#Anti-gay "hate group" MassResistance is source for right-wing media attacks on Jennings
5295 Dead, 428 since 1/20/09
Anti-gay "hate group" MassResistance is source for right-wing media
attacks on Jennings
December 10, 2009 8:17 pm ET — 15 Comments
Right-wing media outlets have relied on false or misleading claims by
MassResistance, a Massachusetts-based anti-gay group, in advancing
several recent attacks on Department of Education official Kevin
Jennings. The founder of MassResistance -- a group the Southern Poverty
Law Center has labeled a "hate group" -- reportedly denied that gays and
lesbians were a target of the Holocaust and has compared the gay rights
movement to the Nazis. The organization has also called on parents to
keep their children home from school during an event promoting awareness
of, and opposition to, anti-gay bullying and has stated that suicide
prevention programs for gay and lesbian youth have no "legitimate medical
or psychological basis."
MassResistance a top source for false and misleading attacks on Jennings
MassResistance falsely claimed "hundreds of kids (middle school age and
up)" were given explicit safe-sex booklet. A MassResistance Web page
asserted that an explicit safe-sex booklet "was distributed to hundreds
of kids (middle school age and up) at Brookline High School, Brookline,
MA, on April 30, 2005," at a conference sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian,
and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which Jennings headed at the time
[boldface in original]. Gateway Pundit and BigGovernment.com are among
the websites that have cited MassResistance in repeating the claim. In
fact, a community health group -- not GLSEN itself -- reportedly said
that it had mistakenly "left about 10 copies" of the booklet on an
informational table it rented at the conference; the group reportedly
apologized for doing so; GLSEN stated that if it had known the booklets
had been at the conference, it would have demanded they be removed; and
the Brookline school superintendent reportedly said he believed no
students had actually taken any of the books.
Smear that Jennings is "linked to shocking sex talk" based on
MassResistance video. In 2000, MassResistance videotaped a workshop for
students at a GLSEN-sponsored conference that included explicit
discussions of sex. While MassResistance did not claim that Jennings
participated in the controversial session, some right-wing bloggers,
including from Gateway Pundit and Accuracy in Media, have nevertheless
used the MassResistance video to falsely claim Jennings was directly
involved in the session or even made the presentation himself. In fact,
Jennings reportedly criticized the content of the session after he became
aware of it, and the Massachusetts Department of Education employees who
led the session in question either resigned or were fired.
MassResistance makes unsupported assertion that Jennings knew of
session's content beforehand. In a December 8 blog post -- repeated by
Gateway Pundit, BigGovernment, and WorldNetDaily.com -- MassResistance
asserted: "Of course Jennings and the Massachusetts Department of
Education knew beforehand what the 'sexuality educators' would discuss
with children at the 'fisting' workshop" [emphasis in original]. But as
Media Matters for America has noted, the statements MassResistance cites
instructor Margot Abels of reportedly making indicate only that her
immediate supervisors in the Department of Education were aware of her
work -- not Jennings or other GLSEN officials. Moreover, while
MassResistance claims that Jennings "worked hand in hand with the Mass.
Department of Education from the beginning, as co-chair of the Governor's
Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth education committee," Jennings left
that commission years before the 2000 workshop took place.
SPLC lists MassResistance as a "hate group"
The Southern Poverty Law Center named MassResistance among "anti-gay"
groups on its list of "Active U.S. Hate Groups in 2008." The SPLC
continued: "Anti-gay groups are organizations that go beyond mere
disagreement with homosexuality by subjecting gays and lesbians to
campaigns of personal vilification." Even conservative commentator Dean
Barnett has stated that the organization "verges on being a hate group."
MassResistance leader compared gay rights movement to Nazis
Camenker reportedly denied that gays and lesbians were targets of
Holocaust. In May 2007, MassResistance longtime leader Brian Camenker
appeared before a Massachusetts legislative committee during its
discussion of a bill that makes it illegal for schools to discuss
"alternative sexual behavior" without notifying parents and another
mandating statewide health education. From a report by Bay Windows:
Rep. Alice Wolf (D-Cambridge), a member of the education committee
and one of the lead proponents of the health education bill, challenged
Camenker's views on history, arguing that it would be appropriate to
include discussions of homosexuality in discussions of the Holocaust.
