The New York Times Spotlights Anti-Gay Evangelicals’ Role in Influencing Brutal Legislation in Uganda
January 4, 2010
Three anti-gay evangelical Americans presented a series of talks in Uganda last March about “the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family” which seem to have been a driving force behind Uganda’s proposed legislation to execute some of its gay citizens, according to a New York Times article published on Sunday, January 3.
The United States has now demanded that the proposed legislation meet international human rights standards, but Uganda’s minister of ethics and integrity recently said “Homosexuals can forget about human rights.”
Although Ugandan leaders have indicated that they will curb the legislation to instead call for life imprisonment of some gay people, locals told The New York Times of the damage that’s already been inflicted by American religious leaders:
“What these people have done is set the fire they can’t quench,” said the Rev. Kapya Kaoma, a Zambian who went undercover for six months to chronicle the relationship between the African anti-homosexual movement and American evangelicals.
Mr. Kaoma was at the conference and said that the three Americans “underestimated the homophobia in Uganda” and “what it means to Africans when you speak about a certain group trying to destroy their children and their families.”
“When you speak like that,” he said, “Africans will fight to the death.”
But shortly after Uganda’s posed legislation drew international attention, anti-gay leaders began distancing themselves from their ties to Africa and its growing rate of homophobia. Most notably, evangelical Christian pastor Rick Warren issued a video statement in December that cited “lies and errors and false reports” as linking him to Uganda’s anti-gay sentiments. The New York Times noted, however, that Warren had visited the country as recently as 2008 and has been quoted as comparing homosexuality to “pedophilia.”
The New York Times also published a related report, “Gay in Uganda and Feeling Hunted,” on Monday, January 4, detailing the hardships LGBT people face in Uganda. The article included a compelling multi-media component on its website with commentary from LGBT people on the ground in Uganda. The Times also published a scathing editorial on Tuesday, January 5 calling upon the U.S. Government and others to make it clear to Uganda that if its anti-gay legislation becomes law, “it will lose millions of dollars in foreign aid and be shunned globally.”
We applaud The Times for shining a light on this vital topic and ensuring that people around the world get a clear sense of the immense challenges LGBT people encounter on a daily basis in Uganda, and how they’ve learned to survive.
We’ll keep you updated on the latest information surrounding Uganda’s anti-gay legislation and the media’s coverage of the topic.
Related Posts:Lutherans Change Policy—Affirm Partnered Gay Ministers
August 21, 2009
Lutherans, the very first Protestant tradition, founded in the 1500’s, voted to lift the ban on partnered gay clergy on Friday, August 21, 2009. The week of deliberations included a tornado that damaged the convention center in Minneapolis and extensive debate, prayers and conversation.
Meeting August 17-23, the body considered a range of legislation affecting the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. On LGBT issues, the results were historic. At three critical points, delegates chose the next step toward full inclusion.
They rejected attempts by conservatives to change the voting rules on the opening night; they passed the Policy Statement on Human Sexuality with a 2/3 vote; and, finally, delegates withstood legislative end runs and voted to allow clergy to be in committed same-gender relationships.
Emily Eastwood, Executive Director of Lutherans Concerned/North America, said “Today I am proud to be a Lutheran. Supporters and advocates of full inclusion have longed for this day since the inception of the ELCA, and for many of us what seemed like a lifetime. The ELCA has always had gay ministers, now those and all ministers are free to claim who they are and to have the love and support of a lifelong partner, regardless of orientation or gender identity, which is all we ever asked.”
The ELCA is the second largest mainline Protestant church in the U.S. with 4.6 million members and now joins the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ as mainline denominations that have moved toward full inclusion in recent years.
GLAAD assisted the LGBT and allied Lutheran spokespeople by pitching the story through the 1800 religion media journalists and outlets of the Religion News Service. GLAAD trained spokespeople were interviewed by the NY Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, LA Times, NPR, Minnesota Public Radio, local radio talk shows and others. Multiple AP articles blanketed the country and repeatedly quoted GLAAD trained Lutheran spokespeople.
Related Posts:Lutherans Pass Policy Statement on Human Sexuality by Supermajority
August 20, 2009
A tornado touched down on the street outside the convention hall where Lutherans were debating whether you could be a biblical Christian and support LGBT couples and their families. Conservative bloggers saw the storm as a dire sign but they ignored the sun breaking through just as the assembly voted for the new Social Policy on Human Sexuality by precisely the 2/3 vote required . As 66.67 to 33.33 percent vote results were posted on the screen, voters and visitors gasped and then burst into applause.
