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LaBarbera: Will Sandusky’s Penn State Victims Grow Up Thinking They’re Gay?

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Calling homosexuality a “perversion,” and “sinful, destructive and changeable,” Peter LaBarbera (image, left) today suggests that the victims of Jerry Sandusky will grow up thinking they’re gay, despite any factual evidence to support his mistaken argument. Jerry Sandusky, now in jail, was — as the world has learned in recent days — the heir-apparent to revered and now fired Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. Sandusky stands accused of sexually molesting, assaulting, or raping up to 20 young boys across a 15 year period, amid rumored new allegations of child prostitution.

In a blatant attempt to intermix homosexuality, an innate trait fixed at birth, with pedophilia, a psychological disorder, LaBarbera flouted his ignorance and bigoted hatred through none other than the decades-old Christian News Wire.

Peter LaBarbera is the 48-year old president of the SPLC-certified anti-gay hate group, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, who has bounced around the extreme right-wing fringe groups that serve as self-appointed anti-gay crusaders, like Accuracy in Media, and the Culture and Family Institute, yet has been unable to secure an official role in the Republican Party. Recently, the IRS stripped Labarbera’s group of its tax-exempt status.

“Many openly homosexual (“gay”) men, like CNN anchor Don Lemon, were molested as boys or experienced abnormally early sexualization,” LaBarbera writes, ignoring the possibility that they could have been born gay and molested or assaulted anyway. “Yet many of these same men do NOT see their boyhood victimization at the hands of homosexual male predators as causing their homosexuality.”

The lack of simple logic — not to mention, empathy for victims of child sexual abuse — is staggering.

Offering no sympathy for Sandusky’s victims, nor offering any evidence of attempting to contact any who might now be adults, LaBarbera asks, “how many boy victims of homosexual predator Sandusky will end up believing that being homosexual (‘gay’) is ‘who they are’? How many will struggle with sexual identity issues? And how many will be told by LGBT advocates and liberal-minded people just to “accept being gay” as “who they are” because they were ‘born that way’?”

Had LaBarbera bothered to read the 23-page Grand Jury indictment, he would know that it lists eight victims (although there are reports that state there are up to 20 victims,) and five of the eight are now adults ranging from 22 to 27 years of age.

LaBarbera should also remember that Sandusky is not a homosexual, but a pedophile (assuming the mountainous charges are true) and is married with two grown sons.

Were Peter LaBarbera, himself a father, especially concerned about the victims, or, a little thing called accuracy, he could have traced them, or attempted to locate them. No doubt, if they are gay, and if they attribute their homosexuality to Sandusky’s molestation and rape, no doubt they would consider responding to a public request from someone so devoted to demonizing homosexuality.

But LaBarbera is only interested in spreading false information, furthering his personal stature as an avowed homosexual hater, and padding his bottom line — this time on the backs of sexual assault victims. One has to ask, has LaBarbera no shame what so ever?

LaBarbera offensively identifies “pederastic molestation” as the cause of homosexuality, leading any logical human being to assume that homosexuals are created by sexual assault, and therefore, every homosexual on earth must in fact be the victim of sexual assault. never mind what all the psychological associations say about homosexuality, a certified hate group President must know best, right?

This line of thinking is clearly false, and LaBarbera, for all his blind hatred, should know better.

“There IS a long history connecting homosexuality to pederasty, and a disproportionate link between homosexuality and pedophilia: why else would so many child molestation victims be boys when only 1-3 percent of the population is homosexual?,” LaBarbera writes, effectively negating his entire argument.

Yes, Mr. LaBarbera, why would so many child molestation victims be boys when only 1-3 percent of the population is homosexual?

“Since cases of women molesting boys remain rare, if homosexuality were not such a strong factor, nearly all of pedophile victims should be girls, which is far from the case.”

The mind absolutely reels.

The facts, not that LaBarbera has ever been interested in spreading those — despite his Orwellian-monikered group — is that heterosexual men sexually assault or molest young girls in far greater numbers than they do young boys, and heterosexual men molest children of either sex at a far greater frequency than do homosexual men, or women, for that matter.

Here’s a fact, straight from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who report that for each year between 2000 and 2005, “female parents acting alone” were most likely to be perpetrators of child abuse.

Kind of blows LaBarbera’s false claims right out of the water, doesn’t it?

