The petition is up and running

[Joe Brummer]

I was worried that my last post about this got lost in a thread.....


I have finally posted an online petition to ask Stephen and Irene Bennett of Straight Talk Radio to stop their words of violence against gays. I ask that you all sign on and help me stop this maddness and lies against gays.

Please be polite and respectful in your comments. I really don't want people to sink to his level of hate speech.


The link is here:

http://www.petitiononline.com/StopSTR/petition.html

or




more info is available on my website... www.joebrummer.com

[SolInvictus]

I already signed it. Hope more people sign it & our voices are heard.

[pnggrad79]

Joe,
I signed it and hope everyone who visits this site will follow suit. It is very well written and I can tell you put a lot of thought and much prayer into it. Good job.

[Jennifer5]

I signed it and I had a couple family members do the same. What link should I give out to try and let other people know?

[Joe Brummer]

Originally Posted by Jennifer5

I signed it and I had a couple family members do the same. What link should I give out to try and let other people know?

The one is the first post here:

this one: http://www.petitiononline.com/StopSTR/petition.html


The more signatures that are there, the more it shows Stephen that his message is hurting more people than he is helping.

Thanks so much for signing it! Please spread the word so others will sign it.

I have also been listening to his radio show and doing a daily critque on my blog. I am pretty sure that Stephen is reading it as well. I can't tell him to stop what he is doing but I can certainly let him know others don't support him and his message.

[Jennifer5]

Thanks. I sent it out to a bunch of people including the person in charge of our church's website and asked her to post the link.

[Joe Brummer]

Wow, that is awesome. I have been feeling so discouraged by the lack of excitement about this from gay and lesbian websites, forums and blogs. I even posted the info at my space where it was ripped to shreads.

To know that you did that makes me feel good!

Thank you!

[Jennifer5]

No problem I just hope I get a good response... I'll try to help any time I can.

[ps403]

Great job, Joe. Articulate and well-thought out!

[Joe Brummer]

Cut and paste this into an email and send it to everyone you know!

Stephen Bennett Ministries, along with its radio program “Straight Talk Radio” have called gay unions a stench in god’s nostrils. He has advised parents of gay children to not allow them to bring their partners home for holiday dinner. He has compared gays to alcoholics and drug users, and claims gays can be cured. These claims defy every mainstream psychological and medical association in the world.

He claims he lived for 11 years as a homosexual. He tells people that he has the inside scoop on being gay, now that he is “ex-gay” and married to a woman. His radio program has featured topics such as, “The Medical Dangers of Homosexuality” or “A heart for the Homosexual”. His shows have painted an image that gays are child predators, drug addicts, sexual maniacs, all bound to die of AIDS. He uses the bible to back up his hateful messages and claims he is protecting children.

He thinks in his mind that he is helping people, but reality is he is hurting more people than he helps. He needs to know who it is he hurts with this message.I urge you to join with me in speaking out against these words of violence. Sign the Stop Stephen Bennett petition today, Let him know that you don’t approve of words being used as violence against gays and lesbians or their families. Be sure to be nice in your comments. Don’t sink to his level, be kind in your words but let him know he is WRONG.

Sign the Petition

[Jennifer5]

The thing that I don't understand is, why aren't more people signing? I sent to two about 20 people and only 3 signed how do we spread this information farther?

[Joe Brummer]

Originally Posted by Jennifer5

The thing that I don't understand is, why aren't more people signing? I sent to two about 20 people and only 3 signed how do we spread this information farther?

Wish I knew, I also have been wondering if the petition is too strong armed. Will it just make Stephen Bennett feel pressured into speaking with me. In the end I think the only way he will ever talk to anyone about his misuse of science is if he is strong armed or pressured in someway, but I sometimes question my own tactics. I wish more people would sign the petition but maybe they don't get it.

[Zerbie]

As per usual, I am being a downer on this thread, but it's a reflection of what I think possible, and impossible, with someone like Bennett.

Coupla things:

As mentioned earlier, I nearly decided not to sign. Do I recall correctly that any signatory is automatically listed by name on the list that's available to any and all web viewers? I remember thinking, 'oh, is there no way to remain anonymous on this list?' If I understood that part of technology correctly, there may be plenty of people who were going to sign but changed their minds believing their names would be made public on the internet for all to see, for all posterity. Then again - I could have simply misunderstood that part - computers are not among my talents. If not however, consider that many people have strong personal views which they are not happy sharing in public.

As far as the petition motivating SB to meet with you, Joe, I have to admit I have serious doubts about the effectiveness of any petition. For instance, if I were on air with my friends sharing our motivation in support of LGBT rights, and someone along the lines of a Bennett mailed me a petition full of signatures of ex-gays testifiying that I am somehow doing a disservice to ex-gays by supporting LGBT rights, would that make me say, "Oh hey, here's a bunch of signatures of ex-gays who oppose my viewpoint. Gee, let's hear what they have to say."??? Or am I going to say, "Oh lookie here, a petition signed by a bunch of ex-gays asking me to change my views. Yeah right, when the moon is made of green cheese."???

