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Family kept Loney's homosexuality quiet, feared actions of Iraqi captors
Canadian Press ^ | March 27, 2006

Posted on 03/27/2006 5:10:53 PM PST by Frank T

TORONTO (CP) - The co-director of the Christian Peacemakers Teams says the family of freed Christian peace activist James Loney kept his sexual orientation quiet out of fear for his safety.

Doug Pritchard says the family feared Loney might come to harm at the hands of his Iraqi captors had they known he was gay. Pritchard says it likely wouldn't have helped if Loney's partner, Dan Hunt, had come forward with public pleas for his release.

Hunt made his first public appearance since Loney's ordeal began last November when he greeted his partner Sunday at the airport.

Loney arrived in Toronto after he and two other peace activists were rescued by coalition soldiers in Iraq.

The 41-year-old Loney was kidnapped in Baghdad along with fellow Canadian Harmeet Sooden, Briton Norm Kember and American Tom Fox, whose bullet-ridden body was found earlier this month.

Loney is expected to travel to his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., where red ribbons decorate the trees and store and restaurant owners have posted welcome-home messages in their windows.

In the city of 75,000, signs reading, "Prayers Answered - Welcome Home James" were to decorate several city buildings. At the Civic Centre, a message book was waiting for well-wishers to leave Loney a personal greeting.

The Sault Star also published a full-page colour photograph of Loney for residents to post in their windows "so that Jim, his parents Claudette and Patrick, and other family members see the joy of an entire community as he arrives home."

Loney's parents have kept a low profile since their son's arrival back in Canada, and so far no one is saying exactly when he's expected to arrive in Sault Ste. Marie.


TOPICS: Canada; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: apostasy; cpt; cpthostages; homosexual; hostages; iraq; kember; liberationtheology; loney; tomfox
He's gay? Of course he is.
1 posted on 03/27/2006 5:10:55 PM PST by Frank T
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To: Frank T
He's gay? Of course he is.

Radical religious fundamentalist nutjobs are anti-gay? Of course they are.

2 posted on 03/27/2006 5:12:04 PM PST by Wormwood (Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!)
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To: Frank T

Being a mush-headed peace activist is sooooooo gay...


3 posted on 03/27/2006 5:12:34 PM PST by Viet Vet in Augusta GA
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To: Frank T

Well thankfully he wasn't American. They shoot you for that.


4 posted on 03/27/2006 5:13:21 PM PST by doodad
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To: Frank T

You know, the sexual orientation of hostages has never been an issue before. Leave it to the gay community to make sure it's an issue from now on.


5 posted on 03/27/2006 5:13:58 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: Frank T

"Doug Pritchard says the family feared Loney might come to harm at the hands of his Iraqi captors had they known he was gay."

What kind of harm? They would have sodomised him?


6 posted on 03/27/2006 5:14:16 PM PST by Frank T
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To: Frank T

Why? MooHamHead would "pork" nearly anything that had a pulse...


7 posted on 03/27/2006 5:14:37 PM PST by xcamel (Press to Test, Release to Detonate)
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To: Frank T
The co-director of the Christian Peacemakers Teams says the family of freed James Loney kept his sexual orientation quiet out of fear for his safety.

What seems wrong with this statement.

8 posted on 03/27/2006 5:15:21 PM PST by mountn man (Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.)
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To: Dog Gone
Egg-zactly. The next thing you know, they will be saying he was kidnapped becasuse he was a peter puffer.
9 posted on 03/27/2006 5:17:36 PM PST by stm (You can fix a lot of thing s, but you can't fix stupid)
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To: Frank T

I don't think homosexuals realize they'll be the first to go if Islam - the religion of peace - takes over.


10 posted on 03/27/2006 5:19:39 PM PST by hsalaw
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To: Frank T

Wait a sec ... I've lost my place ... Mainstream Christianity supports Homosexuality now ?


11 posted on 03/27/2006 5:20:59 PM PST by RS ("I took the drugs because I liked them and I found excuses to take them, so I'm not weaseling.")
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To: mountn man
the family of freed James Loney kept his sexual orientation quiet out of fear for his safety

This was in sharp contrast to the families of other hostages who were repeatedly making public statements that their relatives were horny as heck for wimmen.

