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 lobbyAugust 21st, 2007
Mayor Jim Naugle is on a crusade to defend Ft. Lauderdale’s morals. First he wanted an automatic toilet to stop gay men from having sex. Then he declared that gay people are unhappy. Next he tried to block a collection of gay themed material from being housed in a city owned building. Finally, he staged an “apology” for not warning the residents of this terrible epidemic of public sex in bathrooms.
Now Naugle has support for his efforts to fight the “public heath crisis” – the usual collection of anti-gay activists that make bizarre and untruthful hyperbolic claims about the evils of “the homosexual lifestyle”.
Naugle brought Dozier into town to give this message to Ft. Lauderdale’s residents:
God hates the act of homosexuality.
This, of course, is the same Dozier who shared with us this theological gem:
“Why is it one of the paramount of sins?” he poses. “Well, it is a very bad kind of sin because it really hurts society in so many ways.” God, however, found a way to punish the homosexuals through HIV-AIDS, he says. “It is a type of judgment for such a sin as this one, homosexuality.”
Naugle and his merry band of haters blared out their denunciations of the gay citizens of Ft. Lauderdale but, as Chanel 6 noted, “many lacked statistics to back up their claims”. In fact, the mayors claim of “eight arrests of people engaging in sexual activity in public restrooms over the last two years” is refuted by the police who report two arrests in the past three years. It’s hardly a “public health crisis” in either case.
But the mayor seems to have an most unusual intention for a city that thrives on tourism dollars. Here are a few comments of Naugle’s that suggest that some imaginary public health crisis of bathroom sex is not his real concern:
But the ironic thing is is that the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is even advertising in their vacation planner, the bath houses, which are one of the worst places for the spread of AIDS. And that’s another thing that I’m going to try to get changed here in Fort Lauderdale so that we can be a healthier community. We welcome homosexual tourists to our city, as long as visitors, whether they’re gay or straight, don’t engage in these activities.
In this case “these activities” are not public sex that threatens the kiddies at all… but sexual activity in a private context.
In a New York Times article, Naugle is clearer about what who he doesn’t want in his city:
A “climate of permissiveness” has developed in the city, he said, similar to when Fort Lauderdale was a magnet for rowdy spring breakers several decades ago.
“It has become kind of like the days of spring break,” he said, “when we ended up clamping down because people were jumping off balconies and other things. We are kind of going in that direction with the gay tourism.”
By surrounding himself with imported homophobes (Janet Folger, O’Neal Dozier, etc.) using language intended to be offensive, Naugle has given a very clear message to gay and lesbian travelers across the nation: we don’t want you in our city.
And until the local citizenry removes him, I’m inclined to honor his wishes.
UPDATE: The Sun-Sentinal has a story about Naugle’s little circus of bile. They mention that one of his speakers was NARTH’s Dr. John Diggs, the author of The Health Risks of Gay Sex which we parody here. His conclusion: “Approving same-sex relationships is detrimental to employers, employees and society in general.” His contribution to today’s nastiness:
“It should be clearly seen that homosexual acts have a key role in the spread of all sexually transmitted diseases,” Diggs said, adding that “homosexuality is an act, it’s not the nature of a person.”
My favorite response to the “facts” presented by Naugle and his moral crusaders came from a heath department official:
“if you torture a statistic long enough, it will confess to anything”
August 21st, 2007
Ex-Gay Watch has more information about the hetertofore secret Exodus study being conducted by Stanton Jones out of Wheaton College. Known as the Thomas Project, the study appears to be small (around 100 people), and consisting of a simple telephone interview. Unknowns include recruitment methods, employment or ministerial status of study participants, or the interview methods. Nevertheless, it’s expected to provide a basis for Exodus president Alan Chambers’ claim of a 30% success rate.
We may learn more about the study as early as mid-September during the Exodus Regional Conference in Nashville. More details will likely be available at the NARTH conference at the end of October.
August 20th, 2007
At the height of the AIDS crisis, on December 10, 1989, several dozen activists from ACT-UP violated the sanctity of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York to protest Cardinal O’Connor’s policies and activism about AIDS, particularly his opposition to the distribution of condoms. They threw condoms at the altar and chained themselves to pews.
This event was considered to be an outrage and I think most gay people would agree that it was an embarrassment and a blight on the history of gay activism. Anti-gays used this as an example that “homosexuals hate God” and were attacking good Christian folk in their place of worship, and from time to time it is still brought up.
Now it seems that some anti-gays have decided to adopt the tactic. From the Columbus Dispatch:
A conservative Christian values group has been interrupting services at two central Ohio churches to protest their support for homosexuality.
I think it is worth noting that the response of the pro-gay congregations was a vast improvement over that of Cardinal O’Connor.
The pastor said he was proud of the way his congregation responded to the interruption, and he asked them to pray that the hearts of the Minutemen would be open.
