The gays have loads of reasons to hate on President George W. Bush.
He and his cronies did, after all, use us for political gain and continue to poo-poo on the idea of same-sex marriage.
Despite all that, however, Bush does deserve some lavender love, says activist David Benkof:
It is unquestionable that George W. Bush has done more to fight HIV/AIDS than any president in American history, including Clinton. The people pushing Bush to fight the epidemic at home and abroad are overwhelmingly conservative Christians — the same people we keep hearing gay leaders tar as narrow-minded and bigoted. Well, those narrow-minded bigots (who never had the president’s ear during the Clinton administration) deserve far more credit for relieving suffering from HIV in this decade than gay men and lesbians did in the previous two decades combined.
Benkof goes on to stress Bush’s financial commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS – $3 billion, the nation’s largest investment for fighting the disease globally – as well as his installation of two gays in high-level administrative positions on the issue. What’s more, the Bush Administration has worked to repeal travel restrictions on HIV positive visitors, which opens our shores to top experts and activists. Benkof also lauds the administration’s abstinence programs.
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.
Taken all together, Benkof insists, the Republicans “outshine” Democrats “hands down” and, therefore, Bush deserves a thumbs up. Some other gays, we’re sure, will tell Bush exactly where he can stick that thumb…
Lost
Bush deserves my lavendar foot in his ass.
How’s that for love?
Screw this activist and don’t speak for me.
Merlin
what was all that money spent on? no really! (we will spend 3 trillion dollars in iraq too, on what?) list the projects that got this money.
pro celebacy statements as apposed to prevention awareness? cause when people are not having sex they are less likely to get stds? don’t teach safe sex, teach no sex. and it cost 3 billion to do that in jesus name?
eethry
Though I do appreciate, Mr. Bush investing thirty million dollars to the cause of AIDS patients abroad. I wish he didn’t spend a third of the thirty billion dollars on abstinence programs. I have to admit though, cause of him the AIDS agenda is redefined, and is most likely now be able to be pushed forward with bipartisanship
Thom
So I am assuming the person who wrote this article is on Bush’s payroll? I guess this is where part of the money has been spent on PR touting his legacy on his fight for HIV prevention through celibacy programs. I like my foot to much to put it anywhere near Bush’s behind.
Darth Paul
Mighty white of ‘im…
Konrad
Bush deserves credit for this initiative and the faith community, both its liberal and conservative elements, have come to together to create the needed pressure and attention to this issue. Michael Gerson, formerly of Bush’s staff, deserves recognition for keeping it on the President’s agenda.
Having said that, I don’t think comparisions to past administrations have any meaning. We can express our appreciation to Bush on this matter and it leave it at that.
Charlotte
The GOP have to attack the LGBT community to show what real men they are. 🙂 In the next 5 years, when all their bigotry is written into the history books perhaps then they’ll get it. Marriage is a basic civil right that should be attainable by all Americans if they choose. For those who are uncomfortable with gay marriage check out our short produced to educate & defuse the controversy. It has a way of opening closed minds & provides some sanity on the issue: http://www.OUTTAKEonline.com
CitizenGeek
I appreciate the work the Bush administration has done in fighting AIDs, but they really have treated gay people in an absolutely appalling way and reflecting on that completely removes any respect I have for the fighting AIDs thing ….
Rsquared
I agree with commenter #6. Let’s open our minds a wee bit and give credit where due, even while fighting the good fight concerning other issues. To commenter #3: it’s 3 BILLION spent globally, not $30 million.
fredo777
Ha.
I just got that title.
Willie Hewes
Whoa, whoa, DAVID BENKOF? SRSLY?!
Who cares what he says, he’s the trolliest troll since Grendel. He’s a supertroll! With extra trolly sprinkles!
Please read part of the story here: http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/david-benkof-behind-the-mask but in brief: Benkof is a newly-observant Jew who considers himself bisexual because he thinks gay sex is wrong, and writes anti-gay missives while pretending he’s a gay activist.
He has a history of deception and gross misrepresentations in his writings. If he wrote the sky is BLUE I wouldn’t believe him!
Queerty, please don’t quote this guy for any except comedy reasons.
Tim in SF
AIDS is not a gay issue. It hasn’t been for some time and it never was in Africa. Therefore, I’m a little confused as to why I owe that chimp any sort of deference over the issue.
