UPDATE – 8-9-07 – I regret that the wording of my post implied that GLSEN or the GSANetwork may have been behind the gaystraightalliance.org website and the hateful messages there. I did not mention GLSEN in my post because I knew this was not their site. However, calling it “the Gay-Straight Alliance website” was confusing and I do apologize for this. I am investigating the situation and suggest readers review the comments on this post for some good information on the owners of this site. I continue to advocate an email to the site owner to register your views.
UPDATE – 8/9/07 – Lending some credibility to the hackery-theory of the gaystraightalliance.org theory, the message at the bottom of the page has changed slightly and now ends with this statement: “EVERY 2 MINUTES IN THE USA ANOTHER GLBT AMERICAN DIES AS A RESULT OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.”
I have contacted the company who owns this site and several other leads to get a comment with no success.
Well, I wasn’t sure how else to title this. I do not like hyperbolic sounding posts or claims but what else can you make of this tag line from the Gay-Straight Alliance website?
WITHOUT GSA ACCESS, STUDENTS ARE FORCED TO SIMPLY KILL CLASSMATES WHO TAUNT & BULLY – SHOOTING, STABBING AND POISONING ARE THE COMMON FORMS OF RETRIBUTION. FAR TOO MANY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LIKE BULLYING CHILDREN TO THE POINT WHERE RETRIBUTION AGAINST CLASSMATES AND FACULTY IS ONLY OPTION TO REDRESS RELENTLESS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN MANY REGIONS. SPECIOUSLY-NAMED “PRO-FAMILY” LEADERS ARE CHILD MOLESTERS WHO MAKE MONEY STIGMATIZING HOMOSEXUALITY TO SILENCE GAY VICTIMS.
“…forced to simply kill?” “…the only option?” “…child molesters?”
If you would like to write the Gay Straight Alliance and suggest a less volatile message, here is the address [email protected].
Companion website gaylibrary.com has this love note:
WITHOUT EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER LAW, THE HEART OF DEMOCRACY, USA DEMOCRACY ENDED (DEAD IN 47 STATES & FEDERAL, RULE OF LAW ENDED WITH IT AND NO FORCE ON EARTH CAN RESTORE IT SO VISIT HOMES OF TOP HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS & THEIR BLOODLINES AND PUNISH THEM IN RETRIBUTION); GOVERNMENTS LIKE SINGAPORE SHOULD END PERSECUTION TO AVOID GENOCIDAL RETRIBUTION; NO REASON TO PRESERVE OIL INDUSTRY, BOTANICAL INDUSTRIES, OR ENVIRONMENT IN WORST REGIONS; GAY SKI WEEK SEPTEMBER 1-9, 2007 QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND.
I like how messages of violent retribution are coupled with an announcement for “gay ski week.”
Eddy – Well, you are going to have a little longer but I think it will worth the wait…
JAG-
You said: “The fred phelps group, for example….why aren’t christians rallying around saying THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE?” Are you implying that there is some christian rally against the message of this Gay-Straight Alliance? I haven’t heard of one. Just been a bunch of us blogging about it, trying to understand it and trying to fix it.
(The change in the wording on that site seems to indicate that initially it was poor communication. He wasn’t advocating violence; he was dramatizing how some have taken violence as a last resort when dealing with bullies. The writing is still awkward and amateurish, though, and the name is misleading. The more widely-known Gay-Straight Alliance ought to keep that name and he ought to be persuaded to change the name of his effort. Even with Jim’s removing the link from Wikipedia, people who use various search engines might trip into him rather than the real deal. LOL! It could be as simple as turning the name around. Call it the Alliance of Gays and Straights. AGS for short.)
LOL! I actually found this thread ‘exciting’ as the puzzle unfolded, discoveries were revealed, clarifications made, accusations slung, drama galore…and, blessedly, changes happened! Couldn’t wait to get home today to see what else might have developed!
There is legislation against Phelps actions – no protesting within in so many feet of funerals etc…
Why aren’t gays outside his church protesting??? Because they take him about as seriously as the rest of us.
Jag,
One doesn’t need a religious affiliation to recognize and say Fred Phelps is a FRAUD and the things he says are unconscienciable. I hope everyone who knows of what he says and does will speak out against him and his tactics. They are unacceptable in every way.
If this was indeed true website content, it’s as offensive as those who want to kill the GLBT population.
BUT…I’m glad to see some outrage around the violence. As christians, I hope we can dedicate ourselves to being this offended when so many organizations post hateful things, and even condone violence against the gay and lesbian population.
The fred phelps group, for example….why aren’t christians rallying around saying THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE?
there is so much anti-gay stuff out there…most of it, under the auspices of religion.
Mary,
It’s OK but I just don’t know what you’re talking about. If you mean me, I generally shy away from obscure sites. And if I do comment on them I try not to confuse them with other groups.
For example, I don’t say that the Phelps family’s Baptist Church is representative of the Southern Baptist Convention. I even try to avoid discussing the obvious loons, Linda Harvey for example, unless their stuff is being carried by higher profile sites. Even ex-gay gadflys like Stephen Bennett don’t get my attention unless they are given visibility.
With all of the virulent anti-gay stuff out there, I wouldn’t have the time or energy to go after it all. I dunno…
Timothy,
If I sound cranky – I’m sorry. Mary.
Thanks Timothy and sorry to hear it NickC. Ironic.
And, incidentally, I’m sure you are aware that quite a few of us are trying to reach this person and/or anyone else associated with him or his site to answer some rather pointed questions. So far I’ve not had any better response than you have, Warren. If we hear back, I’m sure it will be posted immediately.
Warren-
I’ve completely lost respect for you on this one. Your eagerness to defame gay organizations has become too obvious. Will no longer read or post comments on this site.
Warren,
THANK YOU for clarifying and correcting the above.
As it currently is worded it is quite clear that this is not the GLSEN site. I commend your integrity.
Timothy,
I would say the same for gay watchdog organizations that pick up on every weird conservative outrageous site that comes up – how can watchdogs be so aggressive with one and not the other?? Just a thought – but you have your reasons.
Timothy – Maybe you didn’t see my update but I clarified the GLSEN issue.
Boris is a bomb thrower, he just tosses out charges whether they are accurate or not. I recognized early this morning that I may have created a wrong impression and I wrote about it and apologized.
I am waiting for Mr. gaystraightalliance.org to do the same. Does he get any flack for deliberately choosing a web address designed to create a false impression? Heard none so far…
Mary,
I’m not sure what you are suggesting. With millions of gay persons in the US alone scattered between cities ranging in size from NYC to Council Bluffs, Iowa, all of whom have access to a computer, I have no idea how anyone could hope to track every possible site out there.
A more reasonable request would be that critics of gay organizations limit their criticism to the right organization.
Timothy,
Do you think that maybe gay watchdog groups could watch such sites as those that are being posted on the internet under the same “flag” as it were and limit the damage that can be done?
I don’t see this blog entry to be damaging to GLSEN or any gay group but it does show that individuals can and do carry opposing thoughts to the usual community thinking.
There are so many diverse opinions on what is the best course of action for GLBTQ people and other conservative groups. On both ends of the spectrum we are going to run into fanaticals who promote violence under some justification of their own making. It’s not just limited to conservatives and their interpretation of the bible but also can show it’s face in liberal ideology as well. Violence and intolerance are the real enemy not this person or that person.
Warren,
You responded to Boris with
No you did not mention GLSEN. However, you did say:
I certainly thought when reading this that you were quoting from the Gay-Straight Alliance website that is used by the various GSA groups around the country and which is in the news as such – and which you have criticized for comments made by its founder, Kevin Jennings. And I probably know more about GLSEN than does your average reader.
Boris’ point is well made.
As of yet, anyone reading your posting today will go away thinking that “THE Gay-Straight Alliance” (ie GLSEN) supports killing those classmates that taunt others. They will not realize that you really mean “the Gay-Straight Alliance portal of some guy’s website in Iowa”.
I’m sure your intention wasn’t to create an artificial outrage against GLSEN or to deceive others about what GLSEN is doing. But that is what this is doing. Still.
Boris,
Can you please give more evidence of what you are accusing PFOX of doing? I am not in agreement with all that they do but I am not sure if you are representing them or their involvement with the schools accurately.
And another reference to Brian Wyant (I apologize in advance if this is not the same Brian Wyant that owns gaystraightalliance.org):
GLBT Center Youth Night
Drop-in and socialize with other Youth of the regional GLBT community in a relaxing, welcoming environment on Friday nights 5PM-9PM every week, excluding major holidays. Most participants generally arrive around 6PM. These are youth-sponsored and organized events, under adult supervision. The GLBT Center Youth program is free, open to all youth ages 13-23, and provides a safe, supportive place to make friends. Food and beverages provided.
Location
1719 Leavenworth, Omaha
Organized by Brian Wyant
Phone: 402-341-0330
Email [email protected]
I recognize that Jim but my point is that the site bills itself as a support for GSAs and we now have some evidence that it is run by a man who is active in the gay community in Iowa. His work is also with gay youth as I will post shortly.
I never meant my post to be taken as a slam against GSAa in general which I am about to correct.
Never trust Wikipedia. Anyone can add stuff, and anyone can remove it. I just now did my very first wikipedia edit by removing this link because it erroneously trumpeted the site as an “official” site and because it condones violence.
Anybody here could have done the same. Also, any body here can add Paul Cameron”s site as a “resource”. That’s the problem with Wikipedia. Never look to it for “evidence.”
Boris, is your last name Badenough?
Re-read the post, do you see GLSEN’s name anywhere?
Now go look at the Wikipedia entry on gay straight alliances, scroll down and note the link titled, “Gay-straight alliance official site” and then click on the link and see where you go. Then read Lynn David comments above about the person involved in this website.
And then read this.
This website doesn’t have anything to do with GLSEN. But that doesn’t exacly cause problems to Warren or Exodus, afrtter all anything goes in order to demean the attempts to prevent gay teens from being bullied and harassed.
Now, Warren is closely cobnected with PFOX. PFOX recently required a permission to go to schools in Virginia and claim that turning from gay to straight is possible for everyone. Do you supprot spreading this lie to schools and use that as an excuse to entitle harassment and bulltuing? Or as en excuse not to talk specifically about attackss against gay teens in schools? Do you approve “Day of truth” when Christian student march to schools with identical T-shirts that use derogatory and htefyul lamguage about their gay classmates?
While you attack GLSEN and all DSA;s because of this website, your allies inetntionally target gay teens and make them more vulnerable in schools. So, what are YOU doing to prevent gays from being harassed in schools?
Actually, do you even care about the damage you and Regina Griggs do?
Then again….
___________________
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2003_Sept_16/ai_111013339
Steele says, “In 36 years, this is the first issue of The Advocate produced in a country in which gay sex is legal everywhere.” Sadly, this is simply not true. Gay sex remains a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment on every Air Force, Marine, Army, Navy, and Coast Guard base in the country, including in the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is also true for military–related personnel on American soil at every U.S. embassy in the world. So gay sex is not legal everywhere in the United States. Perhaps someday it will be.
Brian Wyant, Council Bluffs, Iowa
________________________________
http://www.pflag-omaha.org/pnews/archive/Community_News-archive-4-2006.html
April 2006
Individual and Team registrations for the Pride Walk are available at http://www.PrideWalk.org or visit the Rainbow Outreach Metro Omaha GLBT Center, 1719 Leavenworth, (402) 341-0330, during drop-in hours. You can also earn gift cards and other prizes by collecting pledges to support the Pride Walk charity beneficiaries: PFLAG Omaha, PFLAG Lincoln, GLSEN Omaha, Proud Horizons Youth Group, ICON Foundation, Rainbow Outreach GLBT Center, and River City Mixed Chorus. “Until Americans can all walk down the road of life celebrating diversity in a just and equitable society,” said Brian Wyant, GLBT Center coordinator, “we will walk to help create that world. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Pride Walk.”
__________________________________
And finally RolePaper Handbook
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883788706/ref=olp_product_details/102-1023160-4996100?ie=UTF8&seller=
Of course, he is young. But the message is a bit scary.
Jim Burroway wrote: “This site smacks of an amateur operation. I’ve been scouring the web for a few years now for resources to include on my web site and I’ve never seen this one until now.”
Perhaps that is the point, now you have.
Nothing like getting the homophobic right (Peter LaBarbera, et.al.) to give your website a boost in readership. And I did give a cursory read to GayLibrary.com, and it is a fairly good resource (some links I found were broken). The website is well though out even if his content is a bit amateurish, yet there is real thought behind what is there.
Or….
It makes me wonder if something might have recently happened to negatively affect the life of Brian Wyant of Council Bluffs, Iowa, so I’m going to aplogize for my “low rent” comment. Pam may be right he may be young, but so too something might be really happening in his life, right now, which is bothering him terribly.
Yep, I think the skepticism is warranted. I knew this wasn’t the GLSEN site but the domain name made me think it was something like a clearing house for GSAs.
I still think the website owners should be contacted and told that the whole thing is offensive nonsense. I have heard nothing from them; probably won’t.
Oh yeah… of course…. jeesh…
http://eventhorizonpublications.com/intro.htm
This year we will proudly serve people in over one hundred-fifty nations. Event Horizon remains committed to being a socially-responsible, progressive company impacting the world through education and entertainment.
Overseeing one of the largest education networks, Event Horizon has directly improved the quality of life for millions of human beings. Now and in the decades to come, we will continue toward our goal of becoming one of the most influential companies on Earth.
©1992-2006 Event Horizon Publications. Site Usage Terms. Contact.
Event Horizon Publications, PO Box 641, Council Bluffs IA 51502-0641 USA
Game Players Visit the Magic Frontiers™ site
http://www.magicfrontiers.com/
Welcome to Magic Frontiers™ – the grand science fantasy roleplaying game. Discover the adventure!
Journey into the Universe of Imagination™
Magic Frontiers™ takes players to a universe of imagination where remarkable life thrives on distant worlds, inside rogue asteroids and across vast space, often far from the safety of metal cities and primitive villages.
Magic Frontiers™ is a powerful saga of daring heroes and infamous villains; an epic tale of unfolding fun where a band of adventurers are plunged into confrontation with dangers and wonders, both sinister and glorious, as they strive to become legendary.
Against a backdrop of enchanted mystery, these explorers forge their destiny through feats of courage and cunning, summoning their strength and skills against overwhelming odds to rise above the ordinary and claim their rightful place among the most influential citizens in the galaxy.
Magic Frontiers™ personifies and captures that elusive roleplaying experience where challenging adventure blends with inspirational excitement. A Universe of Imagination™ awaits…
Magic Frontiers and Universe of Imagination are trademarks of Event Horizon Publications.
Site usage conditions. ©1982-2007 Event Horizon Publications. All Rights Reserved
Fairly low-rent if you ask me.
…
I’m guessing it’s a 15-yr.-old based on my educational experience and the 1992-2007 in the bottom right corner.
Registrant:
Event Horizon Publications
PO Box 641
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51502
United States
Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: GAYLIBRARY.COM
Created on: 05-Jun-99
Expires on: 05-Jun-08
Last Updated on: 17-May-07
Administrative Contact:
Wyant, Brian [email protected]
Event Horizon Publications
PO Box 641
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51502
United States
7123250117 Fax —
Technical Contact:
Wyant, Brian [email protected]
Event Horizon Publications
PO Box 641
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51502
United States
7123250117 Fax —
Same for gaystraight.org
Warren,
Here is the registrant info for http://www.gaystraightalliance.org
http://www.register.com/retail/whois_info.rcmx?requestType=validate_challenge
Nonetheless, this site has the look and feel of reality to me. Who is to say??
I’m with Jonathan and Eddy.
This is just some poor soul that has illusions of his own self importance and a for whom English is probably not his first language. I don’t think that he even represents a group of any sort.
While his comments are lamentable, they aren’t very relevant to anything.
This site smacks of an amateur operation. I’ve been scouring the web for a few years now for resources to include on my web site and I’ve never seen this one until now.
I tend to agree with Jonathan on this one. I browsed around on their site a bit and found the writing awkward and confusing several times. There’s a tendency to generalize and to use dramatic rather than common words. LOL! I’d say the writing style smacks of ‘high school newspaper’ but I wouldn’t want to disparage high schools that way.
I think they meant to say “Without us, the only option some bullying victims see is violence and sometimes murder.” I believe they carelessly tossed in “stabbing and poisoning”. I recall teachers being stabbed and/or poisoned not bullies. And, although one of two of the teacher stabbing or poisoning incidents may have been related to bullying, I believe the bulk of these were more situational: got suspended, got a bad grade, got cut from the team, got held back. (I’m talking from what I remember from ‘the news’…I have not studied this. Please take with appropriate-sized grain of salt.)
The one thing I get from this is that this is one group that should not have access to impressionable young people who have not yet developed critical thinking skills.
I think the GSA website has been hacked. That text is hot-linked (alt says “Anouncements News, Warnings, Events” and “Learn More” in theh browser info area) but all it does is take you back to the home page.
If you go to a sister site like:
http://www.gayhumanrights.org/
http://www.gaycivilrights.org/
They have the same website format and not a large “screed” at the bottom, but simply some basic links (HOME FIND ORGANIZATIONS CONTACT TRANSLATOR AUDIO INFO).
Someone hacked them. I’d give odds on that.
Warren,
I think you’ve been punked. I don’t know who this website is, but it certainly isn’t GLSEN
The REAL website for the Gay Straight Alliance is
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html
It’s very poorly written! My understanding is that this site isn’t the official GSA site. If that is the case, one wonders if it is being run by amateurs. I think whoever wrote that needed to work at it a little longer. We’ve all been guilty of idiocy like that. I suggested to their web master the following…
“We live in a world where violence and bullying is common place. Most often it is directed towards those who are perceived as different. In the news, we often see images of students who have felt their only method of redress is to further perpetuate that violence by murdering their teachers and classmates. STOP the violence and bullying in your world! Join a GSA today!”
Bullies have often been bullied themselves – either by a parent, older sibling or rivaling group. That does not excuse the behavior nor justify making such statments about “misconstrued” actions.
Mary
Considering that so calld Christians have a special daty to demean and ridicule gays in schools: Alliance Defense Fund even provides student with anti-gay T*-shirts, your fake outrage seems bit far fewtched and to be honest bit self serving.
There was a case of a young man who shot the principal of his school. After suffering years of abuse and beglect and cnstantly called faggot at school, mercilessly taunted without anyone as much as reacting, he really did flip over.
At the same time organizations like PFOX who is constantly suing schoold istricts so that they can psread their hate material on schools.
FOF and other organizations demand that people should remain silent about anti-gay harassment and violence in school and actually support it (like Linda Harvey who said that if gays students are harassed it’s their own fault and that scholls must call those teens sinners and thus encourage bullying).
Now, mary, you’re so keen to make yourself a martyr of your cause. Huindreds of thousands gay teens get garssed daily, tormented beyond belief and you whine here about your imaginary persecution?
Ex-gays have been part of the group that tried to prevent all anti-bulluing progranms that would target gay youth victims. After all anti-gay politics is more important than the lives of gay youth.
When I was a kid in the 70s/80s there was essentially no bullying of gays. In a highschool of around 1000 kids I didn’t know of a single gay kid.
Obviously there were plenty but it was so underground that nobody even knew.
The most agressive victimizers always turn out to be people who feel they’ve been victimized.
Uggh…
If we could go back far enough I’m sure this is how it started in the Middle East.
Misconstrued??? Boy, I sure would like those terms applied in court.
It’s pure hyperbole! Both sides of this argument engage in it. And who suffers? Those caught in the middle.
To be fair, we’ve seen an escalation in kids who resort to this type of behavior to solve the bullying in their lives. It truly is sad. Will a GSA stop the bullying? Will Exodus or PFOX distributing literature stop the bullying? No!
I think that the statement that is on the GSA sight needs to be re-worded because it could be misconstrued by some as a call to violence. It certainly doesn’t help their cause. But, I think to be fair, they don’t mean it as a justification for murder. To me, it’s more a communication problem than a hate speech problem. But, there will be some who will make hayday over this using their own hyperbole. What we really need are people who can put aside the spin and hyperbole. I dare say it won’t happen on either side.
j.
Well, this constitutes hate speech. And don’t let it be said that “…threats to ex-gays and christians don’t exist…” Another good reason for remaining private on identifying comments and matters.