Repudiation: Citizens for Community Values

Thanks to Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters and to Good As You for giving me a heads up about Citizens for Community Values, a group out of Ohio that is tightly associated with the American Family Association, the Family Research Council, and Focus on the Family (the AFA and FRC being documented Hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center).

The basis for CCV's animosity for homosexuality is based on a series of lies that they have on their website.

Both the Old and New Testaments clearly state God’s intention for human sexuality: the monogamous, lifelong sexual union of one man and one woman.

No.  The Bible is filled with polygamous marriage, going back to the Patriarchs of Judaism.

The destructive outcomes associated with homosexual behavior are numerous and they are well documented. Those destructive outcomes include AIDS, a much higher incidence and risk of sexually transmitted diseases, approximately three times the risk of alcoholism and drug abuse, a significantly higher rate of domestic violence and promiscuity, and a shortened life span.

HIV/AIDS is more common among homosexuals in some parts of the world and more common among heterosexuals in other parts of the world.  The virus that causes AIDS does not care if a person is gay or straight. 

I have heard that alcoholism and drug use does tend to be higher in the LGBTQ community than in the straight community, probably because of the stress caused by hate groups like CCV.  Gay-bashing and bullying have long term effects on the victims.

There is no evidence for a higher rate of domestic violence in the LGBTQ community. 

The "shortened life span" claim is not true; it was based on a study that has been debunked, both in the International Journal of Epidemiology and by Dr. Herek at the University of California at Davis. 

Of even more concern to the pro-family position than the unhealthy changes in these arenas, is the stronghold that has been established by gay and lesbian organizations in our schools. Powerful national organizations are behind the drive to homosexualize our schools-at the collegiate, secondary and even primary levels.

The most influential such organization, and a very well funded one, is GLSEN-Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network. Among other activities, this group organizes homosexual clubs and “gay-straight alliances” in our schools. From information gained on GLSEN’s own website, we know that GLSEN-sponsored clubs now exist in 19 school districts in the Greater Cincinnati area alone. The purpose of these clubs is to train gay and lesbian students for activism and to encourage “straight” students to experiment with homosexual behavior as defined above.

The purpose of GLSEN is to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community. We welcome as members any and all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or occupation, who are committed to seeing this philosophy realized in K-12 schools.  There is nothing about encouraging students to experiment with homosexual behavior.  It is about tolerance and acceptance.

Recently, schools across the nation have been encouraged to adopt “anti-bias” or “safe school” policies. The language, “anti-bias” and “safe school,” practically forbids opposition. Again, careful examination reveals the hidden agenda. The wording of these policies specifies “sexual orientation” and they have been used to associate all objections to homosexual behavior with “hate.” Students place themselves at risk of disciplinary action simply for stating their faith-based views on homosexual behavior.

There is no hidden agenda.  Equality, tolerance, and acceptance are not hidden.  The claim that students who express their religious beliefs are at risk is belied by real events such as one documented earlier here.

Persons who practice homosexual sodomy do not demonstrate any of the characteristics that identify disenfranchised classes. They are not discriminated against in any of the ways considered essential by the courts-economic status, educational opportunity or political representation. In fact, the level of education and the average income of homosexuals are considerably above the average education and income for the population in general. A study of their movement shows that they clearly enjoy all the legal rights and privileges of other citizens.

This is absurd.  That DOMA is still the law of the land is an easy example of a legal right that homosexuals are denied.  Homosexuals can be fired in twenty-nine of the fifty states. 

The CCV also includes a link to the FRC's "Top Ten Myths About Homosexuality", which I intend to address in a later blog entry.  So many lies as the basis for "protecting society".