Gay Rights Group: Right Wing Full of Bunk

Days after Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council used his appearance on Hardball to proclaim "homosexual men are more likely to abuse children than straight men," and was backed up by Pat Buchanan, Nadine Smith issued her own comments.

The executive director of Equality Florida, admonished the "far-right" for beginning "their predictable assault on gay people in the wake of the Foley scandal. They would have us ignore the fact that the Congressional Page Program has had a sordid past of its own and was nearly ended in the early 1980's due to sexual harassment perpetrated by male members of Congress against female pages."

She also noted: "Child welfare experts and years of documented research tell us that perpetrators of inappropriate sexual conduct with minors are overwhelmingly heterosexual males."

Her full statement is posted in the comments section.

Comments

As Foley Scandal Grows, Right Wing Tries to Deflect Responsibility 

Extremists Begin Predictable Gay Bashing

Statement by Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida --
While child welfare experts and years of documented research tell us that perpetrators of inappropriate sexual conduct with minors are overwhelmingly heterosexual males, the far-right has begun their predictable assault on gay people in the wake of the Foley scandal. They would have us ignore the fact that the Congressional Page Program has had a sordid past of its own and was nearly ended in the early 1980's due to sexual harassment perpetrated by male members of Congress against female pages.
Fair-minded people of every political persuasion see this scandal for what it is: An adult using his position of authority to sexually pursue a teen and powerful party leaders trying to cover it up. No matter the perpetrator's sexual orientation, whether a teacher pursuing a student or a congressman sexually harassing a page, the abuse of power violates the sensibilities of good people and potentially violates Federal and state law.
Long known to be a closeted gay man, Foley resigned from office in shame, entered rehab for alcohol addiction, finally acknowledged his sexual orientation publicly and revealed that he had been molested as a teen by a clergy member. Some see this as a first healthy step in the life distorted by hypocrisy and the closet. Others see it as a predictable script followed by public figures hoping for redemption in the media. Time will tell.
What is undeniable is that thousands of openly gay men and women serve with distinction at all levels of government. Until yesterday, Rep. Foley chose a life in the closet, but his sexual orientation is immaterial to the unfolding scandal. Attempts by some on the extreme right to link the two constitute a transparent effort to scapegoat gay and lesbian Americans.
The media and its political analysts should be careful not to defame millions of gay and lesbian Americans based on the improper behavior of one individual.
Here are the real questions that remain:
1. How can this kind of abuse be prevented in a culture where cover up is the reflex?
2. Who at the national and state party level knew of this inappropriate behavior and did nothing?

[Ron Mills]

Conservatives blame Foley’s predatory behavior on homosexuality. Equating homosexually with pedophilia is nothing new for the American Taliban…it’s also a blatant lie.

See:
http://www.ralliance.org/PedoMyth.html

gay is NOTNOTNOTNOT pedo.!!
except in the mind of the ignorant!!98% of people committing acts are straight men...fewfewfewfew gay men or women. this is just one more attempt from the UNchristian right to deflect attention from all the gay men who are in positons of power all over capitol hill and in the executive office who are now teetering on the brink of "exposure" -- as pathologicallylyinghypocrites!!
WHAT??
u thought markie and kennie mehlman are the ONLY TWO??
hardly!!

[Ron Mills]

WWJD
Not Lie, to hold onto a the majority and put children in harms way for profit and power.

the Un-Christian Right Are All FRAUDS

EXPLAIN to your fellow democrats Ron Mills. maybe you should type WWJD on this also.

http://peerreview.blogs.com/peer_review/2005/06/a_challenge_to__1.html

"If someone can find an article that says there is no money missing and FL Dem. Chairwoman Thurman made a booboo in claiming there was, let me know. If not, find out who this Ron Mills is and tell him he isn't helping Florida Democrats by perpetuating the lying, cheating, scandal plagued cover-up image that is the Democratic party today.

Mr. C"

Closet, secret, HOMO's are the issue here and everyone knows that. Stop with your rhetoric, these people, are hiding, holding things in and the only way sometimes to explore their lifestyle is " Well we all know".. That is the ISSUE. PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!! No one really cares what they do, within reason, as adults, if they are honest and say what they are from the start. The problem is the above statement. BOTTOM LINE....Scary.

6:29...u said it!!
whatever u do,, dont lie about it!
and dont allow people to lie about it, either, even if they pay your salary!!

[boofdah]

6:29,

I'm a het female and think what you're saying is "bunk." Although I'd frankly use a different four-letter word descriptor for it.

Are men who fall in love with women pre-determined to prey after young GIRLS as pedophiles, just because of their affinity for women?

Your logic is hugely lacking, as is customary for conservatives.

