The gays are mad as hell at MSNBC, and we’re not going to take it anymore.
The problem: We’ve gotten to a point where cable news is giving screen time to the nuttiest of anti-LGBT nuts just to stir up so-called controversy. Inviting weirdos onto a news show may garner ratings, but it’s a problem if they’re making up terrible lies about us.
Take Tony Perkins (please), who regularly pops up on Hardball to say delightful things like, “They say the research is overwhelming that homosexuality poses a risk to children.” In response, Hardball host Chris Matthews laid into him, saying, “Oh really, Tony? They say that? And who are “they”? Because that is a lie.”
Just kidding—Chris let it slide. Then on a later episode he clarified that “they” was a group of conservative doctors. The end.
It’s ridiculous that people like Perkins—and Matt Barber, Peter LaBarbara, Chuck Colson, et al—keep getting booked on these shows even though they have little or no professional credentials and the data they routinely spout is either made up or discredited by reputable sources.
And that’s why GLAAD’s taking steps to hold the networks accountable.
The media-watchdog group has created dossiers on the worst-of-the-worst of these talking heads and is sending them out to everyone from Hardball to The View. The goal is to make producers realize when they’re about to put someone on the air who maybe is a little tiny itsy-bity teeny-weeny insane. (Of that might be the very reason they got booked.)
Who made the Most Unwanted list?
*There’s Candi Cushman, Focus on the Family’s “education analyst,” who said that gay families are “nothing more than a group of individuals—no more unique than a herd of elephants in the jungle.”
*And World Net Daily editor Joseph Farah, who said that the offices of gay politicians ought to be fumigated.
* NOM President Brian Brown, who promoted an ex-gay conference with the words “prevent your child from embracing this destructive way of life.”
*Brown’s predecessor, Maggie Gallagher, of course. Among her many unsubstantiated claims: “To anyone with even a cursory knowledge of sexual-orientation research, [refusing to call homosexuality a ‘lifestyle choice’] is no longer scientifically tenable.”
* Bob Vander Plaats of the Family Leader, who compared homosexuality to polygamy and adultery and calls gay people a “public health risk” akin to smoking and linked being gay to the national debt. (“When you start going away from core value issues, the ripple effect leads right to economic issues.”)
If you wake up in a few months and think, “Gee, it’s been a long time since someone on Hardball told me I am a risk to children,” you’ll know who to thank.
Ronbo
Thank you GLAAD – Now if only everyone here would let MSNBC (you know, the LIE-beral network) know that we can see through their “balanced” approach of 3 hours of progressives and 21 hours of regressives. MSNBC is the Obama of the networks – keeps telling us they are liberal but most of the time they are fundamentalist Reaganites.
Alexa
@Ronbo: The other 21 hours isn’t all regressives at all. Do you actually watch MSNBC? Yes, there are major problems with allowing Perkins, etc. to have a platform to spew their bile, and they shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a TV studio, and I agree with GLAAD on this, but there is a lot of good in many of the other shows.
I assume your 3 hours means the 8-11pm block. Thomas Roberts’ show is always interesting, as is Martin Bashir’s. Yes, they have had foul and objectionable guests on, but I doubt that is their choice, and Bashir in particular is good at demolishing them. And now that she has learned to take control of the discussion, Alex Wagner’s show is good. Even Andrea Mitchell is worth watching – her interview with Nancy Brinker was instrumental in reversing SGK’s defunding of Planned Parenthood. And I almost forgot Reverend Al. And their two new weekend shows with Chris Hayes and Melissa Harris Perry are excellent (and that’s four hours right there).
You’d almost think I work for MSNBC after that, but there are definitely programs on there that are unwatchable. Hardball makes me want to throw my TV off the roof.
MJ
so did Bob Vander Plaats just say about us what Hitler said about the Jews before the Holocaust?
Torchwood
The bottom middle guy looks like Borat lol
The Real Mike in Asheville
Well I am glad that GLAAD is FINALLY going on the offense. As the old pigskin saying goes, “The best defense is a strong offense!”
About fucking time! And a good job!
WillBFair
Don’t get your hopes up. The Glaad arguments will be weak. Glaad are probably the usual set of corporate social climbers with zero incentive to actually make a difference.
Our community doesn’t recognize brains, so we can’t find effective leadership. And we don’t even have access to airtime. Wasn’t a recent ad of ours refused by msnbc?
The media have been using us as a distraction from political curruption for decades. And that is not about to change.
Belize
@WillBFair: Thank the stars for people like you. That’s what we really need nowadays. Optimism.
Mk_ultra_again
These homophobic men are like a comedy/tragedy.
Comedy because they’ve made all this money selling people’s very own hate back to them but they are still not very happy people. It’s because they “sold their souls to the devil” so to speak. If there is such a thing as God or karma, they know it’s out for them. You can tell they will never know true happiness.
Tragedy because they ruined so many people’s lives. Probably cost countless their lives because they themselves are homophobic gay men. Closeted of course.
They are a caricature of what happens to gay people when they stay closeted and get bitter, angry, spiteful, malicious.
You can see it’s not a mentally healthy lifestyle.
In a glorious touch of irony, these homophobes are a shining example
of why gay people should come out.
Christopher Banks
Going to suggest we try something like this in New Zealand – we have our share of people on air who open their mouths just to get better air flowing through their ears.
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
GLAAD will be hearing about this
hypocrisy
“Now It Can Be Revealed: Barack Obama’s Nanny Was A Tranny Ho!”
Joetx
What took you so long, GLAAD?
uh oh
It’s not even that they put these people on air (which I agree, is ridiculous) it’s that the hosts/journalist/ringmaster, aren’t up to scratch on their own facts and never challenge these people.
It’s a problem across the MSM and not just with LBGT issues. The media treats lies and false statements as a ‘point of view’. Call these people on their bullshit. And if you aren’t sure if it is bullshit or not, make them back it up with facts.
JTKlaus
Of course, the Black one is the most homophobic.
The agent
@JTKlaus: No, that would be your white uncle Fred Phelps.
Queer Supremacist
Getting them off PMSNBC is not enough. They need to be on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list.