Here’s another fact: “According to the Third National Incidence Study, girls are sexually abused three times more often than boys.” And another study offers this:

Statistics indicate that girls are more frequently the victims of sexual abuse, but that the number of boys is also significant. Estimates suggest that males account for 25-35% of child sexual abuse victims.

What LaBarbera might want to do instead of placing blame on homosexuality or homosexuals — which, by LaBarbera’s own admission, Sandusky is not — is to first try to understand the problem, and then, as the head of a “Christian” organization, offer assistance. That is what any real Christian would do.

Editor’s note: Alvin McEwen at LGBTQ nation, Jamie McGonnigal at Talk About Equality, and Kevin Naff at The Washington Blade have all since expressed their concerns about this latest move by Peter LaBarbera.

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News

‘Antisemitism Is Wrong, But’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Pilloried for Promoting Antisemitic Claim

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May 1, 2024

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U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was strongly criticized Wednesday after promoting a historically and biblically false, antisemitic claim while declaring antisemitism is wrong.

As the House voted on an antisemitism bill that would require the U.S. Dept. of Education to utilize a certain definition of antisemitism when enforcing anti-discrimination laws, the far-right Christian nationalist congresswoman made her false claims on social media.

“Antisemitism is wrong, but I will not be voting for the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 (H.R. 6090) today that could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews,” Greene tweeted.

The definition of antisemitism the House bill wants to codify was created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Congresswoman Greene highlighted this specific text which she said she opposes: “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.”

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What Greene is promoting is called “Jewish deicide,” the false and antisemitic claim that Jews killed Jesus Christ. Some who adhere to that false belief also believe all Jews throughout time, including in the present day, are responsible for Christ’s crucification.

Greene has a history of promoting antisemitism, including comparing mask mandates during the coronavirus pandemic to “gas chambers in Nazi Germany.”

Political commentator John Fugelsang set the record straight:

“If only you could read,” lamented Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfeder, Esq., CEO and Director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center. The Antisemitism Awareness Act “could not convict anyone for believing anything, even this historical and biblical inaccuracy. It only comes into play if there is unlawful discrimination based on this belief that targets a Jewish person. Do you understand that distinction @RepMTG ?”

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“Not surprising,” declared Jacob N. Kornbluh, the senior political reporter at The Forward, formerly the Jewish Daily Forward. “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has been accused in the past of making antisemitic remarks — including her suggestion that a Jewish-funded space laser had sparked wildfires in California in 2018, voted against the GOP-led Antisemitism Awareness Act.”

Jewish Telegraphic Agency Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas, an award-winning journalist, took a deeper dive into Greene’s remarks.

“Ok leave aside the snark. The obvious antisemitism is in saying ‘the Jews’ crucified Jesus when even according to the text she believes in it was a few leaders in a subset of a contemporary Jewish community. It is collective blame, the most obvious of bigotries.”

“The text she presumably predicates her case on, the New Testament,” he notes, “was when it was collated a political document at a time when Christians and Jews were competing for adherents and when it would have been plainly dangerous to blame Rome for the murder of God.”

“Yes,” Kampeas continues, “that take is obviously one that a fundamentalist would not embrace, but it is the objective and historical take, and *should* be available to Jews (and others!) as a means of explaining why Christian antisemitism exists, and why it is harmful.”

CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere also slammed Greene, saying she “is standing up for continuing to talk about Jews being responsible for the killing of Jesus. (John & Matthew refer to some Jews handing over Jesus to Pilate,not Herod. But also: many, including Pope Benedict, have called blaming Jews a misinterpretation)”

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OPINION

MAGA State Superintendent Supports Chaplains in Public Schools – But Not From All Religions

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May 1, 2024

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Visitors to Oklahoma’s State Schools Superintendent’s personal social media page will notice a post vowing to “ban Critical Race Theory, protect women’s sports, and fight for school choice,” a post linking to a Politico profile of him that reads, “Meet the state GOP official at the forefront of injecting religion into public schools,” a photo of him closely embracing a co-founder of the anti-government extremist group Moms for Liberty, and a video in which he declares, “Oklahoma is MAGA country.”

This is Ryan Walters, a far-right Republican Christian nationalist who is making a national name for himself.

“God has a place in public schools,” is how Politico described Walters’ focus.

Last week the Southern Poverty Law Center published an extensive profile of Walters, alleging “hateful rhetoric toward the LGBTQ+ community, calls to whitewash curriculum, efforts to ban books, and attempts to force Christian nationalist ideology into public school classrooms.”