NO ACTUALLY, I DON'T NEED TO JUSTIFY, WHAT I FEEL IS THE REAL CASE WITH ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSETED. THEY LIVE A REAL HORROR AND SAD, VERY SAD AS IT IS, MANY DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN. SOME CAN CONTROL THEMSELVES, SOME CAN'T, PERIOD. THESE COMMENTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HET'S, THIS BLOG IS ABOUT "Gay Rights Group: Right Wing Full of Bunk"

[Ron Mills]

06:23 PM

Moderate
Get A Life, You Annoying little insect just like a buzzing gnat

EXPLAIN Ron Mills.

http://peerreview.blogs.com/peer_review/2005/06/a_challenge_to__1.html

"If someone can find an article that says there is no money missing and FL Dem. Chairwoman Thurman made a booboo in claiming there was, let me know. If not, find out who this Ron Mills is and tell him he isn't helping Florida Democrats by perpetuating the lying, cheating, scandal plagued cover-up image that is the Democratic party today.

Mr. C"

I'd like to thank Equality Florida for the most decent commentary I have heard about this sad subject yet. This blog has had more than its share of hurtful things to say about people under the cover of anonymity.

Truth and Integrity raised over $3.1 million this year, making it the largest electioneering organization created to influence elections, and spent much of that on TV ads designed to help Republican Charlie Crist in the race by trashing Gallagher.

In the last days of the primary, the group launched a TV ad that said he was "under investigation" for his stock trading and ended saying, "With a long history of poor judgement and ethical lapses, how can we ever trust Tom Gallagher again?"
key word here "trashing gallagher" CRIST SWORE HE WOUNDN'T, HE IS A LIAR, LIAR LIAR, NO OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE. THIS IS ALL ABOUT CHARLIE, AND WILL HE BE VOTED IN.. PROBABLY not!!!!!!!!!!

Nadine "Liberal Media Member and former Reporter for the Tampa Tribune" Smith represents the perfect case study in why the media, including the SPT, declined to aggressively investigate and report on the Mark Foley problem . . . please don't look into the gay man's closet . . . that would be hostile to the homosexual community and smacks of gay bashing. Now we go a step further since his bad acts are all out in the open . . .any discussion of male homosexual obsessive compulsion is more homophobia and gay bashing.

How many of the media people assigned to report on the story or who were in positions of influence to kill the story were also homosexual or pro-homosexual? Did that influence their descision? If the story was about something else, oh, say, about Home Depot and many of the reporters or editors were stockholders of Home Depot or had Home Depot family members, we would all agree a conflict exists. But on this issue, homosexuality, no disclosure and no conflict because the homosexual agenda is the morally superior position so no need to disclose. Where will a fair and balanced discussion of the influence of Mark Foley's homosexuality occur in the media? The answer is that it won't because the person who even broaches the subject is branded and abused.

Even more predictable is the homosexual agenda's dog and pony show about how the Mark Foley incident shows the "real problem" to be homosexual closeting . . . if only Mark Foley had felt safe enough to come out, why then, he would never have been forced to stoop to preying on young boys. Right.

The only argument worse is how poor Mark Foley is a tortured soul and as soon as he accepts his homosexuality he will be able to desire wrinkly old gay men in speedos rather than young nubile male flesh.

Pardon me while I vomit at the predictability of it all.

8:16pm you are the boss. and so true... scary, and what homosexuals will always say, they were afraid, to come out, so many wouldn't understand.. We understand, and we are appalled. SO.?

Fact: In the wake of Foley's reprehensible behavior, Conservatives stand true to their principles of personal responsibility and place the blame on Foley. Not on Gays or alcoholics, but on the guilty party.

Fact: Democrats are engaged in a sick display of gay bashing as they grasp deperately for power. Without remorse, they allude that all gays are pedophiles while searching frantically for any Republican who might also be gay.

Continuation of 10:46:

Furthermore, the mainstream media are willing accomplices, even going so far in this case as to accuse Republicans of doing what Democrats are doing.

10:46 is exactly right! Case in point: Imadshell and the Pink Boots for Truth or whatever the crap she calls it.

10:46 are u really going after us for gay bashing?? u are as sick as Foley himself!!! I am sorry but you are!!

I really wanted us to be together on this one. sorry

I really think it will be more than Pink Boots sisters, it will be way more than that.. some poor soul will come out with, I was invited to a BROWNSTONE with Congressman FOLEY and ED COMMISH...

10:51,
I believe that Foley is a dirt bag. If you disagree, then I am afraid we cannot, as you say, "be together on this one." I just don't see how you can defend his actions!

10:51,
Yes, I am going after you for gay bashing! Why else would you be on a mission to out any gay Republican that you can find? How many times since this scandal have you called Crist "gay?" How many times on this very blog have you libs called Crist a "gay pedophile?" Don't even try to deny it! You won't be able to hide on this one!

yawn

10:46pm. I am with ya, believe me, Anything, cuz, I know Charlie is what he is.. Enough said.. And... When it comes out.. it will be awesome for all of us.. CC, the ????