SB knows there is serious disagreement out there - he knows this is a contentious issue. He has chosen a "side" to stand with, and I suspect that in his mind, he has already decided what you, Joe, would have to say to him about it.

Yes, I doubt that any action on our part is going to be able to force him to a new stance. It's always possible that something may come along in his life that will be a catalyst for enormous change - but I don't expect it's something we could ever plan, or consciously cause to happen. There are people to whom we can say all the right things, who will nevertheless NEVER hear us.
Likelihood is, SB is one of those people. Keep remembering what is at stake for him if he even considers that his mission could be making mistakes. One tiny hole in that armor could bring his whole life to a crashing halt. I don't even want to imagine the fear and pain it would bring with it. Remember that is what Bennett is armored against, so a few polite words of truth will be met with rationalizations and "evidence" to the contrary.

I strongly doubt that a petition (or even dozens of petitions) no matter how many signatures, would motivate Bennett to give up this whole entire contruct and driving force of his life.

[Joe Brummer]

I tend to agree with most or all of what you have said. On the flipside of it, what is left for us to do? Allow this? Look at James Donson and the Soulforce campaign called "Dear Dr. Dobson". This man has made not just a living but an empire of anti-gay lies, but Soulforce tried anyway. I just cannot in good conscience stand by and do nothing. The best I or anyone else could do is draw attention to the fact Stephen Bennett uses lies and falsehoods. I would hope the information I have put out there about ex-gay ministries and the lies will help in someway to combat the lies.

I really do believe that ex-gay ministries are a huge part of the climate of hate and violence we as gays and lesbians live in. Just look at how loud they are. We see them on CNN, and other news programs. They invade our churches, our schools and ask that books about us be banned or burned. I, myself have been the victim of not just one, but two gay bashings in my life. The first with baseball bats, the second ended in a broken collarbone that has never fully healed. (I always know when it is going to rain.) They tend to put blinders on to the damage they do by preaching a false message to the public. If you have ever taken the chance to go to hatecrime.org and read the comparison of anti-gay groups to the propaganda movie from the nazi's called the eternal jew, you find the striking similarities between to the two. I speak out against this because it is wrong. I believe we have to speak out or it will just continue. The beginning of the end of such things has to start somewhere and speaking out is a good start even if it is shunned at first. Sooner or later, it will take hold and people will start to listen, but that will not happen until we all speak out. Silence from us tells them their message is just, but we all know it is injustice to all.

As for the petition and your name, many have signed it with just a first name. The email address you leave is really proof you are a real person, they only person who see's that will be me, and Stephen Bennett when I finally send it to him. I do not expect that he will ever talk to me, but I also believe that all of us close our eyes at night to sleep with our own conscience. I believe that Stephen does in fact know in his heart that he is wrong. I would hope enough people shaking their heads in shame at him may propel him to admit that, even if it isn't public.

I will also note, that I have followed his web site, his blog and his radio show for months now. I have seen changes made to the website based on things I have blogged about. He posts something on his web, I blog about it, and it is gone by the next day. At one point he was going to post "the Hall of Shame" where he was going to post the hate mail he gets from homosexuals. It was only on his site a day. I blogged about how that will never help anyone and it was gone the next day. I can't take credit for that because I don't really know, but I am pretty sure he is reading my blog and that I am making some difference. This has happen way more than once.

Lastly I will say this, many people who said to themself I am going to change something in the world were told by others that they will never make a difference, but they did. Many people were told that they cannot take on something bigger than them and win, and they did it anyway and made a difference in the world. This is about winning or losing, but making a change in the world that hopefully will stop someone from getting bashed, or fired, or left out. Change doesn't happen overnight, but it doesn't happen it all when we stand by and do nothing saying that it won't matter in the end. It does matter. At one point in time, the KKK were a huge force, now they are a hate group. Maybe that is what will happen to these ex-gay ministries someday if we continue to speak out.

[Zerbie]

Joe, thank you for that last post. I read you clearer than ever now.

Yes, by all means do SOMETHING! I was concerned earlier that you seemed dearly attached to the outcome of the petition, to the hope that SB will then meet with you and make changes in his "mission," and that seemed like an unrealistically high hope. But by all means, do something, and if this is The Something you feel called to try, then at least you have done it. I've done my fair share of tilting at windmills too, with the understanding that tilting at windmills was precisely what I was doing, but I needed to take the action for the sake of what was inside of my heart. I needed to know that I had tried.

Yes I understand why you are so motivated. I agree completely that there is a forest full of lies being taught about LBGTs and those lies are to blame for the hate crimes, including the two that were directed at you. How absolutely awful - I can't express how angry it makes me that those things were done to you! Dear God, baseball bats. I commend you for having the courage to stand back up and face the source of such violence.

Having spent a scant few hours reading SB's sites, I am not as familiar with him as you, and was unaware of those little evolutions in the site that you mention. Hey, ya never know, maybe it IS because of you that the 'hate mail' didn't get shared.

Maybe you're right and you ARE the guy SB needs to hear from. I don't know.