"That's just a factual historic thing. You don't have to have an
agenda to talk about the fact that although the Jewish population was the
largest population, six million who were killed, there were others killed
for other reasons, among them homosexuals, and I just want to make that
clear," said Wolf.
Camenker told her he disagreed and claimed that Holocaust survivor
Stephan Ross, who spearheaded the creation of the New England Holocaust
Memorial and is the father of Boston City Councilor Michael Ross, "came
to our banquet and has told me at the banquet several times that
homosexuals were not picked up as homosexuals and that he's very angry at
that movement trying to use that. What he says is that the Germans would
use that as an excuse, and this is from him being at Auschwitz, to arrest
people for other causes such as Catholic priests and then let them go.
But as homosexuals, according to him, that is simply untrue."
When asked about Camenker's claims Ross told Bay Windows, "I don't
know anything about his organization," and he declined to comment
further, directing Bay Windows to speak to his son. Councilor Ross said
he had spoken with his father about Camenker's claims and that his father
"was very upset that someone was hijacking, was misappropriating his good
name to get behind something he does not agree with."
Camenker compared his supporters to the Allies, gay rights movement to
the Nazis. In a May 28, 2007, letter, Camenker wrote:
This Memorial day, here in Massachusetts in 2007, the homosexual
lobby dominates our State House, and is filing bills to push their agenda
further than ever. They have homosexual clubs in high schools across the
state. They use state money to bring kids downtown to mingle with adult
cross-dressers and other hard-core activists. A federal judge ruled that
schools can show picture books to elementary school children about
homosexual romance. And our political leaders help raise money for their
movement.
Sixty-five years from today, what will people remember about what you
did to stop them? Will you dedicate yourself to this fight?
World War Two was won with guns and bullets and bombs. This war will
be won with truth and fearlessness. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind
that we can and will prevail completely. Our adversary's movement has the
illusion of indomitable strength, but it is really a house of cards, held
up by threats and intimidation and a dysfunctional ideology. If you are
willing to fight -- to tell the truth and not be afraid -- it will fall.
There is one difference from 1942. Today, one of the biggest
obstacles in this battle is the mainstream conservative movement itself
-- our side. They value "dignity" and "polite behavior" over speaking the
harsh and uncomfortable truth. They preach prayer as a way to avoid
taking action. They seek to compromise as a way to avoid conflict. They
talk about differences of opinion as a way to avoid facing good versus
evil. It subverts our efforts and causes terrible results.
Did people in1942 talk about respecting the Nazis "choice" of
political philosophy? Or that we ought to consider letting Japan have
Korea and the Solomon Islands if they'd let us have the Philippines --
because that's what the "experts" say we could work out?
Don't listen to them. It's a false promise. It's extremely tempting
but it's the road to hell. That's why we support a Parents' Rights Bill
that gives parents complete control. And it's why we don't support the
current Constitutional Amendment that purposefully compromises by only
banning future homosexual "marriages" and allowing all others --
including civil unions or domestic partnership -- to stand unimpeded.
Compromising in normal discourse is often appropriate; but compromising
with evil is disastrous.
Camenker: Same-sex marriage "hangs over society like a hammer with the
force of law." In an October 2008 commentary, Camenker wrote:
Anyone who thinks that same-sex "marriage" is a benign eccentricity
which won't affect the average person should consider what it has done in
Massachusetts. It's become a hammer to force the acceptance and
normalization of homosexuality on everyone. And this train is moving
fast. What has happened so far is only the beginning.
[...]
Homosexual "marriage" hangs over society like a hammer with the force
of law. And it's only just begun.
