Gay Rights Battles Heat Up in Utah as Group Buys Extremist Ad
Over the weekend, blog Drinking Liberally posted photos of a full-page ad taken out in the Salt Lake Tribune by a group called America Forever.
A news report on the Utah gay marriage battles featuring America Forever activists, Jon Huntsman, Jr., and gay rights activist Fred Karger, AFTER THE JUMP...
The ad is replete with hateful rhetoric and fear tactics. In fact it's so extreme that even those who agree with the message behind it think the group, which "does not have a current Utah business license as a nonprofit nor is it registered as a political-issues or political-action committee" according to the Salt Lake Tribune, has crossed the line with the ad, which "compares being gay to being 'druggies and hookers,' labels homosexuality as 'anti-species behavior' and concludes that 'gays should be forced not to display' their sexual orientation."
The ad also criticizes Utah Governor Jon Huntsman's recent show of support for the Common Ground initative and civil unions.
Says Gay-rights opponent Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman: "Everything they're doing crosses the line. There's no need to have hateful discourse. Quite frankly, they make those of us who are on the side of traditional marriage -- they make a lot of us -- look bad."
The Tribune adds: "America Forever did not respond Monday to requests for comment left via voice mail and e-mail. Mike Thompson, executive director of Equality Utah -- the advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Utahns that is pushing the Common Ground Initiative -- called the ad 'inflammatory' and 'divisive.' ...'It demonstrates what we are up against in having a rational debate...There's no reason to respond directly to the content of the ad because it's just ridiculous. The conversation should be focused on the Common Ground Initiative and the bills that are part of that.' MediaOne, which handles advertising, production and circulation for both The Tribune and Deseret News, said four subscribers canceled subscriptions to The Tribune on Monday in response to the ad."
Columnist Rebecca Walsh hopes the group continues buying the ads. She says they're likely to backfire and will infuse the Tribune with much-needed ad spending: "Despite their reputations, most Utahns are moderates. They are uncomfortable with America Forever's over-the-top homophobia."
A news report on the Utah gay marriage battles featuring America Forever activists, Jon Huntsman, Jr., and gay rights activist Fred Karger, AFTER THE JUMP...
Full Page Hate [drinking liberally]
Recently
Utah Gov Voices Support for Gay Rights Initiative, Civil Unions [tr]
Religious Conservatives Gather to Oppose Gay Rights in Utah [tr]
Equality Utah Launches Multimedia Blitz After Senate Defeat [tr]
No Common Ground: First of Five Gay Rights Bills in Utah Killed [tr]
Crap... where were ads like this during the Prop 8 campaign? I think it's great and shows exactly what these group are and what they think - a bunch of bigots. I wish they would start taking ads out all over California. Our newspapers could use the ad revenue also!
Posted by: Mike | Feb 17, 2009 8:31:56 AM
The one thing that troubles me deeply here is that, in watching the news clip, it appears as though the gay-rights activists, representing two different groups (at least), do not have a cohesive message. One group is organizing boycotts and press conferences on the topic of Prop. 8 and marriage, while the other is organizing around the topics of employment and housing rights - saying "this has nothing to do with marriage." With at least two messages and two groups out there, the message is getting jumbled. Remember what happened last time there was a lack of organization and coordination?
The gay rights groups active in Utah right now need to sit down together and get their message straight, as it were. Otherwise, both fights will end in failure - again.
Posted by: Andalusian Dog | Feb 17, 2009 10:27:49 AM
That is it I am suing for defamation of character! 4 billion sounds about right.
Posted by: JZN | Feb 17, 2009 11:20:23 AM
FUCK UTAH...I wouldn't ever go there...EVER!
Posted by: Disgusted American | Feb 17, 2009 11:43:59 AM
Here is a link to one page of America Forever, wherein their "Anti-Species Behavior" theory is "explained". Be forewarned: the wing-nut extremists on the right will always be able to unite around their psychotic and pathological hatred of LGBT people. Knowledge is power! Fight the (not)Right!
http://americaforever.com/inn_syndrome1.htm
Posted by: mike | Feb 17, 2009 12:18:38 PM
Utah is not really part of America. They are basically a theological splinter group. Trust God, question religion, especially the cult of Mormonism.
Posted by: Brian | Feb 17, 2009 12:19:50 PM
More Nazisms from another All-White, All-Male Right-wing nutsacks who think that freedom, equality and the pursuit of happiness is only for themselves.
Watch what happens when you shine a light on a pile of cockroaches...
Posted by: Roger Ramjet | Feb 17, 2009 1:55:43 PM
i think i'm most offended by the erratic mix of fonts. that's just wrong.
