蜜桃传媒

Today at noon, a group of the nastiest gay-bashers in America plans to hold a press conference in front of the Montgomery, Ala., offices of the Southern Poverty Law Center (蜜桃传媒), which publishes this blog. Claiming that the 蜜桃传媒 is engaged in a 鈥渃ampaign to demonize adherents of traditional Judeo-Christian morality,鈥� the white organizers of the press conference are bringing along a set of black pastors in a presumed bid to embarrass the 蜜桃传媒, a 40-year-old anti-racist civil rights organization.

The irony is that 蜜桃传媒 has precisely because they demonize LGBT people, using a series of well-worn lies to paint gays and lesbians as perverts, pedophiles and worse. Despite the claims of the groups, the 蜜桃传媒 is not attacking anyone鈥檚 morality. Instead, our hate group listings reflect the fact that they regularly propagate known falsehoods.

Take the press conference鈥檚 chief organizer, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), and its leader, Peter LaBarbera. In 2007, LaBarbera claimed that there was 鈥渁 disproportionate incidence of pedophilia鈥� among gay men 鈥� a devastating accusation, but one that is entirely false, according to all the relevant scientific organizations. LaBarbera has compared the alleged dangers of homosexuality to those of 鈥渟moking, alcohol and drug abuse鈥� and the AFTAH website describes it as a 鈥渓ethal behavior addiction.鈥� AFTAH has also claimed that an anti-bullying bill in California promoted cross-dressing and sex-change operations, among other things, to kindergartners and other children.

Here are some facts about the other organizations participating in today鈥檚 press conference that are listed by 蜜桃传媒 as hate groups:

Abiding Truth Ministries: Represented today by Rachel Conner, this group is headed by Scott Lively, who is the originator of the most remarkable smears of gay people of all 鈥� the completely false claims that Hitler was gay, that 鈥渢he Nazi Party was entirely controlled by militaristic homosexuals,鈥� and that gays were especially selected for the SS because of their innate brutality. Meeting with Ugandan lawmakers who would later push the so-called 鈥淜ill the Gays鈥� bill in that country, Lively told them that the gay rights movement is 鈥渁n evil institution鈥� that seeks to replace a healthy society with 鈥渁 culture of sexual promiscuity.鈥� Before starting Abiding Truth, Lively headed a failed effort to pass an Oregon referendum that would have listed homosexuality, along with pedophilia, as 鈥渁bnormal behavior.鈥�

Illinois Family Institute (IFI): The IFI鈥檚 Laurie Higgins will not be at the press conference, but plans to issue a statement of support. In 2006, IFI鈥檚 then executive director Peter LaBarbera 鈥� now with AFTAH 鈥� demanded the closing down of all 鈥渉omosexual establishments鈥� and the repeal of all 鈥渟exual orientation laws,鈥� shorthand for statutes that ban discrimination against gay people. When another religious right organization, Focus on the Family, toned down some of its anti-gay rhetoric in 2010, Higgins wrote that it was displaying 鈥渟urprising naivete,鈥� using the same language as pro-gay 鈥渉omosexualists鈥� and failing to confront 鈥渢he pro-homosexual juggernaut.鈥� She also attacked McDonald鈥檚 for running a gay-friendly TV ad, saying it was 鈥渉ell bent on using its resources to promote subversive moral, social, and political views about homosexuality to our children.鈥�

Mass Resistance: Mass Resistance leader Brian Camenker has claimed that groups that back anti-bullying school programs actually want to lure children into homosexuality and, very possibly, sadomasochism. In 2006, he said that gay people were trying to pass legislation that would allow sex with animals. Camenker has falsely claimed that no gay people died in the Holocaust and that the pink triangle that the Nazis forced imprisoned gay people to wear actually signified Catholic priests. He has also repeatedly linked homosexuality and pedophilia despite the falsity of that claim. In 2008, he claimed without any evidence that 鈥渟kyrocketing homosexual domestic violence鈥� since same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts had cost that state increasingly large sums of money.

Other groups participating in the press conference but not listed by 蜜桃传媒 as hate groups include Liberty Counsel, whose director of cultural affairs, Matt Barber, is scheduled to speak. Barber has argued that it would be 鈥渃riminally reckless for educators to teach children that homosexual conduct is a normal, safe and perfectly acceptable alternative.鈥� Linda Harvey of Mission America is also scheduled to issue a supporting statement. Harvey has argued that employers should not hire gay people and that parents should keep their kids away from gay doctors.

Many of these groups were involved in another effort to push back the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 2010 decision to list a number of anti-gay organizations as hate groups. Some signed a full-page newspaper advertisement late that year accusing the 蜜桃传媒 of 鈥渕aligning鈥� Christians and refusing to debate the issues surrounding homosexuality. The truth, of course, is entirely different. In fact, it is the anti-gay groups that have refused to withdraw false claims about LGBT people that have no other purpose than to smear them.