January 21, 2008
Over the next few days (or weeks, or perhaps months), we’re going to be talking a lot about Kirbyjon Caldwell, Metanoia, and “ex-gay” ministries — and, of course, Barack Obama.
But first, I want you to read something: a quote that prefaces the very first chapter of Chris Hedges’ amazing book, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America. I’ll be referring to American Fascists a good deal as well in upcoming posts, but for now, I’d like you to focus on this quote (I mean, really focus, letting the meaning of each sentence seep into your bones), from The Open Society and Its Enemies by Karl Popper:
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant. We should claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the law, and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as criminal, in the same way as we should consider incitement to murder, or to kidnapping, or to the revival of the slave trade, as criminal.
Re-read it a few times. Let it roll around in the back of your head for a while.
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
"Ex-Gays",
Barack Obama,
Books,
Methodists,
Race/Ethnic Issues,
Radical Religious Right
October 28, 2007
JK Rowling under fire from US Bible belt after outing Dumbledore as gay
JK Rowling may be a saint to millions of children and their parents, but today she is a sinner to a large slice of middle America.
The 42-year-old Harry Potter author has become a hate figure to Christian evangelicals in the US since she outed Albus Dumbledore as gay.
The mother-of three, who is worth £545 million, told a New York audience that the much loved head of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizadry was homosexual.
Talk shows in the Bible Belt have condemned her, web-sites have reviled her, and newspaper letter columns have been filled with complaints.
And there are fears it may affect profits at Warner Bros who have a further two films to make and a dvd on sale this Christmas.
Roberta Combs, president of the two million strong Christian Coalition of America, said: “It’s very disappointing that the author would have to make one of the characters gay.
“It’s not a good example for our children, who really like the books and the movies. I think it encourages homosexuality.”
She called for a ban on the books, saying: “I would never allow my own children or grandchildren to read the books or watch the movies, and other parents should do so too.”
Honestly, we never had a lot of interest in Harry Potter (we’re too busy fighting the bigots who try to censor Harry Potter) — but this makes us want to run right out and buy every Harry Potter book, DVD, and action figure on the market.
Brava, Ms. Rowling! 
See also:
Whole New Reason for the Fundies to Pile On the Eeeeeeeevil Harry Potter
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Books,
Censorship,
Homophobia,
Movies,
Radical Religious Right
October 20, 2007
J.K. Rowling Outs Hogwarts Character
Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall.
After reading briefly from the final book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” she took questions from audience members. She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds “true love.”
“Dumbledore is gay,” the author responded to gasps and applause.
Rowling, finishing a brief “Open Book Tour” of the United States, her first tour here since 2000, also said that she regarded her Potter books as a “prolonged argument for tolerance” and urged her fans to “question authority.”
Not everyone likes her work, Rowling said, likely referring to Christian groups that have alleged the books promote witchcraft. Her news about Dumbledore, she said, will give them one more reason.
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Books,
Outing & Coming Out,
Radical Religious Right
September 24, 2007
‘Bulldog’ Gannon’s Book a Bomb?
Even another gay Republican sex scandal couldn’t save Jeff Gannon’s new book, The Great Media War, which promised a “behind the scenes look at the White House Press Corps and the Bush Administration.”
However, only three weeks since its release, the book is ranked in the 780,000 range on amazon.com. By comparison, Robert Draper’s Dead Certain, which was released the same week as Gannon’s tome, currently stands at 62.
Gannon, of course, was outed as a former male escort in 2005 and was forced to resign from the conservative Talon News service, for which he had covered the White House since 2003. His male clients knew him as “Bulldog.”
Bulldog couldn’t have asked for better timing with his tome. Through some tawdry twist of fate, The Great Media War hit during the height of the Sen. Larry Craig’s bathroom follies—a coincidence that even Gannon (born James Dale Guckert) thought might propel sales. Gannon expected a best-seller, according to his pals.
So, why the flop? Mike Rogers, the blogger who first outed Sen. Craig back in October, and former New York Times fabulist Jayson Blair have some ideas. …
See also:
Jeff Gannon Returns To Fray With Book Blasting Media’s ‘Liberal Bias’
Discuss this story
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Books,
Gay Republicans
