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 lobbyJuly 12th, 2011
Minnesota Representative and GOP candidate Michelle Bachmann spoke in 2004 at a National Education Leadership Conference:
And I think something that was meant for evil was meant for good, and I think we can see that again today. Well there’s something that’s happening in our schools, and one of the reasons why I felt I was called to take up this issue, of bringing a constitutional amendment to the state of Minnesota before our people—I was the chief author in the MN state senate—is because of the profound impact this would have on every man, every woman, every child in the state of Minnesota. Because everyone thought this would only impact the 1.3 percent of our population that is a same-sex individual — and again, don’t misunderstand. I am not here bashing people who are homosexuals, who are lesbians, who are bisexual, who are transgendered. We need to have profound compassion for the people who are dealing with the very real issue of sexual dysfunction in their life, and sexual identity disorders. This is a very real issue. It’s not funny, it’s sad. Any of you who have members of your family that are in the lifestyle—we have a member of our family that is. This is not funny. It’s a very sad life. It’s part of Satan, I think, to say this is gay. It’s anything but gay. And so we are not here tonight — in fact, I wish this whole room was filled with the gay community, because we’d reach our hand out in love.
The Love Won Out conference was here not too long ago in the Twin Cities, and it’s profoundly sad to recognize that almost all, if not all, individuals who have gone into the lifestyle have been abused at one time in their life, either by a male or by a female. There’s been profound hurt and profound things that have happened in almost all of their lives. And this gives us great compassion. So this is not to talk about gay bashing — do we understand that? That is not what this is about. But it’s to say that this new legal enforcement of a new status—homosexuality, lesbianism, bringing it into the mainstream, if you will, giving it a legitimacy if you will — that will impact not only the gay community, but every man, woman and child, particularly the schools.
Oh no, calling gay people, including one’s step-sister, a “part of Satan” isn’t bashing anyone at all. No siree…
In 2004, Michele Bachmann, who was then a Minnesota State Senator, gave a few opening remarks at the Love Won Out conference in the Twin Cities. According to this Christian Post press release, Bachmann said, “I know that Love Won Out will present the truth about homosexuality. I look forward to welcoming Minnesotans and residents of surrounding states to hear the message of healing that is possible.” The so-called “truth” would have included a line from Focus On the Family’s Melissa Fryrear, who claimed never to have met a lesbian or a gay man who had not been abused. As far as I have been able to determine, Fryrear uttered that line at every single LWO event she has ever spoken at. It was part of her standard stump speech. (She has since left Focus and is working at a church in Prescott, Arizona, and is no longer is part of the ex-gay roadshow.) When I heard her give that talk in Phoenix in 2007, I witnessed first hand the devastating impact it had on parents who were there:
The audience sat in stunned silence as Fryrear, her voice shaking, went on to talk about sexual abuse in greater detail. She later described her own sexual abuse as a child, and her talk had just followed a testimony by Mike Haley in which he described having sex with another older man beginning at the age of eleven. As far as this audience knew, there were no exceptions.
…It’s not fair to say that the parents and relatives were rife with suspicions, but I was surprised at the number of suspicions that did come up — and the circumstantial nature of the “evidence” which prompted many of them. I heard ex-boyfriends and babysitters suddenly come under suspicion where there had been none before. It seemed as if many of these relatives, taking Melissa Fryrear at her word, turned several possibilities over in their minds — dismissing some, but holding others for future consideration.
Sometimes, these suspicions got the better of them. Before that day, it had never even occurred to one mother that her son might have been molested. Now after Fryrear’s talk, she was momentarily certain of it. “There’s no other explanation!” she exclaimed. But as she thought about it, she remembered that she had no reason to suspect this, and that the only “evidence” she had was Fryrear’s statement. She was finally able to calm herself down after those around her reassured her that it probably didn’t happen.
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:
Shofixti
July 12th, 2011
I think, perhaps to interpret that single statement from what I know about conceptions of Satan – that the devil is called the ‘father of lies’. So what Bachmann means when she says:
Is that it is a lie or a deception to label sexual dysfunction as ‘gay’ – that it is not ebullient or joyful, but sad. At least that’s what I think her listeners would derive from that statement.
It is not necessarily an admonition of demonic involement, per se.
bls
July 12th, 2011
She’s not calling the gay community “part of Satan.” She’s saying that it’s a lie to call the gay community “gay” – meaning “happy.”
I mean, she’s completely out of her mind, generally speaking, but as far as I can see she’s not calling gay people “Satanic.” She thinks the use of the word gay is “part of Satan,” because (she thinks) it’s not true.
Aaron Teague
July 12th, 2011
Where do these people get there info. Is it the book of crazy facts and statistics.
Christopher
July 12th, 2011
Believing in Satan is a part of a mass delusion that is a sad heritage of the human species.
I think they should send dolpins into space – any alien intelligence will quickly write us off once they get to know our infantile superstitions.
