Americans for Truth about Homosexuality

Last month, the Southern Poverty Law Center placed Peter LaBarbera's Americans for Truth About Homosexuality on its list of anti-gay hate sites.

Yesterday, Focus on the Family's Tom Minnery personally assured AFT's LaBarbera that Focus would absolutely oppose any gay Supreme Court nominee, an abrupt about-face after Focus said last year that a nominee's orientation was "not even pertinent."

And for that, Focus on the Family is now being praised by LaBarbera for siding with all those good Christians who know that gays are "driven to justify their errant lifestyle" and therefore "have a mark against their character that absolutely should be considered as a potential source of bias, and even anti-religious animus":

Peter LaBarbera, President of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), issued the following statement in response to Focus on the Family’s clarification that it would not support a homosexual nominee to the Supreme Court:

Focus on the Family has wisely corrected statements by two of its staffers who stated last year that the “sexual orientation” of judicial nominees – i.e., their homosexuality – would not disqualify them to sit on the nation’s highest court.

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Americans For Truth, like other pro-family groups that honor the authority of Scripture, believes that homosexuality is best understood not as an “identity” but as a behavior – one that is wrong, destructive, and unnatural. Thankfully, homosexual conduct also is changeable (2 Corinthians 5:17), as evinced by the lives of countless former homosexual men and ex-lesbians living happy lives.

Supposed “gay” identity is a modern construct that undermines moral truth and people’s responsibility for their own conduct. Men and women (proudly) practicing homosexuality often are driven to justify their errant lifestyle. Even those practicing homosexuality in secret often work to promote its acceptance.

This is why people practicing homosexuality often make bad judges: even if they don’t admit it, due to their sexual self-interest, they will have a hard time fairly adjudicating cases involving homosexuality. If a judge personally views opponents of homosexuality as bigots, haters, or “homophobes” – the former terms falsely equate the outworking of faith with prejudice and malice; the latter cynically equates morality with irrational fear – will he or she be able to deal with them justly? Will homosexual judges be diligent in protecting Americans’ constitutional religious liberties – i.e., to disagree with homosexuality? Or will they – like lesbian law professor and newly-appointed EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum – decide that, in most cases, “gay rights” considerations should supersede the freedom of people to act based on their moral opposition to homosexuality?

Homosexuality is not special and it should be treated like any other sexual sin. Homosexuality (like gender confusion) does not deserve “civil rights” status. Judicial nominees who practice it – or worse, practice it proudly – have a mark against their character that absolutely should be considered as a potential source of bias, and even anti-religious animus, in their future rulings.

So congratulations to Focus on receiving the accolades from a SPLC-designated hate site. 

Remember not too long ago how we were being told that Focus under new president Jim Daly was going to have a different, more conciliatory tone? When is that supposed to start?

The bigoted attacks from Religious Right activists on transgender Commerce Department appointee Amanda Simpson just keep coming:

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality is not surprised that Simpson was appointed. "This is a man -- and by the way he is a man; he's not a woman -- who is one of the leaders in crusading for so-called 'civil rights' based on gender-confused behavior," he points out.

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But LaBarbera says there is a bigger issue than just the one appointment to a federal government post.

"Obama is supporting ENDA -- the Employment Non-Discrimination Act -- with a transsexual provision," he shares, "meaning that if that version of the bill gets through and Obama signs it, we will have businesses being forced to accommodate gender-confused individuals in the name of civil rights."

LaBarbera adds it is time for America to wake up to the agenda of the Obama administration.

Tying the appointment of Simpson to their fear-mongering about ENDA seems to be the newest right-wing talking point, as judging by this "action alert" from the Family Research Council which, like LaBarbera, insists that Simpson is really a man and puts her name in quotes: 

Mitchell Simpson, a man who had sex-change surgery and now calls himself a woman (named "Amanda"), was appointed as Senior Technical Advisor to the Commerce Department. Simpson announced that "as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds."

The day after Simpson began work, The New York Times reported that the main website advertising jobs with the federal government now says there will be no "discrimination" based on "gender identity"-even though Congress has never passed a law saying that.

