The Gaytheist Agenda

No doubt you’ve heard about NOM’s pretty little hate tour. They’re going around the country in an eyesore of an RV to push their anti-equality message. At each stop they draw tens of like-minded people. Of course they’re not acting out of hatred or malice toward LGBT folk. Not at all…

 


 


 
Typical. NOM caterwauls when gay men stand quietly with umbrellas, yet do nothing to repudiate obvious death threats from their own. But remember, they’re not bigots, they certainly aren’t acting out of hatred, and anybody who says otherwise is persecuting them.

 
Update: Rob Tisinai has created a new logo for NOM, which I find very fitting:

Mormon missionaries constantly show up on people’s doorsteps promoting their religious lifestyle. So why do they act like complete boors when atheists come knocking on their doors?

Door To Door Atheists Bother Mormons - Watch more Funny Videos

Bloggers Unite: People First: Empowering People With Disabilities

A few words before I begin. While I’ve worked for more than 20 years with adults who have disabilities I’m far from an expert, particularly since I have no first hand knowledge of what it’s like to live with a disability. I’ve learned much, but I still have a great deal more to discover. I’m going to share some of what I’ve picked up over the years, but if I offend anybody who has a disability I’m deeply sorry. Please feel free to give me feedback so I can avoid repeating my mistake.

 
Disability is far more prevalent than many realize. Some facts:

~In just the past hour, almost 3,000 Americans became disabled. That’s 49 every minute.
~Over 51 million Americans - 18% of the population - are classified as disabled.
~Almost one-third of Americans entering the work force today (3 in 10) will become disabled before they retire

What exactly is a disability? There are various federal and state definitions. (It’s a good idea to look at these definitions as guidelines that indicate what supports a person might need and/or what benefits they might qualify for rather than as descriptors of the person.) Disabilities can be physical or mental, mild or severe, temporary or permanent. Sometimes it’s obvious that a person has a disability (for example, if they use a wheelchair for mobility). Other times it isn’t (mild Cerebral Palsy or a chronic pain condition).

Disability can affect anybody at any time. Some people are born with a disability, some are affected in childhood, others in adulthood. It’s critical we never think of disability as something that can’t happen to us and is only an issue for others. Chances are we all have a friend or family member affected by disability; likely more than one (I myself have several). We ourselves may face disability at some point in life.

Historically people with disabilities were isolated from society, locked away in prisons, asylums and other institutions. This was done out of fear and ignorance. Even today people with disabilities struggle to gain access to the community, suffer much higher rates of unemployment than other people and face significant stigma.

So what can you do to help empower people with disabilities? Here are a few tips:

 
See the person, not the disability label. When we’re talking to our friend who has cancer we see our friend. Our mom may wear glasses but we never think of her as “a glasses wearer”, we think of her as our mom. So why is it that it’s typical to see the disability, rather than the person, when we encounter a person who has a disability? We see the wheelchair, not the person in it. We see the cognitive impairment rather than Julie, the woman with the wicked sense of humor and love of cats.

Look at the person. See them for who they are and not for their disability label. You’ll probably be surprised at how much you both gain from the experience.

 
Use “People First” language. This goes along with the first point. Rather than “disabled person”, which emphasizes the disability label, it’s preferable to use “person with a disability”. Remember, the disability is just an aspect of the person’s life, not the person herself. This may seem like more “PC” semantics, but would you prefer to be called “A schizophrenic” or “a person with schizophrenia”. The latter is much less dehumanizing in my opinion.

 
Presume Competency. One of the common mistakes people make, particularly with individuals who have obvious disabilities and/or cognitive disabilities, is to assume incompetency. They then do everything for the person (or try to), and sometimes even make the person “prove” their competence before allowing them things we take for granted. Worse yet, they sometimes neglect to teach even the most basic skills under the assumption that the person “can’t” learn. Assumption of incompetency is a particular problem when it comes to employment, as many employers automatically assume a disability label means the person cannot do the job.

Always presume competence when you encounter a person with disabilities. If they ask you for assistance be available to give it, but never assume they need it. It is especially important to not invade someone’s personal space uninvited, even if your intent is to help. For example, never grab hold of a person’s wheelchair without permission, as the wheelchair is an extension of their body.

