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Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
On Monday, I appeared on Michelangelo Signorile's radio show. On the Sirius broadcast, the Ted Haggard scandal was discussed.
I was on the Gregg Jackson Show, a fundamentalist Christian radio broadcast, on Sunday, to debate Rev. Earle Fox on whether gay people can "change." The show degenerated into a bizarre monologue on the part of Fox, who seemed captivated by gay people having intimate relations, and he listed every imaginable activity in great detail.
Fox, also used fake studies, distorted research and misled America on "ex-gay" failure rates. I had actually been to Transformation Ministries, when Fox headed it, while I wrote my first book, "Anything But Straight." Not a single person in his "therapy" circle had actually transformed. They were all miserable, depressed and disconsolate.
And, they were actually praying for all those that had already dropped out of this pathetic "ministry." Given this harsh reality, it was tragic that Fox was still promoting a program that he personally knows does not work.
On Jan. 24, I appeared on another Christian radio show, Breaking the Silence. We discussed homosexuality and religion. I also defended the existence of evolution.
Rove Protege, Tim Goeglein, (left) Will Now Spin Fiction For Focus, Says TWO
Truth Wins Out (TWO) today called Tim Goeglein a perfect hire to be the lead Washington lobbyist for Focus on the Family. He resigned from the Bush White House on Feb. 29, 2008, after ex-Fort Wayne News-Sentinel columnist Nancy Nall discovered that Goeglein, while he wrote guest columns for the newspaper, had plagiarized 19 of 38 columns. According to the Colorado Independent, he had used the works of such luminaries as the Dartmouth Review, Nixon speechwriter Ben Stein and the Pope without credit.
A Rove protege, Goeglein worked in the Bush White House in 2001 as chief liaison to socially conservative religious groups. The New York Times says that Goeglein was influential in decisions on a range of questions important to that constituency, including stem cell research, abortion and faith-based initiatives.
Instead of hiring a writer with a Pulitzer Prize, Focus on the Family hired one who plagiarized, which reveals the organization's true character. Goeglein seems well qualified to work for an organization known for distorting research and confusing fact with fiction. Already the "Master of Misquote," Goeglein won't need on-the-job training.
Focus on the Family is no stranger to controversy surrounding the group's honesty and integrity. In the past two years, at least seven researchers have accused the organization of manipulating or cherry picking their results to back their anti-gay teachings. Letters and videos documenting the concerns of these respected professors can be viewed at TruthWinsOut.org.
Focus on the Family Action President and CEO Jim Daly released a statement to the Colorado Independent on the hiring of Goeglein:
"Tim has been forthright about his mistakes and humbly accepted the consequences of them -- a pretty rare thing in Washington," Daly said. "He is a Christian, and being a Christian doesn't mean you're perfect -- only that there is grace and forgiveness when you confess your imperfections. Tim has done that, and we welcome him to our team enthusiastically."
Goeglein would have been a more sympathetic figure had his conscience compelled him to come forward with the truth. Instead, he was caught red handed and had no choice but to accept the consequences of his unethical behavior.
If you've been following his blog, you know that Father Geoffrey Farrow was suspended for following his conscience but continues to work for LGBT justice.
The fact that he is barred from functioning as a Roman Catholic priest is bad enough, but recently, through mutual friends, I received some sad news about Father Geoff. News that makes me extremely angry. News that demonstrates the malice of a church that preaches the love of Jesus while deliberately persecuting a priest who for all the right reasons dared to follow the real teachings of Jesus.
Portland's openly gay mayor, Sam Adams, correctly decided to remain in office after acknowledging that three years ago he had a brief affair with an eighteen year old man. Calls for his resignation were politically motivated, homophobic and cheap shots dressed in the guise of morality. Sadly, many gay and lesbian leaders got sucked into the sexual hysteria and puritanical pandemonium and called for the mayor's resignation.
