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 10th, 2010
As I have noted in the past, Dr. Laura Schlessinger does not at this time use her radio show to rant about gay people with disgust in her voice. In fact, she advises gay people to come out to their families and told Larry King last year that commitments between same-sex couples are “beautiful thing and a healthy thing”.
But girl has still got her some pent up anger about a boycott of her early 90’s television show which destroyed her chances of being Dr. Phil. Well, that and the fact that her show was simply unwatchable.
And so – yet again – Schlessinger has set out to “set the record straight”. In a June 22 blog post, Laura says that she’s always been supportive and that statements to the contrary are lies about her.
Nothing new here. I’ve been commenting on this for a while, but last night a friend approached me…a friend approached me and asked me how he should handle a particular situation. (I thought I was getting into “Dr. Laura gear”). Somebody had contacted him and challenged him about being my friend because, (and to quote that person) “she hates gays”. For almost a dozen years (I think they’re automatically renewed computer-wise daily…you’ve probably seen it or heard about it), a blog appears under different sources, ostensibly asking me to answer questions about some of the Bible’s entries about slavery, daughters…so forth. It supposes that I ever quoted Leviticus that homosexuality is an abomination. That never happened. I repeat: that never happened. I never said that. I don’t believe that.
In fact (which they will deny…don’t you love activism?) I was one of the earliest radio hosts to support organizations such as PFLAG (you know, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and other efforts to encourage openness and acceptance of gays in their own families, much less society. But to my surprise (but not naivetë), to many activists, truth is irrelevant when the intent is to rally support through raising passions, especially negative passions. Get people angry and they stop thinking for themselves.
She goes on to state that she opposes gay marriage and gays raising kids but that “listeners and fans who are gay” adore her. She quotes several letters and conversations to prove her point.
Having people believe that I’m a bigot and hate me…and “hate” is the word…is horrible, frustrating, demoralizing and unbelievably painful.
But the problem is that these angry “activists” are not wrong. While it is true that Dr. Laura can be supportive today, she has not always sought to encourage openness or supported the goals of PFLAG. In fact, the Dr. Laura of 2000 said some things that certainly would not be considered “supportive” and which did use the Bible as justification for bigotry.
Rather than “efforts to encourage openness and acceptance of gays in their own families, much less society,” in 2000 Dr. Laura was lamenting “the celebration of sexual deviancy and license” and saying that she “reveres the Bible and determines morality by the words of God.”
That year Dr. Laura Schlessinger wrote the foreword to wacky ex-gay gadfly Richard Cohen’s book, Coming Out Straight : Understanding and Healing Homosexuality. She didn’t have any opinions about his beat-the-pillow methods or about the appropriateness of cuddling as a gay cure, but she sure had a lot to say about gay folk.
She started it this way:
We live in a world in which the radical homosexual activists have, through aggressive lobbying and successful strategic initiatives successfully managed to infiltrate and effect change in government, public schools, churches, and even in our scientific institutes. Slowly and ever so surely, they are deconstructing the conventional family in order to accommodate their own personal desires and political goals. In the name of human rights and equality, the extremists in the homosexual community have altered the fundamental fabric of cultural and moral norms.
Oh, but not all gay people were “radical homosexual activists”. Those who agreed that they were sexual deviants, opposed civil equality, and were “struggling with personal and spiritual turmoil” were just fine. In other words, Dr. Laura loved her some ex-gays.
And she was furious that “these zealots” had convinced the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association (neither of which she is qualified to join) to state that there is no proof supporting conversion therapy. The gall!
I do give Dr. Laura credit for changing her views. I appreciate that she no longer seems to believe that change therapy is effective. I’m glad that she finds same-sex commitments to be “a beautiful thing and a healthy thing.” And I’m delighted that a lot of conservative parents today do hear her message of acceptance and support.
But let’s not pretend that the anger wasn’t earned. So to Dr. Laura and her latest complaint, I say:
For heaven sake, Dr. Laura, you weren’t the injured party. You don’t get to complain.
