Monday, June 4, 2012

"It Gets Worse" and "The Gay Agenda"

When one is backed into a corner, the natural animalistic tendency is to attack. In such cases, it's perceived as a life-or-death situation on one level or another. We're seeing that now. And, they are swinging with everything they have. Make no mistake: this battle for equality and what's right will get much more heated before we start seeing solid changes. They're making it woefully obvious that they're not going down without a fight. To wit, in addition to some of the headlines we've been seeing in the past week alone, these are some of the other tactics they've been using:
  • Someone affiliated with the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle, perhaps good ol' Reverend himself, somehow had facebook take down the blog article I wrote earlier in the week about the 4-year-old boy singing the anti-gay song. Not only that, but people trying to share the link had been blocked from doing so. I find that odd considering the story was very well circulated by the time I posted my article. It has since been restored, but the point is still the same. 
  • Jett and Jahn Media has produced this page, "It Gets Worse", in their attempt to derail Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" campaign and, of course, perpetuate their own fear-based propaganda aimed at LGBT teens. 
  • But, my "favorite" of these three is a blog I read today about "The Gay Agenda" "infecting" the Rochester school system.
The first thought that crossed my mind when I read this, and the Jett and Jahn piece as well, was "these people are seriously disturbed". Then, I realized that "these people" are rallying their troops for what is promising to be one hell of a fight for equality on all levels. At the same time, I found it not only important but imperative for the LGBT community and its supporters as a united whole to work quickly and diligently to dispel all of this garbage they're spewing out as truths.
As for the Jett and Jahn piece, in their effort to brainwash young LGBT people, they offer up this counter to Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" campaign:
Scientific studies show:
They typically don’t have faithful, monogamous relationships
They are more likely to be abused by their partner
They have higher rates of STD’s (including HIV/AIDS)
They are physically unable to conceive children
If they do adopt, their child grows up without a mother or father
"They typically don't have faithful, monogamous relationships". Sigh. All I'll say to that is that the divorce rate amongst "traditional" marriages has hovered around 50% for as long as I can remember. That's fully half!! Half of all "traditional" marriages blow up!!  Every OTHER "traditional" marriage FAILS!!!  And, that doesn't even factor in how many "traditional" couple cheat on their spouses. Of course, they don't even want to open that pandora's box. And, according to one source I researched, the divorce rate amongst second marriages is over 70%!! That's not exactly a ringing endorsement for "the sanctity of marriage", is it?

"They are more likely to be abused by their partner". All I'll say to that is "O. J. Simpson".
Even more disturbing than Jett and Jahn's ridiculous diatribe is the blog "The Gay Agenda Infects Rochester Schools". If this person is presenting these amazingly falsified "facts" as truths, we have an enormous problem. It's precisely this kind of propaganda that fuels the bullying epidemic we're seeing in schools all across the country and around the world.

I'm not even going to spend valuable time attempting to repeat anything I read in this blog; however, I strongly suggest that every single person who reads THIS blog, Enough is Enough, click the link above and read THAT blog. If ever there was a "must-read", this is certainly it. You'll understand why once you've read it.

So, let's set the record straight right here and now:
  1. I have yet to hear anyone, or hear of anyone!, go around telling people, young or not-so-young "how great..." being gay is. Have you? In fact, in listening to my favorite sports talk radio station last week, one of the hosts put it as well as it could be put. The topic was gays and being gay. He said, "if my son or daughter were to turn out to be gay, I'd still love them every bit as much as I always have.  However, I'd be very sad.  Not sad that I've got a gay son or daughter, mind you. Sad because I know the type of abuse and discrimination they'll face just because of who they are.  It's heartbreaking that that still goes on today...". "How great being homosexual is"? Really? We have to deal with people of this mentality every single day of our lives!! What's so great about that!?
  2. If " Gay and torture-porn orgies are a daily staple for the developing eyes of many children in America today", that sounds to be more of a parenting issue than a "gay agenda" issue. There are parental controls that prevent that type of viewing for the "many children" who may be watching it. If the tools provided aren't being used, the only person to blame would be the parents of said "many children". Then again, we all know that this is more propaganda than a real issue. Scare tactics is one of "their" favorite weapons. 
  3. I take special offense to their assertion that this anti-bullying campaign is part of some sort of ridiculous "gay agenda". I, for one, put a lot of effort into ending ALL bullying. It doesn't matter if they're gay, straight, or Venusian. No one, no one!, should have to live with the fear of being attacked because of who they are. It's that simple.
I could go on and on. There's so much in this blog that screams to be addressed, addressed now, and addressed loudly. If they're going to start pulling out lies and propaganda in their effort to win this battle, then it is incumbent upon us to stand up, speak up, and let the world know a.) that they spew lies, plain and simple; and, b.) just exactly who we really are and what we're really about. Because, you see, at the end of the day, the reality is we're no different than anybody else. The Gay Agenda? Yeah, The Gay Agenda as I know it is to
  • Work without discrimination
  • Love without repudiation
  • Live without retaliation
History has taught us that the fight for equality can get ugly, even deadly, before we start seeing changes. Many, including Dr. Martin Luther King, lost their lives during the struggle. With rhetoric and unmitigated lies coming from the other side, you can bet that things are only beginning to heat up. In my opinion, the only way for them to win is for those of us who are fighting for equality, gay and straight alike, to remain silent!