Posted by: remix | Feb 17, 2009 2:08:14 PM
You're right Remix, obviously no gay in the room when they 'designed' that!
Add this to Phed Phelps and Krazy Kerr and we have a serious battle on for the title of 'Nutjobiest of All".
Posted by: kansastock | Feb 17, 2009 2:31:50 PM
I kinda liked the boxing jabs of the reported.
The ad makes them look horrible, and in its twisted was makes all conservatives look bad.
Posted by: Ted | Feb 17, 2009 4:59:01 PM
Everyone reading this should call all the advertisers of the Salt Lake Tribune and tell them you, your family, and your friends will no longer do business with them because they do business with the trib. Also find out who is donating to this bull$hit and call their bosses and business' and advertisers and tell them the same thing. The ultra conservatives talk a big game in utah until you start f*cking with their wallets than they pu$$y out, I know I live in Utah so yeah not a whole utah boycott but a sensible boycott against LDS church owned business or business' that donate to this crap. i'll help get you started KSL channel five in utah is owned all or in part by the LDS church and so is the Salt lake Trib. So everybody call pepsi and say no more pepsi or whatever because of this, you guys should figure out this dollar voting stuff quickly.
Posted by: jake | Feb 17, 2009 8:37:40 PM
Everyone reading this should call all the advertisers of the Salt Lake Tribune and tell them you, your family, and your friends will no longer do business with them because they do business with the trib. Also find out who is donating to this bull$hit and call their bosses and business' and advertisers and tell them the same thing. The ultra conservatives talk a big game in utah until you start f*cking with their wallets than they pu$$y out, I know I live in Utah so yeah not a whole utah boycott but a sensible boycott against LDS church owned business or business' that donate to this crap. i'll help get you started KSL channel five in utah is owned all or in part by the LDS church and so is the Salt lake Trib. So everybody call pepsi and say no more pepsi or whatever because of this, you guys should figure out this dollar voting stuff quickly.
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Posted by: Sallyqon | Feb 18, 2009 5:06:47 AM
Fucking mormon assholes... they deserve no respect whatsoever! Problem with boycotting people that do business with these creeps is that you have to be in UT to be able to effectively do that, and unfortunately the only way I can stop money going to them is by never going to Utah... ever. If someone has a better way to boycott, I am open to listening, but till then it's a lost state to me!
Posted by: CK | Feb 18, 2009 3:17:45 PM
It's times like these that REALLY make me sad to be a Utahn! I am 19 years old and grew up Mormon... The hardest thing in the world for me was dealing with being a 'Utah-Mormon' and being gay! I felt helpless throughout all of my pre-teen years! But now being an adult, someone who has the ability to impact people, I WILL do anything I can to make my voice heard!
So basically, they say that because we CHOOSE to 'live this way' as role-models to their children we arent aloud to display our sexuality! Yet, Disney slut (and, unfortunately, huge child idol) Miley Cyrus can run around with her 20 year old boyfriend in hoochie shorts, makin fun of asians! Laughable...
Also, as far as class goes... People CHOOSE their religions! Yet, we can't fire someone for being mormon, catholic, or muslim! I'm pissed... what a time to be alive!
I'm pulling my friends and family together to boycott The Trib, Desnews, KSL, PepsiCo. Church groups And State funded programs! I'm going to do what I can do, and even if it might not be a lot, I'll be able to sleep better! In this economy, if I can get most of my gay friends and their families to stop spending their money, it might hit a little harder!
Posted by: Josh | Feb 18, 2009 9:56:31 PM
I don't understand why people HATE! I really don't. I'm a 19 year old female, born and raised in Utah, in a non LDS family. I am straight but I don't think orientation should matter. To me people are people. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-gender, or straight shouldn't matter to anyone. You don't choose to be any one of those. It's how you were born, how GOD wanted you to be. So deal with it people. It's that simple. It doesn't hurt you if someone else is gay so why should you care? One of my close friends said this... "If you judge people, you have no time to love them" maybe everyone out there thats judging gay people should pay attention to this quote. Thats all for now.
Posted by: KSMITH | Feb 23, 2009 2:08:08 AM
care? Why DO you care? And why do you think that separate-but-equal is just plain good enough for us, but only you are good enough for marriage? If I were married and hetero, and killed my wife and children today, I could legally marry any consenting woman tomorrow. There might be some outcry, but no one could legally prevent it.
Yet my friends Dan and Kevin, together for twenty years and who just saw each other through a heart attack and cancer,-- well, civil unions are good enough.
and second-- and very related to #1-- I notice you did not comment on the obvious: this video really has nothing at all to do, except peripherally with marriage, family, children, civil unions or religion. It is about one thing, and one thing only: HATE. Gay people are going to get you and your family
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