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02/09/2010
Regina Griggs lies. Like a liar. Sadly. And Often. Here's just a smattering of proof...
In the past, we've caught professional "ex-gay" advocate Regina Griggs lying about a number of things. The most egregious has to be this one...
(click to play audio clip)
*Source: Wallbuilders Live, 10/16/09
...in which Regina took a '07 CDC report, that in actuality says this...
In the United States, HIV infection and AIDS have had a tremendous effect on men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM accounted for 71% of all HIV infections among male adults and adolescents in 2005 (based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting),even though only about 5% to 7% of male adults and adolescents in the United States identify themselves as MSM
...
In the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting, an estimated 19,620 MSM (18,296 MSM and 1,324 MSM who inject drugs) received a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, accounting for 71% of male adults and adolescents and 53% of all people receiving an HIV/AIDS diagnosis that year
HIV/AIDS and Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) [CDC]
...and flipped the data about male infections in 2005, and unbelievably used it to claim that 71% OF ALL GAY MEN ARE HIV POSITIVE!!!!!!!!! It's an absolutely insane claim that even a semi-literate eight-year-old can refute. Yet despite our pointing out the flaw to Regina, it's a stat that she still continues to use from time to time.
Well fast forward to today: Regina has partnered up with her equally fallacious pals at WorldNetDaily, for the purposes of defending the anti-scientific pamphlets that she's passing out in Montgomery County, MD, schools. Now, the biggest overall lie of the WND piece comes with the way the writer tries to link LGBT people's resistance to the pamphlets to the recently-signed hate crimes legislation, with Regina and WND acting as if we pro-gay folk are using that law to speak to the pamphlet situation. We are of course not, because the hate crimes law is not at all about speech. But since the "pro-family" crew refuses to believe that the law is not about speech, and since they've never met a rational situation that they want make murkier for the American public, they are going ahead and putting the federal hate crimes protections in bed with with the pamphlet matter. Two reasoned birds, one anti-intellectual stone.
But then comes this little quip, which is yet another flat-out lie that can be refuted with a simple glimpse at the underlying data:
Griggs told WND her organization has watched the attacks increase since Obama took office and implemented an agenda friendly to homosexual causes.
"What it has done … we have become the targets. They feel justified. They feel protected," she said.
But she noted a Washington judge has ruled homosexuality is not immutable, so the attacks are just "unadulterated hate."
"I have never seen the likes of this," she said.
*The FULL PIECE: Christian speech targeted as 'hate' [WND]
The flaw? Well, in a nutty-shell: The Washington judge that they reference NEVER ONCE SPOKE ON THE IMMUTABILITY OF HOMOSEXUALITY! NEVER ONCE! What the judge determined is that a characteristic need not be immutable to qualify for protection under D.C.'s Human Rights Act, citing areas like religion, income, and familial status as other categories that would qualify. The judge (rightly) determined that "ex-gays" should not be discriminated against because of who they identify as being (which we fully support), the same way that nobody should be discriminated against. So basically, it doesn't matter if the human being identifies as a "former homosexual" or a "former tablecloth" -- they are still a human being who deserves nondiscrimination. But there was not even a slight reference in the ruling to homosexuality or heterosexuality's basis! Obviously.
Though unlike Regina and WND, we're not asking that you take our word for it. Here's the full ruling that Regina and WND are turning into a foolish ruling. Go ahead -- search the word "immutable" (bottom right corner):
Judge Ross' Memorandum Opinion
Plus, ironically, this much-ballyhooed ruling was actually a loss for PFOX, as the judge determined that organizations (in this case the NEA) can reject "ex-gay" groups if their mission runs contrary to sexual orientation policy. The only "victory" is something most everyone in this nation already knew and supported: That "ex-gay"-identified people cannot be legally shunned because of who they claim to be.
However, the reason why the "ex-gay" community does earn ire is completely on display here in the way that Regina and WND are once again presenting the "truth." These constant and, frankly, egregious attempts to poop on actuality are the very reason why we so strongly oppose this movement! Because they, as a movement, are not a crew who want to live and let live. If they were, no LGBT person on the face of the planet would care. But the problem is that they are a movement that has no problem claiming that 3/4 of gay men are HIV positive, acting like an impartial judge told the world that being gay is changeable, or overlooking the little fact that their every last teaching is rejected by credible science. It's their aggressive side-stepping of their own team's credibility problem and rabid embrace of continued lies that first stops us in our tracks, then forces us to work to derail their unfortunate scheming! Otherwise we'd be THRILLED to ignore Regina and the whole faith-based "change" movement.
If the members of this community want to do salvage their reputations, then they will immediately stop the disingenuous misinformation that's come to define this "ex-gay" push. Perhaps it's time they disavow the truth-challenged Regina Griggs, the same way they've disavowed PFOX's former president: Pillow-beater Richard Cohen.
***
**Even tentative "ex-gay" advocate Warren Throckmorton has spoken out against the "doozy"-like statements that Regina presents to the public. He also admits, based on first-hand knowledge as a former presenter, that PFOX conferences are "not about tolerance": FOX News covers PFOX effort to get ex-gay books in school libraries [Throckmorton]
**Oh, and Regina's not the only PFOXer for whom truth is an Achilles Heel. In 2008, her PFOX colleague Greg Quinlan caused a minor controversy when he (a) misquoted the work of Dr. Francis Collins, then (b) turned around and accused the Ex-Gay Watch site of fraud for obtaining a comment from Collins that pointedly addressed Quinlan's misrepresentation. Even after XGW obtained a second comment, and after the Southern Baptist Convention's Bob Stith apologized for his own misusage of the Collins data (likely based on Quinlan's lead), Greg still refused to correct the record.
Your thoughts
We know that homophobia is a grievous sin which always leads to harm to the individual and society. In this case, radical anti-gay activist Griggs' sin of homophobia is predictably leading to further sin, i.e., lying. She needs to be reminded of two things:
Lying is a sin. "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord." (Proverbs 12:22)
Revilers are going to hell. "…nor revilers…will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:10)
I would urge unrepentant homophobe Griggs (and WND) to focus on their own sins and stop throwing stones at others.
Posted by: Michael | Feb 9, 2010 11:33:26 AM
@Michael: The saddest part? Regina, by her own admission, has a gay son.
Posted by: G-A-Y | Feb 9, 2010 11:41:45 AM
The Cults of Jesus Inc are discredited and ultimately discreditable with these kinds of actions and they make them every day. The sin of "bearing false witness" is obviously acceptable to these lunatic fringe hate-mongers.
We ALL must keep the truth being presented because these vile hate and fear-mongering bigots lie, lie, lie and in today's culture it seems that the more they say a thing the more it becomes accepted.
I work daily to confront these lying bigots and make it clear what the truth is whenever I hear a lie from the Cults of Jesus Inc.
There is an interesting posting at http://activecitizen54.wordpress.com dealing with the newest talking points from the Cults of Jesus.
Laughter may be the best medicine for me but I have a hard time laughing at these kinds of lies.
Posted by: Kevin Andrews | Feb 9, 2010 5:27:29 PM
I feel sorry for Regina's son. I hope he is as far away from that family as he can get.
Posted by: Mykelb | Feb 10, 2010 10:25:58 PM
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