Evan
I second comment #11.
Regardless of the veracity of an isolated claim by David Benkof, he is a lying, duplicitous anti-gay activist who tries to pass himself off as gay-supportive when it’s convenient.
You do damage to your own credibility when you cite David Bianco/Benkof for ANY reason other than to expose him as a fraud.
Evan
That said, Bush has indeed done some good things re: AIDS in Africa, but no, as Bianco claims, this is not reflective of the Republican party as a whole.
Elementary-school level research minus Bianco/Benkof’s lying bears out this truth.
Brian Miller
Earth to Benkof: AIDS is a “gay issue” like breast cancer is a “lesbian issue.”
Please stop conflating queer men with HIV. It’s a general health issue, not a “gay” one.
abracadaver
Mr. Benkof fails to mention that GWB simultaneously cut HIV/AIDS funding in the U.S. while increasing it in Africa. Convenient.
John
Next this idiot will tell us that because Bush made banning same-sex marriage a major theme of his SOTU addresses from 2003-2006, that we should be “grateful” for the attention.
Sorry, but the notion that Dubya did anything positive for the LGBT community in his eight years as president is a load of crap.
Tom
Queerty, you are doing your readers a disservice when you fail to provide context or background for Benkof, especially considering the nature of this story. A simple statement that Benkof is a Republican and self-hating gay man would have been a nice start.
REBELComx
Thank you Tim in SF for taking the words out of my mouth. HIV/AIDS is not solely an LGBT issue. It is a world crisis that effects EVERYONE regardless of age, gender, race, creed or sexual orientation. To say that Bush assisting the fight against HIV is reason for the gays to love him is absurd, obtuse, and incredibly stupid.
emb
While it’s true that globally AIDS is not a “gay issue”, unfortunately in the US AIDS is statistically very much a gay men’s issue (not exclusively, of course, but in terms of numbers). Most of bush’s AIDS efforts have been focused on Africa, which is nice and all but fails to focus on the gay men’s crisis in the US (which might be seen as helping the icky homosexuals) in favor of efforts abroad, where the aid can be couched in more rightwing-friendly terms.
And I don’t care if he rescues babies and elderly nuns from a burning orphanage, I’m not praising this preposterous excuse for a president for anything.
Qjersey
Gannon, Sanchez and Benkopf should be handcuffed together in a daisy chain and dropped into the middle of a prison yard with no condoms. They all hate our “gay ways” so let “real men” have at them.
Yeah Bush has done a great jobs on AIDS, EVERYWHERE but in the Gay Community in the USA.
ABC model, yeah unproven in the west, but sounds so good.
20% of prevention money aimed at the highest risk group (Gay/MSM), and you better not use it for “safer sex” workshops, cause you are not allowed to “promote sexual activity, specifically homosexual activity with federal dollars. HIV is huge in US prisons, but we can’t hand out condoms because homosex is not allowed, but they’re all fucking someone!
George Bush’s AIDS Policy: Turn blind eye, insert head up ass, put hands over ears.
Tim in SF
I didn’t realize that David Benkof used to be David Bianco. That asshole has been annoying the gay community for years with disingenuous, stupid, mean-spirited columns that publishers of gay rags would run in a vain attempt to appear “balanced.” David Benkof is a traitor to the gay community. He should never be quoted, lauded, or referenced. Nor should he be pissed upon if he’s on fire.
If I ever run into David Benkof, I hope it’s while I am driving my car. Please, everyone, just ignore him.
Shame on Queerty for ruining my morning coffee by quoting this jerk.
hells kitchen guy
Nos. 11 and 22 are right: WHY are you quoting Benkoff unless you want to get a rise out of people? He’s been exposed as a self-promoting phony.
that said, Bush does deserve credit for his Africa initiative, even with the idiotic abstinence-only provisions.
ggreen
Of course every dime of that money had religious strings attached to it (anti-gay, abstinence only etc.). Most of the 3 Billion was earmarked to payback big Pharma for contributing to his re-election campaign. Ask him why he is the first president to deny full funding of the Ryan White Care act?
