French President Hollande Signs Marriage Bill
The Daily Agenda for Saturday, May 18
Fox News Ignores Marriage Equality Wins
The Era of Civil Unions Is Coming To An End
Orthodox Priests Lead Violent Attack On LGBT Rights Rally in Tbilisi, Georgia
France's Marriage Equality Bill Clears Final Hurdle
The Daily Agenda for Friday, May 17
Marriage Equality Made This Maryland Legislator Drive Drunk
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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Republican Senator Bob Corker is opposed to marriage equality. He supports a constitutional amendment to make sure that gay people cannot have equality in any state. He opposed lifting the ban on open service in the military. He is not by any means a friend to the gay community.
Christopher
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
As a Tennessee resident it’s times like this that I wish our ballots had a “none of the above” option, but they don’t.
All I can really say is that I’ve gotten used to being ashamed of my home state, especially in recent years, and the reasons for that have consistently been on both sides of the aisle.
Hyhybt
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
If the Republican were actually pro-gay, this might be different… but as it stands, which party controls the senate is up for grabs, and that’s more important than whether one senator is slightly less or slightly more anti-gay.
Timothy (TRiG)
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
My brain hurts.
TRiG.
Dr. Shaun Crowell
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
Bob Corker is not your best choice as he is a big government, establishment politician. What does this mean? It means that he has voted against the Constitution 40% of the time in office. If you vote for Bob Corker then you will only be supporting the status quo politician. Who is your best choice on November 6th? You need to vote for the candidate that will support your Bill of Rights as a United States citizen, someone who cares about your freedom. A true liberty minded independent candidate who will support your rights. Vote for Dr. Shaun Crowell for the U.S. Senate!
Timothy Kincaid
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
Dr. Shaun,
I VERY MUCH doubt that you care about MY freedom. In fact, from your website, it would seem that while Corker would vote against my freedom, you would make opposing my freedom and equality a part your mission.
So, no. I think that of all the possible choices, you would not be the one I would select.
David Roberts
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
I second Hyhybt’s comments. A vote like that is never an isolated issue.
Timothy Kincaid
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
David,
I try to let comments like that go. But I’m not going to this time.
You’re wrong. It is an isolated issue.
Hello? This is Tennessee. Corker is going to win. There is absolutely zero question about it. The ONLY issue is how many votes will the Hate Group Candidate get?
Now you can go right ahead and vote for the guy who campaigned to have any advocacy for gay youth banned by state law. You can decide that voting for a Democrat is more important than voting against someone who sees anti-gay discrimination to be his calling.
But that really has to be the dumbest example of partisan blindness that I’ve ever encountered.
I mean, I’ve seen Log Cabin place priorities in ways that I think are a bit too generous to their party affiliation. And GOProud takes pride in selling out and opposing what they stupidly think of as “the Gay Left”.
But not even GOProud would actually vote for a Anti-Gay Hate Group Candidate solely because of his political party.
Timothy Kincaid
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
caveat: (while I think that your comment was a less-than-brilliant way to see this issue, I am not trying to insult you or imply that you are stupid. I know that isn’t the case)
MsRowena
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
That Clayton guy’s glasses are freaking me out, man. Sort of like Aristotle Onassis meets Seven of Nine.
MsRowena
August 6th, 2012 | LINK
Whoops. Delgaudio dude’s glasses. Sorry, those glasses _made_ me mess up.
cd
August 7th, 2012 | LINK
I hear that the Tennessee Democratic Party’s recommendation is to write in a candidate. I.e. vote for neither Clayton nor Corker.
Lord_Byron
August 7th, 2012 | LINK
TN does allow write-in candidates and personally i wouldn’t vote for either. Both are anti-gay, just to different degrees. It’d be the same as asking me to vote for a guy who only wants to break my legs compared to the other one that wants to cut them off.
Mark F.
August 7th, 2012 | LINK
Off topic, but San Francisco has a pro-gay, pro-medical marijuana, fiscally conservative and anti-war Republican, John Dennis, running against Nancy Pelosi. Not a chance in hell of winning, but he’s worth supporting.
Unfortunately, I just moved out of the district.
David Roberts
August 8th, 2012 | LINK
Whatever.
All that’s missing is “just wait until your father gets home.”
Ever since I switched to the Democratic party, you keep expecting me to start hunting Republicans with the vengeance of a smoker off cigarettes.
The truth is, I was so fed up with the GOP the last few years I was in the party that my view couldn’t sink much lower anyway. Talk about anti-gay!
