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To: tcrlaf

Here is some material I found on the subject:

GayPatriot Goes Silent
March 28, 2005

GayPatriot, the anonymous gay Republican blogger, has officially signed off. In a statement, no explanation was given. With GayPatriot's permission, I am now able to recount the real story.

On Friday, GayPatriot posted "WANTED: GAY TERRORISTS" in which he identified gay activists and bloggers John Aravosis (Americablog) and Michael Rogers (BlogActive) as terrorists.

Wanted for crimes against the gay community. Wanted for repeatedly conducting outing witch hunts against gays who do not believe in radical liberal anti-American ideals. For repeated violations of privacy of gay Americans. For conducting systematic civil liberties attacks on gay Americans.

WANTED! Let's do something about these gay terrorists who have infected our community with their hatred and self-loathing bigotry of gay Americans who wish to live their lives in peace.
[WANTED: GAY TERRORISTS - GayPatriot - 03-25-05]

As many of you know, Rogers is the host and agent of a widely publicized "outing campaign" at BlogActive.com targeting closeted gay Republicans. One of the most notable results of this campaign was the dramatic retirement of a Republican Virginia Congressman, Ed Schrock. The most recent outing was that of Ken Mehlman, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. Whatever you believe about the practice, it is difficult to ignore the political impact the campaign has had over the past year.

According to GayPatriot, who is also a client of mine, Michael Rogers called GayPatriot's place of employment on Friday immediately following the post above and spoke to GayPatriot's secretary and boss. GayPatriot had no idea Rogers would go to such measures and shared with me that both he and his secretary were very upset by the calls but that his boss was understanding.

Later on that day, Rogers personally called me and recounted much of the same account, adding that he had also called the police and is working with the authorities on the matter. Rogers expressed feeling threatened by the post and compared it to posts by anti-abortionists who posted the names of doctors performing them.

Rogers also said he asked GayPatriot to remove the post and replace it with a post about non-violence or he would launch a national boycott of GayPatriot's corporate employer and pursue any and all avenues necessary to protect himself. By the time Rogers had called, GayPatriot had already made the decision to remove the post and also remove GayPatriot from the blogosphere.

GayPatriot was silenced.

GayPatriotWest, a co-writer on the blog, will continue to bring a voice to conservative gay Republicans. While I personally have the opposite political ideology, I value healthy debate and the precious right of free speech in America. I am proud of serving a diversity of opinions online. I also understand that free speech isn't free of consequences. I am also sad to see this unfold.

As someone who has been the victim of passionate protests and death threats for public advocacy, I try not to question people's sense of concern for their safety. Rogers has every right to involve authorities in the matter and let them determine whether Rogers is in any danger. But I do question Rogers' choice to go beyond the work of authorities to ensure his safety by calling GayPatriot's place of employment.

If Rogers is genuinely concerned for his safety, any lawyer or authority investigating the matter would have advised him not to have called an alleged perpetrator's place of employment. That action alone shows the exact opposite of fear for safety. Rogers is not shy about calling offices, as the Washington Blade's Chris Crain noted the other day.

As the Blade reported last August, those on Capitol Hill in Rogers' crosshairs say they and their offices were subjected to as many as 20 phone calls a day, badgering office staff with details about closeted gays working there. Blade staffers are no strangers to these multiple, harassing phone calls. That's certainly not journalism, and it's not even activism. It's borderline stalking; and it ought to stop.
[GOP chief admits to being closeted - Washington Blade - 03-24-05]

Crain, the editor of the Window Media gay newspaper empire, is at the center of a controversy over allegedly thwarting his paper's reporting on recent outings of prominent gay Republicans.

Current and former staff members of the nation’s largest gay newspaper chain say the company’s top editor thwarted efforts to run a story reporting now-Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman was gay, RAW STORY has learned. The editor denies killing the story.

These staffers assert that the part-owner and chief editor for the company’s five newspapers including The Washington Blade, Chris Crain, refused to print an article regarding the sexual orientation of the then-campaign manager for President Bush’s reelection campaign.
[Staff: Editor of Washington gay paper thwarted story outing RNC chair Mehlman; Editor asserts he was offered Schrock tapes - RawStory - 03-25-05]

GayPatriot formed specifically in response to Rogers and his website and became a venue for criticism of outing Republicans. GayPatriot is currently in counsel with attorneys over this entire matter.


158 posted on 10/07/2006 1:10:26 AM PDT by jonrick46
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To: jonrick46

"GayPatriot, the anonymous gay Republican blogger, has officially signed off. In a statement, no explanation was given.
...
GayPatriot was silenced.
....
GayPatriot formed specifically in response to Rogers and his website and became a venue for criticism of outing Republicans. GayPatriot is currently in counsel with attorneys over this entire matter."

Yes well in the battles within homosexual community, GayPatriot wanted to oppose the Democrats' brownshirt homosexuals, and that is a good thing.

But it is not my battle, sorry.

The more of them who are exposed, the healthier America becomes, whether Left or "right".


166 posted on 10/07/2006 3:52:02 PM PDT by Nickey (Is Frist A French name?)
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