Christian Coalition: Gays Should Wear Warning Labels

[BR_Parkway]

Christian Coalition: Gays Should Wear Warning Labels
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: June 13, 2005 12:01 am ET

(New York City) The leader of a conservative Christian lobby group says that gays should be required to wear warning labels.

"We put warning labels on cigarette packs because we know that smoking takes one to two years off the average life span, yet we 'celebrate' a lifestyle that we know spreads every kind of sexually transmitted disease and takes at least 20 years off the average life span according to the 2005 issue of the revered scientific journal Psychological Reports," said Rev. Bill Banuchi, executive director of the New York Christian Coalition.

The journal regularly publishes articles described by many mainstream psychologists as misleading and faulty. The homosexuality morbidity study was conducted by the conservative anti-gay Family Research Institute.

<snip>

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/06/061305pride.htm

During WWII, gays were only one of the many groups targeted for extermination by the Nazi regime. It is unfortunately the group that history often excludes.

The history of the triangle begins before WWII, during Adolph Hitler's rise to power. Paragraph 175, a clause in German law prohibiting gay relations, was revised by Hitler in 1935 to include kissing, embracing, and gay fantasies as well as sexual acts. Convicted offenders -- an estimated 25,000 just from 1937 to 1939 -- were sent to prison and then later to concentration camps. Their sentence was to be sterilized, and this was most often accomplished by castration. In 1942 Hitler's punishment for homosexuality was extended to death.


The social Hierarchy among prisoners.

1. The green triangle marked its wearer as a regular criminal
   
2. The red triangle denoted a political prisoner
   
3. Two yellow triangles overlapping to form a Star of David designated a Jewish prisoner
   
4. The pink triangle was for gay men
   
5. The black triangle was for lesbians, prostitutes; women who refused to bear children
   
6. A yellow Star of David under a superimposed pink triangle marked the lowest of all prisoners -- a gay Jew.

Although the total number of the gay prisoners is not known, estimates of the number of gay men killed during the Nazi regime range from 50,000 to twice that figure. Gay prisoners reportedly were not shipped en masse to the death camps at Auschwitz, a great number of gay men were among the non-Jews who were killed there. When the war was finally over, countless homosexuals remained prisoners in the camps, because Paragraph 175 remained law in West Germany until its repeal in 1969.

[charlyvi]

1. These people are nuts.

It will never happen; if a law were passed the gay community would go ballistic, along with a few million hetero supporters. This goes beyond the bounds of human decency and privacy. Again, these people are nuts.

[BR_Parkway]

2. These people are scary. That they feel bold enough to state this

publically says way too much about what is going on these days.

[charlyvi]

11. Yes. It is scary.

But at least they are overt about it; I think it's scarier when they try to sneak stuff like this shit "under the radar" so to speak. Have it out in the open, so we can fight. But, it is a very sad comment on our nation's conscience.

[Coastie for Truth]

12. Well - as the scientific evidence piles up

that GLBT "orientation" is "hard wired" and not a matter of "choice" - I would say that being a Fundie is a matter of choice -- and Fundies should wear a distinctive warning label - like a yellow cross.

The Fundie agenda is dangerous - creationism, "forced conversions" of Air Force Academy cadets, Bible Reading in schools (but not Koran or Torah or Eastern Orthodox Bible ...), Ten Commandments posted everywhere (but not The Beatitudes or Hammurabi's Code), absolute ban on Therapeutic Blastocyst Somatic Nuclear Cell Transfer research (I do not use their terms - "embryonic stem cell research" or "human cloning"), "A woman's place is in the home" and "Pregnant In the Summer - Bare Foot in the Winter".

Nowithstanding what Mr. Dobson says - the Fundies have an agenda, and the Fundie Agenda is un-American and subversive. The fundies - and their fellow travelers and innocent (or not so innocent) dupes are a Fifth Column in America.

And Bush is the Fundie fellow traveler in chief.

[BR_Parkway]

21. My SIL's response to the email - "Maybe we should have the assholes

wear a label also because of the stress the extend to the rest of us, causing our lives to be shorten by stress related illnesses. It could be brown and hairy."

[Zenlitened]

7. "... along with a few million hetero supporters..."

That's the key, and I think you're absolutely right.

While the politicians and the press insist on discussing this as a "gay" issue, the fact is there are millions and millions of decent, enlightened American PATRIOTS of every orientation who see this for what is.

It's a civil liberties issue that goes right to the core of what America stands for: Liberty and Justice For All.





(edit spelling)

[charlyvi]

15. Well said, Zenlitened.

A civil rights issue, plain and simple.

[Warpy]

10. I'd certainly go ballistic

and I have a lot of spray paint in the shed to do it with. Fundy churches that support this stuff might also find their patches of lawn creatively salted.