This new policy applies only to the federal government. But there is a bill being considered in Congress, the so-called "Employment Non-Discrimination Act" (ENDA), which would require every employer in America to open every position to homosexuals (by making "sexual orientation" a protected category) and "transgenders" (by protecting "gender identity").

All American employers including Christian owned businesses and potentially Christian ministries would be affected.

"Gender identity disorder" is a recognized mental illness that should be treated-not affirmed and protected. And the right of employers to set "dress and grooming standards" for their employees should include the most basic standard of all-that people dress in a way appropriate for their biological sex.

Don't let Congress and President Obama force American employers to hire homosexuals, transsexuals, and cross-dressers.

Usually, the Right goes to great lengths to hide its bigotry, but when it comes to commenting on the appointment of Simpson, they aren't even bothering to try.

Yesterday, Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, Brian Camenker of Mass Resistance, and Paul Madore from the Maine Grassroots Coalition hosted a press conference in Maine designed to "expose the hidden aspects of the radical homosexual agenda" at work in the state.

Since their message did not correspond with Stand for Marriage Maine's efforts to appear tolerant, the group quickly denounced the press conference and those involved:

Opponents of same-sex marriage on Wednesday warned that “radical homosexual” groups concealing their true agendas were behind efforts to keep Maine’s gay marriage law on the books.

Those charges were denounced as “hate-filled speech” by the campaign defending gay marriage in Maine, however. And leaders from Stand for Marriage Maine, the organization behind the Nov. 3 ballot initiative to overturn Maine’s same-sex marriage law, quickly distanced themselves from the event.

“We disavow anything said today as being in any way connected to the Stand for Marriage Maine campaign,” said spokesman Scott Fish. “Whatever was said today was simply the words of the people speaking at the press conference.”

In a wide-ranging media event in the State House, three representatives from the Maine Grassroots Coalition, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality and Mass Resistance charged that “extreme groups” with agendas far outside the mainstream were supporting the No on 1 campaign. A small group of supporters also attended the event.

Speakers suggested that enactment of Maine’s gay marriage law will lead to “homosexual indoctrination” in schools as part of a bigger agenda that threatens families and society.

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth, described the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force — one of the nation’s most active gay rights groups — as having “one of the most radical sexual agendas ever conceived.” He also sought to link the group to efforts to legalize public sex and prostitution, claiming this is part of a larger agenda.

“Very clearly there is already a very aggressive agenda in the schools,” said LaBarbera when discussing a news report of a teacher answering a student’s question about her relationship with her partner. “Homosexual so-called marriage only fuels that agenda. It institutionalizes it so that there can be no difference in how this aber-rant form of ‘marriage’ is compared to the real thing.”

Interesting, because on Tuesday LaBarbera was on Janet Porter's radio program along with Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage.  

NOM is Stand for Marriage Maine's largest donor and has "bankrolled more than 60 percent of the campaign to ban same-sex marriages in Maine," so why is Stand for Marriage Maine so eager to distance itself from LaBarbera and his associates even though Gallagher is appearing with him on right-wing radio programs? 

There is just something amusing about Peter LaBarbera crying that the "reputation" of his organization has been sullied by a hotel's refusal to accommodate its conference:

Americans for Truth About Homosexuality had scheduled an annual event two years ago at Holiday Inn in Naperville, Illinois. But when the hotel learned that demonstrators could be present, it cancelled the event. The group has now filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the hotel. The suit, filed on Friday, seeks an unspecified amount from the hotel in damages and attorney fees.

Peter LaBarbera is founder of the pro-family organization.

"We went out of our way to accommodate the hotel," LaBarbera explains. "We even said we would not put on our website the actual hotel where the event was held. Despite that, they dropped us like a hot potato," he notes.

"It really caused a lot of trouble to us. It hurt our reputation, and we want to send a message that this is not appropriate. You can't ban discrimination against all groups in society but let hotels and other businesses discriminate openly against people of faith."