You don’t deserve a reward or praise for supporting gay people. That’s just expected; it’s the right thing to do. And no one deserves credit for simply doing what is right.
But you do need to own up to your past bigotries. By all means denounce them, but don’t deny them. You said it, you meant it, and you need to still be held accountable for the damage you have done.
Read her full FOREWORD after the jump
We live in a world in which the radical homosexual activists have, through aggressive lobbying and successful strategic initiatives successfully managed to infiltrate and effect change in government, public schools, churches, and even in our scientific institutes. Slowly and ever so surely, they are deconstructing the conventional family in order to accommodate their own personal desires and political goals. In the name of human rights and equality, the extremists in the homosexual community have altered the fundamental fabric of cultural and moral norms.
They espouse freedom, compassion, and tolerance as their mantra, but reserve the harshest of criticisms for those who question their political goals. To revere the composition of the traditional family is to preach hate and intolerance. And to lament the celebration of sexual deviancy and license is to persecute innocent people. The strategy behind this powerful and prominent campaign is nothing short of brilliant. The wordsleuths have not merely mastered the art of persuasion, they have captured the English language and managed to alter the framework of it in such a way as to position that if you are not with them, you are automatically against them.
In my very public and God-centered stance opposing the practice of homosexuality, I have been labeled as evil and closed-minded. If anything, I advocate tolerance and compassion for those burdened with same-sex attractions. When parents of homosexual kids call my show, I genuinely encourage them to love and accept their children. When I started my radio career a hundred-or-so years ago, I was just about the only person on air who took calls from homosexuals and lesbians and simply talked about life issues. Since this time, I have not lost one iota of compassion or tolerance for these individuals.
Simply because I am opposed to legislating homosexual marriage and adoption, I am labeled a Nazi. The irony here is that I have many, many homosexual fans that concur with my stance, as evidenced by the multitude of support letters and faxes I receive from them. A nice little Jewish girl from Brooklyn, likened to Hitler simply because she reveres the Bible and determines morality by the words of God. Can you believe the rhetoric here? I recently had a civilized dialogue with a prominent leader of the homosexual movement. Though neither of us shifted horn our diametrically opposed principles, we ended the discussion with not only hugs, but also an apparent mutual respect resulting from the intelligent and heartfelt conversation—or so I thought.
Days later and much to my dismay, this woman of whom I thought so fondly distorted my words, initiated a crusade to censor me, and targeted me a hatemonger. Label me as you will, but never color me hateful. I care deeply for any individuals struggling with personal and spiritual turmoil. I cannot begin to fathom the isolation that a young teenage girl must face when she starts to question her own sexuality, I cannot comprehend the depths of despair a God-fearing young rnan feels when pained with desires of another male.
Though they would like you to believe otherwise, the homosexual activists do not concern themselves with the welfare of individuals. They are not dedicated to the betterment of society or the freedom of the people. What these zealots really want to do is shove everyone who believes differently than they into the closet and throw away the key. Like many other fringe extremist groups, they are concerned with furthering a political agenda and rebuilding the infrastructure of traditional morality.
The fruits of their labors were seen when the American Psychological Association adopted a policy opposing reparative therapy for homosexuality. “In 1990 the American Psychological Association stated that scientific evidence does not show that conversion therapy works and that it can do more harm than good.”‘ Years later, the American Psychiatric Association followed suit.
It is my contention that, with the help of God and some intestinal fortitude, many can change their lives if they choose to do so. Coming Out Straight: Understanding and Healing Homosexuality is a provocative and compassionate confirmation of this truth. And Richard Cohen is living, breathing, loving testimony to his own assertions that homosexuality can be cured and anyone willing to make that change has the right to do so. With intellect and care, he offers invaluable insight into the reason for same-sex attractions and, for those willing to brave it, he illuminates a challenging journey from the isolation.
—Dr. Laura Schlessinger
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penguinsaur
July 10th, 2010
She goes on to state that she opposes gay marriage and gays raising kids
So we’ve confirmed that she hates gay people, regardless of what public relations BS she claims.