August 20th, 2007
See Update below
A “pro-family” crowd is gathering in Florida next month at something called the Family Impact Summit to “inform and empower involved Christian citizenship”. They’ll be talking about religious freedom, racial reconciliation, global warming (is it global whining?), and life issues. Oh yes, and homosexuality.
Lots and lots and lots and LOTS of homosexuality. In fact, there isn’t a panel period that doesn’t have at least one discussion on homosexuality including:
And who will be there? The speakers list includes some of the most strident homophobes in the conservative movement. Let me be clear – these are not just people who oppose homosexuality or same-sex couples for religious reasons. No, these are people who actively seek to dehumize gay persons by using derogatory language, lies, and false accusations. These are people who regularly campaign to exclude gay persons from the civil liberties and freedoms that they demand for themselves.
Let them speak in their own words:
Tom Minnery (Focus on the Family): There has been a recent attack on the freedoms of gay citizens in Poland. News reports indicate that many gay Poles are so fearful of the increasing violence and homophobia that they are leaving the country. In May, Minnery told a Polish “family” gathering, “[A]t this conference, we have taken great encouragement from the determination of the Polish people to honor the definition of the family. It is your strength that we have taken great hope from.”
Tony Perkins (Family Research Council) – “homosexual men are more likely to abuse children than straight men” and “homosexual behavior is a “death-style” that is sending young people to an early grave.”
Gary Bauer (American Values) –”Homosexual activity is not a civil right, it is a lethal and immoral behavior, and opposition to homosexual behavior is not a discrimination issue, but a moral one.” Bauer supports sodomy laws and not only opposes anti-discrimination laws because of “threats to religious freedom” but actually supports anti-gay hiring and renting practices. Bauer is believed to be one of the principal reasons that the Reagan administration was not proactive in combating AIDS.
Ken Blackwell (failed Ohio gubernatorial candidate) – Homosexuality “is a lifestyle, it’s a choice, and that lifestyle can be changed. I think it’s a transgression against God’s law, God’s will.” Blackwell also compared same-sex marriage to barnyard animals, saying “I don’t know how many of you have a farming background but I can tell you right now that notion even defies barnyard logic … the barnyard knows better.”
Don Wildmon (American Family Association) – this is the guy who lead the boycott against Disney for allowing gay people to organize Gay Days (an unofficial event) and against Ford for advertising in gay magazines. In the process he makes wild exagerations and unsubstantiated claims. His group also publishes the highly fictional and virulently anti-gay OneNewsNow. They push the video, “It’s Not Gay“, a rant about the evils of homosexuality masked as an ex-gay presentation. This video featured Michael Johnston who was later exposed as engaging in unsafe drug-fueled orgies while claiming to have overcome his same sex attractions.
Catherine Harris (Failed Florida Senatorial Candidate) – claimed the separation of church and state is “a lie”. “Civil rights have to do with individual rights and I don’t think they apply to the gay issues. I have not supported gay marriage and I do not support any civil rights actions with regard to homosexuality.”
Bob Knight (Media Research Center) – for many years Knight was the voice of Concerned Women for America. There was never an anti-gay position too extreme or a notion to ridiculous for Bob Knight to spout it out in the press. “They are luring kids into a homosexual behavior” and “There is a strong undercurrent of pedophilia in the homosexual subculture.”
Linda Harvey (Mission America) – “Professed homosexuals should not be allowed to teach or lead groups of youth” and “Open or suspected homosexuals should never be elected” and “The vast majority of people involved in homosexuality are projected by many studies to be people that are employed sporadically, because of their lifestyle. They are more unstable.”
Bill Federer (author) – “statistics show[] 300% greater incidents of child abuse in homosexual households versus traditional marriage homes” and “There would be no way to protect children from sexual predators if homosexuals were allowed to marry and adopt”.
Mike Heath (Christian Civic League) – this is the guy who tried to get others to help him identify elected officials who were suspected of being gay. “Homosexuality is a sin that arouses God’s anger in a special way” and “Individuals who speak out against the homosexual agenda often lose their livelihoods. Worse, gay activists have attacked, beaten, and spat upon individuals who protest their politically-correct celebrations of ‘diversity.'”
Peter Sprigg (Family Research Council) – “research clearly shows that homosexual behavior specifically and the homosexual lifestyle generally are associated with serious threats to the physical and mental health of those who engage in them”. His book, Outrage, reveals “the tangible harms and significant costs to society wrought by homosexuality — including higher rates of promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse” and “Homosexuality is harmful to society, and young people have no business committing to a sexual identity until they’re adults.”
Get the idea?
Along with this virtual Who’s Who of Homophobia there are a number of other speakers who seem to have been selected due to the one thing they have in common – extremist credentials. Surely, no one who is seeking to reach out to same-sex attracted people would want to have anything to do with this hate-fest.
