Delivered From Homosexuality

Tracy Morgan & The Ali Forney Center

Clip description: "Continuing to make amends for anti-gay comments he made, comedian Tracy Morgan met with LGBT teens in New York. Randi Kaye talks with Jayden Love (homeless teen), Carl Siciliano (The Ali Forney Center) & Elke Kennedy (Sean's Last Wish)."

NEW YORK: Tracy Morgan Meets Homeless LGBT Youth Of Ali Forney Center

ABOVE: "Tracy Morgan listens to Jayden Love, an Ali Forney Center client rejected by her religious family." I can't imagine a more effective remedy for Morgan than meeting the kids of the AFC.

Four Minutes Of Hate With Bryan Fischer

Compiled by Right Wing Watch.

Bill Maher On Tracy Morgan

Carl Siciliano On Tracy Morgan

"If Tracy Morgan is truly sorry for what he has done, then he should make the effort to learn the damage that is caused by homophobic parents and help to educate others about the terrible harm caused by parental rejection. He heard the crowd cheering him on. What if one of them has an LGBT child? I would advocate that his employer, NBC, join in this effort. Their power to reach millions is obvious. There is no more valuable effort that can be done for LGBT youth than to work to help them be loved and protected in their own homes." - Ali Forney Center executive director Carl Siciliano, writing for the Huffington Post.

RELATED: Morgan has agreed to meet with Siciliano and GLAAD.

During a call with GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios and members of GLAAD’s staff today, Morgan committed to meet this week in New York City with LGBT youth from the Ali Forney Center who have been hurt or left homeless by parental rejection as well as family members who have lost children to anti-gay violence. Those he will meet include Elke Kennedy, the founder of Sean’s Last Wish. Elke’s son Sean was killed by anti-gay violence in 2007 at the age of 20 in South Carolina, when another man called him a f*ggot and punched him so hard it broke his facial bones and separated his brain from his brain stem. Since that day, Elke has traveled more than 140,000 miles to speak in states across the country about hate violence and bullying. Morgan also committed to participate in GLAAD’s upcoming ‘Amplify Your Voice’ PSA campaign to combat anti-LGBT bullying.

Tony Attendees On Tracy Morgan

HomoQuotable - Cheyenne Jackson

"I am disgusted and appalled by Tracy Morgan's homophobic rant. The devastating repercussions of hate-filled language manifest in very real ways for today's LGBTQ youth. I've known Tracy for two years, spent many long hours with him on set, and I want to believe that this behavior is not at the core of who he is. I'm incredibly disappointed by his actions, and hope that his apology is sincere." -Openly gay 30 Rock cast member Cheyenne Jackson.

Tina Fey On Tracy Morgan

"The violent imagery of Tracy's rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT Community. It also doesn't line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person. I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian co-workers at 30 Rock, without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket." - Tina Fey, in a statement released to TMZ.

Tweet Of The Day - Chris Rock

GLAAD tweeted back: "Language about stabbing kids for being gay isn't 'foul.' It's dangerous."

GLAAD & HRC Vs Tracy Morgan

UPDATE: Morgan has apologized via this brief statement:

“I want to apologize to my fans and the gay & lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville. I’m not a hateful person and don’t condone any kind of violence against others. While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context.”

GLAAD:

"Tracy Morgan's management needs to investigate these allegations and should they prove true, we call on him to remove these violently anti-gay remarks from his show and send a strong message that anti-gay violence is not something to joke about," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. GLAAD is working to confirm the story with Morgan’s management and hopes to have more details today.

Human Rights Campaign:

“Hateful remarks that mock youth suicides and the very real emotional and sometimes physical bullying LGBT kids face on a daily basis have no place in a comedy routine,” said HRC Vice President of Communications, Fred Sainz. “I’m shocked that Tracy Morgan would find humor in so viciously attacking our youth. If these allegations are true, Tracy Morgan must immediately accept responsibility and apologize. His employer, NBC Universal, also must come forward and condemn these atrocious comments.”

NY Sen. Ruben Diaz Defends Comparing Homosexuality To Bestiality

Blabbeando blogger Andres Duque has transcribed NY Sen. Ruben Diaz' appearance on Pura Politica, some of which I excerpted here yesterday. In the below clip, host Juan Manuel Benitez plays a 2009 interview segment in which Diaz compares being gay to having sex with animals, a position Diaz then defends. Start at around 6:00.