The national meeting for the entire Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) is held every two years—this year in Minneapolis, Minn., August 17-23. The new policy, which creates a theological framework allowing for disagreements within the ELCA over sexuality and scripture, replaces a previous statement that was 15 years old.
Lutherans Concerned, an LGBT affirming Lutheran group, sent a press release to 1800 religion writers and associates through the Religion News Service the week before the assembly, resulting in wide media coverage. Key votes throughout the week and GLAAD’s assistance with media strategies and pitching enhanced that effort. Private interviews with GLAAD trained spokespeople were set with the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Los Angles Times, and others. Related votes will happen on Thursday and Friday.
On Tuesday a devotional booklet, “One Table, Many Blessings,” was released with the names of 95 out LGBT ministers. On Wednesday, a PBS Religion & Ethics reporter interviewed five key LGBT faith leader (airing August 24). Immediately after the vote on the Social Policy on Human Sexuality, PBS filmed the procession of the LGBT coalition’s worship service attended by about 2,000 people. The videographer quipped, “This will be our stock footage of Lutherans worshipping for years to come!”
The ELCA is the second largest mainline Protestant church in the U.S. with 4.6 million members and now joins the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ as mainline denominations that have moved toward full inclusion in recent years. An increasing number clergy, laity and family members are going on record for equality.
Related Posts:Lutherans Pass First Hurdle Toward Partnered LGBT Clergy
August 19, 2009
Lutherans leapt the first hurdle at their biennial policy setting meeting after extensive debate on allowing ministers be in committed same-gender relationships.
Conservatives lobbied hard as they made a motion to raise the percentage required to pass the measures but failed by a large margin. The national meeting for the entire Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) is held every two years—this year in Minneapolis, Minn., August 17-23.
Photo Courtesy of ELCA.org
GLAAD staff is on-site as Lutheran LGBT advocates are making the most of media opportunities to expand the impact of their work. The ELCA will vote on a proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality and a Recommendation on Ministry Policies. The policy statement lays the groundwork for all policies on human sexuality.
The Recommendation on Ministry Policies proposes to remove the ban on openly gay clergy by allowing congregations who wish to do so to have a minister who is in a committed, same-gender relationship, while not requiring any congregation to do so.
The ELCA is the second largest mainline Protestant church in the U.S. with 4.6 million members. This year, an increasing number clergy, laity and family members are going on record about the important ministries shared by people who are LGBT who have faced discrimination up to now.
Related Posts:Lutherans Debate Partnered LGBT Clergy
August 12, 2009
Same-gender partners and their families will be front-and-center at the upcoming national meeting where policy for the entire Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) is voted on every two years. This year, the body will decide to drop—or keep—the requirement of celibacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clergy.
Lutheran LGBT advocates are organized and are hopeful in light of The Episcopal Church national meeting where LGBT equality was affirmed, as well as the changing landscape of opinions of mainline clergy who increasingly support LGBT rights.
2007 Churchwide Assembly (Photo Courtesy of ELCA.org)
Meeting in Minneapolis, Minn., August 17-23, the denomination will vote on a range of topics, but the most high-profile is whether or not to lift the ban on ministers who are in same-gender, committed relationships.
Two proposals impact LGBT people: a 30-page, Social Statement on Human Sexuality and a Recommendation on Ministry Policies.
The Social Statement is the theological and teaching document for the ELCA on constructive social relationships and responsibilities. It lays out the range of good faith opinions among Lutherans on same-gender committed relationships and asks the church to agree to disagree while moving forward in hospitality.
The Recommendation on Ministry Policies proposes to remove the ban by allowing congregations who wish to do so to have a minister who is in a committed, same-gender relationship, while not requiring any congregation to do so.
The ELCA is the second largest mainline Protestant church in the U.S. with 4.6 million members. At its 2007 national meeting, 82 ministers came out and introduced themselves and their partners. In response, the body voted to ask bishops to “refrain” from punishing partnered clergy and congregations. Despite this vote, the ban on clergy in partnered same-gender relationships was not changed and the impact of written policies continued to impact many clergy, families and congregations. This year, more clergy, laity and family members are going on record about the important ministries shared by people who are LGBT who have faced discrimination up to now.
