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24 JANUARY 12.2008
McEwen combats anti-gays
from page 21
reputable studies by respected scientists.
One example that employs all of these
strategies concerns a study that focused on
approximately 35 lesbians with pre-existing
alcoholism. The findings were misused by the
anti-gay industry to argue that lesbians are
more likely to develop addictions and express
violent behaviors. This was, in turn, used to
argue that lesbians should not be allowed to
care for children.
Repetition
This tactic requires little explanation.
As George W. Bush said in Greece on May
24,2005, “See, in my tine of work you got to
keep repeating things over and over and
over again for the truth to sink in, to kind
of catapult the propaganda.”
Conspiracy theories
This tactic is commonly used as the dread
ed “Gay Agenda.” “By telling people that our
country is a Christian country, and telling
them what good Christians believe, it then
becomes possible to say that someone who
does not believe as you do is trying to take all
that away from you,” says McEwen.
This tactic plays on social and political
fears and usually focuses on extrapolations
with no basis in reason or fact (i.e., the argu
ment against same-sex marriage that says
people will then be able to marry their dogs).
Dire consequences
This is a strategy that seeks to predict a ter
rible outcome after a chain of cataclysiriic
events arise fi'om some undesirable change. An
example might include the claim that the
Roman Empire collapsed because homosexu
ality became universally practiced and accept
ed. To further the distortion, homophobes
would equate current problems in the U.S. with
that completely unrelated historical situation.
Phony experts
This tactic is exactly what it sounds like.
Discredited researchers, outdated studies and
disgraced leaders are quoted incessantly,
despite the fact that they have no authority or
credibility. An example is Michael Johnston’s
continued appearance on the cover of the
American Family Association’s (AFA) “ex-gay”
video “It’s Not Gay” In 2003, after the video’s
release, Johnston was revealed to be partici
pating in unsafe sex at drug-fueled, same-sex
orgies without disclosing his HIV-positive sta
tus. He is still the “ex-gay” face used to sell the
AFA video.
Dehumanizing semantics
The anti-gay industry’s use of language
plays on assumptions and is tailored to exploit
ignorance concerning the LGBT community.
“If someone says,*.. .and this is because gay
men five a destructive life,’ it is based on die
assumed notion that God created heterosexu
ality, He disapproves of homosexuality, homo
sexuality is evil and therefore gay men are
destructive,” explains McEwen.
In his book, McEwen highlights quotes
from religious leaders that utilize dehuman
izing semantics. Such as one evangelist who
claims that Christians have been “bullied
into submission” by the “aggressive homo
sexual agenda” that’s taking over public
schools. “Ultimately,” says McEwen, “as a
person of faith I would tell people to not
take the word of an outsider. Pray, talk
directly to God yourself to find out what He
has to say about your sexuality. We can’t dia
logue with the anti-gay industry, but we can
talk to other people of faith. The bigots will
expose themselves soon enough. People can
hear a lie only so many times before it
begins to sound untenable to them. We need
to educate ourselves and be informed about
our enemies.
“For my part, I am documenting our histo
ry so that one day a young person can pick up
from our first steps and go even further.” I
info: For more information, visit www.HolyBullies.com,
www.HolyBulliesAndHiders.blogspoLcom and
AntiGayUesAndliars.blogspoLcom.“Holy Bullies and
Headless Monsters” is available for purchase at
wwwAmazon.com.
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