Closet, secret, HOMO's are the issue here and everyone knows that. Stop with your rhetoric, these people, are hiding, holding things in and the only way sometimes to explore their lifestyle is " Well we all know".

Huh?

WHAT'S UP WITH CHARLIE CRIST, HELLO, CAN'T SAY ANYTHING FOR SURE, BUT WHAT IS UP WITH THAT MAN????

11:11,
You are EXACTLY right! But we can't just stop with the closet HOMOS (as you say) Nope, we have got to launch investigations and get all politicians on the record! We've probably got closet toe-suckers, closet dominatrix's, closet role-players, closet cross dressers, the list could go on and on and on! Any of these people could snap at any moment and start feeling up page boys in the cloak room! WE NEED DETAILS! "Congressman, do you like wearing feather boas? Remember, you are under oath."

[higgins]

in college, i had a sociology teacher who was quite insightful. just prior to an overwhelming military offensive by the US, he explained aggression in terms of historical/geographic tensions and genetic tendencies.

it was an amazing contribution to sociology in its fullness.

he also expressed very negative thoughts about specifc types of birds. in one case, he expressed dislike for cardinals.

speaking of birds... if memory serves me correctly, i read that a blogger said that jim davis is giving us "the bird."

upon deep reflection, i must agree that the congressman from dc is expressing his negative finger in the direction of the voters.

HIGGINS... YOU ARE GOOD... AND i THINK WE WILL SEE CC AS HE IS. BUT, IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.. THEN, I AM OK!!!!

[1catalyst]

Nadine Smith of Equality Florida is a lesbian who uses a clever ploy here...She states the obvious like it disproves Tony Perkins statement when she said, "... perpetrators of inappropriate sexual conduct with minors are overwhelmingly heterosexual males."

Put on your "thinking cap," folks...Let's not let her compare "apples to oranges" here.

Since homosexuals are only 2% to 3% of the total population that means the other 97% to 98% are heterosexuals and they do a larger ACTUAL NUMBER of the crimes. But we are not talking about the NUMBER of incidents but the percentage or "likelyhood" Perkins pointed out by saying, " "homosexual men are MORE LIKELY to abuse children than straight men,"

Fact is that homosexuals commit up to one-third of the sex crimes against children. Do the math! If 2% to 3% do up to 33% of the crimes that is what rational people would call "more likely."

Why is that? Because about one-third of the child sexual victims are boys. Man on boy is a homosexual molestation, wouldn't you agree?

Well, the homosexual spokspersons try to find an argument to disagree even with that assertion that man on boy is homosexual.

Perverted actions lead to perverted thinking, no doubt about it.

TERMIE, I WANTED TO MEET YOU... SORRY, WON'T HAPPEN I GUESS.

Charlie Crist's homosexuality is not an issue, however his hiding his true self oens himself, and the people of Florida less safe. Can you say BLACKMAIL?

leaders of state's should not have such secrets - it simply a matter of SECURITY

HIGGINS IS BRILLIANT!!

termie is an unemployed idiot!

see you in the bahamas after the election, termie?? no?!? not invited??

12:13,

And let's keep searching closets! Just think what secrets our politicians could have! Prostitutes, fetishes, porn, drugs, extramarital affairs, secret abortions. Any number of things could leave them open to blackmail.

[gopshell]

12:31,

Mike made one mistake. He listened to Brett! Big Mistake!!

Hanna has nothing else to do but blog as terminator.

Sorry, Mike. It was going to be revealed eventually.

And as we have found out - they need to be gone - every single one of them. I'm a proud dem and I totally agree that the guy from LA was a crook and he's gone. he can no longer endanger the country.

Charlie needs to come clean - Mark Foley may have knowledge and maybe his "treatment" he'll want to clear all the air.

studies show = 98% pedophila's are hetrosexual. please - stop the gay bashing. you are a bigot and I'd not want to live near you.

12;38 WHATM ARE U TALKING ABOUT??? SORRY DON'T GET IT!!!!!!

extramarital affairs - as the republicans wanting to make the marriage amendment a national amendment - I'd agree if such affairs and masturbation were made felonies as well. sex, if you're gonna take the bible literally, is ONLY for procreation. bigots

do you "dress yourself"?

if you do, then your sins will be revealed as well.

some people in life are weak... in cyberlife, you are full of bulls--t.

FORGET IT, JUST WANTED ANSWERS TO A QUESTION.... SORRY!!!

12:47

usf bullsh-t??

12:55, evidently another person with a myspace account wants to get into the ring.

it could get intolerable.

WE CALL THEM WIK-IDIOTS!

HANNA/TERMINATOR IS THE ORIGINAL IDIOT

WHAT IS ALL THAT ABOUT??? SORRY I DON'T GET IT!!!

EVID, MIKE HANNA IS THE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN POSTING AS TERMINATOR.