When the 82 Lutheran miniters came out in 2007 GLAAD worked closely with Lutherans Concerned, an LGBT affirming Lutheran group, to help those ministers tell their stories effectively in the media.
This year GLAAD is also working with affirming Lutheran’s to ensure that as the ELCA once again takes up the issue of LGBT clergy, those voices will be fairly represented in mainstream coverage of the national meeting. GLAAD has media trained more than twenty top LGBT Lutheran ministers for interviews with USA Today and National Public Radio. And during the convention, GLAAD will be on-site to expand the coalition’s media capacity. Win or lose, the world will know through the media that Lutheran LGBT advocates are challenging the ELCA to take a step toward full equality.
Related Posts:Welton Gaddy Calls for a New National Discussion on Marriage
July 31, 2009
The Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, president of Interfaith Alliance, set off a firestorm of commentary in the Newsweek-Washington Post, “On Religion” blog, after putting out a call for a new kind of national discussion on extending marriage protections to same-sex couples. The blog post introduces the newly released paper “Same Gender Marriage & Religious Freedom,” wherein Gaddy lays out perspectives on marriage and recommends direction for the future. His first suggestion: leave religion out of it.
Dialogues about religion will not forge national consensus on any sociopolitical issue or serve as a source of national unity. The population of our nation is too diverse and the religions in our nation are too different for that to happen. Individual religious traditions are divided from each other externally and, internally, adherents within each of these traditions are divided from each other.
Citing recent studies that show a range of opinions among clergy and members of evangelical and mainstream churches, Dr. Gaddy suggests that law and not religious views (SHOULD)_be the starting point for any discussion on the government’s regulation of marriage:
Law, not scripture, is the foundation of government regulations related to marriage in our nation. Presently, the United States government recognizes marriage on the basis of a properly authorized, government-issued marriage license.
This Interfaith Alliance paper by Dr Gaddy invites a national conversation on the marriage. He cites Executive Director of Freedom to Marry, Evan Wolfson’s stance that marriage inequality results in second-class citizenship, but is clear that the country should protect the right of religious groups to define marriage for their own members:
All citizens should have equal access to civil marriage and to the benefits of marriage provided for citizens in this government. Couples who desire religious marriage can seek a house of worship in which to receive that blessing. But, as is the case now, no house of worship would be legally obligated to provide marriage for a couple whom it does not want to bless. All houses of worship should be free to advocate for, defend and perpetuate the view of marriage that is consistent with their religious traditions and convictions.
While wanting to sort out religion from government, Dr. Gaddy disagrees with Jonathan Turley in his USAToday op-ed which recommends that all couples have state-sanctioned “civil unions” while religious groups do “marriages.” Gaddy writes, “Civil marriages and religious marriages have existed side by side for an untold number of years. Both…have been respected and treated equally in our society. I see no reason for that situation to change.”
In this effort to invite more conversation Gaddy is hoping for a civil and respectful dialogue. “The subject of marriage equality merits our best thoughts and influential actions as United States citizens, whether or not we are religious people or individuals who adhere to no religion.”
As part of our overall work with communities of faith, GLAAD will continue to stay in regular contact with the Interfaith Alliance to lift up progressive faith voices that promote LGBT equality.
Related Posts:Summer Heats Up with Churches Debating LGBT Issues
June 18, 2009
In the past few weeks the Los Angeles Times, Charisma Magazine and the Toledo Blade published overviews on the various summer conventions where Protestant denominations will be engaged in debating LGBT inclusion. We here at GLAAD thought we’d share these and other highlights of the summer:
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH USA
Presbyterians worked diligently and strategically to garner prayerful support for a constitutional amendment
on equal ordination. Passed by the General Assembly in 2007, and voted by each Presbytery over the last six months, LGBT supportive groups pulled GLAAD in around communications support as they shaped a message of inclusion for all God’s baptized and called people. With a 49% to 51% popular vote and unprecedented numbers of regional presbyteries supporting equality, messages like “historic levels of support” showed up in both mainstream and opposition media. Even though the proposed constitutional amendment for equality did not pass, articles with positive messages were carried nationwide in both the Religion News Service and The Associated Press wire services.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
July 8-17, in Anaheim, Calif., bishops and elected deputies gathered for the Episcopal Church’s triennial General Convention will consider dozens of resolutions to move their denomination beyond its de facto moratorium on additional LGBT bishops and forward on civil and ecclesiastical marriage equality. Furthermore, among these resolutions are four in support of transgender equality, marking a first in the convention’s history. The convention’s process will be impacted by a recent controversy in which a committee chair refused to publish the names of a panel of theologians who were appointed to prepare a paper on same-sex relationships in the life of the church. In addition, Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and primary leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion will visit General Convention and is expected to pressure the Episcopal Church to halt its progress on LGBT inclusion.
