Badpuppy Gay Today

Tuesday, 06 May 1997

Jerry Falwell, (God Save America) Pat Robertson, (Road to Victory) and Don Wildmon (Hope '97 tour) have each decided to take their organizational road shows nationwide, to locales where it is relatively certain they will be able to collect funds from local zealots by frightening them with talk about homosexual world domination.

The Reverend Don Wildmon's American Family Association, (according to Right Wing Watch On-line, a service of People for the American Way-- www.pfaw.org) is telling its supporters that "acceptance or indifference to the homosexual rights movement will result in society's destruction by allowing civil order to be redefined and by plummeting ourselves, our children and grandchildren into an age of godlessness. Indeed, the very foundation of civilization is at stake."

To remedy this acute situation, The American Family Association in association with Kerusso Ministries has begun its "HOPE '97" tour, with a kick off rally and seminars in Phoenix. The seminars' purposes will be to encourage anti-gay sentiment and follow-up political activity in each locale. They are intended, according to Wildmon, to "counter the growing proliferation of pro-homosexual philosophy in every area of our culture including business, education, entertainment, media, politics, and the church." AFA rallies are set to take place in fifteen American cities, ending in October in Washington, D.C.

Jerry Falwell, choosing a broad-sounding slogan to hide his narrow intentions, will journey into the heartlands again, "going back on the road calling America back to God." Taking his cue from the late Kate Smith, Falwell will be holding "God Save America" rallies across the nation to prevent a series of disasters he foresees.

Known for his recent attacks on "Ellen," and for two decades of perpetual gay-bashing and hate-mongering as well as for viciously stirring up passions against people with AIDS, Jerry Falwell says seven looming "disasters" are facing America, unless Americans "wake up and turn this nation around morally and spiritually."

The disasters Falwell foresees range from increased violence, national sovereignty surrendered to international control, and loss of the traditional family. It is within the boundaries of this last concern that Falwell plays his anti-gay hate cards. He warns: "The American dream will become a nightmare."

If Wildmon is playing the "Homosexual Scare card," and Falwell fears nightmares, Pat Robertson, at least, has dressed his three-pronged road show in a more optimistic grey, calling it: "Road To Victory." Atlanta will play host to Robertson's Christian Coalition, he himself announced (instead of Ralph Reed, who resigns effective September 1) on September 12 and 13. Next Robertson and his organization will move to St. Louis over October 10 and 11 and finally, they will teach intolerance to Long Beach on November 7 and 8.

Robertson's Christian Coalition promises workshops on vouchers, judicial activism, casino gambling (opposing it, not playing) abortion, and strategies for Christian Coalition members to get themselves identified publicly through hype as "Good Samaritans."

One major effect of such road shows is to galvanize anti-gay political opinion such as was recently expressed by a Republican politician in the state of Minnesota. Rep. Arlon Lindner of Corcoran, described by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as "a conservative with strong religious principles" typifies those politicians favored by crusading religious zealots. Lindner (May 1) said he intends "to protect the family institution that exists today--the man-woman relationships where children can be born, raised. I'm a Christian. I believe what the Bible has to say about man and woman and the family and about heaven and hell and sin. One of those teachings I get from scripture is that homosexuality is wrong, that it is a sin like adultery would be a sin." Sanctioning same-sex marriages, said Representative Lindner, would open the door to "a man marrying a child or a man marrying a dog."

In response, a much-incensed citizen replied "It seems to me that being represented by Arlon Lindner would open to the door to the mentally-challenged being represented by a baboon."

Right-wing religious "Republican" morality got another boost prior to the showing of Ellen. The Republican National Chairman has patted his Party on the back for "showing the high ground in moral authority," and he doesn't believe the President or the Democrats are capable of such high moral ground as are he himself and his fellow-Republicans. Referring to Ellen Degeneres and Anne Heche's being at a White House dinner, the GOP Chief said, "It was interesting to me that the media, after the White House Correspondent's dinner, showed a lot of pictures of the president with those two people, (Italics by GayToday) and the apparent newsworthiness of that and their affinity with the president."

The Chairman, attempting to justify his objections to Ellen and Anne's being together at the White House, explained, "I don't think that it is the kind of model of, you know, a family kind of life that we want to be sending out to people in America. Again, America is a free country and they have a right to do that."