NEW YORK: Bronx Hate Rally Speaker Says "Gays Are Worthy Of Death"

Igor Volsky at Think Progress reports the words of Rev. Ariel Torres Ortega of Radio Visión Cristiana, who spoke at Sen. Ruben Diaz' hate rally in the Bronx yesterday. Ortega's speech was being translated into English from the podium, hence the odd wording below.

"Committing sexual acts between man and man. And receiving the retribution of the things that they have done from straying away. And because they did not take God in count. God gave them over to reprimand their mind to do things that are not right, being against all justice, fornication, perversity, aberrations, malignity…those who practice such things are worthy to death, not only do they do it, but those who also practice it. God bless this earth. That is the word of God."

Arizona Pastor: Gay People Want Your Children & Will Do Anything To Get Them

Pastor James White of Arizona's Alpha & Omega Ministries has posted a vicious response attacking Minnesota state Rep. Steve Simon, who last week asked "How many more gay people does God have to create before we accept that he wants them around?" White says that gay people will stop at nothing to get at the defenseless children of Christians. You'll have enough of his hate after just a few minutes on this lengthy clip.

CALIFORNIA: Teabaggers Heckle And Protest Muslim Charity Event

The UK Guardian reports:

As the video shows, the rhetoric of the protesters became increasingly venomous toward the families and children who came to attend the ICNA Relief fundraising dinner. Protesters shouted invective statements such as "Go home terrorist," "Muhammad is a pervert, Muhammad is a child molester," "Go home and beat your wife, she needs a good beating," at the event-goers.

A local city councilwoman spoke to the protesters: "I know quite a few Marines who would be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise."

(Tipped by JMG reader Russ)

PhoboQuotable - NC GOP Pol Bill James

"The purpose is not just to prevent Massachusetts people coming down. It's also to put a big letter of shame on the behavior. We don't want them here. We don't want them marrying. If you're going to do it in San Francisco, it's your own business. Bet it will pass with over 60 percent. The public in my opinion knows the difference between perversity and diversity." - Mecklinburg County Commissioner Bill James, predicting easy passage of North Carolina's pending constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

James has a long track record of outrageously homophobic statements, including his regularly-spouted claim that gays are "sexual predators" who are "7 to 11 times more likely to molest children." In December 2009 he mocked the AIDS-related death of a fellow legislator's child, saying to her, "You son was a HOMO? Really?" You can contact him here.

Same-sex marriage has long been banned in North Carolina by state statute, but a constitutional amendment has been swatted down for almost a decade by a Democrat majority legislature. Last year the GOP swept into power in both state chambers.

GLAAD Files FCC Complaint Against Anti-Gay Spanish-Language TV Show

In a joint move with the National Hispanic Coalition, GLAAD announced today that it is filing an FCC complaint against the Spanish-language show, Jose Luis sin Censura, which routinely features anti-LGBT hate speech and has encouraged audience members to attack gay guests on the program.

In over twenty episodes that aired between June 18 and December 7, 2010, the program contained images and language of the nature that is never displayed or is bleeped out of pre-taped English-language programs of the same nature, including the words "pinche" ("f*cking" in English) and "culero" ("assf*cker"), anti-gay language, including epithets such as ""maricón," "joto" and "puñal" (or "f*ggot"), and anti-Latino slurs, such as "mojado" ("wetback"). The program frequently featured blatant nudity and female guests have been shown in violent fights. Hypersexualized images of women's breasts and genitals while stripping for male guests and audience members also make up routine offerings. Guests and audience members were often incited to engage in verbal and even physical attacks, especially against people perceived to be LGBT. Many episodes showed the audience standing and shouting anti-gay epithets and profanity at guests.

An online public petition to the FCC has also been launched. The below clip is very NSFW.

BRITAIN: Two Men Charged Under New Anti-Gay Hatred Incitement Law

Two British men have been charged with violating a new law against inciting anti-gay hatred.

Razwan Javed, 30, and Kabir Ahmed, 27, were accused of handing out leaflets called ‘The Death Penalty?’ outside a Derby mosque. It reportedly said that gay people should be executed and the pair are also accused of pushing it through letterboxes. The pair were reportedly arrested after a tip-off from a member of the public. If convicted at a crown court, they could face up to seven years in prison or an unlimited fine. They will appear before magistrates today. This is the first time anyone has been prosecuted for inciting hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The new law matched similar legislation against inciting racial and religious hatred.