12 posted on 03/27/2006 5:21:45 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: Frank T

that's soooooooo french!!!
13 posted on 03/27/2006 5:21:48 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: Frank T
Pritchard says it likely wouldn't have helped if Loney's partner, Dan Hunt, had come forward with public pleas for his release.

Gee, ya think?

Also, I bet all of these years, Dan has thanked God that his parents didn't name him Richard.

14 posted on 03/27/2006 5:23:18 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (What? Me worry?)
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To: hsalaw

And his captors are the people with whom he sympathizes! To these people evil is good and good is evil. I'm really glad none of our courageous troops were hurt freeing this guy.


15 posted on 03/27/2006 5:23:25 PM PST by originalbuckeye
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To: Frank T

Keeping it quiet? What's the matter? Afraid they wouldn't celebrate his diversity?

Good thing he wasn't found guilty of the two great crimes. 1) Being American or 2) Being Jewish.

Phew! What a relief.


16 posted on 03/27/2006 5:23:55 PM PST by Alexander Rubin (Octavius - You make my heart glad building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.)
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To: hsalaw
I don't think homosexuals realize they'll be the first to go if Islam - the religion of peace - takes over.

I know a gay man who is more of a pro-military hawk than I am. When I asked him why, he said, "If these Islamofascists took over, I'd be the first one up against the wall."

17 posted on 03/27/2006 5:26:52 PM PST by inkling
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To: Frank T

So they were afraid of the very people they were defending AGAINST our fighting heroes!


18 posted on 03/27/2006 5:28:11 PM PST by OldFriend (AMERICA WOULD NOT BE THE LAND OF THE FREE IF IT WERE NOT ALSO THE HOME OF THE BRAVE)
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To: Wormwood
"Radical religious fundamentalist nutjobs are anti-gay?"

But many are Bisexual, such a Arafat who died of Aids from messing around with little boys way too many times --- according to 'confidential sources'.
19 posted on 03/27/2006 5:29:21 PM PST by TRY ONE (NUKE the unborn gay whales!)
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To: Frank T
They would have sodomised him?

Only as befitting for him to receive Allah's punishment, yes but they would not have enjoyed it. What would make it sinful, you see.

20 posted on 03/27/2006 5:32:56 PM PST by FormerLib (Kosova: "land stolen from Serbs and given to terrorist killers in a futile attempt to appease them.")
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To: Frank T

What would his captors have done if they knew? Put panties on his head?


21 posted on 03/27/2006 5:34:07 PM PST by DogBarkTree
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To: inkling

I'd be the first one up against the wall."
Yep, and in this case he won't be facing the wall.


22 posted on 03/27/2006 5:44:08 PM PST by Old North State
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To: Frank T
Well, the signs ought to say, "Welcome home, moron. The US Army saved your a$$. Now get a real job."
23 posted on 03/27/2006 5:47:55 PM PST by 45Auto (Big holes are (almost) always better.)
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To: Dog Gone
Well, just in the interest of full disclosure...
I think "all" peace activists traveling in islamic war zone areas should be required to state their race, nationality, religion, political affiliation, sexual preference etc, so we can all monitor any possibly dangerous and bigotted trends against them.
24 posted on 03/27/2006 5:54:04 PM PST by sarasmom (Care meter pegged solidly on 0.)
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To: Frank T

But why keep it secret? They'll understand. They've been oppressed by the White patriarchy, too!


25 posted on 03/27/2006 5:55:12 PM PST by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: PzLdr

These people, queer or simply peculiar, should have stayed at home. They are at best misguided, and at worst dumber than snails.


26 posted on 03/27/2006 6:12:53 PM PST by mathurine (ua)
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To: Frank T

Harmed him? Hell, they would have embraced him, so to speak.


27 posted on 03/27/2006 6:14:48 PM PST by maggief (and the dessert cart rolls on ...)
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To: All

Sorry for the link ...

On his return to Canada, Loney spoke to reporters briefly Sunday about his 118 days as a hostage, calling it a "terrifying, profound, powerful, transformative and excruciatingly boring experience."

