The Rainbow Sash Movement — one of these obnoxious press release factories that supposedly represents gay Catholics but actually does very little — isn’t happy with GLAAD calling out CNN for welcoming hate leaders and disinformation propagandists on its network to peddle anti-gay bile. But do they have a better solution? Maybe!
“The Rainbow Sash Movement is a national LGBT Catholic Organization who disagrees with the GLAAD view, and will not support its petition,” the group tells Mediaite. “We believe that censorship is inappropriate when dealing with the hate in our society. Only by recognizing it, and making it visible can we begin to deal with it. In our opinion, hiding hate from public view can be very dangerous to life of healthy society. Ignoring hate will only enable it. Putting the media spotlight on it allows for a response from reasonable people. We are opposed any form of censorship, and would encourage CNN to continue inviting who it chooses to address the issues of the day.”
I actually don’t mind this position: let hate speak it’s name. But there’s a big difference between inviting, say, a white supremacist on the network and clearly identifying him as a hate leader, versus inviting FRC’s Peter Sprigg — a noted conspiracy theorist and bigot — on to push the endorsement of discrimination as a valid alternative to “liberal social agendas.”
The only way folks like Sprigg, Tony Perkins, Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, and Richard Cohen should appear in the media is with their proper title printed in the chyron: human stain. Bring on the hate leaders! Just identify them as such, and never let an anchor close a segment without noting that all the bullshit her guest just aired is complete bunk, and should be accepted only as evidence of preaching hate.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
But as you’ll recall from CNN anchor Kyra Phillips’ on-air non-apology for giving Cohen a platform, the cable news network won’t be amending its policy anytime soon. In that case, can we please start booking more guests who want to bring back slavery?
Daez
That is why you have opposing view points and you allow people to decide. People that believe these people aren’t going to suddenly stop believing them no matter what label you assign them. People that don’t believe them know what and who they are already.
Shutting the mouths of extremists just allows moderates to practice hate anyways. At least the extremist hate you to your face. I would much rather be refused service at a restaurant than have my money go to companies that secretly work against me.
christopher di spirito
The once mighty CNN sucks badly.
CNN saw 34% of its viewers disappear in 2010. In 2009, they lost 30% of their viewers. Were it not for the fact CNN has a rich parent company — Time Warner, I think they would very likely be cancelled. No one watches them nowadays.
Jay
I really wish people would stop misquoting studies. It makes people who truly believe in scientific research and empirical evidence look bad. Maybe this is why our country has lost its trust in science.
Also, what is Cohen on? Must be some good drugs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone smile so much. He’s probably compensating.
Daez
The only real issue here isn’t what he said. I support his right to say it. Its the way he was represented by CNN.
He is not any of the claims that they made about him. His education is bogus and he is not licensed. They should have made those facts abundantly clear while putting him on the air.
I support someones right to try to change their sexuality if that is what they want to do. Many have proven that it is impossible, but if someone would find more happiness in living a lie than being who they really are then they should have that right.
Jamie
@Daez: You clearly don’t understand the dynamics of the news business. People do, in fact, believe what they hear on teevee despite the abundant vocal protesters who can and do poke holes in the bullshit these people spout. It’s called false equivalency, and for the great unwashed masses, when you bring on someone who says “gays are nazis” in opposition to, say, Dan Savage’s It Gets Better Project, they see them as equal when they are plainly and obviously not.
The days of journalism and ethical practices on teeevee are over. The lingering appearance of “fair and balanced” coverage is being used to promote crackpot theories and mainstream radical rightwing propaganda. Unless people who know better speak out and tell CNN to stop giving airtime and therefor credence to these lunatics, their propaganda can and will take hold. Case in point: 54% of Republicans believe that Obama was not born in Hawaii. Now, we know he was. The evidence is overwhelming. He has released his birth certificate, there are birth announcements from local papers, and even friends of his parents have come forward saying that they know for fact that he is an American citizen. But when Fox Noise allows (and even encourages) the so-called “birthers” to blather on and on, the story takes hold and eventually, more and more people begin to believe it as truth.
Before we have full-fledged ministries of propaganda, we must stop this unethical behavior by CNN and others. Dan Savage was absolutely correct when he called out CNN for giving credence to SPLC-named hate groups just because they espouse crap that makes for compelling teevee.
Daez
Please point out where I said people don’t believe what they see on TV. What I said, exactly, was that people will make up their OWN minds. That means, in short, PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY WANT TO BELIEVE THEY SEE ON TV.