Martin
July 10th, 2010
I’m confused. Did you mean to say that she approved of gay people who aren’t (in her opinion) “radical homosexual activist[s],” that is, self-hating gays and so-called ex-gays?
Martin
July 10th, 2010
She goes on to state that she opposes gay marriage and gays raising kids
And I agree with penguinsaur – no matter how she would like to spin this, she clearly does not think that gay people are equal to, or good as, straight people.
Richard Rush
July 10th, 2010
If you want a detailed look at Dr. Laura’s history as a raging bigot with a microphone, visit the archived StopDrLaura.com. It was a project of John Aravosis (plus others) before he launched AmericaBlog.
“Now, go do the right thing,“
DrNora
July 10th, 2010
Dr Laura displaying her cootie and other wares for her internet audience’s enjoyment and pleasure.
http://www.pencilnecks.com/Laura.htm
Paul in OC
July 10th, 2010
As much as I would like to support the notion that gays and the gay boycott ended Dr. Laura’s TV show, the truth is that the show wouldn’t have lasted regardless.
Dr. Laura’s TV show was deadly … deadly BORING.
Her radio talent for quickly drilling into callers and pontificating about morals & culture issues was seriously blunted on TV. Instead of alone in a radio booth, she was surrounded by a large TV audience. It’s easy to be sharp-tongued and acerbic when alone, but surrounded by a bunch of fans she suddenly clammed up and was obviously watching her words closely. She lost her edge.
Plus the format of a TV talk show is to (somewhat) try to show multiple sides of an issue. This wasn’t a good format for her — no longer could she pontificate. No longer could she rant. She tried to be an older, whiter Oprah … it didn’t work.
The result was the most boring talk show I’ve ever seen. It was doomed from the outset, regardless of any boycott. She wasn’t cut out for such a show.
And now her radio show is suffering dramatically. She’s lost prime radio channels & markets as her ratings have declined substantially over the last 10 years. Which, interestingly, is the same period of time that she has mellowed greatly against gays and softened many of her stances. She’s *almost* gay-friendly now.
But her listeners are leaving her. I’m guessing her listeners want more edge, more rant, more vitriol. They want Glenn Beck. It’s a sad commentary on our times.
Regan DuCasse
July 10th, 2010
Well, she pretty much torpedoed her own career because so many examples of her hypocrisy came to light.
1. Her mother died alone and the body undiscovered for WEEKS. And although Dr. Laura’s mother is local to LA, Dr. L was estranged from her. Something she’d never mentioned and anyone seeking advice on parental relations stopped asking.
2. Her nudie pictures posted by an ex. She could no longer tell any young women how stupid they were for letting a bf or husband take such photos or do anything else that could be posted on the net and come back to bite them. It sure bit Dr. L on her bony ass.
3. As you see, revision of her bigoted opinions on gay people and their lives. She’s not owning them and denouncing them as wrong and mean in spirit, but she’s denying she ever felt that way as if there is no paper or broadcast trail to contradict this.
4. She’s not a peer or has credentials in family and relationships, her credentials aren’t in any of those fields. She’s got a degree in P.E.
Once you’re revealed as a phony, that pretty much tears it for anyone caring to hear what you have to say about how THEY mess up their lives. Dr. L has messed hers up pretty well too.
Lindoro Almaviva
July 10th, 2010
so her support is just convenient because she wants to appeal to the mainstream. i wonder….
Candace
July 10th, 2010
Dr. Laura is a media whore. When she smells money, she becomes whatever she needs to be in order to cash in. To gays, she loves us and always has. To reich-wingers, she’s against those gays because they’re destroying society.
“Whore” is a mentality, an attitude— whether they’re on radio, TV, or Craigslist– so don’t be surprised when they act like what they are.
I remember
July 10th, 2010
Good for her for saying (some) decent things, but, folks,
1. She said homosexuality is “a biological error.” Remember that little gem?
2. She published a big ad in a trade newspaper on or around the Jewish day of atonement saying she was sorry for having said hurtful things. So, Doctor (as in Ph.D. in physiology, not psychology, and she’s not an MD either), what was that about? Did you say hurtful things or didn’t you?