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“Walters is superintendent of public instruction, and public schools are supposed to serve students of all faiths, backgrounds and identities,” Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, told SPLC.

Walters is supporting new legislation in Oklahoma that follows in Texas’ footsteps: allowing untrained, unlicensed, uncertified, and unregulated religious chaplains and ministers to be hired as official school counselors.

“We heard a lot of talk about a lot of those support staffs, people such as counselors, having shortages,” Rep. Kevin West, a Republican, said, KFOR reports. “I felt like this would be a good way to open that door to possibly get some help.”

Walters praised West, writing: “Allowing schools to have volunteer religious chaplains is a big help in giving students the support they need to be successful. Thank you to @KevinWestOKRep for being the House author for this bill. This passed the House yesterday and moves on to the Senate where @NathanDahm is leading the charge for this bill.”

As several Oklahoma news outlets report, there’s a wrinkle lawmakers may not have anticipated.

“With the Oklahoma House’s passage of Senate Bill 36, which permits the participation of uncertified chaplains in public schools, The Satanic Temple (TST) has announced its plans to have its Ministers in public schools in the Sooner State. If the bill advances through the Senate, this legislation will take effect on November 1, 2024. State Superintendent Ryan Walters, a vocal advocate for religious freedom in schools, has endorsed the legislation. The House approved SB 36 by a 54-37 vote on Wednesday,” a press release from The Satanic Temple reads. “The Satanic Temple, a federally recognized religious organization, has expressed its dedication to religious pluralism and community service.”

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Walters responded on social media to The Satanic Temple’s announcement.

“Satanists are not welcome in Oklahoma schools, but they are welcome to go to hell,” he wrote.

Former Lincoln Project executive director Fred Wellman served up an equally colorful response.

“Hahahaha!!! You are an idiot,” Wellman wrote. “How did you not see this coming? Satanists, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Pastafarians…come one come all! After all you’re not trying to establish Christianity as the state religion are you? We had a whole ass revolution about that. There are history books about it…oh…right. Not your thing. What a fool.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) served up a warning.

“The state of Oklahoma cannot discriminate against people or groups based on their religious beliefs,” the non-profit group wrote. “Walters’ hateful message shows, one again, that he only believes in religious freedom for Christians and that he is unfit to serve in public office.”

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News

Potential Trump VP Pick Says ‘If You’re a Billionaire’ You Should Vote for Trump

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May 1, 2024

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One of the possible picks to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, seen as “rapidly ascending” the list, is urging billionaires to vote for the ex-president.

North Dakota Republican Governor Doug Burgum “is quickly moving up former President Trump’s list of possible vice presidential picks because Trump’s team believes he would be a safe choice who could attract moderate voters,” Axios reported on Sunday. “Burgum is on a long list of VP contenders, but Trump’s rising interest in the North Dakota governor has been clear in recent weeks — and reveals his latest thinking about how he thinks his running mate could help him with undecided voters.”

Praising Governor Burgum, the National Review’s Michael Brendan Dougherty on Monday wrote he was “the only candidate in 2024 to easily exceed expectations in the debates.”

“He is a well-liked governor from a small state. He projects seriousness and sobriety, two qualities Pence also had that were important to balance the 2016 Republican ticket. Burgum is also good at championing Republican policy, including our desperately needed policies of energy abundance and supply-side reform. He is also the right age — 67 — with no signs of slowing down. Burgum needs to survive the millions poured into opposition research, but, if he does, I think he would bring credit and balance to the Republican ticket.”

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On Tuesday, Gov. Burgum, appearing on Fox News, told Laura Ingraham, “when you see someone who cares this deeply about this country, what he’s going through and what the Democrats and the liberal media is putting him through, and how he gets up and fights for every day people in America every day, and then his policies are all in the right direction.”

“If you’re a billionaire and you care about your shareholders, you care about your family and your grandkids, you should be voting for someone that’s going to bring prosperity to America and peace to the world, that’s what President Trump is going to do, that’s what he did for us when he was president,” Burgum claimed.

The Hill adds, “Ingraham suggested a lot of billionaires are still planning to support President Biden, especially those that are the ‘Wall Street types.’”

Last year, asked if he would ever do business with Trump, Bergum told NBC News, “I don’t think so,” and added, “I just think that it’s important that you’re judged by the company you keep.”

Some reports call Bergum a billionaire, while Forbes last year reported it “estimates Burgum’s net worth to be at least $100 million.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

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