It's pretty clear that the homosexual movement's obsession with
marriage is not because large numbers of them actually want to marry each
other. Research shows that homosexual relationships are fundamentally
dysfunctional on many levels, and "marriage" as we know it isn't
something they can achieve, or even desire. (In fact, over the last three
months, the Sunday Boston Globe's marriage section hasn't had any photos
of homosexual marriages. In the beginning it was full of them.) This is
about putting the legal stamp of approval on homosexuality and imposing
it with force throughout the various social and political institutions of
a society that would never accept it otherwise. To the rest of America:
You've been forewarned.
MassResistance bashed Jennings' focus on safety for gay youth
Commentary: Suicide prevention programs for gay youth have no "legitimate
medical or psychological basis." Responding to a 1995 speech by Jennings
stating how a focus on "how homophobia represents a threat to students'
safety by creating a climate where violence, name- calling, health
problems, and suicide are common" allowed advocates for gay youth to
counter criticism by anti-gay activists, a 1996 MassResistance commentary
stated:
Now do you get it? Parents are always astounded when they are told
that the gay assemblies, gay-themed plays, gay clubs, secret counseling
sessions, gay books, and other school-wide homosexual events are for
"safety" and "suicide prevention."
In fact, none of these so-called suicide prevention programs have any
legitimate medical or psychological basis. No one with actual credentials
to deal with suicide, or even mainstream suicide-prevention groups such
as the Samaritans, are ever involved. Yet, they're dealing with
vulnerable children.
Upon examination, you see that all of these programs are simply put
together by homosexual activists to normalize homosexuality in the minds
of as many kids as possible -- and if possible without any parental
knowledge or consent.
[...]
The homosexual movement cannot operate without using lies and
deception. When the light of day is shown on their activities in the
public schools, and when people are forced to objectively examine them,
they are seen for the destructive things they are.
A September 13 WorldNetDaily article featured Jennings' speech, adding
that "[e]xcerpts have been posted on the website of MassResistance, where
chief Brian Camenker has worked to oppose the demands of homosexual
activists." The WND article also repeated MassResistance's attack on the
speech.
MassResistance promoted "Day of Silence" walkout. MassResistance has
criticized the "Day of Silence," which is designed to bring attention to
"anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools" and, in
2009, joined with 22 other "pro-family" groups to encourage parents to
keep their children home from school that day. From the MassResistance
page announcing the alliance:
Day of Silence: psychological assault on kids
During the Day of Silence, which has become an annual day-long event,
school officials encourage students to be silent for the entire day as a
sign of solidarity with the homosexual activist movement. Students are
encouraged to wear special homosexual badges, stickers, and bracelets
which are often handed out at all the school entrances that day. There
are also pro-homosexual posters and handouts, and even workshops. The
schools use various psychological methods during the day to attempt to
create a strong bond with the homosexual movement in the minds of the
kids.
Group chronicles "Brutal fascist tactics" by "homosexual movement." A
page on the organization's website purports to document "Brutal fascist
tactics against citizens" carried out by the "homosexual movement"
because it "cannot achieve [its] goals without eventually resorting to
brutal tactics of intimidation and even terror."
--
Slavery: The belief that people can be property
Corporatism: The belief that property can be people.
edi...@netpath.net
- doesn't want their kid taught "fisting" in elementary school?
http://www.Internet-Gun-Show.com - your source for hard-to-find stuff!
Phlip
> Ever occur to you that the AVERAGE parent - straight, gay, or lesbian
> - doesn't want their kid taught "fisting" in elementary school?
Only one side in the debate has this "imagination running riot" problem.
5295 Dead, 428 since 1/20/09
> Ever occur to you that the AVERAGE parent - straight, gay, or lesbian -
> doesn't want their kid taught "fisting" in elementary school
Is "fisting" defined as passing ludicrous information along to gullible
right wingers, who in turn swear it's gospel?
Joe Cool
> Ever occur to you that the AVERAGE parent - straight, gay, or lesbian
> - doesn't want their kid taught "fisting" in elementary school?
>
And neither does Jennings.
Phlip
While our society sees nothing wrong with teaching them "Tigering".