An Anti-Gay Easter [FR mentioned]

In These Times ^ | March 1, 2006 | By John Ireland

[Jim Robinson]

Whose children will be allowed to participate in the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll on April 17? Not the sons and daughters of gay parents, if the Christian right gets its way.

In November, when the Family Pride Coalition, a D.C.-based gay rights advocacy group, invited its members to participate in one of the “great traditions of our country” the religious right sprang into action. The Institute on Religion and Democracy, a religious think tank, accused the Family Pride Coalition of trying to “exploit a children’s event for political purposes.” Even the White House has weighed in.

~~snip~~

The Christian right blogosphere is afire, condemning the presence of gay parents on the White House lawn as “nearly terrorist threats from the homo lobby.” One post suggests that “White House psychologists” should be deployed to help the children of gay parents and implies that they are molested in their homes. Another wishes the gays “good luck,” reminding readers that “the Secret Service carries automatic weapons.”

Such posts are, of course, “those of the individual posters” to http://www.FreeRepublic.com, “and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of … its operators.” The site claims 200,000 registered members, known as “Freepers,” and a daily readership of “tens of thousands.” Free Republic, founded in 1996, has been embraced by right-wing social conservatives as the online water cooler for “patriots” who are “biased toward God, country, family, liberty and freedom.”

Or at least liberty and freedom for some. “These lowlife scum should just be mowed down like terrorists,” writes one good Christian.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Often called “the people’s house,” the White House is the ultimate site for the ideals of our government, the legacy of our struggle for independence and liberty. If gay families are not equally welcome there, the message will resonate far beyond its walls.

Oh, the drama! Looks like gays don't need an invitation by the White House to Easter egg-roll. I think it was last year that Laura Bush invited different youth organizations through USA Freedom Corps. And, if gays don't get an invitation, they need to get a ticket provided by the WH, which is distributed to the public sometime before Easter.

[GeorgeW23225]

But, both you and Fred hate gays, don't you???

[HitmanLV]

Well, lets be fair. They are very sensitive! I once heard a gay fella sternly reprimand another gay fella for wearing white after Labor Day, for example.

[Alberta's Child]

Oh, the drama!

LOL.

[Victoria Delsoul]

LOL! Touchy feely.

[Victoria Delsoul]

True isn't it? lol

[GeorgeW23225]

If you actually read my posts, you'd see that the gay people I know also think that gay marriage is a stupid idea. I also believe that.
And I don't have a problem with gay people, as long as they keep their politics out of my face. That is very much the same way I feel about some "ping" list people here at FRee Republic.

Your contention that I'm rallying around gay friends is a figment of your imagination. Show me one post, JUST ONE, where I said I had any friends or family members who are gay.

And if you have the time, please read my first post on this thread, and you might actually learn something.

[Antoninus]

I have my moments, but truth is, I don't have a violent bone in my body.

I read your profile on FR and you seem like a very nice lady. I fully comprehend your rage at the fact that individuals with a serious and dangerous mental condition seem to be dictating policy on a variety of levels.

Had you realized your words would be used by this same group to attempt to pad their "victim" status, you probably would have chosen them more carefully. To be frank, I've been guilty of the same thing on occassion.

Look at it this way--you've got something to repent for this Lent!

[Alberta's Child]

Yeah. If these people HAD been invited, I'd expect them to complain that the White House shouldn't be using real eggs in the Easter egg-roll -- because the gay group would prefer plastic eggs with little gerbils inside.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Yikes, that image is just awful.

[185JHP]

"Fighting the good fight, finishing the course, keeping the faith." I'm real glad so many FReepers are "still *crazy*, after all these years."

[Alberta's Child]

LOL. Sorry about that. ;-)

[j_tull]

any chance the homosexuals might hear about Christ on Easter?

None. Christ can't be mentioned on public property.

[Victoria Delsoul]

No problem, lol. Just teasing ya.

[Alberta's Child]

I understand. But it was pretty gross. LOL.

[Victoria Delsoul]

It was.

[Casloy]

Thanks for the welcome home. FR is the only thing that kept me going for that year.

Their ping list is very small, but they are ankle biters. They have a script and a lot of cut and paste postings they throw out at anyone who dares suggest anything but total contempt for gays.

[philetus]

Articles by John Ireland

* An Anti-Gay Easter
March 1, 2006


Books by John Ireland

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Prolific

[Conservomax]

Did they spell the site's name correctly?

[sweetliberty]

Oh, I didn't take your comment personally. My post to you was just a good-natured comeback. I have a high stress job that requires me to spend a lot of my time having to put things into carefully chosen words, both written and spoken, and working with people who have differing views, and it's sometimes a very delicate balancing act. When I am home, not only do I often not have a lot of time to post the way I might like, but my mind is generally wrung out and sometimes I'm on a short fuse, so FR also serves as a steam valve.