In the Life: Battling Against Conservative Christian Crusaders (Mega hurl alert)

In the Life (ITL), the GLBT newsmagazine presents "The Fundamental Fight," its May broadcast on Channel 6, 11pm, Friday, May 23. Tony winner Cherry Jones (The Heiress) and Tony nominee David Marshall Grant (Angels in America) will guest host the episode which delves into the religious right's crusade against the GLBT community as it plays out on television and ballots, inside of classrooms and libraries, and within houses of worship. The program includes earlier ITL stories.

In "Battle for the Box," the true film "It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issue in School" by award-winning director Debra Chasnoff fires a heated debate over educating youth about gays and lesbians. ITL takes a look at race and its impact on gender identity and sexuality in "Black Is...Black Ain't," an eye-opening work by the late African-American filmmaker Marlon Riggs. And in "Children's Books, Adult Battles," a local right-wing minister holds a Texas library's controversial gay-themed children's books hostage.

Other features include an award-winning story "Gay Muslims" that explores the controversial and life-threatening issues surrounding Muslims who identify as gay. ITL reports "Ballot Measure 9," a Christian group's proposal that denounced homosexuality and would forbid its mere mention in Oregon; and looks at the "Ex-Gay Movement" and its religious crusade to convert GLBT citizens into heterosexuals. ITL also focuses on the "Promise Keepers," a Christian men's outreach whose alarming mission is to reclaim patriarchal supremacy.

In "Out Takes," guest commentator Paul Rudnick responds to Jerry Falwell's September 2001 indictment of GLBT community for the 9/11 attacks. ITL public service announcements feature Melanie Henderson of Beth Chayim Chadashim, author Rev. Peter J. Gomes of Harvard Divinity School, and poet Pamela Sneed. Correspondents Tanya Barfield and Katherine Linton provide field reports.

Battle for the Box: ITL tracks the response from the government, school boards, and the religious right to the PBS broadcast of filmmaker Debra Chasnoff's "It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School." Interviews include Tom Little, director, Park Day School; Julio Aponte, PTA co-president, Buena Vista Elementary; Carol Knight, CA representative, Center for Reclaiming America; Mary Bitterman, president and C.E.O, KQED-TV San Francisco; and director/producer, Debra Chasnoff.

Children's Books, Adult Battles: In 1998, the town of Wichita Falls, Texas placed the children's books Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman and Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite in its library. These books sought to educate children about GLBT families and relationships. But Robert Jeffress, the pastor of First Baptist Church, took the books hostage in a fight to erase GLBT families from the town's consciousness. Interviews include Linda Hughes, administrator, Wichita Falls Public Library; Rev. Nancy Horvath, pastor, Metropolitan Community Church; Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor, First Baptist Church, and authors Leslea Newman and Michael Willhoite.

Ballot Measure 9: ITL travels back to 1992 Oregon, where a conservative Christian group proposed "Ballot Measure 9," an amendment that declared homosexuality abnormal, perverse, and would ban its' mention in government agencies and schools. In turn, the Archbishop of the Catholic Church of Oregon issued a public statement encouraging Catholics to oppose the proposal—leading to outbreaks of violence. Interviews include Heather McDonald, director, Ballot Measure 9 and Father Jim Galluzzo, Church of St. Matthew.

Gay Muslims: ITL speaks with Faisal Alam, founder of the Al-Faitha Foundation, an international organization that provides support for GLBT and questioning Muslims. "Gay Muslims" follows young Islamic men who have fought within their families and their faith to worship as homosexuals. American gay Muslims struggle to reconcile their dual identities, while in the Middle East many live under governments that punish homosexuality with death. Interviews include writer/journalist Michelangelo Signorile; Scott Long, program director, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission; and Al-Faitha Foundation members.

Ex-Gay Movement: "There's hope for change," promises the "Ex-Gay Movement," which seeks to convert GLBT into heterosexuals. But critics of the movement contend that this religious crusade is really fought for political purposes. ITL reports on this group of former GLBT who work to spread the word that homosexuality is an illness that can be treated.

Interviews include Jeanine Cogan and Clinton Anderson, American Psychological Association; John Paulk, vice-president, Exodus International; Dan Puumala, executive director, Outpost Ministry; Jeff Ford, former executive director, Outpost Ministry; Richard Cohen, director, International Healing Foundation; and psychologist Michael Schroeder.

