Kristen’s Team Pick.
Whenever I see an incredibly vocal adversary of gay marriage, I think to myself, “Why the fuck do you care? Gay marriage happens, but unless I’m stealing your wife it really doesn’t involve you!” Unless of course they have something else at stake.
Srsly, what are you trying to prove France? via AP
I am not alone with my hunches. Time and time again, hatemongering politicians, pundits and priests have been thrown out of the proverbial rainbow closet. Remember George “Lift Your Luggage” Rekers? Or Larry “Tap Tap Tap” Craig? Maybe even Ted “I am a liar and a deceiver” Haggard. In the next few years I assume I’ll be able to Google “homophobe’s name” + “scandal” and end up with some story about a cruising park or a bathroom stall. Thanks to Gay Homophobe, the news comes to you.
Much like that sign telling you the last time an employee accidentally Chicken McNuggeted their hand, Gay Homophobe tracks the last time a staunch supporter of traditional marriage proved they don’t believe in strict man-lady relations for themselves. It reads as an incredibly sad, yet triumphant story about all of the people that decided to vocalize their internalized homophobia. Some of the winners were outed, whereas others did a complete 180 and tried to repent for their actions. The site was on a winning streak, with Sheriff Paul Babeu, Kathryn Lehman, Jeremy Marks and Zach Wyatt all sneaking out of the closet themselves and choosing to support the rainbow fight.
That positive streak is over, and instead of resetting the counter graciously Rev. Ryan J. Muehlhauser made headlines when he was charged for violating the clients he was “helping” overcome their homosexuality. Muehlhauser showed up in court on Tuesday facing eight felony counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. The reverend molested and sexually assaulted his patients under the guise of ex-gay therapy. He had been associated with Outpost Ministry, an anti-gay group that boasts on their site.
The Father’s great desire for those struggling with same-sex attractions and other sexual and relational brokenness motivated Him to send His one and only Son Jesus to be the Way out of slavery to sin.
Hopefully something good can come out of this story as it puts another nail in ex-gay therapy’s coffin. Let’s take bets on who resets the ticker next. I’m looking at you Vita Alliance.
When I read religious rhetoric, I am consistently impressed by how much it sounds like another language to me. For instance, I read the phrase above, from Outpost Ministry, like this: “God sent Jesus to lead the gays from slavery TO sin.” Like, from point A to point B, not away from point A+B (which is how they intended it to read, I think?). And then I was confused: “Jesus leading the gays to sin? This guy sounds like more fun than I thought he was.” And then I realized I needed to have another gulp of coffee, take a deep breath, and read the sentence again.
Anyway, cool article, Kristen! Thanks for reminding us of all of this. My immediate family is the only part of my extended family that is not religious, so the feeling of incredulity about why people would care who you loved, beyond wanting you to be happy, is a familiar one.
I did the exact same thing! Religious fanatics like their incomprehensible wording.
If that reverend sexually abused his patients that doesn’t make him gay, as in a part of the LGBT community, that just makes him a rapist/molester.
Please don’t tell me you’re saying that in a ‘gay people can’t do anything wrong’ way. Because intonation is hard over the internet and that’s what it looks like.
I read it more like this: sexual assault and sexual identity aren’t really the same thing. Sexual assault is more often about power than it is about sexytimes.
Regardless of if he’s “actually gay” (whatever that actually means, you know?) or rapist/molester who chooses same sex victims, he still spends a lot of time screaming about and trying to cure gay people…while engaging in (nonconsensual) same sex activities himself. Which is the point of the counter, I think, the hypocrisy inherent in his actions and speech.
I wonder what the implications are of the fact that there are no women on their list.
We generally don’t have sex in airport bathrooms or hire escorts to “carry our luggage”?
Kathryn Lehmann?
I actually knew a guy in college who I’m pretty sure is the next one of these. He was super-duper conservative (like, active in politics) and he would pretend (badly) to be straight, but everyone secretly knew he was gay. I even found out recently from a friend that he would go to the local gay bars on weekend nights and do some major flirting and… possibly more… and then come Monday he’d be claiming he was straight and “just experimenting.” He was a total douchebag but now I might be starting to feel sorry for him, like, slightly. Not totally, though. (I mean, it’s one thing to be closeted and another to get active in political organizations that are opposed to your own equality.)
france’s answer to protesting: BRING IN THE MIMES
france is so over memes. they’re already on to mimes.
Mime memes.
The internet has everything: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3rje6o/