I do strongly believe that as far as combating the ex-gay ministries goes, we would have better success if we strategize a way to educate that huge moveable middle of the society about the realities of ex-gay programs, and the damage they cause, plus their links to political opposition to basic rights like housing and employment protections. The more people who know its quackery, the more likely people are to steer their gay kids clear of ex-gaydom, rather than INTO it. If it becomes mainstream understanding that ex-gay programs do real harm, then fewer LGBT adults enter into those programs.

Personally - when a strategic move to EDUCATE the majority population about these ex-gay programs comes to the fore, I will jump into it so fast, I'll be a blur. Why? I believe our longterm success lies there, with educating the moveable majority of America, rather than the much harder task of dissuading the deeply entrenched homophobes like SB, especially those who have dedicated their entire lives to being professional ex-gays.

Consider the mainstream media coverage of the ex-gay programs: they seem to play right into the controversy, rather than truly reveal the harm that is done by such programs. We ought to have some kind of educational campaign reaching a wide audience, illustrating the fundamental lies such programs are based on. Otherwise, no one 'out there' in mainstream America knows what is really going on.
Maybe a letter to the editor campaign? For starters. Is that a bandwagon we here might jump on?

Oh and - by NO means do I need it pointed out that there are strong parallels between Nazi propaganda and the current anti-gay sentiments. I picked up on that when I was a little girl, and have had lifelong recurring nightmares about it. All you have to do to see the vitriol of the extreme right is visit the homepage of the Traditional Values Coalition - it looks like pages right out of the Nazi handbook. Someone needs to confront that malice, and it may as well be us. The sooner the better.

Thanks for trying, Joe. I'm just glad to know you aren't going into this with unrealistic hopes, which is what I worried about before. Let me know if I can help some more. As mentioned, I HAVE signed the petition.

[Joe Brummer]

Zerbie,
Why wait for the public info campaign to educate people on ex-gay ministries. Why not jump on the campiagn that are there and help to build them....

This petition and my Stephen Bennett campaign is hopefully just a start. I hope to start something bigger. I needed to start someplace and this just seemed as good as any to start. There are many far worse than Stephen Bennett. He is actually pretty tame compared to others. In order for a tree to grow, someone needs to plant a seed. I am hoping that is what I am doing. Just planting a seed.

[Zerbie]

Good - we SHOULD be trying. Before I start beating a dead horse to death again (or am I already?!), what already existing campaigns are you talking about? Point me to 'em. I'll hop on board with whatever's out there, including this one!

So far, I've noticed little opportunity to speak out on the ex-gay stuff. There was a journalist doing a piece on both sides of the ex-gay argument who interviewed me, and I think I was pretty strong in my statements, but as far as I know the article never materialized.

[SolInvictus]

If I may add, personally, I find the LoveWonOut "ex-gay" ministry to be very dangerous. Oddly, it was my conservative psychologist who referred me to it even though she admitted the APA didn't approve such "therapy."
When it didn't work, my mom told me I should have tried harder - I told her I had tried hard all my life - its not something that can changed.

This was 2 years ago: I quit seeing that psychologist, found a new one, and mom has finally accepted me "just as I am." The defining moment for her came when I let her read Mel's book - it changed her view of conservative "ministries." For that, I'll always be thankful to Mr. White.

Fast forward to now: I have a boyfriend, attending grad school, a professional writer on LGBT issues, teaching as a substitute, and found a wonderful, welcoming church within the UCC. Homophobia & "ex-gay" propaganda hurt not just the LGBT community, but their family & friends too.
I have to agree w/ gay pastor Chris Glaser: "homophobia is a sin" (paraphrased).

[Joe Brummer]

Originally Posted by Zerbie

Good - we SHOULD be trying. Before I start beating a dead horse to death again (or am I already?!), what already existing campaigns are you talking about? Point me to 'em. I'll hop on board with whatever's out there, including this one!

So far, I've noticed little opportunity to speak out on the ex-gay stuff. There was a journalist doing a piece on both sides of the ex-gay argument who interviewed me, and I think I was pretty strong in my statements, but as far as I know the article never materialized.

Well Zerbie, I have found nothing out there as an organized group against ex-gay ministries. Maybe I will sleep on that and see how hard do I think it would be to start one.

[Zerbie]

Lovin' this conversation. Sol Invictus, it burns me up that you too went through all that . . .garbage. . .and I have several 3D friends who've gone thru it, too. It's just a sad waste of years out of your life, at best, permanently damaging or fatal at worst.

Joe - as far as starting a more wide-reaching campaign to educate that moveable middle about the ex-gay stuff, let's brainstorm. Why on earth not? Jamie, are you reading? Maybe it's something we forumites could start, with slow and simple things, like. . .whenever we find media coverage on ex-gay ministries that neglects to share all of what we need to have shared with the audience, we could all write letters to the editor/newsrooms, etc. That sounds small and more or less easily begun. Not necessarily as representing Soulforce, but we could be the resource for each other when stuff goes on locally, and then we could take small actions as individuals. What does everyone think? Jamie, ya readin' this?