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
After eight year process of drafts, hearings and revisions, the Social Statement on Human Sexuality, itsImplementing Resolutions and separate recommendations for ministry policies will go before the biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Minneapolis on August 17-23. Lutherans will be taking several votes which could allow congregations to appoint ministers who are in committed same-gender relationships. Social statements require a 2/3 majority vote and are the basis for policy-other resolutions and recommendations only need a simple majority. Even if the Social Statement fails, other recommendations could still open the door, so opponents are strategizing to change the rules to require a 2/3 vote on all sexuality-related items, even though two previous such attempts having failed. Lutherans Concerned/North America is part of the Goodsoil coalition that is preparing for advocacy on the votes on these documents and is working with GLAAD to amplify their message in mainstream media.
REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA
Reformed Church in America (RCA) pastors and elders continued the conversation around gay equality at the 2009 General Synod on June 3-9. Members of pro-LGBT group, Room for All, were telling their stories as the discussion, which has been ongoing for thirty years, continued. A mid-point document for the most recent conversation is online. Significantly, the RCA voted to make the Belhar Confession a fourth doctrinal confession. Written in 1982 in response to Apartheid, it concludes, “Therefore, we reject any ideology which would legitimate forms of injustice and any doctrine which is unwilling to resist such an ideology in the name of the gospel.” The General Synod delegates will look at how the Belhar’s relates to gay and lesbian justice. To revisit the Synod you can visit the blog.
MENNONITE CHURCH
To reopen dialogue about welcoming LGBT people, a group of young Mennonites are making their presence known at the Mennonite Church USA Assembly, June 30 – July 5 in Columbus, Ohio, by asking supporters to wear pink to highlight the discrimination in the denomination against gay and lesbian Mennonites. Also, several pastors issued a Lenten open letter to the Mennonite Church calling for confession and healing in the church’s relationship with LGBT people. Many of the 1,300 signers will offer hospitality and seminars at the Assembly this summer,
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
The UCC Coalition’s June 22-25 2009 gathering kicks off the UCC weeklong General Synod in Grand Rapids, MI. The UCC is the leading mainline denomination that supports full equality for LGBT people, and the UCC General Synod will consider many resolutions. One such resolution will work for “Affirming Diversity/Multi-cultural education in Public Schools” and hopes to lay the groundwork for an ecumenical partnership to support this crucial work.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
Unitarian Universalists will be meeting June 24-28, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Leaders from their United Nations office, which now has a staff person designated for LGBT work, will bring a resolution to protest the targeting of gay men in Iraq for murder in the streets. The former mayor of Salt Lake City will be honored for his human rights work and the president of the board for the UU United Nations office is a former Mormon and will reflect on her journey from there to being a Unitarian.
Lutheran Equality-Partnered Gay Clergy Might Be Accepted
April 9, 2009
Recently, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) released the final version of its social statement on human sexuality - “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” - after an eight year process of hearings and revisions overseen by their national Church Council.
Although it is not perfect on LGBT issues, the document recommends acceptance of partnered gay clergy with an opt-out clause for congregations. Blessings or marriage rites for same-sex couples would also be left to congregations.
Nonetheless, opponents of LGBT equality in the ELCA worked hard to create roadblocks, attempting to change the voting rules to increase the percentages needed for final votes at the Churchwide Assembly in late August.
According to the ECLA’s standard voting rules, the social statement requires a two-thirds vote and attendant recommendations require only a majority vote to pass. Opponents of LGBT equality submitted a recommendation to the Church Council, however, asking that a two-thirds majority be required for both the social statement and the attendant recommendations. It was defeated, and the Church Council elected to not alter any current voting procedures.
Outlets like the Christian Science Monitor, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune and The Associated Pressreported that “recommendations” will only require a majority vote. This is technically correct-but reporters should have stated that the whole social statement first requires a two-thirds vote before the attendant recommendations can even be considered. By only reporting that a majority vote is required, it sounds like a reduction from the two-thirds vote.