Bush=Republican=Thieves=Assholes
Rick in Kansas
The editor of this article should be embarrassed by describing David Benkof (formerly David Bianco before his conversion to Judaism and supposed non-practicing homosexuality) as an activist. If anything he has become an anti-gay activist and depending on what audience he’s trying to reach will disingenuously refer to himself in different ways. Like Willie Hewes mentioned in his response to this post, read the detailed report on who this clown really is at:http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/david-benkof-behind-the-mask
conrad
yeah because the “abstinence only” requirement for federal funding to do sex education is really helping fight AIDS in the united states. Thats why the CDC just released alarming statistics of increased infections amongst men who have sex with men.
FUCK this guy. Maybe he needs to do a little more reading before in opens his mouth and unleashes this stupid shit. His arguments are loser than my ass hole…
Paul Raposo
We must also realize that the above article is an “Opinion” piece; a $10 word for Letter-To-The-Editor. For Mr. Bianco to paint himself as a journalist is tantamount to Reader’s Digest calling itself the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Here is a previous post about him, where he posted a couple of responses; even going so far as to slur John Santos as a pedo and a NAMBLA supporter in an absurd attempt to twist out of his point that Bianco is an ex-gay:
http://www.queerty.com/biting-20080609/
He picked that little tid bit up from NDT over on Gay Patriot.
Why do all these angry homocons immediately call their opponants pedos? I think that says more about Bianco than anyone else. After all, Bianco claims to be celibate–as do Catholic priests
M Shane
Stick Bush up Benkopfs butt. All of that money to for Christian prudes to go around telling Africans not to have sex? Bet most of that is administrative or may as well be because the statistics of success are 0.
In my book , money spent on 0 success is just giving away money to these Christian swindlers.
It’s just a version of the Iraqi Halburton rebuilding fraud.
How deluded can people be,. they spend approx 300bill of Iraqi pork barrel. This is no difference. More tax money given to Corporations.
Bob R
Seems to me AIDS is increasing in the GLBT community at an alarming rate. Also, the Ryan White Care Act has been flat funded for the past 7 years under Bush and the last funding bill included a sunset provision which means when this Ryan White Care Act comes to an end, it will have to be renegotiated all over again. Many State ADAP programs are also short funded. It is my understanding from local AIDS case managers in Florida and Ohio (two States where I’ve been personally involved in HIV/AIDS work) that there have been funding cuts. A lot of money is wasted in abstinence only, faith based programs that have been proven ineffective. Monies pledged to other nations have been rejected because of the “abstinence strings” attached and money promised does not always get allocated. The Bush AIDS initiative, like just about everything else this administration is involved in is all smoke and mirrors and generally very ineffective on a cost/benefit ratio. I don’t know who Benkof is, but I do know he’s basically full of shit.
David Benkof
It’s really sad that the same gay white men who said “ACT UP! Fight AIDS!” when their friends were dying now say “AIDS is not a gay issue” now that the victims are mostly poor and black. One-third of African-American men who have sex with men are HIV-positive. In some cities, it’s as high as one in two. As a Jew, I am used to trying to take care of the most vulnerable members of my community. The majority of the LGBT community is so disgustingly selfish that they don’t lift a finger to help gays in prison, lesbians disproportionately affected by alcoholism, HIV+ foreigners who want to visit or immigrate to the United States, and so on. I beleive the gay community is the most selfish American subculture since the Hippies.
Oh – and breast cancer is, in fact, a lesbian issue. Do your research.
Abracadaver – Bush did no such thing. Care to give a link from a mainstream media source (Socialist Daily doesn’t count) that verifies your preposterous claim?
Tom- The fact I’m a gay Republican is stated clearly in my Star-Tribune piece. The allegation I’m “self-hating” is laughable to anyone who knows me, but that’s your opinion, not a fact.
QJersey- Very cute, another prison rape joke. Given that GBT people, especial transgender women, suffer the worst from prison rape it is pathetic that the gay community does virtually nothing to fight the crisis of sexual assault against members of our community behind bars. Like you, most gay people just make jokes about it and some guys even pleasure themselves to porn titles like “Prison Master” and “Jail Bitch.” Because, you know, sexual assault against members of our community is just sooooo sexy. A more moral community would actually try to do something about the prison rape problem. But, of course, gay people aren’t exactly known for being moral.
Tim in SF-
Great, a death threat. And you want me to believe that gay people like you aren’t immoral? Hmmm……
Rick in Kansas-
I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but I’ve been a Jew my entire life.
