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 lobbyFebruary 17th, 2009
We just found a clean, crisp copy of the America Forever ad that appeared in the Salt Lake City Tribune and the Deseret News over the weekend. To see the full sized ad, just click on the thumbnail. This way, you can see what passes for logical thinking and reasoned discourse on the part of our opponents: comparing homosexuality to prostitution, drug use, and so on. In fact, as Timothy Kincaid highlighted yesterday, they just want us to go away altogether. Just by the fact that gays and lesbians are visible “is stating and displaying that he or she practices sodomy.”
They also claim that they found a “Homosexual Declaration of War,” which, according to the ad, goes like this:
We will sodomize your children. All churches who condemn us will be closed. The family unit eliminated. Any man contaminated with homosexual list, will be automatically barred from any position of influence.
That, of course, is a very loose paraphrase of a satire written in 1987 by one Michael Swift — a nom de plume inspired by the great satirist Jonathan Swift. And in case anyone missed the reference, the author prefaced his satire with this:
This essay is an outré, madness, a tragic, cruel fantasy, an eruption of inner rage, on how the oppressed desperately dream of being the oppressor.
Somehow, anti-gay extremists never include that disclamer when they quote the essay.
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:
Kristie
February 17th, 2009
Their paranoia and ignorance really shows through in this ad. It’s one of the most nonsensical pieces of trash I’ve ever read! “No one loses their job for just being gay! No one loses their home for just being gay!”…Hmmm, maybe they should tell that to the hundreds of US military personnel that have in fact lost their jobs just for being gay or the GLBT people that were not hired for jobs in the first place because their sexual orientation became known. And, I’m sure that all of the GLBT people that are denied housing each year because of their sexual orientation would disagree with the ad as well.
The reality is that people that identify as GLBT are descriminated against and it has nothing to do with them “flaunting” their sexuality it has to do with people’s ignorance and fear. Reading crap like this makes me almost ashamed to be straight!How people can be so willfully ignorant and hateful is beyond me!
Nevada Blue
February 17th, 2009
This ad is such outrageous excrement that I can’t even address the nonsensical accusations without steam pouring out of my ears.
So, I’ve decided that my generic response in regard to it will be, “So, it’s saying the Mormons are liars, right?”
Regan DuCasse
February 17th, 2009
Stupidity thy name is…
The opposition keeps saying “gay people have all the same rights as anyone else.”
Even as of June 17 in CA, that was partially true. Then the electorate proceeded to make liars out of everyone who said it, by passing Prop. 8. six months later.
DUH!
a. mcewen
February 17th, 2009
Is it just me or is the opposition getting more and more hysterical. I got an email from the Family Research Council saying pretty much the same thing.
David C.
February 17th, 2009
Let’s hope that it isn’t just you and that they are getting more hysterical, and that hysteria finally calls attention to just how crazy these organizations and their messages are.
cowboy
February 17th, 2009
The news just in: Two Utah initiatives for Common Ground rights for gays were voted down in committee today.
I don’t think the advertisement nor the protest of Governor Huntsman nor the demonstrations had any effect on the vote in the committee. My gut feeling is that the vote was cut & dried before the Legislature even set foot in the Capitol this session.
Eagle Forum/Sutherland Institute rehashed the same, trite, intentionally ignorant talking points: It’s a choice to act gay. It’s best for one man & one woman to have preferential treatment by the laws of the State.
The reaction of the gay and gay-friendly supporters: “We made headway. We’ll try again next year.”
I fear it will take more than a year to see more forward progress for equality. We have people in high powerful places that ignore and even castigate their Governor for suggesting gay civil rights. There is a mean-streak somewhere in the bowels of the Capitol. I dare say these powerful people even have the arrogance to question the implied neutrality of gay civil rights by their popular Prophet and Church hierarchy. And I doubt we will ever change some people’s minds and hearts.
Utah is a lost cause. The battlefield needs to take place somewhere else. Our resources should be directed towards Gay Rights in other States. More likely it will take an act by the United State Supreme Court that will reverberate throughout the land.
What needs to happen now: Businesses should refuse to open offices or branch offices in Utah. A Human Resources Manager knows a good portion of any workforce will not move to Utah. There is a genuine fear. A fear of not having an environment for basic human rights. Even academics will hurt when top-notch professors and instructors leave the State universities for friendlier (and warmer) climates. What business would try to bring a company to Utah if the education and quality of life is so backwards and even hostile to a segment of society.
a. mcewen
February 18th, 2009
I don’t know cowboy. I come from a state where some folks have the same mindset (South Carolina). And I have to tell ya that just like in SC, there may be some lgbts in Utah who are fighting the good fight despite the odds. They probably do it for the sake of pride – Utah being their home and all. At the very least, let’s not look as if we are deserting them.
Brady
February 18th, 2009
I actually would like to see more ads like this. I think most reasonable people would see the asburidty and hysteria of this type of thing and would be less likely to vote with them. Especially, if the gay side can get very reasoned ads out too.
cowboy
February 18th, 2009
You’re right a. mcewen. I was a little despondent last night with the news. I’ll work at being a little better at making life more bearable here in Utah.
a.mcewen
February 18th, 2009
Hang in there cowboy. Things are ugly down here in Columbia, SC too – for the moment that is.
Attmay
February 18th, 2009
The people of California are getting their karmic reward for that travesty of justice with their state going broke.
Scott P.
February 18th, 2009
Attmay, thank you for your sentiments, gloating over a mere 600,000 votes out of 17,000,000 registered voters. If California’s economy goes down it’ll take the rest of the nation with it. If karma were at work it would just be the Pro-H8 camp that would be suffering.
Thanks for condemning those of us who had our marriages attacked. Great to know you wrap us up with the nutjobs who sponsored this ad.
Sorry this comment is off topic, but so was Attmay’s.
cowboy
February 24th, 2009
Update: The Salt Lake Tribune got 247 letters complaining about this advertisement.
Basically, the Ombudsman for the newspaper said in spite of their rules about advertising they let the ad run (with grammar errors). She went on to explain some of the information in the ad was grossly misleading and quotes were taken out of context and they should have rejected the advertisement.
I, personally, think the advertisement was a gift to us. It demonstrates just how low and just how desperate our foes are.
Stacey Hall
October 15th, 2009
They fax bombed in Maine this week. We got one at work and it is a disgusting rant against our senators. They proudly advertised for readers to view the “kill Obama” song on youtube.
Leave A Comment