What you fail to realize is that their propaganda has been proven time and time again not to have taken hold. People believe what they want to believe. Propaganda only works if its distributed by a group you already want to believe in to begin with. In short, no matter how many times the FRC tries to recruit Dan Savage with propaganda he isn’t going to join. Now, if they wanted to recruit Sarah Palin, they would most likely only have to send a single message.
I hate to nit pick, but no Obama never released a formal copy of his birth certificate. If he had, the whole mess never would have gotten started to begin with. Not saying I believe the birther movement, just saying if I can go to the county courthouse where I was born and get a certified copy of my birth certificate it seems weird that Obama can not for whatever reason.
You can go ahead and silence your opposition. It is still your opposition. What you fail to realize in your little comparison is that the people that caught on to the birther movement and became more aware of it and actually believe it ALREADY HATED OBAMA. The birther movement didn’t make them hate Obama. Their hatred of Obama made them believe in the birther movement. Suddenly kicking these people off of TV isn’t going to cause the numbers of homophobic assholes to suddenly dwindle.
Goodnight Moon
rachel maddow has already very successfully exposed this fool as an anathema to all that is academic and studied in the clinical field—doesn’t anybody at CNN do their homework?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Pg22ow1e8
justiceontherocks
The “gay catholic” really said “ignoring hate will enable it”?? It’s not like they ignore hate by being catholics or anything.
CNN is the political National Enquirer. You wonder if anyone takes it seriously any longer.
Jamie
@Daez: Funny how in reply, you spout the same rhetoric that the birthers do when confronted with the truth! Yeah, repeating a lie often enough never makes people believe it. Oh wait…
David Ehrenstein
So Daez is a Birther. That explains a lot.
Rashid
Richard Cohen was on CNN ages ago. Don’t dwell on it.
Shofixti
If I had a 3 year relationship with a man, yet lay in bed fantasising about marrying a woman – I would want someone to do some research to help me explain why. 😀
McMike
WTF? Phillips sort-of apologizes for allowing such bullshite to have a platform and then turns around and giving us a so-called psycho-therapist who keeps sayings he’s turned so many homosexuals straight? Again, WTF? Phillips can piss off.
Feel free to contact CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form4.html?16
McMike
If anyone cares, I just wrote this to CNN:
How can you allow Kyra Phillips to portray Peter Sprigg as a “psycho-therapist” when he is NOT licensed? Anyone watching her program would assume, since he’s appearing on CNN, he was a certified therapist. It is one thing to have opposing points of view but Kyra Phillips, once again, allowed hate speech on her program, presented the claims as factual and had NOBODY to counter-attack what Sprigg was saying. He must have mentioned he’s turned many homosexuals into heterosexuals a few times and there is absolutely no evidence this is possible and all the evidence to think it is not. CNN will continue to lose viewers at an even greater rate with journalism such as this. I am deeply offended at both Phillips and CNN.
adman
This just in: Biased straight people have been found 90% more likely to distort the facts relating to all things homosexual. CNN is even in on it! ZOMG!!! They’re just making it up? Say it ain’t so. Why is this novel or new? Because of the Gay quisling? Of course that’s as ridiculous as being outraged over and over again without taking action. Many media watch orgs exist, so thanks Queerty for providing the links to them. I’m not going to bother, since you’ll just post articles undermining any credible efforts tomorrow anyway.
Daez
@Jamie: Sorry bro, but it isn’t rhetoric. While I have already said I don’t buy what they are selling, you have to see the truth in the argument. I absolutely believe that Obama was born in the USA, and that he deserves to be President.
However, he has not yet shown a real copy of his birth certificate for whatever reason.
@David Ehrenstein: You have reading comprehension problems. You might want to get your brain checked. I said, I’m NOT a birther. I just understand where the argument comes from because Obama has yet to show a certified copy of his actual birth certificate. If I have to do it to get a fucking passport, he should have to do it to be President.
PatrickB
“A lie told often enough becomes truth” Vladimir Lenin.
Why is this? People are too busy going about their lives to do a research project on a guest CNN presents as an expert. Queerty’s exactly right: Phillips needs to honestly frame Sprigg or not present his views at all. Otherwise, she’s complicit in spreading anti-gay propaganda. Can we boycott CNN and its advertisers?
justiceontherocks
Please put the birth certificate “controversy” to rest. Obama and the state of Hawaii released a certificate of live birth which is accepted in all courts as prima facie evidence of birth under the circumstances reported under the certificate. The Honolulu newspaper ran a contemporary report of Obama’s birth.