(Remember also that “The West Wing” had a character obviously based on Dr. Laura whom “the President” personally skewered on this very subject. So, why did that happen?)
Despite her selective supportive statements (opposing adoption by gay people and gay marriage are NOT supportive), it seems apparent that she is still the sociopath that she was 10+ years ago. Part of sociopathy (or antisocial personality disorder) is guiltless lying and refusing to have any accountability.
There is a permanent record of the crap she’s said in the past (e.g., “God-centered stance opposing the practice of homosexuality”), and she can’t run from it. I mean, any attempt to pretend that she never said “biological error,” etc. etc. will not be successful because ample objective evidence contradicts her.
Martin
July 10th, 2010
Her handling of the nude pics pretty much cemented my opinion of her as the worst sort of hypocrite. The pictures themselves didn’t bother me, but her response did.
If she were truly interested in practicing what she preaches, she’d have used the occasion to say something like, “I made a foolish decision when I allowed a boyfriend to take those pictures. Now I am embarrassed by something I did a long time ago. Learn from my experience – when you’re tempted to do something, ask yourself how you’d feel if it became public knowledge many years later.”
Instead, she whined about how she was some kind of victim. She never took any responsibility for her role (and she never claimed that those pictures were taken without her knowledge). It was all “wah, wah, people are being mean to me.”
Lynn David
July 10th, 2010
This sitch just has me laughing – why? Because it sent Porno-Pete LaBarbera into a tizzy over Ms Laura saying she likes PFLAG. Just funnier than hell….
Malcolm Blue
July 11th, 2010
Great article on Dr. Laura…
If I recall correctly Her Mother died suddenly during Laura’s “anti-gay =
period” (NO pun intended.)
Laura and her mother had been estranged and didn’t speak for years, and =
she voiced openly on the air
her disappointment that her Mother died without any chance or =
opportunity for Laura to tell her that
despite their differences, etc. that laura did love her yada, yada.
A few days later, Laura read on her radio show a letter she received =
from an openly gay man who told
her that when he came out to his family, they threw him out of the house =
and told him they never wanted
to see him again. The guy explained his feelings when he heard that his =
Mom had died, and nobody told
him she was sick, etc.
It was a major turning point in her public attitude towards gay people.
I thought you should know this anecdote, too!
Thanks so much for B.T.B. I LOVE it!
Keep up the excellent work,
customartist
July 11th, 2010
Cindy McCain can make whatever supportive comments she may like in efforts to offset her husbands positions,
Dick Cheney can slip in a Gay-positive comment,
and so can Laura Bush make Gay-friendly comments (now that hubby george is out),
Well it is just all fine and good to attempt to cloud the once the real positions of their political partys which have been repeatedly made crystal clear, all in an effort to bolster dwindling polls.
Generally, conservatives hate us, and they will never support us as a party. This is the bottom line. I for one am not fooled in the slightest by them. Should they display evidence to the contrary, then I might be persuaded. Hasn’t happened yet. I’ll watch, but I won’t hold my breath, or vote for cons until I see results, not promises.
Well the same is the case with Dr. Laura; making statements to soften her previous positions in order to bolster her dwindling popularity (trying to sell us her product w/ lies.
Too little, too late, and blatantly hypocrytical. In plain terms, BS.
We all know how she thinks.
Regan DuCasse
July 11th, 2010
What I really hate about all this, is, like NOM and so many others, gay hating is a PROFIT machine. It requires an aggressive predation on fear and ignorance and exploiting it for profit.
In the meantime, it’s not like the results of all this are innocuous and maintain gay people in a relatively simple state of invisibility. Indeed, any challenges or protests to this incursion on gay lives is seen as a ‘war’ or threat to heterosexuals, their children and lives they lead.
Yet, when such things as gang rapes of lesbians, suicides of tender young children, children taken away and property dispersed to the state, leaving significant others destitute, and careers destroyed, all this is called a ‘difference of opinion’
rather than a deliberate devastation.