Bonnie Half-Elven
July 12th, 2011
Using fear and ignorance, any fundamentalist church goer is discouraged from associating with people outside this circle. Thus, the lies and brainwashing permeate the hive culture. Opposing views, aka science and facts, are not allowed to be heard. They don’t know happy gay people. They don’t know happy gay Christians.
It’s amazing how many people live this way for years, even all their lives, feeling awful about themselves if they are gay, believing they are not changing because their faith is not strong enough – believing that their God does not accept them as they are.
Edwin
July 13th, 2011
Where did these Witches leave their brooms when they gave these speeches.
Talk about a bunch of fruit loops. Her and her husband are the head fruit loops!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kelly
July 13th, 2011
see previous comment of how much she scares me! thanks for “reporting her”
Adam
July 13th, 2011
I agree with Shofixti and bls assessment of the situation. She is contrasting the two meanings of the word “gay.” She is not calling gays “of satan.” While I wouldn’t put such thoughts past her, she did not say that in this case.
John
July 13th, 2011
Any sexual dysfunction comes not from “choosing” a gay lifestyle but being prevented from being who one is. Also, statistically, it is much more likely that child sexual abuse is from heterosexual males. As for their “facts”, these are from 50, 75 years ago and have repeatedly been shown to be false. But then the people who listen to and believe this crap are too brain dysfunctional to think for themselves or be open to the real facts.
Equal
July 13th, 2011
Adam. You and the other two are being way too kind. She is saying that simply using the word “gay” is “part of satan”. That not only means anyone who identifies as gay is part of satan, but anyone who uses the word gay to describe gay people is part of satan as well.
Regan DuCasse
July 13th, 2011
I can’t tell you how many times, cautions against gender and sexual orientation bias when it comes to sexual abuse falls on deaf ears of people more committed to their suspicion of gay people.
FOTF and their shills like Melissa Fryear are committing a SERIOUS breach of ethics by such a generalization. As mentioned, by doing that, they make suspicion grow in a situation that could very well DESTROY a family and their trust of each other. Or perhaps the sole gay member of the family will be banished as a precaution. Which would be an immeasurably cruel and devastating thing to do.
The very repetition of her ‘act’, for these conferences, begs challenging the veracity of her own experience.
When I talked to Chad Thompson, HE was convinced of similar abuse, because he wasn’t close to his father. He couldn’t REMEMBER any abuse, but nonetheless was CERTAIN it back there somewhere.
He obviously was certain that his distant father was most potent cause of his homosexuality, because THAT he could remember and knew it to be true.
How people get themselves so thoroughly brainwashed around gay related issues is no less scary than how people could be convinced to turn on their Jewish neighbors in the 1930’s.
I mean, damn…at some point, WHEN are these people going to quit being so WEAK? They aren’t STUPID, but they are insufferably unwilling to face facts.
Even Nicolosi wouldn’t answer my question regarding fatherly distance and a lack of more prevalence to homosexuality among single parent BLACK homes where the dearth of fathers is much higher? I brought that up with Chad, and he didn’t have an answer to that either.
But I knew I hit a nerve because he RAN from even disseminating that part of the discussion we were having.
Timothy Kincaid
July 13th, 2011
Bachmann sees the world and all that is in it as a battlefield between two opponents, God and Satan. Our lives, our decisions, and even our language are victories or losses to one side or the other. And each side has strategies, plans, and objectives. We are the tools through which those objectives are achieved and we each, consciously or not, act to advance one side or the other.
When Bachmann says “part of Satan”, she means that it advances Satan’s position.
And, in particular, she sees the use of the word “gay” to be part of Satan’s strategy: he is seeking to make homosexuality appear normal and benign by using this deceptive happy term for what is really a very sad life.
Quick aside: to conservative evangelicals, any life without Christ is by definition a sad life without peace or joy even if the poor miserable sinner doesn’t realize it. It’s definitional rather than descriptive.
But in the case of gay folk, conservatives genuinely believe that no only is is definitionally miserable, but literally unhappy too. Their impression of gay people is pretty much that of Boys in the Band and anything that does not portray gay people as such is a lie of Satan.
Bachmann doesn’t not believe gay people to be “a part of Satan” in a literal sense. But she does believe the homosexual lifestyle to be of Satan. And by “lifestyle”, Bachmann means any word, thought, attitude, behavior, or other expression that challenges God’s Law.
As God’s Law says that homosexuality is sin (and to Bachmann, there is no distinction between the Levitical prohibitions on a certain male sex act and the acknowledgement of same-sex attraction) then anything that might suggest otherwise is of Satan.
Gay marriage, a lie of Satan. Gay advocacy, a tool of Satan. Churches that do not condemn homosexuals of their sin, sellouts to Satan. Gay people,(who believe the lie) the victims of Satan to whom she would like to reach out in love and rescue.
Bachmann’s position – while horrific – is at least one step better than some. There are those who believe that gay people are not victims of Satan but willing associates who are so rebellious against God that they persisted in depravity to the point where their consciences have become seared over and thus are worthy of contempt and the harshest of punishment. (A commentary is coming on this.)
Leave A Comment