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Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
In Mychal Massie's World Net Daily article today, he erroneously claims that I call blacks who oppose same sex marriage, "particularly appalling and ignorant." This is a misquote or an outright lie and is not something that I have ever said or written. If you google the term "particularly appalling and ignorant" with my name - the only reference you will find is Massie's dishonest piece. The actual quote that he botched is:
"Still, there is something particularly galling and repugnant about people who have felt the sting of discrimination, turn around and step on another minority. What happened at the ballot box feels like a personal betrayal and the hijacking of history."
It is one thing for Massie to have his opinion and quite another to invent fake quotes in the pursuit of defamation. What he has done is journalistic malpractice and an insidious smear designed to damage and injure my reputation. I will not allow it to stand and will take swift and appropriate action to clear my name and ensure people see his poor journalistic "standards." I look forward to World Net Daily correcting the record and offering an apology.
17 Comments:
What happened to "we're all in this together?" How long will the gay community continue to insist that "blacks and whites" are marching forward, together, on gay equality? Thank goodness for someone like Wayne, who isn't afraid to call out homophobes whatever their color. He has now been called a racist by a black homophobe. Now they're making up lies about Wayne; they are trying to destroy him and bring him and this excellent blog down. Does ANYONE on this board besides myself have the balls to stand up for Wayne and call blacks out on their homophobia? Or will you all persist in this delusion that we're all in this together? I say, "Know thine enemy." The time has come to choose sides; I know which side I'm on.
posted by Chris L., at
11/25/2008 9:51 AM
Wayne, I totally concur with you. We should all contact World Net Daily and voice our condemnation of Massie and his apparent homophobia. Maybe we need to reconsider our support of other minorities who stab us in the back come election time. I'm not usually this vindictive or harbor malice towards others but in cases like this and the outcome of Prop. H8, I think its warranted and understandable. How would they like it if we began supporting errant cops involved in racial bias crimes, Abner Louima come to mind? Most African-Americans need to take a closer at themselves in the mirror next time they cry racism. Don't count on us any more and we need to make that quite clear to Massie et al. Many will disagree with my view, but I'm angry, very angry at them and I'm sick and tired of making excuses for any minority that deliberately thwarts our right to full inclusion as human beings. Its time our collective gloves came off and to hell with political correctness. They want war with us? Bring it on!
posted by Anonymous, at
11/25/2008 10:37 AM
The sad thing about all of this is how unpleasant it is to say these things. I know that I do not relish it at all. However, I cannot tell you how hurt I am that other stigmatized groups (African Americans, etc.,) stabbed us in the back on election day. They simply must be called on it, and no one is a racist or bigot for doing so.
I was watching TV, they declared Barack Obama the President, and I was filled with joy...and then I heard the news about Prop. 8. I was crushed, and I am still angry and upset. The fact is that anyone who has felt the sting of prejudice, whether it be gays, blacks, etc., is committing a kind of treason if they do it to anyone else.
I find it demoralizing how intensely some blacks want to distance themselves from us. If anyone should understand the pain of being labeled as being "unequal," you'd think it would be the black community. This is very sad.
posted by Chris L., at
11/25/2008 10:51 AM
Chris, I don't like saying these things either, but I'm at my wit's end. I'm exhausted and tired of supporting the rights of others while being denied my own with little or no support from those who should know better than anyone else. I'm going to exercise a little more caution getting behind other minorities' issues, let alone support them. Instead, I'm devoting my time to nothing but our own, nobody else's. Time to take care of "US" for a change. Selfish? You bet, no thanks to Prop. H8, among others.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/25/2008 12:51 PM
I agree, Robert. It is time to concentrate on own own agenda. I don't call it being selfish, I call it taking personal responsibility. We have no other choice but to dedicate ALL of our energies towards repealing Proposition 8 in 2010. We have many supporters, and we need to get them to the polls. Those include liberal and mainstream churches, colleges and Universities, as well as residents in the Bay Area and other coastal areas which voted against Prop. 8.
posted by Chris L., at
11/25/2008 1:20 PM
"Does ANYONE on this board besides myself have the balls to stand up for Wayne and call blacks out on their homophobia?"
You're a fucking racist. A racist and a half. Take your broad-brush generalizations and shove them up your ass.
And Robert... dude, what the hell is wrong with you? How does Chris' divisive rhetoric actually make sense to you?
You know all you idiots have to do is modify a few simple words in your sentences so that they target the black people who are against gay rights, rather than imply that all blacks everywhere (the dreaded "they" and "them") are your enemy.
But apparently that's too difficult for you. Oh yes, because Prop 8 was such a devastating tragedy, unforeseen by all, and it's so traumatizing that it gives you license to throw rationality out the window and act like blatant fucking racists.
Um... yeah, I'll just repeat what I said earlier. Half the states in this union already went through this, the hammer came down on my rights two years ago, and we all dealt with it. I suggest you grow up and do the same.