And people like Dr. Laura and so on, don’t want to account for, or even address that these things happen. No matter WHAT destruction visits a gay person, people like Maggie G, see themselves as the victims.
And offensively place God in the position of abusive parent to rationalize what they do.
In other words, the ‘we’re being cruel to be kind’ or ‘it’s for your own good’ school of it’s their right to treat gay people any way they like because no abusive parents EVER want to be held accountable.
The go into denial that what they do has terrible consequences. They blame the object of it all as ‘having no choice but making them do it.’
I grew up with parents and grandparents that lived most of their lives under Jim Crow. There has always been a paternalistic abusive psychology to how women, blacks and gay people have been treated throughout time.
Those who were dominant placed themselves in such a role, and expect women/blacks/gays to NEVER challenge, contradict or prove them wrong.
And ANY opportunity to do that, is repressed socio/politically.
There isn’t much freedom to prove just how repressive their political actions really are. You see that most public forums where someone could make up their own mind isn’t available. Like the Prop. 8 trial.
Like the anonymity of the voting booth. Look at how Tony Perkins can sit in and speak on a hearing for Elena Kagan, but could state rep John Lewis? Or Andrew Young? Or Dan Choi? Men who, by their history or service, prove their interests in freedom for everyone. A distinction, Tony Perkins does NOT have.
There are no sterling leaders among the anti gay. Just people with a lot more opportunity to spread their fertilizer. A lot more aggression and a lot more money. And yet pretend they don’t have any of that. They are just these poor people who struggle against the powerful tide of gay visibility and they are the only thing standing between total societal break down.
And the public STILL knows less about gay people, than the other way around. But to hear the opposition tell it, there is a great conspiracy among gay people to keep their ‘real’ agenda hidden.
Easy to say when you don’t invite gay people to be open. Or give any opportunity to the same to speak on their own behalf.
BTB appreciator
July 11th, 2010
Wow – Lynn David is right: Peter LaBarbera’s boxers are in a bunch about Dr. Laura’s becoming halfway (only halfway, mind you) decent: http://americansfortruth.com/news/why-is-dr-laura-schlessinger-promoting-homosexuality-and-pflag.html#more-6663
Very entertaining!!!!
It’s analogous to Fred Phelps’ picketing Jerry Falwell’s funeral: “How dare your hostility have a limit somewhere! You must be infinitely hostile like me!”
Timothy Kincaid
July 11th, 2010
Regan,
I think you bring a good point. Much discrimination is not based in hatred, but in a feeling of superiority.
They are making decisions for us because us poor childlike blacks, gays, and women simply aren’t smart or sophisticated or righteous enough to know what is best for our own lives. So, “out of love”, they’ll decide for us.
And, of course, their decisions are the ones that keep us safely in our places not disturbing their superiority.
Emily K
July 11th, 2010
i concur with Regan and Timothy’s restatement.
dr laura schlessinge
August 2nd, 2010
Setting My Record Straight About Gays
June 22, 2010 on 12:00 pm | In Acceptance, Character, Homosexuality, Leviticus, PFLAG, Values Email This Post Email This Post
My blog today has to do with teaching you how to respond to lies. Most importantly, lies about me. At 63 years of age (okay, 63 and a half), I am absolutely blown away by the casual meanness and vulgarity that passes for opinion and discourse. In my early years, if you wrote or verbally gave an argument that had even a tinge of nastiness (forget the vulgarity), both you and your point of view would be flushed…intellectually disqualified. Nowadays though, people feel frighteningly free to criticize with vulgarities, insults, lies, exaggerations, misrepresentations, character assassination and downright ferocious meanness.
Nothing new here. I’ve been commenting on this for a while, but last night a friend approached me…a friend approached me and asked me how he should handle a particular situation. (I thought I was getting into “Dr. Laura gearâ€). Somebody had contacted him and challenged him about being my friend because, (and to quote that person) “she hates gaysâ€. For almost a dozen years (I think they’re automatically renewed computer-wise daily…you’ve probably seen it or heard about it), a blog appears under different sources, ostensibly asking me to answer questions about some of the Bible’s entries about slavery, daughters…so forth. It supposes that I ever quoted Leviticus that homosexuality is an abomination. That never happened. I repeat: that never happened. I never said that. I don’t believe that.