Paul Raposo sent me a death threat to my E-mail that he was “coming to New York” to get rid of me for the offense of writing in the link he gave of saying that to allege that John Santos is a pedophile is a “reprehensible lie.” I don’t know about Raposo’s reading comprehension skills but how he twisted that into my saying that Raposo actually is a pedophile is beyond me.
mark
WTF?
REALLY…WTF?
Bush on AIDS….where is a f*cking new AIDS drug developed under Bush?
How many G*D DAMN new cases of AIDS spread during the failed abstinence-only education which censored ALL gay content from brochures.
Love Bush…the motherf*cker is lucky he lived through his 8 years, only because Cheney being president in name too…was unthinkable.
mark
David Benkof
Painting white gay men from ACT UP with a f*cking broad brush. PWAs like me don’t appreciate your slurs….GOT THAT?
good
mark
David Benkof
When KS lesioned men, and blind from CMV, and weighing 60 lbs were dropping their bodies out of their wheelchairs on to the steps of the federal Court building….where the F*CK were you?
Were you risking arrest, beatings, deprevation of drugs they hadn’t bothered to develop?
Did you hold your 24 yo lover dying in your arms in a motel room visiting his family…those family members that would bother to see him knowing he had 3 months at best to live. Were you there facing a motherf*cking motel manager screaming at you a half hour after he died how they had to remove the carpet and wallpaper because someone died of cardio myopathy due to AIDS in their horse shit motel?
oh and BTW..you aren’t the only faggot to know lesbians die of breast cancer…a Wisconsin ceramic artist was my friend, she featured women figures as angels with one or both breast removed,
we lost her to that battle.
Tim in SF
Bianco – there are no threats in anything I wrote. I clearly and honestly stated my opinion, as well as my hopes for the future. If you can’t tell the difference, then you’re paranoid as well as stupid and dishonest.
And EX GAY.
And Queerty: I’m sure it was an honest mistake printing this idiot’s effluence. I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt that you didn’t know Bianco’s background (check wikipedia), a casual perusal of which should thoroughly discredit anything following his byline. Still, if you continue printing columns by ex-gays, I’m going to delete Queerty from my RSS feed.
Paul Raposo
“Paul Raposo sent me a death threat to my E-mail that he was ‘coming to New York’ to get rid of me”
I stated in my email that without an apology here and now for libeling John Santos with the slur of his being a pedo and a supporter of NAMBLA
that you and I would be meeting face to face later this year, David.
In fact, here is the entire text of my email:
———–
David,
I recognize your absurd attempt at tarring my friend John Santos as a pedo on June 11, 2008 in the comments of Queerty, in a ridiculous
attempt to twist out of his correct assertion that you are a self loathing ex-gay. However, John is a nice guy and a soft touch. I am
not.
I will be in NY some time this year and you are the first person I will be visiting. Our meeting will not be a pleasant one, but it will be a
short one, David.
I appreciate that you hang around Gay Patriot and picked up what you thought to be a juicy slur from NDT to use against John and even though
John shrugs off such libel, I don’t.
I also don’t sue.
If you would like to man up for once in your life and post an apology and retraction on Queerty:
http://www.queerty.com/why-gays-should-love-bush-20080702/#comment-65001
I will accept that as an apology. Otherwise we will be meeting for the first and last time later this year, David.
Yours,
—
Paul Raposo
———-
Where is the threat to “get rid” of you?
“for the offense of writing in the link he gave”
So you admit what you wrote about John is an offensive thing? Yet you refuse to apologize? You’ve admitted to committing libel, David. With new internet laws governing libelous statements are you positive you do not want to apologize?
“of saying that to allege that John Santos is a pedophile is a ‘reprehensible lie.'”
And here you admit that you alleged that he is a pedo.
“I don’t know about Raposo’s reading comprehension skills but how he twisted that into my saying that Raposo actually is a pedophile is beyond me.”
And I don’t know if you understand libel laws as they now apply to postings on message boards and blogs, but there have been three cases where people have been successfully sued for libelous statements. John is a soft touch and prefers to let things pass; I cannot sue you, so I will meet you face to face, David unless an apology is forthcoming.
24play
As an Orthodox Jew, I’m so excited to see ex-gay Jewhadi Bunkof posting here in the Queerty comments!
