The Daily Agenda for Monday, May 21
Kiev Pride Cancelled, Two Beaten
The Daily Agenda for Sunday, May 20
NAACP Board Approves Statement Supporting Marriage Equality
What Makes Cameron Tick? (Cont'd)
The Daily Agenda for Saturday, May 19
Marriage equality predicted for France
Marriage positions: the politic and the personal
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 450 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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Ben In Oakland
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
Not a priority/
More likely, it was promising to be a major embarassment to them.
And people wonder why our politics are such a mess. As dorothy said to her companions: no courage, no brains, and no heart. Why aren’t you guys in politics?
Hyhybt
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
“Wasn’t a priority,” of course, being unsubtle code for “we counted votes and there weren’t enough.”
Steve
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
It’s a trap!
Timothy Kincaid
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
My guess is that the Republican caucus couldn’t come to a consensus.
The crazies want to replace marriage with civil unions between anyone – siblings, father/daughter, anyone – in order to make it legally and socially meaningless.
Some want civil unions but insist that the be “all but the name” marriages.
Some want to keep it like it is.
Some (a sizable chunk which I saw estimated at about 30) want to do away with government marriage altogether and give everyone a civil union and let each church decide. (Those who see themselves as ambassadors of the Vatican hate this idea… it treats all churches equally and religious equality is what they hate more than anything).
And I suspect that a very big segment really just want to never ever talk about the subject again.
Jack
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
I think it’s important to remember that SSM in NH can be very easily overturned next year if 1) Republicans keep their very substantial majority in the legislature and 2) whoever replaces Gov. Lynch is willing to sign the repeal.
If the new governor is anti-SSM, they only need a one-vote spread in each house to effect the repeal.
tristram
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
I suspect that they are planning either –
1. to work things out quietly and then spring a revised amendment and rush it through before the end of the session; or
2. if they think they cannot produce an amendment that would have enough support to override Lynch’s veto, wait until next year in the (not unreasonable) hope they’ll have someone like Ovide Lamontage as governor – so not only no veto, but active arm-twisting for repeal.
It’s my naturally sunny disposition – I’m always seeing the bright side of things!
Sam Y
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
I read on JMG that he believes it’s was the governor’s veto threat that might have done it in. I think it’s a combination of things that stopped the repeal. I’ll say this much that I’m thankful for the true libertarian streaks that stick to Republicans so well when it comes to this issue. I hope progressives, equality-minded conservatives, and other supporters will vote this coming election to increase the number of pro-equality state legislators in New Hampshire. Crossing my fingers now.
Blake
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
“Some (a sizable chunk which I saw estimated at about 30) want to do away with government marriage altogether and give everyone a civil union and let each church decide.”
I don’t understand how this “solution” is different than the current regime of courthouse-marriages & church-marriages already in place? & how would that work on a Federal Level? The latest language that I saw in a statutory replacement for DOMA was: For the purposes of any Federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual’s marriage is valid in the State where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any State, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a State.
So under that language, for Federal Purposes, would people who live in NH & are not church-married in NH not have marriages unless they married outside of the country?
Its all so confusing…
Jim Burroway
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
If I recall, that’s pretty much how 2011 played out. Good news indeed.
Tony
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
Smart move.
Perry v. Schwarz/Brown is going to be with SCOTUS in the next year or two. Why take away SSM when it will be forcably mandated as an equal right throughout the land in the near future.
Stefan
February 2nd, 2012 | LINK
If the special elections in 2011in the New Hampshire house were any indication, the Democrats are going to make significant gains this fall.
Randall
February 3rd, 2012 | LINK
I have suspected for several weeks that many NH GOPers really didn’t have their hearts in this considering polling, etc.
All they needed to do was to give things a little time to appease the crazies and to find an escape hatch: they’ve found the escape hatch & exited.
Methinks, this is really another example of the progress we are making towards marriage equality in the country… not unlike what we witnessed in NY last summer.
Nathaniel
February 3rd, 2012 | LINK
I have noticed a number of Republicans (including a representative from my district) who won independent voters on ‘fiscal responsibility’ have started pushing conservative social agendas rather than/in addition to their fiscal promises. My readings of the news from NH has indicated to me something similar happened in the state legislature. I expect voters will be smart enough to see in 2012 that they can only choose between fiscal conservatives with extremely conservative social agendas or fiscal moderates with moderate/liberal social views, and will choose the latter as preferable.
JOSE
February 3rd, 2012 | LINK
Be careful…… it might be a trap. Not making much noise, and suddenly moving forward.
Theo
February 4th, 2012 | LINK
I think you are reading too much into that statement. That statement has no impact on the legislative docket and is not binding. Nor is it an exhaustive list of their agenda. As far as I know, the repeal bill is still on the docket and can be on the floor at any time. The sponsor, David Bates, has not withdrawn it.
I am really amazed that the NH press doesn’t cover this story. Like you, I couldn’t find even a single article clarifying the status of this thing. A real contrast with the heavy media coverage in NY, WA, MD, and NJ.
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