CHRISTIAN RIGHT’S CALL FOR FREE SPEECH A LUDICROUS AND MALICIOUS SHAM

Sometimes life is so wonderfully bizarre you just have to shake your head. The full-page ad the July 15,1998 issue of USA Today is one such example. If you haven’t seen it imagine this – a huge picture of Reggie White in his Green Bay uniform with the slogan underneath it saying, "In Defense of Free Speech".  This is an obvious reference to the anti gay remarks White made before the Wisconsin State assembly and no, the ACLU didn’t pay for it. It is a new promotion by the religious right. Actually it was the third in a series of full-page ads which have been running across the country . These ads are so outrageous it is hard to know where to begin to discuss them.

In the first two ads the attempt was made to show that gays could become straight. The first one run Monday in the NY Times said "I am living proof the Truth can set you free. " I was the testimony of a former lesbian who is now a mom. The second , which was in the Washington Post on Tuesday, was group of 800 men , which read "We are standing for the truth that homosexuals can change."  To this I would say, "What’s your point? Over 25 years ago John Hopkins researcher John Money noted in his book Homosexualities that the homosexual orientation was not monolithic, i.e. there are different homosexual patterns. Technically, the fact that one type of homosexuality ( ego dystonic) may be transient or even reactive holds no logical implication for a separate type. ( ego syntonic)

In other words there are some gays who are conflicted about their orientation and who will change . However, and this is the fact that the ads completely disregard, most homosexuals are not conflicted about their orientation and will not and can not be made to change. The only way intolerant Christianity can make their case is if they regard homosexuality as a simple singular phenomenon and this view is patently false.

Returning to the White ad, what hits me is the preposterousness of the idea that Christian Right supports free speech. Think about it. When was the last time conservative Christians supported free speech about anything?  Quite to the contrary, the religious right is the enemy of free speech and in fact they openly flaunt their disregard, saying their concern is to protect children. They are the ones who attempted to pull books out of schools and off library shelves, to oppose sex education , to block TV shows from airing and to boycott companies who produced certain movies. Let’s face it, for these folks to, all of sudden , support free speech about sex is like the Nazi party or the KKK coming out in support of racial diversity. Frankly, their appeal for open discussion, despite all the money they have spent, has no credibility.

Ok, so its clear that this group doesn’t really believe in free speech but the question remains why would they spend so much money on the issue of gays now ?  Perhaps its politics and public opinion polls. According to the latest data, Americans do not buy into their attitudes towards homosexuality. Further, research data shows that most Americans see conservative Christians’ views as harsh . The latest newspaper blitz seems to be a response to this growing tide of public sentiment as well as an attempt to stop it. This undertaking is no simple accomplishment, however.

For groups such as the Christian Coalition, the Kennedy Coral Ridge Ministries, Family Research Council, and Focus on Family, to name but a few, to have pooled financial resources is quite unusual. According to Fred Clarkson, a recognized authority on the history of the religious right in America, the egos of the various groups’ leaders often collide and cooperation is difficult to come by.  At this particular time however cooperation is crucial since it is an election year and the extremist wing of the Republican Party is trying to assert itself against more social moderate elements. If they are seen nasty however, it obviously could hurt their chances in November.  e wonders if the religious blitz has been coordinated with recent a flurry of anti gay statements made republicans such as Trent Lott, and Joel Hefly. Lott, you recall, likened homosexuality to alcoholism and Hefly has made efforts to block funding for and overturn President Clinton’s anti discrimination policy for federal employees , which he extended to gays this earlier this year.

Whether the effort is coordinated with Republicans or not one thing is clear about the ads, they appeal to emotions and not reason . Lacking science or credible research the extremist Christians have turned to blatant propaganda techniques. For example the White ad treads heavily on racism. Using overgeneralization, the ad quotes White saying that gay activists called him a N----- so that we would conclude that anyone for gay rights is a racist. .

An other aspect of the ads heavily ad "homo-num" attacks is its appeal to conspiracy. The gist of the argument is basically that the all-powerful and "aggressive homosexual lobby " has created lies and suppressed the truth about homosexuality. In an absurd inversion of the truth, we are supposed to believe that a small and heavily discriminated against minority controls the media, restricts free speech. and promotes the gay lifestyle." This is not much different from Hitler blaming the Jews for Germany’s economic problems. Again, as with anti communism or Semitism, a paranoid theory is invoked. This time it is the awesome "raw power of the "homosexual political agenda. "

The most malicious and bating of the "truths" which appeals to a deep fear is the claim that gays recruit from the schools. Describing gays like this is like saying all heteros are rapists. Obviously, gays and lesbians are not perfect any more than heterosexuals and I dare say that kids have a lot greater odds of being sexually abused by a heterosexual teachers than falling victim to gay solicitation.

With such gross distortions of logic and a total absence of fact I just wonder who is supposed to be influenced by such garbage? While I suspect these ads will play well before their hardcore constituency, the appeal does not seem to be broad based and perhaps that is the point. In an election year when few vote the goal becomes firing up the faithful.  In response, people who believe in toleration must get mad. We must do more than analyze, we must vote . If we can survive the stench of these attacks perhaps good things lie ahead at the polls in the fall. Let us send a clear message to politicians and religious leaders, alike, about how they feel about bigotry and shameless propaganda.

Rev. Michael Heath Fayetteville 7/21/98