There are times in life when you have to stand up and fight back against the bullies.
This is precisely what Truth Wins Out did today when it sued Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX), an atrocious organization dedicated to placing “ex-gay” fliers in public schools, where their poison is peddled to vulnerable LGBT youth. I decided to sue PFOX after its President, Greg Quinlan, appeared on a television show and falsely claimed that I tried to have him killed…
On October 7, 2011, Quinlan was interviewed on News-Plus with Mark Segraves (WDCW-TV). At the 10:38 mark of the show, Quinlan told the host:
“Truth Wins Out if you look further, including Wayne Besen. He’s asked for people, you know, somebody needs to run Greg over. He needs to be hit with a bus. Somebody should inject him with AIDS. Those are the things that Wayne Besen and Truth Wins Out says about me. That’s pretty hateful rhetoric.”
Of course, this incident never occurred and Quinlan’s bizarre version of events is a complete fabrication. These brazen lies and scurrilous allegations were clearly designed to damage my reputation and that of Truth Wins Out, a group that I’m proud to say is despised by the “ex-gay” industry.
Aren’t you sick and tired of anti-gay activists lying and simply “making things up” without having to suffer the consequences? Haven’t you reached your limit of watching these charlatans and reprobates smearing our loving families without having to pay a price for their lies?
Personally, I’ve had enough – and this is why Truth Wins Out is the first LGBT organization to finally take these habitual liars to court.
It is absolutely critical that we hold PFOX accountable. If anti-gay activists get away with saying that LGBT advocates are trying to murder them today – what will stop them from alleging that we are terrorists tomorrow? Clearly, these homophobes have no decency and wrongly believe that they can lie with impunity.
This time, let’s not let PFOX and Greg Quinlan off the hook.
Truth Wins Out director Wayne Besen, asking for contributions to help nail P-FOX’s ass to the wall, on TruthWinsOut.org.
Photos via William Waybourn, Michael Murphy
kevininbuffalo
The Right, especially the Religious Right have been telling outrageous lies for years and no one has called them on it. It’s about time someone did, good for Wayne Besen!
Right Is Right
If Mr. Besen believes the gay community is completely benevolent, then he obviously has never read Queerty, where readers gleefully boast of how badly they wish harm on anyone who doesn’t agree with them.
Jakey
@Right Is Right: He didn’t say the gay community was completely benevolent, and since it’s about ten percent of the entire population he would have to be some kind of chump to say or think so. But IF he did, sure, comments on gay sites are generally just as dumb and inflammatory as anywhere else on the Internet. Like the ones where people use strawmen to make “the gay community” seem like hypocrites, for instance.
Dirty Ole Man
The religious right thinks that if they tell a lie enough times, it will become the truth. May Jerry Falwell continue to burn in hell! Besen has always been one of the good guys. Go gettum Wayne!
The Realist
I work in a place that requires 24 hour police security and am friends with several of the cops. several like to engage me in political debate in which i am glad to participate. Again, i consider them friends. They are comfortable enough with me as i am them to “fake” flirt and joke around. While having a discussion about the latest Prop 8 decision, one cop said, ” I’m cool as long as they don’t let guys marry dogs.” to which my response was “Why would you even go there!” explaining, directly and forcefully, the lack of comparison and the offensiveness of such a statement. He immediately apologized. I have yet to accept til i am sure he understands.
Organizations like PFOX spread these kind of lies and the media cover it, without refuting the lies, allowing, not just every day people but people in positions of power, such as this cop, to repeat those lies. The damage those lies create, not just to children in schools but the average person on the street confronted with public servants, sworn to PROTECT and serve, is unquestionable.
Bout time public figures, like Wayne, call em out, publicly.
Mark
@Right Is Right: This is not about the gay community. This is about one man who was defamed by a religious right wing fanatic.
christopher di spirito
Besen would never do such a thing. I’m delighted he’s bringing legal action against these lunatics.
B
Just in case anyone is interested in seeing the other side of the story (either for perspective or for amusement), check out http://americansfortruth.com/2011/12/13/pfox-responds-to-gay-hate-blogger-wayne-besen-threat/
My opinion: a court case would resemble the following one –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szk3mFOvX0Q&feature=endscreen&NR=1
(skip the first little bit to get to the really funny part).
Jim Hlavac
Oh, most of the ex-gay and no-gays movement are engaged in tort actionable slander and libel against all gay people. Haul ’em all into court. Make it a class action suit. Put these creeps out of business. Gay men commenting with anger on the internet is nothing at all like the calculated knowingly false assertions by the creeps.
Joe stratford
Okay mr beset. I’m donating $20 to your cause. Go f them in the behind.
CBRad
Wayne Besen IS vicious enough to do something like that, but I’ll still be moderately surprised if he actually did. And, if he did, at least he went after a genuine personal adversary/enemy (not like the rest of the gay ghetto who want people dead just because they’re….Israeli, or Texan, or Irish, or Mormon or…from Kentucky..or any of the other established “enemy” categories).
Paul EQuality Schappaugh
Wayne Besen has made a career standing up to the pernicious lies and distortions from groups like PFOX, Focus on the Family, AFA, Exodus International, etc … I hope that the community will step up and support Wayne’s efforts at TruthWinsOut.org by donating a few bucks to help him with this mission.
And good for Wayne for taking PFOX to court for their obvious slander.
RyaN
Wayne Besen is sooo HOT. my god! I love you