In fact (which they will deny…don’t you love activism?) I was one of the earliest radio hosts to support organizations such as PFLAG (you know, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and other efforts to encourage openness and acceptance of gays in their own families, much less society. But to my surprise (but not naivetë), to many activists, truth is irrelevant when the intent is to rally support through raising passions, especially negative passions. Get people angry and they stop thinking for themselves.
Here’s the truth: I’m for marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. I’m for children having the benefit of a married mommy and daddy, which by the way also means that you straight women should not intentionally exclude a daddy from your kid’s lives just because you want to be a mommy. But most importantly, you listen every day, you hear I take calls almost daily from gay men and women asking my advice on personal and family matters. These are the people who know the truth about me because, you know what, they actually listen to my daily radio program. They call because they know I can and will help. And every week I receive letters from listeners and fans who are gay and thank me when I take a call or read a letter from another gay listener, and here’s what they think, in their own words (let me get this ready…okay):
“Thank you for reading the email from the gay gentleman. I’m a gay woman (I don’t like the word ‘lesbian’) [she writes] and listen to you faithfully. I applaud you for protecting children and keeping people on the right path. I echo the feelings of the gay man who emailed you today. I am and have been single for 10 years. I just wanted to let you know how much I agree with you on how to make relationships work. I only wish I had found you before my partner left. If I had, I don’t think she would have ended the relationship. I hope more people in gay relationships will listen to you.â€
Here’s another one:
“I just heard you read the email over the air from the faithful gay listener. Add me to the column! I’m a gay male in central Virginia who listens to you every day after I get home from work. I’ve been listening regularly for the past three years and I wouldn’t miss it. Gay or straight…white, black, green, purple, or blue…Momma Laura knows how to knock some sense into people’s heads.â€
[Laughs] And, something I saved…something I saved. Here’s a call I got recently from a gay listener [listen to the audio here]
Caller: Thank you Dr. Laura.
Dr. L: Thank you.
Caller: I have to say, right off the bat that I need to apologize to you publicly because I wrote you a nasty-gram under the impression that you were against gay people. And I know better now, so I deeply apologize for that.
Dr. L: Thank you. How kind of you and thank you very much, and I accept your apology.
Caller: Thank you.
In fact, I get (brace yourself) disappointed and angry emails each week from people upset that I help gay callers. I give advice to gays and lesbians who call my show. One radio station dropped me because I give advice to gays and lesbians. Quite openly, I have been personally very hurt over the years with the misrepresentation which has led to a generation of folks who haven’t read my books, haven’t attended a “one-woman showâ€, haven’t listened to my radio show, yet presumed to know me and what I stand for. Having people believe that I’m a bigot and hate me…and “hate†is the word…is horrible, frustrating, demoralizing and unbelievably painful.
So my answer to my friend who wanted to know what he should say to people who challenge him being my friend, is to tell those people to listen to my show. I am happy to have any and all draw their own conclusions about me from an informed position, for a change, by listening to my program for a month or two. So there is a lesson in all of this: don’t let anybody tell you how to feel about another person without exploring the situation yourself and don’t waste hate. Save hate for those who…like the Taliban, hang to their necks until dead seven year old children in order to scare a village and take control. That’s where hate ought to go
Michael
January 2nd, 2013
Dr. Laura has waffled so much on gay issues. She would often contradict herself. At one point, she apologized to the gay community and then she turned around and rescinded the apology. Then she tried it again. She offered a non apology apology. But then she took that back too. She has NO CREDABILITY whatsoever with me. If she were to say yet again “I’m so sorry for the hurt I caused the gay community. I really believe that same sex relationships are beautiful.” It would NOT mean anything. We’ve heard that song and dance routine from her before. And I just love that she would trot out “But I used to refer people to PFLAG” Yeah. USED TO being the operative words. She started out kind of liberal, but that didn’t last.
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