We are talking about a US Senate seat, are we not? Then yes, with a razor thin majority in the Senate and the House lost to the tea party, I would vote for the Democrat. In this instance, the stakes are too high.
If the race is a shoe in for the GOP candidate, then I’m not sure why we are even discussing it, unless it was to give you a chance to highlight a bad example of a Democrat? I mean, if the guy is already going to lose…
It’s interesting how you addressed all this to me, instead of Hyhybt who actually made the comment that I agreed with.
Ryan
August 8th, 2012 | LINK
The Tennessee Democratic Party has disavowed Clayton and openly urged Democrats in Tennessee to write in a candidate. That’s obviously the best and only option for Tennessee Democrats. (Other than moving the hell out of Tennessee, of course).
Ryan
August 8th, 2012 | LINK
@David Roberts, clearly Clayton would vote with the Republicans against any gay rights legislation, so what purpose would his win serve? Why would Dems ever want to have their party associated with such a hateful bigot? It’s clearly a moot point anyway, he’ll lose. But to vote for him simply because he has a “D” next to his name seems incredibly short-sighted.
David Roberts
August 8th, 2012 | LINK
That is one view, one I don’t share. Both are anti-gay, so that legislation is moot. But the man must be a Democrat for some reason. So if presented with two anti-gay candidates, one from each party, and given the current make-up of the Congress, I would chose the Democrat.
I would gamble that there would be other areas of that platform where he would vote with the party and therefore maintain that majority. The GOP — on the national level and increasingly on the local level — is simply too toxic across the board. In another time and situation, I would not feel so pressed to vote that way. I do now.
The point has been made more than once that this is all moot anyway. First, I don’t live there and can’t vote for either of them. Second, it would seem the prevailing wisdom that the GOP candidate is going to win.
Until the GOP either survives this case of ideological rabies it has contracted or a viable third party splits off, my vote will be far more partisan than in previous years. If you feel differently, by all means vote your conscience.
Timothy Kincaid
August 8th, 2012 | LINK
David
So what you’re saying is that you are more partisan than GOProud. Yikes.
Ryan
Have they coalesced around anyone to write in yet?
The whole thing is so stupid (and funny). If Democratic Party leadership had just ran one sacrificial lamb who was a credible token who could talk to the press and who could insist on debates, then they could at least have a voice in presenting ideas and could hold Corker to positions and challenge his values – even if they knew they would lose.
At this point, they need to find a person to be the figurehead. How friggen hard can that be? Just announce that good Democrats should write in the party chairman, or a state-wide elected official.
David Roberts
August 8th, 2012 | LINK
Well no, but thanks for twisting my words. If you ever actually want to discuss something rather than just dismiss me like a child, you know where to find me.
Ron Crowell
August 12th, 2012 | LINK
You might want to consider Dr. Shaun Crowell as an alternative. He is a conservative Christian; I don’t know how that sits with a lot of people.
I am his dad. That is my email and his Website. Check out his website and get it right this time.
Ron
Timothy Kincaid
August 13th, 2012 | LINK
Ron,
Yes, clearly Shaun is a conservative Christian of the ‘force everyone else to live by what my church teaches’ variety.
Thanks, but I vote against theocrats, not for them.
Ron Crowell
October 20th, 2012 | LINK
Timothy,
Actually Dr. Crowell believes just like most actual Christians, that everyone should choose what they believe after trying to look at all sides of an issue. However, if anyone does not believe they are right they should not believe that way. We must be very careful in what we believe, it is not about feeling.
The wheat and tares will be separated by someone with a lot more wisdom than what us humans have been given.
Ron
Priya Lynn
October 20th, 2012 | LINK
Ron, the wheat and tares will only be separated by humans. The only things god has ever done are those things commanded by humans.
Timothy Kincaid
October 20th, 2012 | LINK
Ron,
Well I have to appreciate your persistence. But truly you are not gaining support.
I am certainly not “about feeling” and if you have “looked at all sides” of the issue of equality under the law and somehow decided that you should have rights that I don’t have because your denomination doesn’t like me, then you are neither a follower of Jesus nor a lover of freedom.
And if you’re concerned about wheat and tares, I refer you to Matthew 25:31-46.
You see a people in need, those who have been denied the right to marry, to look after each other, to care for children, and to live in peace with their neighbor and you have decided that that is A-ok with you because you don’t like the way God created them.
Sir, your soul is in peril.
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