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07/05/2007
It's as plain as black and gay: Stephen slipped up
Okay, so we want to tread carefully with this one, so as not to accuse anyone of anything of being something they are not. However, we truly feel this is something that must be addressed, so here's the situation:
Charlene Cothran, who claims to be an "ex-lesbian," has been doing lots of press lately attesting to the great "change" in her life. As part of this press tour, one of the big stories she has been telling is about how she was once at a gay pride event, and at said event, she all of a sudden felt shame about being gay. Here is a quote from her recent appearance on "The 700 Club":
"In 2003, I was in Chicago at a gay pride event, in the middle of this beautiful park," .... "I took a panoramic view, and as far as I could see there were men with men and women with women, all just partying and having a good time. But a shame fell on me, I felt so out of place. I knew something in my spirit spoke that, 'this is that road that leads to destruction, and you're on it.'"
So she saw gay people having fun in their gayness and felt shame. Make note of that, for we'll be coming back to it.
But now let's talk about Stephen Bennett. In light of Michael Glatze's recent revelation that he too is an" ex-gay," this particular professional "former homosexual" has himself been conducting a mini press tour, professing that Glatze's story is yet another example of the transformative power of Jesus. As part of his press tour, he spoke yesterday with the Concerned Women For America. And in that chat with CWA's Matt Barber and Martha Kleder, Bennett said the following about Cothran's aforementioned parade experience:
Wait..."looking over the masses of BLACK American people" she felt dirty? Uhm, doesn't Steve mean GAY American people? Isn't THAT the group he's decrying?
........ Uhm.......Uhm.....Hmm.
Now, this could, of course, have just been a casual slip (rather than one more Sigmund-esque). However, when listening to the audio this morning while multi-tasking, the mistake jarred our ears alive so fully, it's hard to believe that neither Bennett nor anyone at CWA caught the mistake and either clarified it or edited it out! It just seems like such a HUGE blunder, and one that they certainly would have wanted to corrected in some fashion!
But then again, they also never correct themselves when they slip up and use the erroneous term "ex-gay" as if such is a valid orientation, so who's really surprised?
Celebrating Freedom from Homosexuality [CWA]
**A side Bennett-related note: Geez, at least have the decency to denounce white supremacy! [G-A-Y]
Your thoughts
I have a feeling it was an innocent slip up, probably making some connection in his mind of Charlene as a black women and associating that to the event. But it defiantly can rub you the wrong way. As for CWA, they have never struck me as the type to be concerned with catching slipups or correcting possible misrepresentations. They have made quote a job out manufacturing them.
Its funny how these conservative "rational values" groups, and those prejudice in general, often complain about our coming out, or the very real need for every day people to see and recognize our presence in this world as LGBT people. Yet when Michael and Charlene go beyond just self-affirmation and recognition, and turn it into a press show, they are celebrated as lost flames returning from the darkness. And those who dare judge that become hateful intolerant critics.
I saw the 700-club appearance. I can only imagine now that any time in there life (from life I guess would be the term they prefer) when they struggled with there sexuality/identity or with frustration over our societies attitudes, these moments will suddenly become only more "moments" or "reminders" of god telling them that being gay is (was) wrong. And those who desperately wish it to be true will eat those testimony out of the palm of there hands, and any mention of struggle from LGBT people will become sign of our "heading down the path of destruction."
Posted by: Patrick B | Jul 6, 2007 12:14:53 AM
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