10 comments:

  1. You know, every time I read one of your blogs, it occurs to me that we tried "separate but equal" as a nation, and that didn't work. Why should we think that separate and disgracefully unequal would be any better. Thank you for ALL that you do. :)

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  2. my first thought when reading this title, was that it is anti gay.
    I am tired of seeing LGBT people hurt, it is time we started to fight back, demand that the churches tax escape be closed, I mean if they can fund all these anti gay organisations, then they are not using their income for what it was intended, therefor, they should pay income tax, council/state and country taxes just like everyone. or step back into what they were suposed to be doing and stay out of politics

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  3. Whoa. Wow. Now those are pitiful. And the Republican Elephant (on Jett and Jahn) draped in a flag and carrying a cross? The whole site is disgusting. Probably Jett and Jahn are a couple wanna be heterosexual guys acting out their subliminal frustrations. lol.

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  4. btw just saw that Jett and Jahn are white supremacists...no wonder such things are coming from their site.

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  5. Wonderful entry, thank you! You make a hell of a lot more sense than these people do. I still don't understand how their brains work; after all, they're fighting for their own prejudices - of which no one benefits - and we are fighting for love and freedom and compassion and happiness and all the things which their God champions - things all people on this earth benefit from. If only they'd open their eyes.

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  6. My partner and I have been together for almost 9 years. 9 monogamous years. We are getting married in September. We may not have children, but we have nieces and nephews who understand that we are a gay couple and what being a gay couple means, and they somehow still manage to be "normal" well-rounded kids. Anyone who would ever create a campaign entitled IT GETS WORSE, isn't concerned about the welfare of children. In fact, what they are actually saying is that they should go ahead and commit suicide because nobody will ever love them. Jett and Jahn should both be sterilized because of their stupidity and hatred.

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  7. An interesting post, however, I have a nitpick on this comment:

    "They are more likely to be abused by their partner". All I'll say to that is "O. J. Simpson".

    I'd say O. J. is an unhelpful example. While according to Wikipedia he pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge in 1989, he was acquitted in the criminal trial of the 1994 murders, which I think is what most people's minds will jump to.

    Also, even if you assume that he was responsible for the deaths, AND that they were connected to prior domestic violence, that's still just an anecdote - a single data-point.

    It also conflates domestic abuse with violence, which risks making it appear that other abuse is less serious. And that's even before considering that murder is a relatively rare event.

    If you're going to address a bald assertion like 'They are more likely to be abused by their partner' it may be better to stick with the evidence.

    That said, my uncoordinated 15 minute search doesn't reveal much in the way of actual data about the comparative prevalence of domestic abuse in heterosexual and same-sex couples.

    The unhelpfully titled Wikipedia page on 'domestic violence' is here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_violence - but doesn't appear to have much to say on the matter.

    Some research from 2006 is here - http://www.bris.ac.uk/sps/research/projects/completed/2006/rc1307/rc1307finalreport.pdf

    But even if there were clear-cut evidence that domestic abuse was more prevalent in same-sex relationships (or even specifically marriages) than in their heterosexual counterparts it wouldn't be an argument against those relationships or marriages.

    It would be an argument for greater awareness of these issues within the LGBT community. For me, as with all domestic abuse, that would start with teaching schoolchildren about the issues, including how to recognise abuse, and where to seek help.

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  8. I couldn't even finish reading that blog, it made me so sick. Thanks for all the work you do shining a light in these hate mongers.

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  9. Great work demystifying ... This is a global issue. Not just related to American politics. Never lose sight of the big picture.

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  10. Mr. Kemp,
    You are welcome to come tell us about your bullying concerns on our show. You will be treated respectfully.
    Jett

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