Opponents are expected to try again to change the voting percentages on the first day of the Churchwide Assembly, which occurs August 17-22, when the whole body can vote. This change will require a two-thirds vote.
Assessment of White House Faith-Based Council Members
April 8, 2009
Harry Knox
Fred Davie
- Nancy Ratzan, Board Chair of National Council of Jewish Women in Miami. Her organization publically supports civil liberties for LGBT people.
- Rabbi David N. Saperstein Director of Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism with an LGBT rights program that is challenging Prop. 8 in California
Nancy Ratzan
- Dr. William J. Shaw, President of National Baptist Convention, USA. Shaw opposed a constitutional ban on marriage for gay couples but does not believe the Bible supports it. The NBC web page says most members are against gay people.
- Rev. Jim Wallis, Executive Director of Sojourners. Wallis sometimes speaksout against homophobia and condemns violence against gay people, but prioritizes poverty, peace and environmental issues over LGBT concerns.
Rabbi David Saperstein and Hillary Rodham Clinton (L) Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images
- Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of Disciples of Christ Church. Disciples of Christ’s LGBT group lauded Watkins for her commitment to “inclusion and acceptance” but Watkins is not outspoken on LGBT issues.
While the new faith-based council also includes leaders who are viewed as opponents of LGBT rights-Dr. Frank S. Page, Pastor Joel C. Hunter, Richard Stearns and Bishop Charles Blake-social progressives like Dr. Arturo Chavez, Diane Baillargeon, Eboo S. Patel, and Melissa Rogers may turn out to be supportive.
Historic Black church leaders like Bishop Vashti M. McKenzie, Rev. Otis Moss, and Dr. William J. Shaw may be supportive out of their prophetic justice traditions but may feel constrained by constituents who do not support LGBT rights.
Catholic priest, Larry J. Snyder, will have to decide whether to follow the majority of US Catholics who accept same-sex relationships and the Vatican’s official stance. Big Brothers and Big Sisters CEO, Judith N. Vredenburgh, works with a backdrop of debate a few years about gay volunteers but they emerged with a non-discrimination policy.
Former NFL coach and anti-gay evangelical Tony Dungy was invited to participate on the council but declined Obama’s invitation due to scheduling conflicts. His nomination to the council caused an outcry from groups like People for the American Way because of his campaigning for a ballot initiative in Indiana that banned same-sex marriage.
For the full list of the advisory council’s members, visit the White House’s official website.
Anti-Gay Coach, Dungy Steps Down; Harry Knox, HRC Religion Director Steps Up
April 6, 2009
Shortly after the White House published a list of faith-based council members that included anti-gay evangelical football coach, Dungy, an AP article reported that Dungy declined the invitation.
Harry Knox, HRC director of religion and faith, was also on the list and said, “…we will support the President in living up to his promise that government has no place in funding bigotry against any group of people.”
The AP article stated:
President Barack Obama announced the appointments of Bishop Charles E. Blake and Harry Knox on Monday, filling out a 25-person roster that is part of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy declined an invitation, citing scheduling conflicts, a White House spokesman said. Dungy will still advise Obama on fatherhood issues and help lead that effort, the spokesman said.
Dungy, an evangelical Christian, supported efforts in Indiana to ban same-sex marriage in 2007, prompting some criticism from liberal groups last week when the invitation was made public. <snip>
Also newly appointed to the panel was Harry Knox, director of the religion and faith program at Human Rights Campaign, a Washington-based gay rights group. Obama was criticized by liberal and gay rights groups for inviting evangelical pastor and author Rick Warren – who supported a California ballot measure that banned gay marriage in that state – to deliver the inaugural invocation.
The White House office enlists faith and community groups to address four priorities: economic recovery, reducing abortions, encouraging responsible fatherhood and improving interfaith relations. An expanded and tweaked version of a faith-based office begun by President George W. Bush, the office is charged with administering federal grants and advising the White House on policy.
Survey Shows Greater Support for Marriage and Civil Unions Among Young Evangelicals
March 19, 2009
A new poll of young evangelicals shows greater levels of support for LGBT issues. The poll of 2,000 young adults with conservative religious views in Political Research Associates’ Spring 2009 edition of Public Eye reported that young believers are more than twice as likely (24% to 10%) as their elders to support same-sex marriage.