He did not specifically address the ordeal from his perspective as a gay man.

"I need some time to get reacquainted with my partner, Dan, my family, community and freedom itself," he said, reading from a prepared statement. "I'm eager to tell the story of my captivity and rescue but I need a little time first. That's a subtle hint to anyone out there who might happen to have a big camera or notebook."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20060328/co_po/familyofiraqhostagehidthatheisgay


28 posted on 03/27/2006 6:20:19 PM PST by maggief (and the dessert cart rolls on ...)
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To: Frank T

They were afraid he wouldn't get sodomized if they knew he loved it. No wonder he was so irritated when he was rescued?


29 posted on 03/27/2006 6:25:10 PM PST by When do we get liberated? ((God save us from the whining, useless, irrelevent left...))
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To: maggief

What did he mean by "big camera"?


30 posted on 03/27/2006 6:25:55 PM PST by When do we get liberated? ((God save us from the whining, useless, irrelevent left...))
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To: DogBarkTree

No, BVD's


31 posted on 03/27/2006 6:26:53 PM PST by When do we get liberated? ((God save us from the whining, useless, irrelevent left...))
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To: Frank T
Do you think this guy will ever realize that a culture like islam - evil enough to kill you for being gay - is evil enough to fight?
32 posted on 03/27/2006 6:32:16 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny
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To: Dog Gone
From an article posted on comcast:
During his four months of captivity, James Loney's sexuality was kept out of the media at the request of his family, said Doug Pritchard, co-director of the aid group Christian Peacemaker Teams.

"It's a sad fact that around the world gays and lesbians are more vulnerable to attack than straights," Pritchard said. "When Jim was already in a vulnerable position we didn't, nor did his family, want him exposed to further danger." Hostage's Homosexuality Was Kept Quiet

It's always about them. They suffer more than anyone else because of their sexual orientation. Gee, I wonder if they can charge their captors with a hate crime? Perhaps the Iraqis can put that in their constition too.
33 posted on 03/27/2006 6:40:09 PM PST by Utah Girl
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To: Frank T
Gee, this story makes it sound like he was AFRAID of his captors, when we all know they went there to support them.

/s
34 posted on 03/27/2006 7:14:33 PM PST by texas_mrs
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To: Frank T

So, ashamed of his sexual orientation, is he?


35 posted on 03/27/2006 7:17:01 PM PST by norwaypinesavage
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To: Frank T

The love that can not stop screeching it's name suddenly finds the closet of sexual privacy comforting.


36 posted on 03/27/2006 8:32:35 PM PST by Galveston Grl (Getting angry and abandoning power to the Democrats is not a choice.)
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To: Frank T

Barf


37 posted on 03/27/2006 8:35:25 PM PST by Dustbunny (The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist)
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To: Galveston Grl
The love that can not stop screeching it's name suddenly finds the closet of sexual privacy comforting.


38 posted on 03/27/2006 8:37:18 PM PST by vox_freedom (Fear no evils)
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To: Galveston Grl

They probably were able to tell that he was a homosexual by the collection of show tunes and Barbara Streisand in his Ipod.


39 posted on 03/27/2006 8:41:04 PM PST by Rome2000 (Peace is not an option)
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To: Frank T

I don't understand. Wouldn't the Iraqi "freedom fighters" who are being "oppressed" by the Americans find solidarity with a homosexual who is "oppressed" by "racist, homophobic, imperialist, AmeriKKKa"? Why would the "insurgents" harm an innocent person when it is the Americans who are the aggressors? I'm sure the gay hostage came out and told his captors, "Brothers, I am oppressed by the Americans just like you are!"


40 posted on 03/27/2006 9:45:33 PM PST by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: Wilhelm Tell

Oh, I forgot, he isn't an American. But aren't we all just a little bit oppressed by the mere fact that America exists? /SARCASM


41 posted on 03/27/2006 9:48:08 PM PST by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: Frank T

Three rescued(released), one killed. I wonder if there is more to this story and the reason why one was killed.

Maybe their kidnappers killed the wrong man.


42 posted on 03/27/2006 11:14:26 PM PST by SR 50 (Larry)
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