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03/20/2009
Pete calls Wayne 'extremist'; even kettle-focused pots find the logic incongruous
In a new post, longtime anti-gay extremist Peter LaBarbera is attacking gay activist Wayne Besen for being "one of the most hateful, anti-religious bigots in the overall homosexual activist movement." And while it may sound implausible to anyone who actually pays attention to this so-called "culture war," it seems that Pete, a man who quite literally dedicates his every day to hurting gay people in any way he sees possible, is making these anti-Besen claims with no irony whatsoever.
Well, there is a lot in Pete's post to laugh/scream/roll your eyes at. But it is this one line that we want to address:
Besen has a difficult time explaining away the happy lives of countless former homosexuals — like Janet Boynes, Stephen Black, Charlene Cothran, Stephen Bennett, and Yvette Schneider.
Why this line? Well, because it's disingenuous, even by "pro-family" standards. Wayne doesn't have "a difficult time" addressing these, or any, "ex-gay" lives. In fact, he's made a living doing so! He has written books and run a website on the subject, and has started an organization wholly dedicated to countering "ex-gay" lies. He not only finds the "ex-gay" waters to be fit for swimming -- he eagerly jumps into the pool with both proudly gay feet!
Folks like Pete like to make it sound as if self-professed "ex-gays" are the Achilles heel of our movement. It's a convenient idea, but one that has no basis in anything resembling reality. None of us, Wayne included, are denying that some people choose to use the bizarre "ex-gay" label -- we just remind society that it is a social construct that has no basis in science! We fully accept that some of these people might be bi and now choosing to only acknowledge their opposite-sex love. We also realize that some of them might be gay, and simply forcing themselves into the heterosexual paradigm so as to fit a faith that only accepts one sort of love. And we recognize that some of them might still be fully gay, and opting to choose a life of celibacy rather than have gay sex (Charlene Cothran is one who either claimed or still claims celibacy). But we, and the credible science community, recognize that there is no such thing as an "ex-gay." There is no valid sexual orientation that identifies one by once they were rather than what they currently claim to be.
What Wayne, and we, take on is the politically-motivate "ex-gay" movement. It's not about the individual people. In fact, if the aforementioned names weren't working to change society and its laws so that they are less gay-friendly, there isn't a gay activist alive who'd give a flying flapjack how they have their orgasms. But these folks are working against us. They are deliberately choosing a medically unsound label so as to convince society that gays can "change." They are placing their identities on some sort of moral pedestal to whose heights their gay pals could never hope to reach. They are aligning themselves with socially conservative groups, often taking a paycheck as a tradeoff for stories from their "wicked gay pasts." They are choosing to put their lives on display, so folks like Wayne Besen (and this site) are defending their own lives and loves against the fallacy parade that the professional "ex-gays" call a movement. They are casting a stone, in hopes that it will turn into a 'moness-eliminating boulder.
Pete can call us extremists all he wants. We're confident that society will come down on the side of truth. And by that we mean the kind of truth that comes from biology, and not the kind that you find in expensive conferences, biased materials, harmful therapy, supposedly restorative prayer, and a belief system that is willing to go through life without sexual fulfillment.
Your thoughts
Peter is beyond narcissistic if there is such a status, and is simply mad because Wayne is getting conservative air time and he isn't. For Peter to be calling Wayne an extremist is too much. But it's almost sad, I count at least four people off the list he says he CC'd about Wayne on FOX that I know for a fact think Pete is, quite frankly, perverted. The irony of all this is incredible.
In case any of those four are reading this, it would be better all around if you would tell Pete what you think to his face.
Posted by: David Roberts | Mar 20, 2009 11:49:54 AM
Apparently Wayne is doing a good job if he scares Peter that much. LOL
Posted by: a. mcewen | Mar 20, 2009 11:50:58 AM
The radical right-wing religious authoritarians have discovered that by turning the accusatory tables around that they can deflect some of the justly due ire away from themselves. And, it is really unfortunate that (in their inbred circles) it works more than it doesn't.
Posted by: Dick Mills | Mar 20, 2009 3:49:39 PM
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