That’s plenty of evidence for all but the most insane people. You can’t go around collecting evidence hoping to satisfy nut jobs. They’ll have a reason to doubt anything.
If the birthers told us what they really think it would be “Obama shouldn’t be in office because he’s a nigger.” But none of them see the need to be honest about anything.
ewe
I am not even going to discuss Richard Cohen. He is a disturbed individual who thinks every gay person wants to/can/should repeat his own twisted journey. I have the sense that there is a new mantra being excessively repeated by the hatemongers and that is their intentional combination of the words “gay” and “nazi” in the same sentence. I find this innuendo of a government takeover targeting religious freedom at the hands of gay people to be dangerous and CNN has no business supporting those voices by giving them credibility or air time. Where i come from these types of fanatics are called quacks.
Jamie
@Daez: No, exactly what they are selling is nothing but rhetoric, and its fools like you that enable them, which is exactly the point of this post; that enablers under whatever guise, be it “fair and balanced” or “you have to see the truth in the argument,” lend enough credence to the haters/lunatic right-wing/Fox Noise bunch to keep the story going. And if you keep the story going and telling the lie enough times, eventually the gullible and uneducated among us (which sadly accounts for a huge chunk of the American people) begin to believe it to be true. Hence, my point that 54% of republicans think Obama was not born in Hawaii.
And that’s why I have to counter your ridiculous assertion that you’re not a birther, you’re just listening with an open mind… which is bullshit (and you know it).
The truth in what you say is the birthers’ claim — that he hasn’t shown “a certified copy of his actual birth certificate” or “a real copy of his birth certificate” — is not that he hasn’t shown a real, certified copy of his birth certificate; it’s that you birthers don’t define whatever he has shown as “real” or “certified.” Clever qualifiers there, bro.
Real or certified based on what, I’d like to know; it appears that the sane among us have accepted the birth certificate, and courts have said what he has shown to be sufficient, and the governor of Hawaii has said that he is satisfied with what Obama has shown, and even one of the talking heads on Fox Noise has said it’s his birth certificate. It doesn’t matter what he has shown because whatever it is, in true teabagger/conservative fashion, you’ll move the goalposts, and it won’t be sufficient.
And that’s because the underlying has little to do with Obama’s birthplace, and a lot to do with the color of his skin.
So go ahead and tell me how I’m wrong. I suspect that you’re the kind of guy who has to have the last word. Just like the hate-mongers we’re trying to get CNN to stop giving airtime to spread their lies, you think that no matter what, it’s the perception that matters, and not the truth.
ewe
@Daez: Daez: Have you ever stopped to wonder if anyone and everyone in Hawaii is given the same type document of birth record that was shown on behalf of Obama?
Steve
There was a time when reputable news organizations tried to report the TRUTH, with no regard for political points of view. They just wrote about whatever happened that day, by describing the event. The watch words were, who, what, where, when, and why. And, the ‘why’ question was always answered by asking the principle, not by injecting their own politics.
It seems now, that period is gone. The “news” organizations now choose what to report based on their owners political inclinations. They usually provide the most powerful argument possible to support their political view. Then, they “balance” that obvious propaganda by providing the opposing point of view, but invariable represented by a weak, under-prepared, or unqualified PR hack.
The problem is not so much the fact that they claim to present both side, when plainly they do not. The problem is that they pay little or no attention to truth, and instead just present arguments.
In many real news stories, there really is only one side. You shouldn’t report both sides of an event — you should just honestly describe what happened. As one example, “A Judge rendered a decision…”, is not a two-sided story. The story is that the Judge published the decision — a simple fact. A description of what the judge wrote, where (what county or state), and when (typically, today) completes the story. The “why” should simply quote or describe the reasons stated in the judges decision.
“News” should be true statements of verifiable facts. Leave the editorials and propaganda out of it, or at least clearly label them as such.
IonMusic
That is a VERY disturbed man with VERY disturbed thoughts that are a click away on any search engine and he should not be introduced as an authority on ANY subject considering his track record that is both scary and absolutely false on many levels. CNN is having a major, major identity crisis amidst it’s ratings tank. I’ve recently ‘converted’ to MSNBC and I’d rather be aligned with a network where I know where they stand, and it may not be very I stand 100% but rationally, and logically and when it comes to convictions…I’ll take MSNBC.