These people are evil, and this is war.

[davidinalameda]

18. just think back 20, 30, 40 years

when the gay community had no rights

it could happen again here

but of course, that would make my emigration to Canada easier because I would then be a political refugee

[charlyvi]

20. I'm not gay, dwickham,

But I would fight this tooth and nail--any American with an ounce of human decency would rebel at this crap. Even true conservatives, not the wacked out bunch of christo-fascists in power now, but true conservatives, would rebel at this intrusion of state power into one's private life.

[davidinalameda]

24. I'm sure that people said the same thing about the rise of Hitler

that the average person would fight him and look what happened

People did fight but the majority didn't.

People find it easier to accept whatever the status quo is, especially about minority groups that they've been taught to hate from day one

[Boomer]

25. Never say never

"It will never happen here..."

Famous last words.

What Americans tend to forget is how many Germans were saying the same thing about Hitler as he first scrabbled for a political toehold. Germany was a cosmopolitan country, one in which many Jews felt more German than Jewish. His hate-mongering was often dismissed as rabble-rousing by a thug.

What worries me is that large populations of Americans are far less educated and cosmopolitan than the Germans of the early 20th century, with none of the same regard for education, intellectual discourse and promotion of the arts.

We haven't been able to hold the line on conservation, eVoting machines, civil liberties, Iraq, war profiteering and countless other issues that hold a dearer place in American hearts than the well being of homosexuals.

If Bush can escape impeachment for the bogus war against Iraq, the will of the American people simply can't be trusted to protect queers from persecution and utlimatley elimination.

[charlyvi]

29. When it comes to having citizens wear badges to point out

any political or personal proclivity, I give the American public a little more credit than that. The majority will not let it stand. Our officials would not let it pass. How far has the marriage amendment gotten? On a federal level, not far at all. In red states amendments have passed, but if it came to a state ruling that citizens be pointed out through badges, the courts would be flooded with lawsuits. No one would follow any such law and the Supreme Court would strike any such law down with the first case. It might get bloody, but this type of law would not stand. We aren't coming off of losing WWI, our country has not been decimated by war reparations, and we don't have a monarchical top-down type history. Even though Germany was a newly formed democracy (or pseudo-democracy) after WWI, their prior history was one of monarchy. They simply didn't have the same traditions we do. Hell, this country is too stubborn for this. The majority would consider it a civil rights issue, not a gay issue. Respectfully, I disagree with you here.

[Boomer]

30. I hope to hell you're right and I'm wrong

But I don't have your faith that we are not vulnerable to these hate-mongers at some time in the next decade or so. Our democracy is already nothing more than a hollow facade and we are only a few steps away from an economic meltdown.

So, I don't think the badges would fly today, or even next year. But 5 years from now? Ten?

Yeah, I still think it could happen.

[charlyvi]

31. Well.

If it does, and I don't think it will, I'll be right on the streets with you.

[BOSSHOG]

3. I'm a military Veteran and a Heterosexual

and this won't happen in my country. We now have free reign in comparing their likes to Nazis, because that's exactly what they are.

I guess, based on the intense and scrupulous research done by the religiously insane, they discovered heterosexuals do not transmit sexual diseases, that christian youth do not engage in oral and anal sex to remain "virgins", that red state bush supporting followers never have sex with their children and of course the earth is not round.

Keep pushing the window fascists.

[Dawgs]

4. Makes sense...

It's easier to discriminate against someone when you can easily tell who they are... just like black people.

[MindPilot]

5. Christians should be required to wear warning labels

"Christians are hostile to science and logic. They spread myths and fairy tales as if they were reality. They avoid paying taxes on huge incomes and property holdings while enjoying protection from prosecution for all sorts of crimes. They embrace war and will use the power of government to force everyone to practice their religion."

There, it works both ways assholes, except that what I said is actually true. Now go back in your closet and pray or something.


Disclaimer: I realize there are some "Christans" who actually follow the teachings of Christ and you are of course excluded from this screed. But you really do need to publicly divorce yourself from your leadership.

[charlyvi]

17. You know, reading your disclaimer,

I realized that these people aren't Christians. At least not Christians in my understanding of the word. They need to re-read the New Testament; especially the parts about peace, tolerance, compassion, mercy and most importantly, "loving your brother/sister as yourself". No. These nutjobs are not Christians.

[Democrats_win]

33. True Christians go door-to-door, We've thrown these xtians to the gutter

and they remain there as they support the lying warmongering election-stealing bush family.

[Kerrytravelers]

35. Oh, honey, seperated and divorced. They never were "my leadership."

I'm a satanist Catholic who has a "black Mass" of death. But now they like me because our pope is also nuts.