Promise Keepers: In "Promise Keepers," ITL focuses on a widespread movement among Christian men seeking to reclaim patriarchal supremacy in society. Because its traditional values include codified gender roles as well as financial and political fidelity to the Christian right, Promise Keepers has alarmed GLBT and feminist organizations alike. Interviews include Patricia Ireland, president, National Organization for Women; Rev. Meg Riley, Unitarian Univeralist Association; Al Ross, executive director, Center for Democracy Studies; Anthony Falzarano, executive director, Transformation Ex-Gay Ministry; journalist Donna Minkowitz; and Bill McCartney, founder and CEO., Promise Keepers.

Black Is...Black Ain't: In his last film, the late African-American filmmaker Marlon Riggs (1957-1994) looks at the dimensions that race adds to gender identity and sexuality. Riggs challenges the notion that an individual who identifies as black, male and gay is an oxymoron and looks at its impact within the African-American community. Interviews include acclaimed authors Bell Hooks and Barbara Smith, and writer/poet Essex Hemphill.

Out Takes: Guest commentator Paul Rudnick sits in for ITL regular Harvey Fierstein and responds to Jerry Falwell's September 2001 indictment of gays and lesbians for the 9/11 attacks.

The left is continually waging war for the minds of the children. I try to keep an eye on what they are doing, and it isn't pretty. School curicula has been altered to further their agenda. Cartoons and cable programs target their message to children. The eco-tripe they merchandise in these shows is quackery at it's worst. One young child recently stated in one show that the world had been decimated by humanity, nearly destroyed and would probably never be the same if it didn't cease to support life altogether.

Children don't come up with their own scientific studies, so when a young child recites this 'stuff', they're simply mirroring things that have been spoon fed to them.

Once conservatives try to combat the nonsense the left tries to sell, the left goes postal. Note how the left is paniced that FNC is making inroads into their media domain. The same panic is setting in with regard to incroachments on leftist domains in other rhelms.

You've gotta love watching the left squirm so uncomfortably.

On a related issue, the head magumba at the Los Angeles Times sent a memo to his department heads in the last couple of days. In it he stated that the days of blatant bias were over at the Times. He specificly cited one recent abortion related issued that had to do with breast cancer. He took his staff to task for not refering to valid scientific data available to them, in order to trash the well qualified messenger on political grounds.

O'Reilly covered this last evening. It was quite revealing and some cause for hope.

My recent letter to W:

Dear President Bush,
With the Surpeme Court session getting ready to close, it may well be time for perhaps the most important domestic decision of your presidency: the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice(s). The main reason why I supported you in 2000 and why I wanted Daschle out of power in 02 (and 04) has to do with the courts. I want America courts to interpret law, not write law. During your presidential campaign you said Thomas and Scalia were your two model justices. Those are excellent models. The High Court needs more like them. Clarence Thomas recently said to students that the tough cases were when what he wanted to do was different from what the law said. And he goes by the law. This should be a model philosophy for our justices. Your father, President Bush lost his reelection campaign for 3 main reasosn, as far as I can see. 1. he broke the no new taxes pledge 2. David Souter 3. Clinton convinced people we were in a Bush recession (which we had already come out of by the time Clinton was getting sworn in)

I urge you to learn from all three of these: 1. on taxes, you're doing great. Awesome job on the tax cut. 2. good job so far on judicial appointments. I want to see more of a fight for Estrada, Owen, and Pickering, but I commend you on your nominations. 3. by staying engaged in the economic debate you'll serve yourself well

I have been thoroughly impressed with your handling of al Queida, Iraq, and terrorism. You have inspired confidence and have shown great leadership.

But I want to remind you that your Supreme Court pick(s) will be with us LONG after you have departed office. I urge you to avoid the tempation to find a "compromise" pick. Go for a Scalia or Thomas. Don't go for an O'Connor or Kennedy. To be specific, get someone who is pro-life. Roe v Wade is one of the worst court decisions I know of, and it's the perfect example of unrestrained judicial power.

I know the temptation will be tremendous on you to nominate a moderate. But remember who your true supporters are. I am not a important leader or politician. I am "simply" a citizen who has been an enthusiatic supporter of you. I am willing to accept compromise in many areas of government but I will watch your Court nomiantions extremely closely. What the Senate Dems are doing right now is disgusting, but as the President you have the bully pulpit to stop it. Democrats will back down if you turn up serious heat on them.

Moreover, I think public opinion is shifting towards the pro-life position. Dems will want you to nominate a moderate, but almost all will vote against you anyways. Pro-choice Repubs will likely still vote for you if you nominate a Scalia, after all, you campaigned on it. So Mr. President, I urge you to stick with your campaign statements and nominate justices who believe in judicial restraint, like Scalia and Thomas.

Happy Memorial Day and may God bless you and your family.

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