News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric
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A Personal Note
Jim Burroway
February 8th, 2010
My posting this week will be, at best, extremely limited due to a death in the family. My partner and I will be back in my hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio this week through Sunday. I may be able to pop in on rare occasions, but for the most part I’ll be turning the whole thing over to the capable hands of Timothy Kincaid and company.
Our condolences to the Burke family
Timothy Kincaid
February 6th, 2010
In November 2009, Brendan Burke came out to the world. He had come out to his famous hockey coach father Brian Burke two years earlier.
Burke’s story was happy in that it revealed that a sport as drenched in testosterone as hockey could accept Brandon with a shrug. His father, his coach, an his team were all supportive and even when reporters went searching for a story they could not find anyone in hockey willing to be disrespectful to him.
On Friday, Brendan Burke was in a fatal accident. While driving on a treacherous snowy road in Michigan Indiana, his vehicle slid sideways into the path of a truck and he and his passenger were both killed.
But Brandon Burke will be remembered for being brave. And for helping to illustrate to the next generation of hockey kids that homophobia need not be part of the sports world and helping to dispell the stereotype that gay men cannot be physically tough competitors.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates at this time of their grief.
Congratulations Gabriel Arana
Jim Burroway
January 13th, 2010
Our congratulations go out to BTB’s Gabriel Arana, who was nominated for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Magazine Article. He was nominated for his cover-story article “Gay on Trial” for the December edition of The American Prospect, where he is the Editorial Assistant.
In “Gay on Trial,” Gabriel explores the complexities of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case that is currently being heard in Federal Court challenging California’s Prop 8. He describes what’s at stake in the case, and the unusual case that the plaintiffs are forced to present. They have to prove that gay people are a distinct and well-defined group before they can be treated just like everyone else.
By the way, Gabriel is the driving force behind our new Podcast, which is also available on iTunes.
Congratulations Gabriel! We want pictures of you in your tux.
Appearance on Michelangelo Signorile’s Show
Jim Burroway
December 18th, 2009
I will be on the Michelangelo Signorile this afternoon at 3:30 EST to talk about Uganda’s proposed Anti-Homosexuality Act. You can catch the interview on OutQ Sirius 109 or XM 98, or you can listen online. If you are not a subscriber, you can still listen online with a one-day pass.
Commentary Slowdown – Open Thread
Timothy Kincaid
November 19th, 2009
Regular readers may notice that there are fewer commentaries being posted at present. There are two reasons. First, this seems to be a sligtly slow news period for subject matter that this site covers. And the second, and more relevant, reason is that three of our writers are traveling at present and the fourth has been ill for the past few days.
So we will give you an opportunity to discuss matters of concern to you which may not have been recent thread topics.
Discuss away…
What Is Heterosexism?
Jim Burroway
August 20th, 2009
One way of understanding it is the assumption that homosexuality is inferior to heterosexuality in every aspect of life. That’s Daniel Gonzales’ definition anyway, and it’s a good one. It’s also at the heart of why he entered ex-gay therapy as a patient under NARTH co-founder Joseph Nicolosi.
Please join Daniel, Gabriel and me at the 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference November 20-22, 2009 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Early registration is open now.
Love Won Out Taken Over by Exodus
Timothy Kincaid
August 11th, 2009
The Washington Blade is reporting:
Facing a $6 million budget shortfall, Focus on the Family is shifting control of its Love Won Out conference to an outside organization.
Exodus International, a group that claims people can overcome unwanted same-sex attractions with the help of its ministry, announced Tuesday it will take control of the program starting in November.
“Exodus is the ideal organization to transition Love Won Out to,” said Melissa Fryrear, director of Love Won Out. She noted that Focus on the Family and Exodus have been closely aligned for years.
Funny. I’d noticed that also.
Radio Appearance This Afternoon
Jim Burroway
August 1st, 2009
I will be on Jack E. Jett’s radio program on Dallas’ KMNY, 1360 a.m., also known as Rational Radio, North Texas’ only progressive talk radio. The Jack E. Jett Show starts at 1:00 p.m. CST, and is rebroadcast at midnight. You can listen online here. I understand Bruce Valanch may be cohosting, and since Jack is known for his own irreverent style, I have no idea what to expect. It should be fun though.
Aravosis Not Impressed by “Benefits”
Timothy Kincaid
June 17th, 2009
In a Salon article, John Aravosis expressed his dissatisfaction with President Obama’s planned announcement of federal employee benefits.
