Posts Tagged ‘anti-gay’
Obama Infuriates Gays: Chooses extremely anti-gay preacher Rick Warren for inauguration prayer
Read the article and watch the video: http://www.metroweekly.com/gauge/last_word/2008/12/obama-angers-gays-with-choice.html
And in Australia… Another sacking demanded over ‘anti-gay’ document
A gay rights group is calling on the Federal Government to sack both of the men’s health ambassadors who have been linked to a document criticising homosexuality.
Barry Williams from the Lone Fathers group and the Fatherhood Foundation’s Warwick Marsh are listed as authors of a publication that says homosexuality is a disorder. The publication was published by Mr Marsh’s organisation.
The Government has dismissed Mr Marsh but has retained Mr Williams, who has distanced himself from the document.
“I don’t even know the words and I had nothing to do with it,” he told ABC Radio’s AM program.
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the document’s statements on homosexuality are “quite abhorrent” but she is prepared to accept Mr Williams’s explanation about why his name appeared on the document.
“Look, it is very strong stuff but I think that this is a document that was authored by 34 people. I think that Mr Williams’ sins are not having read and taken care what he put his name to,” she said.
“He has publicly and expressly disassociated himself from any of these comments and I am prepared to accept that explanation.”
But Rodney Croome from the Coalition for Equality says Mr Williams should be sacked too.
“Even though he’s repudiated the anti-gay manifesto he originally signed, Barry Williams has repeatedly lobbied and advocated against the legal recognition and protection for same-sex couples and their families,” he said.
“It’s exactly these kind of discriminatory attitudes which undermine better health outcomes for gay men by stigmatising them as unfit parents.”
’21 Reasons’
The publication, titled 21 Reasons Why Gender Matters, refers to homosexuality as “gender disorientation pathology”, and says it will lead to increased levels of drug abuse and partner violence, will increase the risk of communicable disease and the likelihood of suffering bad health, and is often a “symptom of family dysfunction, personality disorder, father absence, health malfunction or sexual abuse”.
It also says gay people are more likely than straight people to abuse children, saying that homosexuality “encourages the sexual and psychological exploitation of children.
“Homosexual abuse of children is proportionately higher than heterosexual abuse of children. It must be stressed that most homosexuals do not abuse children, and most are not paedophiles, but it seems a significant number do, and are.”
Another section says infidelity “and the like” are more pronounced in homosexual relationships: “Faithfulness within a same-sex relationship is extremely difficult to maintain”, it says.
‘Heterophobia’
Mr Marsh has released a statement saying he has been vilified because he believes every child has the right to a mother and a father.
“If I am attacked it is because I believe that our children matter,” he said in the statement.
“If I am attacked it is because I believe every child has the right to a mother and a father. Children need a mother and a father, not two mummies or two daddies.”
Mr Marsh said certain journalists had claimed he was “homophobic” and he was baffled by “this sort of heterophobia”.
The sacking is the latest snag for the Government’s attempts to advance the men’s health agenda; another of the ambassadorial appointments came under fire earlier this week.
Hairdresser Tim Mathieson, partner of Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, is one of the six men originally selected to help develop Australia’s first men’s health policy.
Mr Mathieson says he is qualified for the role.
“Being a hairdresser and having the background I’ve got is pretty good to put me in a great position to understand the needs of men and their health issues and I think any sort of controversy is pretty overblown I think,” he said.
But Ms Roxon admits the controversy surrounding the men’s health panel is a setback and says she takes full responsibility for the application process.
Courtesy of ABC
Kicking A Lion 