Eagle Forum Leader Refers To Gay Rights As “Tar Baby;” Peddles Homo “Horror Stories” To Further Cause

Right-wing non-profit Eagle Forum’s Executive Director Colleen Holmes needs a pair of eagle eyes herself!

Holmes and homo-journo Jack Jett exchanged a number of emails earlier this month as the two attempted to coordinate an interview for Jett’s new radio show. Jett wanted to discuss Holmes’ work with the Forum, which was founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1967, and has been especially virulent in their battle against feminist and gay rights.

Though Holmes originally agreed to be interviewed – and after much back and forth – Holmes at the last minute backed out, citing scheduling problems. The conservative activist apologized profusely and even joked that she didn’t want to be seen as “pulling a McCain,” a reference to Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s threats to skip last week’s presidential debate against John McCain. And, in addition to this sorry email, Holmes accidentally included a tactical note to an unidentified ally.

It is definitely not for the children…

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Holmes, who previously worked for the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Christian Legal Society, opens her email thus: “I was giving more thought to why people are hesitant to get involved in this issue, which led to trying to brainstorm ways to counter the Will and Grace effect.” Said effect, we imagine, is the slow social and cultural acceptance of gay people made possible in part by the popular NBC sitcom. That show and others, many activists say, opened a Pandora’s box that must be closed at all costs.

Referring to progressives quite effectively as “the other side,” Holmes then decries gay rights activists’ “bullying,” like the time Rosie O’Donnell and others shouted down Kelly Ripa for telling Clay Aiken not to put his hand over her mouth. “I don’t know where that hand has been,” said Ripa at the time, which led many people to assume she thought the then-closeted Aiken had been fisting or pumping or whatever gross things gay people do with their hands. And from that vilification comes the email’s most outrageous comment: “The issue [gay rights] has become such a tar baby…”

From the horse’s mouth – or, rather, fingers: Rosie O’Donnell and other gay media advocates blasted Ripa – the actual wronged party in the situation – insisting that the comment was a homophobic slur. The issue has become such a tar baby, people don’t want to go anywhere near it, because the “homophobe” moniker is so dreaded and so liberally applied.

Infuriated by what he read – and the use of the exceptionally racist term “tar baby,” which comes from the black-face doll that trapped children’s book character, Br’er Rabbit – Jett demanded she explain herself. Holmes simply said she didn’t mean to say that – or write it, we’re sure.

As for Holmes’ tactics, the activist goes on to advise her reader to find sympathetic veterans and use their “horror stories” to counter Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, a policy prohibiting openly gay people from serving in the military.

One thing I thought that might be somewhat helpful in your efforts to recruit members of the military for your cause is to do what Pete or Peter, the gentleman seated to your left against the wall during the meeting indicated – use “horror stories” to illustrate that allowing homosexuals in the military is not simply a matter of respecting one person’s personal choice, but they actually threaten our national security and in some cases individual soldiers’ personal safety. I know
the horror stories are very difficult to find as you explained. It sounded like you did have some that illustrate the very serious issues.

If the reader would like to take a different route, writes Holmes, he or she could take a page from the Family Research Council, a right wing group that recently hosted an event highlighting childrens’ horror stories to scare up support:

…The most compelling arguments were the “horror stories” in which children were being intimidated on playgrounds for being “homophobes” (synonymous with Christians) and one parent was actually arrested for peacefully dissenting against his child’s being forced to participate in a pro-homosexual “educational” presentation.

Holmes and her allies often accuse gay activists of having an agenda, but rarely have we seen an agenda more clear than the one found in Holmes’ final statements on the matter: “These are just some ideas about the PR battle that it seems needs to be waged first against any hesitation military leaders who support the current law might have to taking a stand for it.”

This “arrest” tale is also regurgitated over at youth-oriented iProtect website and concerns a Massachusetts man named David Parker who cops took in for criminal trespassing after Parker, who objected to the school’s use of a book called King and King, refused to leave a school meeting. Parker and wife Tonia ended up suing the school district, but the case was dismissed.

The Holmes email only provides further evidence of how the right-wing’s prepared to twist facts and logic to further their prohibitive, repressive and all-together Un-American initiative. It gives her and her organization bad names; if not for its unsurprising homophobia, than for her racist language. And she calls herself a Christian? Indeed!