Where's the outrage?

[Rick336]

I've included with this post another vicious anti-gay attack from the American Family Association. I find it unbelievable that this is going on in America in 2006.

The American Family Association now has 3,329,000 members and is growing. That's three million three-hundred twenty-nine thousand. Compare that to the Human Rights Campaign's 600,000 members, the largest LGBT organization.

Right-wing Christians are now the most powerful voting block in the Republican party. Republican Senator Danforth said in an interview last Friday night on CNBC that fundamentalist evangelical Christians are now in control of the Republican party and that the situation has become a very serious danger to the rights of all Americans especially gay Americans.

As you can clearly see by the article below, the AFA is determined to convince its members that homosexuality is a dangerous perversion that is out to harm their children.

Leaders of our LGBT organizations should be outraged at these hateful articles by the American Family Association. This false information that these powerful anti-gay groups are sending to millions of its members is open fascism and should be publicly condemned by LGBT leaders.



Below is the article from the AFA web site from October 9th, 2006:


Foley's Fall Spotlights Growing 'Velvet Mafia' Influence in GOP
Also, LaBarbera Calls Attention to Media's Politically Correct Coverage of Scandal

By Fred Jackson and Bill Fancher
October 9, 2006

(AgapePress) - Amid the fallout of the Mark Foley scandal, one consequence appears to be an increasing exposure of the influential role homosexuals have within the Republican party. As the New York Times reported Sunday, homosexuals in the Republican Party -- sometimes known by insider slang terms including the "velvet mafia" or the "pink elephants" -- are a well-established force in the GOP.

According to the Times, many of these homosexual Republicans "have held crucial staff positions for decades," and this has been even more the case in recent years. "They have played decisive roles in passing legislation, running campaigns and advancing careers," the article notes.

And although "gay" GOP members have had to be, in most cases, more discreet about their lifestyle than their counterparts in the Democratic Party, the Mark Foley scandal -- and the recent confirmation of the Florida congressman's homosexuality -- has put a new spotlight on just what influence these homosexuals have within the Republican Party.

As the Times observes, conservative blogs and websites have stated that homosexual staff members played principle roles in investigating the Foley case, suggesting that the party has been betrayed by homosexual men trying to hide misconduct by one of their own.

The newspaper also says a group of homosexual activists has started a document known as "the list," a roster of homosexual congressional staff members and their Republican bosses. The list, the Times suggests, is an apparent attempt to force homosexual Republicans working in and around the Capitol to be more open about their lifestyle choice.

Meanwhile, one pro-family activist is calling for more openness about another aspect of the scandal. Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth believes the media have taken great pains to avoid using the words "homosexual" or "gay" in coverage of the Foley scandal. "There's clearly an effort here to make this somehow a pedophile issue or something that's separate from the homosexual issue," he asserts, "and, of course, this is right up the homosexual alley."

There is a well-documented history of homosexual men pursuing underage boys, LaBarbera says; but homosexual activists are getting help in burying this fact. "What we're seeing here," he contends, "is another effort by the media, working with the gay lobby, to separate out Foley's predations on a teenage boy from the homosexual issue."

The media is not being intellectually honest about the Foley situation or the pattern that it illustrates, the pro-family activist insists. "There's a long history of homosexuals being predators on teenage boys," he says.

"The fact is, if you go all the way back to the days of ancient Greece, there were homosexual relationships between adult men and teenage boys; so it's really ridiculous to say this has nothing to do with homosexuality," LaBarbera notes. He says the media's reporting of the Foley scandal has been marked by a great deal of political correctness, while the media have actually helped homosexual activists bury the truth.

Fred Jackson and Bill Fancher, regular contributors to AgapePress, report for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.

© 2006 AgapePress all rights reserved.