 
Be Inclusive. One of the best ways you can empower people with disabilities is to be inclusive. If you have a business make sure it’s compliant with ADA standards. Recruit employees and/or volunteers who have disabilities. Employ People First language and encourage others to do the same. Speak out against stigma whenever and wherever you encounter it. Volunteer with people who have disabilities. Recruit people who have disabilities into your community groups, sports teams, etc. The possibilities are endless, and everybody wins.

 
Helpful links:
Disability is Natural
National Alliance on Mental Illness
ADA.gov
Autism Speaks
ADAPT
American Association of People With Disabilities
Through the Looking Glass

 

It’s getting so accusations against “ex-gay” “therapists” are almost as predictable as those against clergy. Truth Wins Out has the full must-read story, but here are some excerpts: ***POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING. Descriptions of sexual abuse below, and in linked article.***

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out (TWO) released an exclusive video statement today from two former clients of “ex-gay” life coach Alan Downing. The clients, Ben Unger and Chaim Levin, alleged that during individual therapy sessions, Downing (pictured) made them undress in front of a mirror and touch their bodies while the significantly older therapist watched. Unger and Levin call the sessions a “psychological striptease” and believe they were harmed by what they consider unprofessional behavior and sexual misconduct.

Downing, who admits he is still attracted to men, is a major player in the “ex-gay” industry and a practitioner of so-called “reparative therapy”. He is the lead therapist for Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH) and is listed on the People Can Change website as a “Senior Trainer” for Journey into Manhood, which is a controversial “ex-gay” backwoods retreat designed to supposedly make gay men more masculine.
…..

“While I was standing there without my clothes on, he asked me to touch my genitals,” says former Downing client Chaim Levin. “Once again, I communicated that I was not comfortable with it. And he was like, you know, ‘just feel yourself. Just feel it for a second. So, you can grasp your masculinity physically.’”

…..

How many innocent people have to suffer at the hands of these charlatans before somebody steps in and shuts them down? This is perversion for profit, predation masquerading as “love”, potentially lifelong damaged billed as therapy. The fact that the purveyors of these “ex-gay” programs hide behind their religion while exacting such abuse makes their behavior that much worse.

 
Related posts:

Actor Glenn Shadix On His ‘Ex-Gay’ Shock Therapy

Bigoted Sham that is “Ex-Gay” Movement.

The Truth About Ex-Gay “Therapy” Again

When The APA Denounces “Ex-Gay” Therapy What Are the RRRW Anti-Gays To Do? Lie, Of Course.

 

This is an excellent piece by DSC, posted on a message board I used to frequent but rarely visit any longer for various reasons. I thought it should be viewed by a wider audience so here it is..

Unfortunately gay priorities haven’t gone well in this Congress. That has lead to great disappointment among gay posters for frankly good reason. Adding to it is when posters do the following.

Way one

Call gay priorities, especially the big three (ENDA, DADT, and hate crimes) a pony or some other belittling term meant to make out that these are unimportant frivolities. No, we don’t think we are the center of the earth. But for many gay people these are issues that at the very least can cause immense problems in our lives. In 3/5 of states, including such large states as TX, FL, PA, OH, MI, GA, and NC, gays are totally unprotected by non discrimination laws. We are totally at the mercy of employers, landlords, restaurateurs, hoteliers, and others. It is the very rare gay person who hasn’t had being gay or perceived as such, cost them a job or apartment. Thousands of gays are tossed out of the service each year while many others live lives of quiet desperation and fear of being found out. Hate crimes fortunately has passed for the record, we were the second most likely group to be victims of hate crimes (after Arab Americans).

Way two

Tell us we wanted Obama to wave a magic wand. We know all too well how much work it takes to pass gay friendly legislation. We didn’t think Obama or Hillary for that matter, would clap their hands and pass gay friendly legislation. We did think that either Obama or Hillary would use the Presidential bully pulpit to argue forcibly for gay friendly legislation. Obama frankly hasn’t. He has been, to be charitable, an intermittent advocate of gay issues. We didn’t expect a magic wand but we did expect Obama to advocate forcibly for legislation that had over 70% popularity (by comparison health care never broke 45%) but he just plain didn’t.