Tonight, President Fierce will try to make amends by signing either a memorandum, a directive, or an executive order, directing some federal agencies, but not others, to provide some benefits, but not others, to some gay federal employees, but not others, at some undisclosed time in the future. (And the benefits may reportedly go away when Obama leaves office.)
First problem, federal agencies already have the right to provide these benefits to gay employees — and several, including at least one DOD agency, do. Second problem, the administration can’t tell us exactly which benefits they’re talking about and for which employees. That’s because this was all hastily thrown together after the incestuous and pedophilic gays nearly brought down a Democratic National Committee gay pride fundraiser scheduled for next week. A gay blogger got hold of the event’s guest list and published it, and once Washington, D.C.’s gay paper, the Washington Blade, announced that it would be staking out the entrance to the event with camera and video, the $1,000 a head attendees started dropping like flies.
Jennifer Vanusco at the Huffington Post gives details of the rather uninformative statements by John Berry:
Berry also said that a memo would be sent out to all Federal departments asking them to look for additional benefits they could extend, and instructing them that making employment decisions on the basis of anything other than job performance – including sexual orientation and gender identity – is not acceptable.
but she reminds us
this guidance was already extended by Bill Clinton and was followed by George W. Bush. And the “benefits” are already provided by many supervisors at their discretion.
California Prop 8 Decision Thursday?
Jim Burroway
May 19th, 2009
We’re hearing rumors. Joe.My.God says baracades have been spotted in the Castro. The Supreme Court releases decisions on Monday and Thursday. Due to the emotional stake so many people have in the decision, it stands to reason that the Court would give law enforcement advance notice of a pending decision. Are San Francisco police acting on a heads up?
Update: Equality Network is passing around an email saying they have it from “reliable sources” that the decision will come down Thursday. All speculation on what that decision would be is just that: speculation. The Court will give twenty-four hours notice of their announcement of the decision on its web site at 10:00 a.m. PST.
Regardless of the decision, good or bad, there are Day of Decision rallies planned across the country for Thursday. Please check here for details.
Is Swine Flu the New Straight Plague?
Jim Burroway
April 27th, 2009
Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. But the constant stream of news coming out of Mexico reminds this writer of the hype surrounding whatever fill-in-the-blank disease that has been trotted out in times past to stigmatize the LGBT community. Of course this time, now that straight people are engaging in behaviors (attending school, going to movies, etc.) which provide such fertile ground for these exotic viruses to fester, we see the World Health Organization leap into action while the President of the United States urges everyone to take a deep breath.
Obama’s assurances aside though, what if — think of it — what if this viral outbreak escapes into the general population? Won’t all hell break loose?
Oh wait. Straight people are the general population.
And what a difference a population makes. It was just a little over a year ago that anti-gay activists hyped an outbreak of a drug-resistant strain of staph (MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in the Castro as the latest “gay plague.” That hype disappeared about as quickly as it began, but today it serves as a textbook example of how quickly research based on a stigmatized population can become fodder for further stigmatizing.
And when I say it’s a textbook example, I mean it. Greenhaven Press, an imprint of textbook publisher Gale’s Cengage Learning, has published Resurgent Diseases: Opposing Viewpoints
Resurgent Diseases begins the chapter with a reprint of Sabin Russell’s San Francisco Chronicle which helped kick off the MRSA scare to begin with. My article follows, which is appropriate because I wrote it, in part, as a direct answer to the Chronicle article. This makes the juxtaposition of these two articles in the same textbook ideal. The four other articles rounding out the chapter discuss the balance between individual rights and public health, and the role that governmental authorities and non-governmental organizations can play to address resurgent diseases.
With the latest fears surrounding the swine flu outbreak, Resurgent Diseases may be among the more timely textbooks to come along in a long time.
Appearance on Michelangelo Signorile Show
Jim Burroway
March 31st, 2009
At 4:30 ET, I will be joining Wayne Besen on the The Michelangelo Signorile Show to talk about the boycott of Jamaica. You can listen on Sirius OutQ, 109 or XM 98. If you’re not a subscriber, you can get a free three-day pass and listen online.
Congrats To Pam For Picking Up A Lezzie
Jim Burroway
February 19th, 2009
Okay, wait. That didn’t come out right. What I mean is this: congratulations to Pam Spaulding for being honored as the Best Lesbian Feminism/Political blog by The Lesbian Lifestyle in its 2008 Lezzy Awards!
So just to be clear, no U-Hauls were rented in the winning of this award.