On a related note, LaBarbera appeared on Alan Colmes' radio program last night to discuss his anti-gay activism and, specifically, his attack against Ben and Jerry's.  Among the revelations was LaBarbera's declaration that "we don’t support anal sex for anybody":

• I'm guessing that U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins wishes she hadn't declared that "Republicans are struggling right now to find the great white hope" who can take on Obama.
• When someone declared themselves to be a "a proud right-wing terrorist" at a town hall meeting, Rep. Wally Herger replied "Amen, God bless you. There is a great American."
• Seriously, how on earth does Michael Steele still have a job?
• Joe.My.God: Peter LaBarbera has filed a federal religious discrimination lawsuit against a Chicago-area Holiday Inn because they canceled a 2007 event for the Americans For Truth About Homosexuality over fears of bad publicity.
• A “2009 Future of American Health Survey” sent out by the Republican National Committee contained this question: "It has been suggested that the government could use voter registration to determine a person’s political affiliation, prompting fears that GOP voters might be discriminated against for medical treatment in a Democrat-imposed health care rationing system. Does this possibility concern you?"
• Finally, The Onion: Afterbirthers Demand To See Obama's Placenta.

Recently, the Barna Group released a "Spiritual Profile of Homosexual Adults" that, according to the group, contained "some surprising results" about the spiritual lives of gays and lesbians:

George Barna, whose company conducted the research, pointed out that some popular stereotypes about the spiritual life of gays and lesbians are simply wrong.

“People who portray gay adults as godless, hedonistic, Christian bashers are not working with the facts,” declared the best-selling author of numerous books about faith and culture. “A substantial majority of gays cite their faith as a central facet of their life, consider themselves to be Christian, and claim to have some type of meaningful personal commitment to Jesus Christ active in their life today.

“The data indicate that millions of gay people are interested in faith but not in the local church and do not appear to be focused on the traditional tools and traditions that represent the comfort zone of most churched Christians. Gay adults clearly have a different way of interpreting the Bible on a number of central theological matters, such as perspectives about God. Homosexuals appreciate their faith but they do not prioritize it, and they tend to consider faith to be individual and private rather than communal.

“It is interesting to see that most homosexuals, who have some history within the Christian Church, have rejected orthodox biblical teachings and principles – but, in many cases, to nearly the same degree that the heterosexual Christian population has rejected those same teachings and principles. Although there are clearly some substantial differences in the religious beliefs and practices of the straight and gay populations, there may be less of a spiritual gap between straights and gays than many Americans would assume.”

Predictably, Peter LaBarbera is opposed to the entire notion that someone who is gay can also be a Christian:

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, believes Barna speaks "too cavalierly" about "homosexual Christians."

"My test is [to] substitute another sexual sin and see if it makes sense. Would we be talking about a survey of porn-using Christians or incestuous Christians? That sounds stark, but that's, I believe, the appropriate biblical analogy," he contends.

Barna, LaBarbera says, is naïve if he thinks the homosexual activist movement is not made up of "hedonistic Christian bashers."

"I think there are Christians who struggle with the sin of homosexuality -- but proud homosexual Christians? That's an oxymoron to me in the same way as I would say proud adulterous Christians," he adds. "And so, I think we have to be very careful because I see the tactic of the Emergent Church and the Christian left is to start talking more and more about 'gay Christians,' and what they end up doing is demonizing the so-called 'Religious Right' and saying that the Religious Right is all wrong in the way it has talked about homosexuality."

None of that is particularly surprising, this comment made me literally laugh out loud:

A book by Barna Group president Dave Kinnaman titled UnChristian contends that "hostility toward gays has become virtually synonymous with the Christian faith;" however, LaBarbera says he does not know any born-again Christians who hate homosexuals.

Um, considering that LaBarbera just participated in a press conference with Matt Barber and Sally Kern, it seems that, including himself, he knows at least three born-again Christians who fit that description.

Back when Michael Steele was elected Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Peter LaBarbera issued an entirely unprovoked warning to him that under no circumstances should he even contemplate ever meeting with the Log Cabin Republicans, saying that it would be "foolish and impractical to risk alienating millions of pro-family, pro-life, conservative grassroots Republicans to appease a tiny homosexual special interest group."