Yet into that mix are added Scott Davis, Mike Ensley, and Alan Chambers of Exodus International and Dr. Warren Throckmorton.
Wait!! Really??
But aren’t these the same guys who claim over and over and over that the church needs to welcome homosexuals and help them reclaim their heterosexuality? Don’t they say that anti-gay language and bigotry have to go?
Huh? How does that fit with joining in a conference of noted homophobes which seems obsessed with a political agenda against the rights of gay people?
What do you have to say, guys?
UPDATE: Dr. Warren Throckmorton has responded indicating that he will not be attending the Summit. See his comments below.
August 20th, 2007
A few weeks ago, the National Association For the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) posted its 2007 conference agenda (PDF: 108KB/3 pages). Through considerable detective work, Ex-Gay Watch’s David Roberts suggests that one item may be a talk by Stanton Jones on the results of a secret five-year study on the outcomes of religiously-based change therapies.
Another item I noticed is a talk by Christopher Rosik called “A Proposal For the Development of Treatment Guidelines For Unwanted Same-Sex Attractions.” This talk appears to be a response to Warren Throckmorton’s and Mark Yarhouse’s Sexual Identity Therapy Framework, which outgoing NARTH president Joseph Nicolosi has already rejected.
Rosik’s previous stab at this subject is nothing more than a common Cameron-esque anti-gay tract which pulls medical science out of context to re-pathologize gays and lesbians. In fact, it is so Cameron-esque that he cites three separate papers by Paul Cameron, two to claim that gays and lesbians have a significantly shorter lifespan than anyone else, and another to claim that child sexual abuse “causes” homosexuality.” I wonder if Rosik’s talk at NARTH will be significantly different?
August 18th, 2007
We’ve already reported on three Australian former Ex-gay ministry leaders who apologized for the harms they brought to their clients. This weekend, Anthony Venn-Brown, author of A Life of Unlearning will appear on Australia’s 60 minutes program to discuss his experiences in the ex-gay movement which go all the way back to 1972. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Anthony at the Ex-Gay Survivor’s Conference in Irvine. He’s a wonderfully passionate man and I’m sure our Aussie readers will find the program quite fascinating. I wish I could see it here in the States.
Meanwhile, Christine Bakke’s story from Glamour has been translated and published in its French edition. She’s becoming quite the Glamour gal. Now do you think her former prayer partners who prayed that she’d learn to accessorize are impressed?
And finally, when I saw Peterson Toscano in Irvine for the Ex-Gay Survivor’s Conference, he was being followed by an entourage of burley Germans; one was wielding a camera and another was holding a microphone. Last weekend, Germany’s ARD television aired a seven-minute report on the American ex-gay movement. The video is available on ARD’s web site.
August 18th, 2007
Love Won Out went to Portland earlier this month, and a reporter from that city’s Just Out newspaper attended to give an inside look. That reporter’s observations are similar to mine in many ways.
The same edition of Just Out also profiles Jonmarc Ross, an ex-gay survivor who had spent 14 years and $30,000 trying to overcome his sexuality. He moved from Orange County to Portland and joined the Portland fellowship. But his ongoing efforts to “change” led him to become alcoholic, drug addict, depressed, and suicidal, which culminated in what he describes as a “complete mental breakdown”:
In the midst of all that, [I found] a group of gay, Christian men that meets weekly—it’s a group called Anawim. The leaders of that group, when I was at my lowest point, reached out to me. These men had a truer faith and a more secure faith and a more sound hope and love than anybody I ever met in the ex-gay ministries…. They prayed for me and they prayed with me and they loved me back from the brink of disaster.
August 17th, 2007
Don Frankenfeld, a former Republican state legislator, wrote an article discussing why he decided to join Equality South Dakota. Frankenfeld uses humor to reach both gay people and Republicans in South Dakota, whom he believes need each other.
The following candid remarks of his amused me, so I’m sharing them with you:
The fact is homosexuality baffles me, particularly when looking at the most fundamental physical aspect: an attraction to certain body parts and certain sex practices. I can’t understand why some guy would be mesmerized by my equipment, and want to do that with it, when he has the same equipment himself.
Wait a minute. I don’t understand heterosexuality any better. Over the years I have become accustomed to the thought that a guy would naturally be sexually attracted to a woman, particularly certain body parts. (I write from the perspective of a guy, as it is the only perspective I have.) Moreover, a guy might relish the thought of doing that. But why?
Whatever your orientation, desire propels you, and is in turn propelled by intrigue, instinct and mystery. Sometimes sexual attraction is irrational, but always, it seems to me, it is trans-rational. So given the mystery of our own sexuality, who are we to judge someone else’s, as long as it is between consenting adults?
I think Frankenfeld has identified one of the stumbling blocks that people both gay and straight have with seeing each other as equal. We don’t have “get it” to get along.