[Giancarlo]

This really pisses me off. I'm sick of these people trying to attack us and paint us as pedophiles, when in reality the overwhelming majority of pedophiles are heterosexuals. There is nothing pro-family about these people. They are only out there to destroy families and assault democracy with their far-right wing beliefs. I think I can name someone who held similar beliefs that they do when it comes to "traditional values". His name was Francisco Franco. He was not democratic in any sense, and he is the only person I can name that fits these people well. If they had their way, we'd be sitting in mental hospitals, or more likely... prison.

Personally after reading that hateful propaganda, I felt sick to my stomach. The American Family Association is truly a machine of hate and intolerance, and I'm sure their rhetoric has pushed people to take violent action against gays and lesbians.

We must always fight against this kind of defamation (GLAAD does that for one... I sure hope they are going after AFA vigorously).

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

The little scrap of truth that is buried in the AFA "lie" is that it is true that there were gay Republican men involved in the Foley scandal. One was Foley's former chief of staff and the other was the former Clerk of the House of Representatives. Both of these men, from what I read, were trying hard to "blow the whistle" on Foley's activities. So what is the truth about their roles--were they enabling Foley or were they trying to stop Foley's actions. It appears that they did make early reports to the House leadership, which failed to act on their reports. Should they have done more? Perhaps. Maybe they were mistaken to confine their reports to Republican circles.

The irony here may be that the gay Republicans may become the "fall guys" for the inaction of House Republican leadership.

What is the bigger truth that needs to be told here? That Republican House leadership cared more for power than for the young men in their care? That there are scandals in the closets of the right wing--even the Christian right-wing? (It is not for nothing that people over at Exgaywatch.com refer to Peter LaBabera as "Porno Pete.") Or simply that homophobia is a powerful political tool that the right dearly loves to wield against all their opponents, undermining democracy in their drive for power?

Steven Webster

[revtj]

Anybody see the Nat'l VP of Log Cabin Republicans on CNN last night?

He was well rehearsed. He makes a good point that the LCRs want to change the party from within through dialogue. He also stated that he was a Republican because he favors smaller government, lower taxes, strong defense and spending controls. Hmmmm....

I found myself thinking 1. I'm glad he is there if that's really where he wants to be and maybe it will help change the party line on gay issues AND 2. He must be living in a fantasyland if he thinks the party has accomplished any of those things he believes in that make him Republican.

In the final analysis he seemed like Scott Peterson's family defending him: a sad loyalty, some kind of social duty that was expected but not really all that sincere.

[Jamie McDaniel]

Originally Posted by revtj

Anybody see the Nat'l VP of Log Cabin Republicans on CNN last night?

I saw it. His name is Patrick Sammon. He did a good job, though he seemed to give Wolf Blitzer a not-too-pleased look at the very end. Good for him if he did. I don't particularly like CNN's Situation Room. Thank goodness for Anderson Cooper and Larry King.

I'm on the Log Cabin Republican mailing list. Some cute guys at a Log Cabin booth during a pride picnic got me to sign up a couple of years ago.

And Rick336, the disdain for homosexuals in that article is ghastly. Not a word about the out in the open Log Cabin Republicans, but rather warnings of a shadowy and well-organized "Velvet Mafia" operating deep inside the Republican party and involved in God-only-knows what!

Has their ever been a group in history so misnamed as the American Family Association? At least the White Citizens Council was somewhat upfront about their bigotry in their organization's name. More like AFA is American Fundamentalist Association.

[Zerbie]

McCarthy-ism, anyone?


Anyway - it's no surprise the lies come from the AFA - like the TVC, they are a hate group. I was, however, surprised to find there were more than 3 million members. THAT is disturbing, as well as sad.

[keltic63]

Originally Posted by Zerbie

McCarthy-ism, anyone?


Anyway - it's no surprise the lies come from the AFA - like the TVC, they are a hate group. I was, however, surprised to find there were more than 3 million members. THAT is disturbing, as well as sad.

what's the standard for membership? I mean, how do they account for those numbers? hits on the website? contributors? customers? mailing list?