If Adams had exploited an innocent youth or abused his power in office to obtain sex, I would not be defending him. The affair with Beau Breedlove, however, was consensual and Breedlove told the Oregonian newspaper:
"I do not see any relationship that I ever had with Sam as me being taken advantage of. I do not feel like I was ever a victim."
Given this reality, I am having a difficult time understanding exactly why this is a controversy. The hypocrisy, double standard and anti-gay undertones are unmistakable. If a 42-year-old male politician had hooked up with an 18-year-old Hooter's girl, he would get high fives. If he's gay, people with pitchforks want to hang him from a high tree. For the conquering straight male, the affair would be a sign of virility. For the gay man, it is the mark of vulgarity.
This all goes back to the despicable stereotype that evil homosexuals recruit children into the so-called "lifestyle." People have to realize that sacrificing Adams won't erase this insidious myth from the minds of ignorant people who choose to believe it.
As in most self-righteous inquisitions, the pious finger pointers say it is "not about the sex, it is because Adam's lied" to the media about the tryst. This is the same disingenuous nonsense that Ken "Porn" Starr and the GOP used to rationalize their attempted coup of Bill Clinton.
In my view, Adams is the victim of an overzealous media asking questions about a relationship that was none of their business. There were only two legitimate questions that should ever have been asked of Adams:
Was Breedlove of legal age?
Did Adams supervise him at work?
We know the answer to the first question (barely legal), and Breedlove was an intern in the state capitol, which had nothing to do with the city council, where Adams had served as a commissioner.
So, why is this a story?
When asked about this affair during his campaign, Adams had every right to mislead reporters. What detractors call lying, was really just personal discretion. What next, are we going to pass sunshine laws that mandate public officials must sign sexual disclosure forms listing all sexual liaisons and post their names on the Internet? Because, that is essentially what people want when they insist Adams had an obligation to discuss his private life with the media.
Like starving vultures, the press is now sensationalizing the issue. For example, ABC News' website published an Associated Press story headlined, "Gay Teen Sex Scandal Mayor Won't Resign." This is misleading and irresponsible journalism that makes Adams appear to be a letch who hangs around middle schools with lollipops.
To be fair, Adams did let down the GLBT community. When asked about the affair during his campaign, he should have either told the truth or said, "none of your business." Instead, he accused his primary opponent of gay baiting and complained, "This is one of the worst smears you can make against a gay guy. It preys on the homophobic stereotype that gay men cannot be trusted with young people."
Adams diminished the noble cause for equality when he hid behind it to conceal his relationship. He should have acted with more integrity and not made his personal saga about the larger GLBT community.
Still, Adams did apologize profusely and should be allowed to move on. Human beings are not perfect, especially politicians. Last week, hundreds of citizens rallied in front of City Hall in support of Adams, giving him the strength to fight on.
Finally, I'm not begrudging those who think that it is irresponsible and wrong for Adams to have had sex with someone half his age. Those who believe that Adams does not share their values, have every right to vote him out of office when he is up for reelection. But the notion that Adams should be recalled is nothing short of an ugly witch-hunt.
The political judgment of Sam Adams is certainly questionable. There is no question, however, that his actions do not warrant the harsh judgment of those who demand that he resign. One may not like the mayor's personal choices, but this so-called "scandal" is nothing more than a fake crime scene in search of a real crime.
Adams is no superman, as many supporters thought he once was, but he is also no scoundrel. It is time people stop taking potshots at the mayor, and let him return to work so he can repair the potholes his constituents elected him to fix.
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Truth Wins Out's Wayne Besen to appear on Michelangelo Signorile's radio show at 4:30PM (ET). On the Sirius bradcast, we will discuss the Ted haggard Scndal,among other hot topics.
Check out Wayne Besen's blog posts on the TWO website including:
Mike Jones, thank you for speaking up. What you did was brave and took a lot of guts. I applaud your honesty and decency in the face of much criticism. In this whole mess, you are the only one who has acted with integrity. The GLBT community owes you for your courage.
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