Way three

Tell us things are better for us than they really are. Posters have told us that we are covered by anti discrimination laws when we aren’t. That we have marriage rights when we don’t. That we can be covered on our partner’s health care when we can’t. We do tend to know when we are, and when we aren’t legally protected. It is our lives after all.

Way four

Tell us Obama has done more for gays than any other President. That ignores the immense progress, coming from our work, that happened for gays between 1993 and 2009. In 14 states sodomy laws existed and could be used to prevent gays from obtaining and keeping professional licences, take their children away, and even put them in jail. Gay civil rights laws only existed in a couple of states and no state even entertained marriage rights. TV was nearly berefit of gay characters, schools had virtually no openly gay teachers and few openly gay students. Gays could be fired from any federal job simply for being gay. Oh, and AIDS was still a 100% fatal disease that had hardly any government funding. Gay men were still dropping like flies in our major cities and our small towns. Clinton eliminated federal discrimination everywhere but the uniformed military. He appointed the first Senate confirmed gay and the first ambassador. He increased AIDS funding (both research and medication) leading to AIDS becoming a manageable disease for many of its sufferers. He also came within one vote of passing ENDA. Yes, Obama, did oversee the passing of hate crimes and he did give some benefits to gay employees. He also has more openly gay employees than Clinton did (remember that many people with professional licenses were closeted thanks to morals clauses on their licenses) but starting points matter and Obama had a pretty big, unearned head start over Clinton. Ignoring that ignores the work we did.

Hopefully this helps you to know what annoys us.

A little of this and that with a hefty dose of snark.

 
They say hideously racist things. They carry racist signs at their rallies. But don’t you dare call the Teabaggers racists because they aren’t, they aren’t!

 
DC’s same-sex marriage law survived a legal challenge. Harry Jackson is sad.

 
A woman in Omaha, NE, claims she was fired because her boss was afraid of her fetus.

In the suit, Harms says she was fired by Smith, who said her fetus had a “negative agenda” and was “‘hostile’ towards him.” She also states that the CEO consulted with psychics about the “negative energy” he felt from her fetus, which reminded him of his own unpleasant experience in the womb.

No word on whether the boss has obtained the treatment he obviously needs….

 
A bus driver claims he was fired because of his religious views. Of course his termination had nothing to do with his religion, but with the fact that he refused to do his job. Can’t let an inconvenient fact like that get in the way of martyrdom, can we?

 
A man has designed a product to remind parents to remove their kids from the back seat of the car. (Sadly this is apparently a real problem.) Who will now create something to remind the parents to put this thing in the front seat to remind them to take the kids out?

 
Finally, John Marcotte has been cleared to gather signatures for his initiative to ban divorce in California. The “marriage defenders” should be fighting right along side him on this one. Why do I have a sneaking suspicion they won’t be?

 

But I’ll make an exception in this case since this guy’s issue is merely his chosen religious lifestyle.

My brilliant wife has updated the 1965 classic Perversion for Profit. Lock away the kiddies and those with heart conditions, then enjoy!

The Mormons, who travel around the world to recruit others into their religious lifestyle, recently attempted to use their chosen personal bigotries to sway Argentina’s vote on same-sex marriage. Catholics also exerted their best efforts to pretend the world was going to come to an end if gay people got rights. Thankfully both groups failed and Argentina now has marriage equality!

…..
After 15 hours of debate, the Senate voted 33 to 27 in favor of the measure, which was sponsored by the government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. For weeks, she waged a bitter war of words with the Roman Catholic Church over the measure, saying that it would be a “terrible distortion of democracy” to deny gay rights and that religious leaders needed to recognize how socially liberal the nation had become.

In its race to derail the change, the church had organized large protests throughout the country involving tens of thousands of opponents of the law, with Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, declaring it a “destructive attack on God’s plan.”

I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
Susan B. Anthony

Portugal and Iceland also legalized gay marriage this year, adding to the small but steadily expanding list of nations, most of them in Europe, to do so.
…..
Argentina’s new law will give gay people the same marital rights as heterosexuals, including adoption and inheritance rights, and reflects the broadening legal recognition of same-sex relationships across Latin American.

Mexico City became the first jurisdiction in the region to legalize gay marriages last year. At least two other countries Latin America, Uruguay and Colombia, allow civil unions for same-sex couples.
…..

Meanwhile, Argentina’s gay community celebrates…