Religious Left

By John Agar The Grand Rapids Press ALLEGAN COUNTY -- An organization that promotes family values is attacking a judge, using recorded phone calls that tell voters about his ties to homosexual groups. Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association, said Allegan County Circuit Judge William Baillargeon has a "long history of involvement with homosexual activist groups that promote so-called homosexual 'marriage' and other radical elements of the homosexual agenda ... ." However, the Circuit Court race -- Baillargeon is being challenged by attorney Kevin Cronin -- isn't until November. When told this by a Press reporter, Glenn said: "At worst, Allegan County voters will become aware of the information sooner than planned. We think this campaign is going to be enough so that voters become aware of his history." Baillargeon said he was disappointed by the "nonsense" allegations that serve only to cause fear. He urged voters to talk to pol...

The town of Eureka Springs is turning into the "San Francisco of Arkansas," warns the American Family Association, and it can happen in your town too. "They're Coming to Your Town," tells the tale of an uncharacteristically diverse resort town's government infiltrated by "a handful of homosexual activists" and bent to their will through the enactment of the town's domestic partner registry on June 22, 2007. Eureka Springs, most recently, has gotten an honorable mention from unlikely celebrity and Oklahoma House Rep. Sally Kern, who propped it up as an example of the "gay agenda" that she has called a "death knell" and a larger threat than international terrorism, in addition to comparing such an "agenda" to cancer. The domestic partner registry isn't legally recognized outside Eureka Springs due to Arkansas' Amendment 83, passed in 2004, which simply reads: "Marriage consists only of the union of one...

Back in February, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) announced that Richard Ellis, vice president of communications for McDonald’s USA, had been elected to the board of directors. I’d have never known there was a gay and lesbian chamber of commerce if WorldNutDaily hadn’t gotten folks in a snit about McDonald’s being listed as a sponsor on their website, which is why, they claim, Ellis was added to the board. The American Family Association circulated a national alert yesterday, explaining that McDonald’s “gave an undisclosed amount of money to the NGLCC in return for being recognized as a major promoter of the homosexual agenda.” Seriously, this “agenda” cannot simply be a code word for “progress toward equality.” Otherwise, wouldn’t taking a stand against the “homosexual agenda” be the same thing as taking a stand against equal rights? Sounds less noble and bit sinister when you phrase it accurately, huh? Don Wildmon, founder and chairman of AFA, told the S...

Recently the American Family Association was "tooting it's own horn" again. This time they were bragging how their boycott against Ford did it's job. "I have some good news for you!" wrote chairman Donald E. Wildmon in a message to members . "AFA is suspending its two year boycott of Ford Motor Company. The conditions of the original agreement presented in fall 2005 have been met." Those conditions, as laid out at the time by AFA, included demands that Ford stop advertising in gay-focused media outlets and stop donating to groups that support gay marriage or gay pride parades. Wildmon's announcement was covered by dozens of media outlets including BusinessWeek , Brandweek and the Chicago Tribune . But Ford spokesman Jim Cain insists the automaker had made no such promises. "I can tell you there was not a negotiated settlement to this boycott," he says, sounding somewhat mystified by AFA's triumphalism. While Ford has scaled back ...

The American Family Association (AFA) has sent out an " action alert " to its members informing them that Ford's health care policy covers the medical expense of workers who undergo a sex change operation. The AFA report claims "Ford offers medical benefits to help pay expenses of those who choose to undergo sex change operations. Ford pays for mental health counseling, hormone therapy, medical visits, and short-term disability after surgical procedures for employees who desire to change their sex." IMHO I believe the AFA and other anti-gay religious groups actually help gays, lesbians and transgendered people more by highlighting the cause. Demonstrating the insanity, bigotry and hatred surrounding this issue reveals who the real monsters are. Hate mongering and religious zealotry have done more to destroy faith and push people away.