BACKGROUND: Evidence Of Scott Lively's Complicity In The Murder Of David Kato

Yesterday Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato was bludgeoned to death in his home just weeks after his photo was emblazoned on the cover of a local newspaper with the accompanying headline "HANG THEM!" The newspaper articles and Kato's murder came after months of international outrage over Uganda's proposed and still-pending "kill gays" bill, legislation that orders the death penalty for homosexuals in some cases and life imprisonment in others.

The inspiration for Uganda's gay death penalty bill, and surely, Kato's murder, arises from the work of American evangelists, chief among them the repulsive anti-gay activist Scott Lively, whose infamous book The Pink Swastika blames the rise of the Nazi Party and the Holocaust on gay men. One year ago, the New York Times profiled Lively's hand in Uganda's burgeoning pogrom against homosexuals, which began after Lively hosted a three-day meeting attended by thousands of Ugandan police, teachers, and politicians.

The three Americans who spoke at the conference — Scott Lively, a missionary who has written several books against homosexuality, including “7 Steps to Recruit-Proof Your Child”; Caleb Lee Brundidge, a self-described former gay man who leads “healing seminars”; and Don Schmierer, a board member of Exodus International, whose mission is “mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality” — are now trying to distance themselves from the bill.

“I feel duped,” Mr. Schmierer said, arguing that he had been invited to speak on “parenting skills” for families with gay children. He acknowledged telling audiences how homosexuals could be converted into heterosexuals, but he said he had no idea some Ugandans were contemplating the death penalty for homosexuality. “That’s horrible, absolutely horrible,” he said. “Some of the nicest people I have ever met are gay people.”

Mr. Lively and Mr. Brundidge have made similar remarks in interviews or statements issued by their organizations. But the Ugandan organizers of the conference admit helping draft the bill, and Mr. Lively has acknowledged meeting with Ugandan lawmakers to discuss it. He even wrote on his blog in March that someone had likened their campaign to “a nuclear bomb against the gay agenda in Uganda.” Later, when confronted with criticism, Mr. Lively said he was very disappointed that the legislation was so harsh. Human rights advocates in Uganda say the visit by the three Americans helped set in motion what could be a very dangerous cycle. Gay Ugandans already describe a world of beatings, blackmail, death threats like “Die Sodomite!” scrawled on their homes, constant harassment and even so-called correctional rape.

Yesterday Scott Lively's "nuclear bomb" against Ugandan gays went off in the form of the iron bar which crushed the skull of David Kato. In some countries, it's possible that Lively would be under arrest today. Also complicit in this murder is Peter LaBarbera, who for years has worked to publicize and praise Scott Lively's evil agenda. Then there's Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, who last year paid lobbyists $25,000 to convince members of Congress to block a planned resolution denouncing Uganda's gay death penalty bill. And let's not forget Pastor Rick Warren, who supported, funded, appeared with, and publicized the work of Uganda's leading anti-gay activist, Pastor Martin Ssempa.

Today we mourn David Kato, a brave LGBT activist who paid the ultimate price in defense of his brothers and sisters. But we've also got start looking at some serious legal remedies to the actions of American anti-gay activists in other countries. Outside of the United States, many legals systems are not so constrained by the American concept of freedom of speech. What can we do to leverage that difference to end this madness? Lawsuits? The Hague?

Pastor Terry Jones Banned From UK

Florida's Pastor Terry Jones has been banned from entering Britain over his unfulfilled plan to burn Korans in protest of the mosque proposed to be built near the former site of the World Trade Center.

Speaking after the UK's Home Office announced it would not allow him to enter the UK, he insisted he was not against Muslims or Islam, only the “radical element of Islam”. He told Sky News: “I have no intention of doing anything against British law. We feel this is definitely against constitutional rights to travel, freedom of speech. “We believe that our visit there could be beneficial.” He also had personal reasons for wanting to come to Britain, he added, since his daughter lives in England and his grandchildren are English and live in the country too. “I feel this ban is very unfair,” he said. A British Home Office spokesman said: “The Government opposes extremism in all its forms which is why we have excluded Pastor Terry Jones from the UK.”

Despite his complaint about now being unable to visit his daughter and grandchildren, Jones was actually planning on traveling to address the British right wing group, England Is Ours.