Another 32% support civil unions—totaling 55%. Public Eye argues that the trend of coming out at a younger age to one’s friends is contributing to young evangelicals’ changing their perception to positive views on marriage for same-sex couples.
An earlier survey, conducted by the conservative Barna Group in 2007, found that 80% of the 16 to 29 year old evangelical churchgoers who responded to the survey felt that present-day Christianity shows “excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians.” The Barna assessment also added that churches were not helping young people relate to their gay friends.
Openly Gay Bishop to Pray at Lincoln Memorial Inaugural Event
January 12, 2009
When the announcement came that openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson was tapped to lead the prayer of invocation for the opening inaugural event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at 2:00 p.m. on January 18, The Associated Press article was published in hundreds of news outlets across the country and around the globe, from France to the Philippines.
It was not long ago that President-elect Obama faced heavy criticism from LGBT advocacy groups and leaders for his selection of conservative evangelist Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation. GLAAD issued a statement, and also published clips of Warren’s previous media statements on LGBT issues.
Obama defended his choice as part of his commitment to diverse voices at his inauguration, and pointed to the closing prayer invitation of straight ally, The Reverend Joseph Lowery, a United Methodist and veteran Civil Rights activist. Lowery is a signer on the Methodist statement of “People of Color for an All Inclusive Church.”
Robinson’s prayer at an opening inaugural event in front of the Lincoln Memorial is a powerful reminder of this country’s efforts to move toward freedom and equality for all. Change is possible.
When Bishop Robinson was interviewed by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer recently, he reflected on church support of his ministry and said, “There is great excitement in my heart to be living in a time when the church is starting to get it right.” We can only imagine that he may have been thinking that the country is starting to get it right, too.
Changing Tactics, Changing Times
August 7, 2008
AfterElton tapped pundits, journalists politicians, bloggers and GLAAD for our take on how gay issues may be used in the media during election 2008 and whether tactics from the past would resonate in the cultural climate of today. Canvassing the opinions of MSNBC commentators Keith Olberman and Joe Scarborough, Hardball Host Chris Matthews and CNN correspondents Suzanne Malveaux and John King, AfterEltoncontributing writer Christie Keith heard the overwhelming opinion that using gay issues as a wedge was a no go strategy in our modern and somewhat more enlightened era.
CNN’s Malveaux said, “It’s not just the times that have changed, but that people’s concerns are different in 2008 than in previous years. The cultural issues that resonated in previous elections aren’t necessarily being emphasized this time around. It’s more pocketbook issues, it’s more gas prices, it’s more the homeowners’ crisis, the mortgage crisis.”
AmericaBlog’s John Aravosis also weighed in. “Society has changed since 2000. We’ve gone from Will & Grace being historic to Will & Grace being reruns. I’m serious. This is eight years later. You can’t do the same anti-gay stuff you did eight years ago. You just can’t. So it’s got to be a finer dance.”
Even Karl Rove, known as the architect of exploiting gay issues in the 2004 presidential re-election of George W. Bush, lent his voice to this story but would not acknowledge the role he played in that exploitation.
“I think it entered into force in the 2004 race simply because it was not introduced by the political actors themselves. Neither the Bush nor the Kerry campaigns brought the issue forward. It was brought forward by a Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts. It sort of exploded on the scene and got a life of its own.”
Openly gay powerhouse politician, Massachusetts’s Congressman, Barney Frank (D-Mass) had an interesting take on what Rove left out of his remarks.
“I think what he’s telling you now reflects the fact that he and the President and their political people tried very hard to whip up anti-gay marriage sentiment in 2005 and 2006 by forcing several votes on the Constitutional amendment, and it blew up in their face. What Rove is telling you is probably true now, but he forgot to add that he’s very disappointed because he tried very hard to exploit it for the 2006 election and it had no impact…. We passed an anti-discrimination bill by a large majority. We passed the hate crimes bill…. I think the air is substantially out of this balloon.”
I chimed in to explain that while we aren’t seeing an overwhelming amount of overt anti-gay overtones in the media discourse what we are seeing is an attempt to use coded language (like so-called “family values”) to target anti-gay voters – just as Senator McCain tried to do in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. Throughout this election season GLAAD will keep a close eye on these kinds of attempts and urge journalists to push past the rhetoric and buzz phrases to get at the heart of the matter and show Americans what’s really behind the words.
Cindi Creager is Director of National News.