They never were my leaders. The only Earthly leader I have is me... and my Mommy when I need her... and my Dad when it comes to fixing the car.

[MemphisTiger]

6. What's sad is that these people don't see anything wrong with

this. At least most of these people are the ones that will call this war on terror a Holy War. Didn't these people have to read "The Scarlet Letter" in school? Proably not, they're all homeschooled and don't have to read anything except the Bible.

[BlueJazz]

8. I've got a better Idea that makes sense.

Why don't we have folks who belong to the "Christian Coalition"
wear a picture of 2 Cashews making love....
which will stand for: "I'm a Fucking Nut!"

[Zenlitened]

9. Recommended. This story should be on everyone's screens.

[tjwmason]

13. That seriously made me feel queasy

Do these folks realise that they're copying Hitler directly?

I've got a pretty open mind, and I'm tolerant even of people I disagree strongly with - but these guys are complete and utter ****s.

[tavalon]

37. Their followers are stupid, mindless sheep

They, however, are not. They know exactly where they got this. They know exactly how well it played in the nationalistic Germany of the time and they know that this country currently has the same nationalistic fervor.

Yes, they are purposely using what worked before.

[Inland]

14. Doesn't every lifestyle spread all known diseases?

Funny how the promiscuous and condom-less hets don't have to be labeled.

How cowardly and hypocrtical, that churches won't even speak out against promiscuity among hets as it goes after the gays.

[izzie]

16. iT IS REALLY FUN LIVING IN A MADHOUSE.

:hide:

[charlyvi]

19. Saw on Americablog today that the group who endorses this....

has been labeled a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center....


In fact, the "study" in question was done by Paul Cameron, the head of a hate group - literally, the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled Cameron's group a "hate group" - Cameron was thrown out of the scientific profession twenty years ago for his hate research. But that doesn't stop the Christian Coalition from using hate literature and proposing Nazi solutions to brand gays.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/06/christian-coalition-leader-wants-gays.html

[Misunderestimator]

22. WTF?!? My being gay takes 20 years off my life?

Huh? Man, these people are priceless.

[moobu2]

23. Here's a photo of the Nazi wantabe couple

[dsc]

26. In the lifetimes of all gay and lesbian people

it was illegal to have concentual sex in 14 states, including Massachusetts (2003). In the lifetimes of most gay and lesbian people it was legal to fire people solely for being gay or lesbian in all 50 states (1988). In the lifetimes of many gay and lesbian people being gay or lesbian was considered a psychological defect (1973). In the lifetimes of most gay and lesbian people one of the first openly gay politicians was assassinated in San Francisco and his killer (who also killed the mayor) got 5 years. (1978)

Today gays and lesbians can only legally marry in one state, and have marriage equivalents in two others. There are 14 states in which it is illegal to discriminate in housing, employment, and other like matters. It is legal to have concentual sex in all 50 states. Fortunately no openly gay or lesbian politicians have been assassinated in recent years but many hate crimes still get shockingly low sentences.

In short, it hasn't been that long since gays and lesbians have been without any basic rights. I think the time that people fearing a return to the bad old days being considered paranoid has passed. Given the source here, I will hold off on the specific report given here but it wasn't that long ago that ELECTED OFFICIALS were suggesting tattooing AIDS patients. I am being to become very afraid for myself in this country. I hope that it is an overreaction, but I would rather over react and prevent an non existent threat from becoming existent than underreact and allow a non existent threat to become existent.

On edit, the dates in parenthesis are the dates upon which the statement became untrue. Thus in 2003 it was no longer illegal to have concentual sex in those states.

[Zhade]

27. Is this in LBN too? It should be!

NT!

[Guy Fawkes]

28. "yet we 'celebrate' a lifestyle..."

"that we know spreads every kind of sexually transmitted disease..."

I didn't know they hated heterosexuals!

[tavalon]

38. They hate sex n/t

[Boomer]

32. Corporate Amerika won't protect us....

Corporate America is bowing to anti-gay Christian groups’ boycott demands

Spurred on by a biblical injunction evangelicals call “The Great Commission,” and emboldened by George W. Bush’s re-election, which is perceived as a “mandate from God,” the Christian right has launched a series of boycotts and pressure campaigns aimed at corporate America — and at its sponsorship of entertainment, programs and activities the Christers don’t like.

And it’s working....

DU discussion

[Democrats_win]

34. The Kristian Koalition is as Krazy as the Knottzies.

A true story called, "Damned Strong Love" is about a Polish youth and an Austrian soldier who fell in love. The Nazis put the Polish youth in prison for being gay and the Austrian disappeared.

Remind the KKK that they are following in the footsteps of the Nazis.

[tavalon]

36. I knew it was only a matter of time

before they pulled the next page out of the Nazi handbook.

Fuckers!