh’s character assassination as accurate, within the examples you listed I see no “taunting them about their bodies” (unless you include ‘you look hot’), “lewd references”, “threatening boys by accusing them of being gay”, or “behavior verging on stalking”.
King’s behavior was not faultless. In fact, he probably would have annoyed the hell out of me. But smearing him in this way is neither right not honorable.
[Please, in the future, use a valid email address. We will not publish or share your email address, but it is a condition of commenting at BTB]
Timothy Kincaid
July 7th, 2011 | LINK
Lucrece,
That is a very good question. In 2006, the California legislature passed, and Schwarzenegger signed, AB 1160, a bill to address “gay panic” defense. Obviously, for first amendment reasons, it could not banish such a defense. Instead it expressed that such defenses are against the state’s public policy and gave the following (weak) resolution:
That in itself isn’t much. But the prosecutor can, in closing statements, explain what a ‘gay panic defense’ is, explain that the defense is trying to appeal to what he assumes is their anti-gay prejudice in order to justify murder, and read the legislature’s position, including:
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