Box Turtle Bulletin Has Now Gone Mobile
Jim Burroway
December 24th, 2008
How’s this for a Christmas present? Box Turtle Bulletin has now gone mobile. Check it out on your iPhone. I don’t know if it works for Blackberry. If not, please let me know.
My Apologies
Timothy Kincaid
November 24th, 2008
I’ve not been able to post for the past few days and may find myself unable to spend much time in the next few days. I’ve been – and will be – busy. I hope to soon be able to commit more time.
Warning New Jersey and New York
Timothy Kincaid
November 7th, 2008
Delerious over how their campaign of lies succeeded in California, anti-gays are already planning on their next target:
Gallagher said anti-gay marriage groups plan to focus next on New Jersey and New York, where the state legislatures are being lobbied to pass laws legalizing same-sex marriage.
The plan is to mobilize the same religious factions that joined forces in California to deter lawmakers from “taking on this divisive social issue while we are in the middle of a huge financial crisis,” Gallagher said.
And they will use the same tactic of flat-out lying:
Leaders of the successful Proposition 8 campaign say an unusual coalition of evangelical Christians, Mormons and Roman Catholics built a majority at the polls Tuesday by harnessing the organizational muscle of churches to a mainstream message about what school children might be taught about gay relationships if the ban failed.
If I were in New York or New Jersey I’d start marching and protesting today.
Jeremy Hooper’s Engagement Party
Timothy Kincaid
October 11th, 2008
Our friend Jeremy Hooper at Good-As-You is having his engagement party tonight. Jeremy and his husband-to-be, Andrew Shulman, wish to marry in California in April.
We appreciate Jeremy’s talents and his contributions to equality. He approaches the fight with humor and patience and has achieved the oddest of accomplishments: an ongoing communication with the Phelps family. For all he’s given us, consider a gift to him.
I’m sure they would be most appreciative of an early wedding gift in the form of a contribution in their name to No on 8. Let’s honor Jeremy and Andrew’s choice of venue and keep marriage legal in California.
Appearance on Sirius OutQ 109 Monday Morning
Jim Burroway
October 5th, 2008
I will appear on Sirius Satelite radio’s OutQ 109 tomorrow morning with Larry Flick to talk about Arizona’s campaign to defeat Prop 102. My segment is set to begin at 8:00 am EDT — 5:00 am PDT, which is local time for me here in Arizona. That slurping sound you’ll hear will be me hitting the coffee. Hard.
If you’re not a Sirius subscriber, you can listen online by signing up for a free 3-day trial.
Radio Appearance on Larry Flick’s “OutQ In the Morning”
Jim Burroway
October 1st, 2008
I will appear on Sirius Satelite radio’s OutQ 109 tomorrow morning with Larry Flick to talk about Arizona’s campaign to defeat Prop 102. You may recall, Arizona became the first state in the nation to defeat one of these so-called “marriage amendments” in 2006. Now they’re back trying for a do-over after voters already said no once.
I will be on “Out Q in the Morning” with Larry Flick and crew beginning at 9:05 am EDT. That’s 6:05 am PDT, which is local time for me here in Arizona. Wish me a whole lotta luck on that!
If you’re not a Sirius subscriber, you can listen online by signing up for a free 3-day trial.
Update: Due to a scheduling conflict, they weren’t able to have me on the program this morning. I’ll let you know when we reschedule.
New Website Featuring Histories of Treatments for Homosexuality
Michael King
September 22nd, 2008
A group of researchers at University College London (UCL) have recently established a website about use of treatments to try to make homosexual people heterosexual.
The work led by Michael King arose from research funded by the Wellcome Trust from 2001 to 2004 into the oral history of such treatments in Britain since 1950. During this research a number of oral histories were collected from LGB people who had undergone treatment and the professionals who had developed and provided the treatments.
The group now wants to expand the work on the website by asking for contributions from people around the world who may have undergone a treatment to attempt to become straight. This might have been hormone or other medical treatment, psychotherapy, aversion behavior therapy, and various forms of reparative therapy.
Their stories can be posted on this website. Friends or relatives of someone who has received or is receiving treatment may also want to give their stories. The group is also eager to hear from professionals, be they doctors, psychotherapists, counselors or psychologists who may have undertaken these treatments at any time in their career.
You can send your account in written, audio or video format. If it is suitable it will be added to the stories already on this website.
See also from BTB’s “Today In History” series:
“Aversion Therapy for Sexual Deviation”
A Simple Technique To Cure Homosexuality