You can also fuck off, Chris, because my partner, the person I love and respect the most on this stupid planet, is a person of color. It's not his fault Prop 8 passed, in fact he has dedicated his life to social justice, he fights tirelessly for the rights of all minorities, and you are less than half the man he is.
If you can't offer nuanced, articulate criticisms of the intersection between race and sexuality, then shut the fuck up. You are helping absolutely nobody.
posted by Ryan Grant Long, at
11/25/2008 3:07 PM
Oh Lord, in speaking of "black homophobia" I am not speaking of ALL black people! Please see my comment under "Mychal Massie Apologizes For Misquote."
posted by Chris L., at
11/25/2008 5:21 PM
Eshto, why do you resort to foul language when people differ from you? I don't think anyone who posts here is a racist, certainly not Chris. My anger too is directed at the 70% of African-Americans and other minorities and every white who voted away our right to marry in California. I support only the 30% who voted "no", but I will be a damn lot more cautious next time human and civil rights other than those of the LGBT voting block ever come up for a vote and I will be paying particular attention as to where [they] stand on LGBT equality and religious affiliation before I lend support or not. Don't lose sight of the fact that racism is not white-centric, it exists even in other minorities including the African-American community. I bet if you polled African-Americans on interracial marriage, you'd find the majority of them would be against it, another form of reversed racism. Be very careful when you start calling people racists. Another thing, please don't call me "dude".
posted by Anonymous, at
11/26/2008 8:38 AM
Robert, Robert, Robert. Don't you know that if you criticise an African-American for ANYTHING, you are automatically a racist (heavy sarky here, mate).
I am with you. African-Americans can be just as racist as anyone else--I've heard some VERY unkind words about bi-racial children from AAs. If a white said that sort of thing, Eshto would be on him like white on rice. It's only OK when an African-American says it.
I am with Wayne--homophobes NEED to be called out, no matter what race they are. If AAs don't like it, they need to change their own attitudes. Gays do not need to put up with b.s. from ANYONE and that includes "communities of colour".
Oh and by the way, I am myself a person of colour having a large amount of Cherokee blood.
I sure as hell am going to examine every AA candidate to see if they are on board for LGBTQ rights. If they pander to homophobic attitudes then they don't get my vote. It's that simple.
And just to save you the trouble, Eshto: I know you're going to call me a fucking racist. Whatever. My allegiance is to the LGBTQ community.
posted by Merlyn, at
11/26/2008 9:52 AM
Yes, how can you call someone a racist who was deeply moved with happiness when Obama was declared President on Nov. 3? In fact, I was originally a Hillary supporter. Guess what changed my mind? It was when BILL made race-baiting comments after the South Carolina primary; I was so deeply offended that I changed my vote to Barack, who happens to be doing a swell job, I might add.
I think the right-wing wants us to be afraid to speak openly with straight black males about gay rights; this is why they are fanning the flames of a supposed war between the two communities (think Fox News); they know that if we DO talk and JOIN FORCES, we will change minds and be a power. This talk is way too important to be stifled. It is time that gays of all colors engage straight blacks in this discussion about why the 70% was so hurtful.
posted by Chris L., at
11/26/2008 10:04 AM
Merlyn, thank you.
Chris, exactly. I too voted for Obama and I also voted for Al Sharpton in a NY local election but to some people, I guess that's not quite enough.
When all is said and done, we are all people of color. Is not white a color too? If I don't like "white" republican, conservative, religious people does that make me a racist too? Hardly! The term "racist" is overused and applied inappropriately in this instance. Not once have I voted to deny anyone their rights either, but maybe next time I may think twice if another Prop. H8 type initiative affecting another group of people ever makes it to the ballot. Those who voted against us should be put on notice as well as the Democratic party and we should do it NOW, not during an election campaign. We too have long memories and we won't forget, ever.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/26/2008 12:21 PM
"Not once have I voted to deny anyone their rights either, but maybe next time I may think twice if another Prop. H8 type initiative affecting another group of people ever makes it to the ballot."
Please don't. Rights should not be dependent on whether or not you like the people under threat of losing them.
posted by Z, at
11/27/2008 5:43 PM
Z....prior to passage of Prop. H8, I would not have said what I did, really not in my character. I'm terribly disappointed in the success of Prop. H8 and extremely angry at ALL the people who voted for its passage and it does make one wonder just exactly who supports us and who we can trust as we move on. Religious bigots don't usually change their behavior, they're wired that way and taught to hate from early childhood, in other words, learned behavior. Most religious cults foster and propogate it. We'll never be able to convince them otherwise. Its a lost cause. What we now have to do is to bash back with impunity by demanding the removal of their tax-exempt status for starters and do it aggressively and consistently, monitor every move they make. They can't get away with subverting the political system and we also have to go after the politicians who do nothing to ensure that the separation of church and state is enforced, starting with Obama who should keep his religious beliefs out of politics. Religion has no monopoly on marriage, least of all civil marriage The sooner Obama and others understand that, the better.
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