Wayne Besen - Author, Activist, Columnist, Public Speaker

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Former Young Gay Americans editor Michael Glatze did not take long to join the right wing circuit. Only weeks after announcing that he had prayed away the gay (Well, it's more like a work in progress, since he hasn't yet changed) the ex-gay therapy group NARTH has scraped the poor guy out of the drug and glow stick littered gutter and listed him as a special guest speaker at its 2007 convention. (Well, I think it's him, as NARTH apparently misspelled his name - which is an improvement on the group's shoddy science. Wait, they don't actually do real peer-reviewed studies. My mistake.)

I find it interesting that Glatze has agreed to take part in this event. He recently canceled a debate with me on CNN's Paula Zahn NOW, because Jesus told him to do so. Now, without opposition, he will tell his tale to a band of applauding quacks. Clearly, Mr. Glatze is a moral coward who cannot defend his beliefs and can only appear in "friendly" arenas, where he is not challenged. May I suggest he have more faith in God to give him the strength to stand up for his bizarre new ideas on religion and sexuality?

I still wonder if Mike is conning us and will come out with a big "expose" on his year in the ex-gay movement. Then again, I did talk to him for an hour and, between you and me, my impression was that he stayed at the party one bong hit too long.

24 Comments:

Yeah - I heard him on some radio show. He has clearly done too much on the alphabet of drugs. Or, he has gone insane.

It is disturbing how these fundamentalist groups are so desperate for success stories that they will even prop up a poor soul like Glatze, who has fallen off the deep end and doesn't seem to know it.

Mort - L.A.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/12/2007 5:58 PM

Wayne, I was wondering if you had picked this up - I was just watching an old "In the Life" that had Mike Glatze and Young Gay America profiled, then I came across this article posted in July of this year about another gay-rights leader leaving homosexuality. Here is the link. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56487
What I sense is that Mike never found love and have used the drugs, partying, and shallowness that so many young gay men/women to fill that void. It seems everything was centered around sex because that is what being gay was to him or what it became - so sad. Now he is going to endure the indoctrination of the crazies of the right-wing, Narth, and like organizations. All we can do is pray for him and hope he survive without too much damage. Another lost soul who surrounded himself with the drugs, sex, and alcohol and blame it on being gay. Please someone call an apple and apple, in his case a nut a nut (no pun intended).
posted by Anonymous, at 8/12/2007 9:55 PM

http://www.thoughttheater.com/2007/07/an_open_letter_to_michael_glatze.php
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 11:21 AM

I thought it from the beginning and I think it now. This is a HOAX. Glatze is trying to phoney-up the religious right, and they are falling for it hook, line and sinker.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 11:41 AM

How much is Glatze being paid for these endeavors? It's my guess he's strictly open to the highest bidder.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 12:30 PM

Will a little kindness and respect hurt you Mr. Besen? Addressing someone coward in front of their their name is very disrespectful. Mr. Glatze deserves respect and kindness. At least try to understand him and listen to him and his motives for wanting not to identify himself as gay anymore. There is no need to dehumanize him and be so mean to a person, who obviously goes through a rough time. If he is still gay as you
claim he is (your opinion being that no one can change their sexual orientation) you should be a bit more gentle. All the swearing and name calling is not necessary. It is one thing to disagree .... but this is not a fair treatment of Mr. Michael Glatze. Whether he is gay or not.
posted by MarcusLoewe, at 8/13/2007 12:51 PM

Marcus, Mr. Glatze didn't just claim that he had an experience that altered his perception of himself. Instead, he made wide-ranging statements like "I know all gay people want to be free from this bondage" and "I believe all gays go to hell", he reduced our relationships to "lust and pornography" and claimed that we were spiritually deficient.

So what was that you were saying about kindness and respect?
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 1:04 PM

For a long discussion on glatze and his motivations, check out the link I put in above. I would put it to you that Glatze has very complex motivations, not the least of which is to blame his problems in life for his being gay, and his being gay for his problems in his life, and his insistence that other people who do not share his views are as "broken" (his words) as he is. His refusal to accept responsibility ofr the choices he made in his life are not what I would call bravery,
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 1:08 PM

Marcus, not be able to change one's sexual orientation is not Wayne's 'opinion'-- it has the considerable weight of science supporting it. Or are you one of those numbnuts who thinks the universe is only 5000 years old? Respect is earned! It is not freely given to people who would the destroy the psychological lives of others and very often their physical life as well when this quack 'therapy' ends in suicide.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 2:13 PM

I meant not BEING able...
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 2:14 PM

Yeah, just scroll down a notch and read the post about the church in Texas who canceled the gay man's funeral, and then come back to us and talk about respect and kindness. You have to be kidding.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 2:24 PM

Let's talk about respect and kindness.

Actually, let me put this a different way that will, i hope, shine the spotlight on what your comments are really about.

As a jew, there is not one word in the bible after the last one in the book of Malachi-- in other words, the whole of the new testament-- that i accept as having any truth or value in my life.

That i reject the whole of your theology, not just the parts you find interesting, probably does not bother you or anyone other than the most die-hard fundamentalist. It doesn't register on your radar, most likely. no lenthy postings on anti or pro-jewish websites, no lectures, no political campaigns to restrict my rights as a jew, no support of anti-jewish politicians, no lengthy contorted, mythology-based pronouncements on the appropriateness of my jewish beliefs, no twisting of actual facts to suit your agenda, no nothing.

Certainly, no cancellation of funeral.

Most likely, all you say is "well. Your jewish. I can respect that.' If you are being less charitable, you might even say "Oh well. He's gonna burn in hell forever. I can live with that."

So why does this rejection of just the tiniest part of your theology get you so excited-- excuse me, exercised? Could it be that it is really not about your religious beliefs at all?

I have no way of actually answering that question for you, but I've seen enough in my life to give me enough of an answer. It is not really about your religion. it is about a very deeply held prejudice, given a veneer of respectability by some organized religion. but it is still a prejudice.

Even if it is, how about this? I would like to have the same respect from you, the same live-and-let-live attitude that you extend to all of the other people you believe are going to hell, sent there to burn for an eternity by your just and loving god, just because they don't believe his pronouncements, or horror-of-horrors, just don't believe in him at all.

I don't want to be special for you, just because i am gay.

but you know what? As far as you are concerned, it is special.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 3:18 PM

Chris: I agree with you that Michael Glatze should speak for himself. All of us can only speak for ourselves. I do recognize that some of the statements he made were disrespectful and I have asked him not to make anti-gay statements, which he told me to think about. Kindness and respect are our individual responsibility.

Ben: Thank you for the link to Daniels response to Michaels open letter. And Ben: Everyone should be treated with kindness and respect regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion and sexual orientation. That is my beliefs. It is OK to disagree, but the name calling and disrespect is not.
posted by MarcusLoewe, at 8/13/2007 6:24 PM

Ben in Oakland,

Baruch HaShem! You are twiced blessed - and you are ESPECIALLY blessed for being so in touch with your Jewish-ness. I agree: There is not one jot or tittle in any of the books following Malachi that mean anything significant to me. That is why it is a shame to me (as a gay and a jew) that so many meshugene's want to turn the USA into a "Christian" nation.
posted by Emily K, at 8/13/2007 6:59 PM

I agree, marcus. i just wish so-called christians would do so by not calling me a threat to children, a threat to religion, God, holiness, Chrsitianity, the family, the military, the country, heterosexuality, etcetcetcetcetc. i also wish they would stop mounting political campaigns to enforce their religious beliefs through the coercive power of the state, to deny me the same rights and rssponsibilities and benefits other people have, the opportunity to serve my country, to have my relationship cherished and valued, to protect me from discrimination based on someone's mistaken ideas of sin and what god wants, to let a clear message be sent that hate cirmes shall not be tolerated, to adopt a cild who needs love and parneting etcetcetctecetc
posted by Anonymous, at 8/13/2007 7:01 PM

Ben: real Christians were told by Jesus "Judge not lest you be judged". The so called Christians who are busy passing judgments and condemnations are not worthy disciples of Christ. Hold them accountable for their messages of hate and intolerance and keep fighting for equal rights for ALL. And last time I checked America was a democracy, not a theocracy.
posted by MarcusLoewe, at 8/13/2007 8:29 PM

Fuck Mike Glatze...he betrayed the community, smeared all gay people and did it in a public forum. I'm supposed to respect this shit bag? Yeah right. If I respected him, I'd have no self-respect - like this Marcus clown. Stop "tomming" for the far right.

That is the problem with too many queers and liberals. They lack the gravitas to take on the right. They pray to Ghandi and other pussies in robes and sandals and accomplish nothing but losses for the movement. But, their defeats are conducted with supposed dignity. How about winning a few battles and learning how to street fight? I want wins, not wussies.

Wayne, keep giving them hell. They hate you for a reason!!!Don't listen to these pussies that say we should respect and love people that fuck us over like Glate.

Anyone who says that is a loser, in my estimation. And, more importantly, bad for the gay movement. Let them kiss Ghandis ass and accumulate losses on their own watches - not mine.

Mark in San Francisco
posted by Anonymous, at 8/14/2007 12:07 AM

Mark in S.F.,I feel as you do. What we as voters need to do is to stop the political correctness and not only take on the right wing by direct confrontation but the democrats too. Listening to their lame explanations about civil unions is pathetic and it only shows that they really aren't interested in full equality. If they were, the would be supporting marriage equality. Its about time we turned the tables on them and told them that they can't expect our votes any longer. Either deliver or get lost and incur our collective wrath. We need civil unrest to get anything done in this society. We've had the dialog with them on this issue over and over and they just don't get it. Enough, they need to be given an ultimatum.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/14/2007 8:03 AM

Regarding respect: Respect is something that is earned, not given away freely. What has Glatze done for the gay community recently to warrant ANY respect? He basically makes a living calling all of us mentally sick, morally bankrupt, sex-addicted, hellbound perverts. Excuse the hell out of me if I or Wayne or anyone else call him out for the pathetic coward that he is: afraid of debate, afraid of death, and afraid of who he really is. Just because he hates himself is no reason to take it out on all of us in such a public, defamatory manner.

--Johnny in Minneapolis
posted by Anonymous, at 8/15/2007 10:33 AM

Marcus Loewe

I found this statement of yours,
"Will a little kindness and respect hurt you Mr. Besen?"
on this blog kinda interesting, given what someone with the exact same id and the same blog, has been posting on Queertardo:

http://queertardo.blogspot.com/index.html

MarcusLoewe said...
I just looked at your picture LOL... and what you wrote. You really are as bitter as you look and write. And your pseudo intellectualism matches the height of your receding hairline.
LOL. (If this isn´t going to make you write the promised witty rebuttal I don´t know what will).

Marcus

August 13, 2007 9:31 AM

Not the first nasty remark you've posted. There are some very interesting quotes here: http://queertardo.blogspot.com/2007/08/wherein-marcus-loewe-grants-audience.html

But the stuff on your blog really makes my point:
http://exgaywatch-watch.blogspot.com/
"skip to main | skip to sidebar Exgaywatch-watch

Friday, 3 August 2007
"I wonder if encountering persons like this gay extremist blogger, is what makes some exgays political and religious extremists? It is rare to meet a person so full of hate and prejudices.
It was a great learning experience to meet a truly hateful gay extremist.
If he could he would probably not grant me, an ex gay any civil rights."

That is a very nasty accusation, Marcus, one made without a shred of evidence.

You might want to reconsider preaching what you clearly are not practicing.

Now, you said here:
"real Christians were told by Jesus "Judge not lest you be judged". The so called Christians who are busy passing judgments and condemnations are not worthy disciples of Christ. Hold them accountable for their messages of hate and intolerance and keep fighting for equal rights for ALL."

Given what you've written about Queertardo and Wayne Besen, doesn't this make you unworthy to be a disciple of Christ? Or are you somehow unaccountable for your message of hate and intolerance?