Well, now there is a new gay Republican group, known as GOProud, emerging as something of a counterweight to the Log Cabin Republicans, which you'd assume would be welcome news to LaBarbera ... but nope, he wants in known that they are unwelcome as well:

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, says although it will go by a different name, GOProud will be carrying out the same mission of the Log Cabin Republicans.

"This is all about promoting the acceptance of homosexuality within the GOP under the guise of so-called 'conservatism,'" says LaBarbera. "The fact is [that] homosexuality is not a conservative issue, it's not a family issue -- and this is all about changing the pro-family platform of the GOP."

LaBarbera says if homosexuals are conservative on economic issues, they can vote Republican, but if the party wants to remain pro-life and pro-family, it cannot be promoting homosexuality and abortion.

It seems that the only gays LaBarbera will allow into the GOP are the ones who share his militanty anti-gay views.  Good luck with that.

At some point, the GOP is going to have to decide which faction it is going to side with - conservative gays or anti-gay bigots like LaBarbera - because it is clear that its policy of trying to incorporate such divergent views under one "big tent" is becoming increasingly untenable.

President Obama intends to name John Berry -- who was tapped to serve as director of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park back in 2005 -- to be the next head of the Office of Personnel Management, and not everyone is happy about it.

Professional anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera is miffed because … you guessed it … Berry is gay:

Homosexual activist groups are predicting that if nominated and confirmed, Berry would work to expand benefits for same-sex couples -- something he did while he worked in the Interior Department.

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, says Berry has been flouting the spirit if not the letter of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which bars spousal recognition for same-sex couples.

"First of all, looking at Mr. Berry's track record, it's obvious that he's a homosexual activist within the federal government, doing a lot of things within a Republican administration that most people never were aware of," he contends. "So, what we have is sort of a subversive -- if you could call it that -- homosexual activist, and now he's going to have an even much more visible and powerful role at OPM, which is a very powerful job in Washington. And it just shows what's going to happen under the Obama administration."

And what was it that Berry did during his time at Interior that has LaBarbera so terrified?:

[Berry served as assistant secretary for policy, management and budget at the Interior Department during the Clinton administration and his accomplishments include] overseeing the creation of a grievance procedure for employees who experience discrimination because of their sexual orientation; expanding relocation benefits and counseling services to the domestic partners of Interior employees; establishing a liaison to gay and lesbian employees; and eliminating discriminatory provisions of the National Park Service's law enforcement standards, including bans on security clearances for gay and lesbian employees.

Berry's efforts touched on contracting as well. Under his watch, the Interior Office of Small and Disadvantaged Businesses began outreach to gay and lesbian-owned firms and chambers of commerce.

OPM's potential nominee also helped lead efforts culminating in the addition of the Stonewall Inn in New York City -- the site of riots that helped spark the American gay rights movement -- to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

In recognition of those efforts, the Department of the Interior Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Employees Association presented Berry with its New Millennium Human Rights Award in 2001 and named the prize after him.

Working to end discrimination against gay employees and implement policies aimed at equality? Boy, that certainly does sound “subversive.”

Professional anti-gay activist/obsessive Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality explains to the American Family Association's OneNewsNow that Sarah Palin's attempts to get books like "Daddy's Roomate" removed from the public library when she was mayor was just solid parenting: 

"[Liberals are attacking Palin by saying] she's a book-banner because she objected, apparently, way back when she was a mayor in Wasilla to the book Daddy's Roommate, which is a homosexual picture-book which purports to tell young children that being gay is just another kind of love," LaBarbera explains.

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LaBarbera believes Palin was acting responsibly as a parent and as a mayor. "Parents have a right and a responsibility to object to books like "Daddy's Roommate" because we don't want young children stumbling upon these nice picture-books and then...homosexuality [being promoted] to these poor kids who don't know what they're seeing," he contends.

LaBarbera, Focus on the Family, and their supporters are currently working to get ex-gay and anti-gay books accepted at libraries in Virginia without much success.  Presumably, should they ultimately succeed, Labarbera wouldn't object if a local government official demanded their removal in the name of preventing "young children stumbling upon" them.