August 17th, 2007
The Tennessean from Nashville had some very extensive follow-up to last week’s appearance by ex-gay survivors Darlene Bogle and Christine Bakke in front of the Southern Baptist Convention’s headquarters. We briefly mentioned Jack Drescher’s op-ed piece which probably got the most notice.
But I’d also like to direct your attention to the Tennessean’s editorial calling the SBC to task for “perpetuating old stigmas,” an opposing op-ed which says the church is “obliged to help those who feel trapped by lifestyle,” and an opinion piece by Bob Stith, the denomination’s first national strategist for gender issues, which gives us a good idea of where the SBC is going with this. And don’t miss the lively Reader Views section which indicates that quite a few middle Tennesseans are skeptical of the SBC’s latest initiative.
August 16th, 2007
Last June, we reported on three former Exodus and Exodus-affiliated leaders who apologized for their parts “in the message of broken truth we spoke on behalf of Exodus and other organizations.” Today, Beyond Ex-Gay and Soulforce have announced that three former Australian Ex-Gay leaders have issued statements of apology for their roles in ex-gay ministries.
Kim Brett is a former Exodus associate and leader of Living Waters and Liberty, Inc. Since 2005, she grew increasingly uneasy that the things she was teaching was harmful to people. She saw her clients frustrations that “no matter how repentant, prayerful and committed we all were to living a life as an ex-gay Christian, the changes we all sought and were taught possible never really materialised for most.”
Wendy Lawson is a former Exodus ministry leader. She says that she is aware of only one member who is living in a heterosexual relationship. The others, about twenty, are gay, and have abandoned their struggles. She describes her own personal sense of failure as a Christian and of not being accepted as a part of her church family.
Vonnie Pitts was a heterosexual pastor at a church in New South Wales. She and two other pastors set up an ex-gay ministry based on the Living Waters program. After four months of training, they took three lesbians and two gay men through the intense six month program. When that didn’t work, they looked at other ex-gay resources for help. But over time, she learned that “anyone who claimed to be ‘cured’ had just gone into denial about his or her sexuality.” She concludes:
If I were to see any of the people that I took through the ‘Living Waters’ program again, I would say sorry. My intentions were to help you through your struggle but I acted in ignorance.
August 16th, 2007
I never really knew what was in Richard Cohen’s children’s book, Alfie’s Home.
But DormItem has pictures. From the graphics and language, it’s clearly aimed at small children – but the subject matter is not. It is totally cringe-worthy.
(hat tip to commenter Aaron at XGW)
August 16th, 2007
Ex-Gay Watch has obtained a press release from the boards of Citizens For Equal Protection of Nebraska (CFEP) and the Omaha chapters of PFLAG and GLSEN repudiating the violent messages posted by Brian Wyant on a number of web sites he controls. Wyant still appears to be involvement with youth at the Rainbow Outreach GLBT Center, which is still a point of serious concern given his open advocacy of violence. Hopefully we’ll hear something similarly constructive from them as well.
August 16th, 2007
Often opinion pieces written about reparative therapy either sing its praises or decry its evil. Usually this is done in absolutist terms.
Jack Drescher wrote an op ed for the Tennessean that manages to state his objections to reparative therapy without employing absolutes or taking an all or nothing stance. For example:
Does it work? The little scientific study done is not encouraging. Most who try do not change — and no long-term studies show that those claiming change remain heterosexual.
Drescher has his bias and his opinion is not hidden. But he also stays within the bounds of truthfulness and does not employ tricks of semantics to suggest things that are not grounded in observable facts. All in all, a good article.
August 15th, 2007
New Jersey gay activist have been campaigning to have the new civil unions law replaced by an inclusive marriage law. A new poll in New Jersey indicates that the constituents agree.
When asked if law should be changed, about half of the constituents support the idea (with about 30% opting for civil unions and about 20% for nothing at all). However, when asked if they would be fine with the legislature enacting marriage, 62% said, “sure, that’s fine” while only 31% said they would be upset. And 61% thought it will happen in a few years whether they like it or not.
August 15th, 2007
Last week, we reported on a purported gay-straight alliance web site which went far beyond the bounds of a legitimate web site by excusing acts of “retribution” against bullies. The web site, authored by Brian Wyant, was so outrageous, that I awared it the Peter LaBarbera Award for its offensive, malevolent, crazy, and excessive statements.
Well, Warren Throckmorton has found another web page by the same auther which makes everything else pale in comparison. That page, which has since been removed, included a very direct call to violence, saying “lethal force is required.”
So I’m rescinding the LaBarbera Award for this case. As consistently distasteful and outrageous as LaBarbera is, I’ve never known him to advocate violence. Brian Wyant is in a completely different league, and his dangerous statements go way beyond anything I’ve seen.
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: