The dishonest leader of the Michigan branch of the American Family Association (Bryan Fischer’s and Don Wildmon’s gang, who seeks to ban abortion, homosexuality and possibly even women’s voting rights), Gary Glenn is famous for lobbying for the banning of Gay/Straight Alliance groups in Michigan schools. He was also among the plaintiffs who recently filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, passed in 2009, violated their religious freedom and freedom of speech rights (together with such charming fellows as Levon Yuille (to be covered later); René B. Ouellette, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Michigan; and James Combs, pastor of four different churches in the state). The obviously ridiculous complaint (as usual backed by the insane fundamentalists of the Thomas More Law Center) was quickly dismissed.Not only does Glenn hate gays, he is so thoroughly afraid of them that you’d suspect he might pull a Ted Haggard any day now.
Diagnosis: Perhaps Glenn is relatively insignificant – there are literally thousands and thousands of his kind out there. They are all loons, of course, and Glenn may very well serve as a representative for all of them.
Apparently Glenn is running for Senate. Those who like to hear stupid may wish to pay attention.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, Glenn also has the endorsement of Mike Huckabee.
ReplyDeleteHe's still suing around btw.
ReplyDeleteAnd here is Gary Glenn continuing to be rabidly delusional, as predicted.
ReplyDeleteGary Glenn has his viewpoint and it must be respectfully considered just as valid as any other viewpoint. Tendencies toward alcoholism, obesity, and violence are now thought to be genetically influenced, but they are not good healthy behaviors. Homosexuality is another harmful-to-health tendency. This is the reality of which Gary Glenn bases his viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteThe "American Loons" blogger seems to be saying, ‘All systems of thought, all cultures, are equal in value.’ If this is true, then Gary Glenn must have an equal right to his values. Tolerance is the capacity for or practice of recognizing and respecting the options, practices, or behavior of others. If you are intolerant of someone who you believe is intolerant, then you have necessarily violated your own principle.
If on the other hand, The "American Loons" blogger feels that his/her viewpoint is the only possible view, then an absolute truth is being declared, which means the viewpoint is valid in all times and places. However, absolute truth must be based on a "transcendent source" (beyond limits of human experience), because humans tend to vary greatly in their own "truth" beliefs. As Gary Glenn bases his beliefs on reality of God making man in His own image, therefore ALL humans have dignity. When you consider the medical consequence of homosexuality having a greatly increased likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS, syphilis and other STDs, you might wonder who has more respect, compassion and sensitivity for their fellow human beings… those who want to tolerate harmful behavior, or someone like Gary Glenn, who is willing to stand in the gap for Truth.
This is absolutely wrong, Conservative Wolf, and let's start with the most remarkably stupid statement in the rant: 'absolute truth must be based on a "transcendent source".' Why on earth would anyone think that? Absolute truth is based on reality. If you drop a rock within gravitational field of the earth, it falls to the ground. This is true, and it is absolutely true in any meaningful sense of "absolutely". And it is true not in virtue of any transcendent source, but in virtue of reality being that way. There is absolutely nothing transcendent about it.
ReplyDelete"The 'American Loons' blogger seems to be saying, ‘All systems of thought, all cultures, are equal in value.’" Can you please cite anything that suggests that this is the case? It is a profoundly wrong statement, and I have no idea where you get the idea that anyone here subscribes to it. We accept and respect that Glenn has a right to express whatever stupid opinion he may wish to express, but we certainly do not have any respect for the contents of those opinions - indeed, since Glenn's opinions are crazy, wrong, and hateful, we deem it to be very much pertinent to call him out on them and comment on how bigoted, stupid and vile they in fact are. That is our stance, and I cannot see how you can find anything inconsistent with that.
Gary Glenn does not base his views on the idea that homosexuality is a harmful-to-health tendency. He sometimes tries to claim that this is the foundation for his campaigns, but his constant references to alleged violations of freedom of religion and references to the Bible are dead giveaways. Trying to prevent homosexuals from living with or marrying people they love is not going to make their lives better, even if it were true that homosexuality increases the risks of contracting STDs, is not going to make them any less homosexuals (which, remarkably, you even suggest yourself when you point toward genetic dispositions - yes, it is very likely that homosexuality has a genetic component).
Besides, the claim that homosexuality increases the danger of STDs really isn't true, everything taken into consideration; after all lesbians have the least chance of everyone of contracting STDS. Furthermore, one would assume that if homosexual partnerships were officially recognized as being on par with other relationships, it would help to stabilize such relationships, right? When people like Glenn tries to argue against marriage equality - and even worse: trying to fight anti-discrimination laws and anti-bullying measures - based on "caring for the homosexuals" it is hence pretty easy to see that it is really just an upshot of religiously based bigotry.
Only just saw this when my absentee ballot arrived for the primary for Senate in Michigan. Thanks for the heads up (I'm a gay overseas Michigan voter)!
ReplyDeleteAs for harmful-to-health, I have to wonder whether Conservative Wolf and their heterosexual friends and partners are as responsible about sexual health as most gay men are. They may be at more risk (not more, incidentally, than any heterosexual couple engaging in anal sex) but I challenge her to find someone as well-informed about HIV prevention and treatment, as conscientious about sexual health screening, and as meticulous in their use of barrier-method contraception as the gay men I know. In my experience, heterosexual men and women tend to run far more risks in their sexual behaviour, and HIV in the US is currently spreading faster among low-income Americans, particularly in underprivileged black communities, than it is among gay men.
People who peddle sanctimonious rhetoric about homosexuality being a harmful lifestyle do so in error, and as a means of covering up a viewpoint that is based in fear and hatred of the Other. This is unacceptable and (to put it in Christian terms) a much more basic wrong based on biblical teaching (it violates Jesus' golden rule which conservative Christians are quick to forget) than homosexuality, which the Bible devotes very little space to. More bloggers in the US should call politicians to account for these falsehoods, and conservatives should take note rather than responding by repeating the rhetoric that the blogger in question is lampooning!
Here is Glenn trying to invoke MLK in support of his hateful cause. It's not pretty.
ReplyDeleteGlenn wants to run for the Michigan house.
ReplyDeleteGlenn thinks that LGBT anti-discrimination ordinances threaten women. The reasoning is as tortured as you'd expect.
ReplyDeleteGuess who got himself elected to the Michigan state legislature.
ReplyDelete