Your blog contains a great many distortions and misrepresentation, many of which go beyond merely 'bearing false witness'.

I get the impression from your various posts and from your blog, that you are very threatened by the testimony about the destructiveness and failure of ex-gay ministries and reparative therapy. Your blog is dedicated not to delineating how wonderful ex-gay therapy has been for you or anyone you know, but to harassing those people who dare to illuminate the destructive of these quack practices.

Lastly, I think you are simply not qualified to opine about anyone else's acceptance of diverse opinions, given that so much of your work on line has been designed solely to attack people, GLBTQ people, for expressing their experiences and opinions.
posted by Friend of Jonathan, at 8/15/2007 4:45 PM

Marcus Loewe: I don't know too much about you, other than what i read here and there. In some ways you seem quite fair, in others you've just bought the whole right-wing-christian-jesus-loves-you-don't-be-a-big-queer line.

You even quoted me on your website! Bieber and soccarides!!! Those two were so loaded with hate and fear, all disguised as benevolent science, it was disgusting. Soccarides "A Freedom to Far?" you ever read. Just like the KKKristians, a load of hate disguised as love.

I really don't care too much about ex-gays or michael glatze. They are living in their own hell. I'd like to liberate them from it, but frankly, I am too busy fighting for my right to exist to care too much about people who want to destroy themselves. What i care about, and what i have said repeatedly, is the insistence of so-called religious people that i must buy their particular line of bull shit or they will hurt me. what i care about are the lies being told about me and every other gay person on the planet by the so-called religious. what I care about is that my rights, my equality before the law, my right to live my life free of religious and sexual orientation prejudice, as an american citizen and as a human being, are constantly under assault and compromise simply because someone believes something they think they underestand that they read in book that they think they know something about.
And their insistence that i must read it an believe it too.

Glatze's life is his life, it's not mine. As Daniel at thought theatre pointed out, he can be a monkey if he wants to just as he can be exgay if he wants to. but generalizing the failures of his life to include mine is not acceptable.

I have every bit of tolerance for religious people, even though I think religion is not what enobles mankind, it what keeps us from advancing as a species. for all the good that it does, it also creates a great deal of evil. The two co-exist, and do not cancel each other.

Where i draw the line with the anti and ex gay industries is their combination of attacks and lies and hatred and distortion on me and people like me, who have harmed no one and who only ask ot live our lives in peace. All disguised as I love you, but i hate your sin.

Bullshit, bullshit, and more bullshit. I'm old enough to know hate, prejudice, fear, lies, and hypocrisy when I see it, especially when it is used for political advantage and fundraising..

Quoting from another website: "

"You don’t hate anyone. Honestly, you don’t. The Biblical message is all about compassion, about loving your neighbor and all that. You love homosexuals. You really do. You just don’t like their same-sex-lusting, public-fornicating, disease-spreading, marriage-ruining, child-molesting, society-endangering ways. And really now, where’s the hate in that?"
posted by Anonymous, at 8/16/2007 12:08 PM

Mark in San Francisco
..I totally agree with you...at 47yr old, Im sick and Titred of trying to be nice, turn the other cheek, please sir..may I have another BS! I'd like to personally punch Glatze in the mouth, and knock out a tooth or 3...sorry, that's the way I feel..I've had it..Im done...Im sick to death of these fuckers, and Im sure you are all up to date of thier newest forum i9n Ft. L. Fla. in Sept....with a host of weirdos!
posted by REX, at 8/17/2007 11:36 AM

I feels sorry for anyone who has so little integrity and sense of self that they oscillate back and forth between gay and ex-gay (and perhaps back again)like Michael Glatze. But that does not excuse wholesale defamation of gays before mobs of yahoos who guzzle it all down like a wino with a bottle of 'Thunderbird'.

If Mr. Glatze woke up one fine day to find himself straight (which I doubt), good for him--he can do anything from renting a (female) prostitute for a quickie to getting married for all I care. What I can't stand is when such people turn around and blame their drug habits, dysfunctional love life, thinning hair, etc., etc., ad nauseum; both on being gay and on gays (as a group). Grow up, already!
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