Paul Raposo
“they don’t lift a finger to help ays in prison”
http://tinyurl.com/3nuu84
http://tinyurl.com/3wwwp6
http://tinyurl.com/3ojqdd
And that was with a simple search on Google, David.
“lesbians disproportionately affected by alcoholism”
http://tinyurl.com/lqqxd
http://tinyurl.com/3lkamm
http://tinyurl.com/44w3vo
And that was with a simple search on Google, David.
“HIV+ foreigners who want to visit or immigrate to the United States”
http://tinyurl.com/5xe9lh
http://tinyurl.com/4kcu5r
And that was with a simple search on Google, David.
The only person who hasn’t done anything for LGBTQ’s is YOU David. You have always been and will always be nothing but talk. When you were no longer a media darling, you became bitter and self-loathing and began attacking those who you feel didn’t recognize you enough.
Just what the hell did you ever do for LGBTQ’s except make money off of us, your jackass?
Paul Raposo
I posted a load of links disputing David’s belief that gays, “don’t lift a finger to help” but it’s being moderated.
mark
Guess faggot was harsh since David renounced sex with men in 95 and defines himself BISEXUAL…read, cowardly self loathing faggot.
How’s that whole heterosexual marriage you imagined being right around the corner in 95′ coming..huh David?
I’d love to see the wedding pics,It must be AWFULLY difficult finding a nice Jewish chick with dick.
Jewish men like Larry Kramer are 10 times the man you are…or ever will be.
mark
David FISTED so deep by Dick Cheney he make his lips move.
nikko
David Benkoff, shame on you.
Paul Raposo
Here’s a link to an article on BoxTurtleBulletin by Timothy Kincaid that pisses all over Davie’s parade and presents evidence that David is not a journalist as he claims:
http://tinyurl.com/3hg3wr
Charley
Since when is the LGBT communitas, an AIDS communitas. It’s about Africa, and Franklin Grahams appeal to Bush to help African heterosexuals. Gays are so dumb, it’s not about us. Bush wants us dead.
mark
Benkof = Ted Haggards uglier Jewish sister
mark
Benkof = Joe Lieberman’s and Clarence Thomas’ butt baby.
Hey,if Strom Thurmond could get jungle fever, all things are possible.
mark
Benkof = Guckert/Gannon but with less stellar journalism credentials, and his escort price is lower than Dennis Hastert’s.
RPCV
The President deserves a round of applause on this issue. And, I’m glad he spent the money on the desperate in Africa, instead of spending it on those who contracted the disease through promiscuous activities here at home. I have no sympathy for or wish my public dollars to be spent on ANYONE who contracts HIV from promiscuous sexual activities in the developed world. The lessons about the dangers of sleeping around and/or not using protection should have been learned yeeeeeeaaaarrrssss ago……..
Pete
I like Mark’s comments : ) And as for RPCV’s comment, I suppose he saves his sympathy for the Rebublicans’ cigar-smoking, alcohol-swilling, trans-fatty *sses that clog our cardiac care units at massive public expense.
Tom in Houston
So Bush’s solution to HIV/AIDS is to spend billions ignoring the 99.999999% of Gay men that aren’t celibate with his abstinence until straight marriage initiative (oops, payola to anti-Gay political supporters).
To those upset about Gay promiscuity, I submit that you show yourselves to be hateful when you support making Gay monogamy illegal as a response.
David, do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? I’ll bet you do (Please include that in your next “article” if you are going to call yourself Gay – or that you haven’t had sex in 13 years because you think it is wrong). Have you ever written an article challenging Republican/Fundamentalist anti-Gay bigots in the newspaper? In favor of civil unions where people aren’t debating marriage? Have you ever received money from groups opposed to SSM?
You certainly aren’t part of my community. And even for an Alabamian/Texan/San Diegan with lots of Conservative Gay friends, I cannot conceive of any them attacking our community like you did in the newspaper.
mark
RPCV,
“I have no sympathy for or wish my public dollars to be spent on ANYONE who contracts HIV from promiscuous sexual activities in the developed world. The lessons about the dangers of sleeping around and/or not using protection should have been learned yeeeeeeaaaarrrssss ago……..”
tell that to the motherf*cking 50% of heterosexuals with herpes…or someone else who gives a flying f*ck what you think about…uh…ANYTHING.
You have threatened fag-bashing here, and between you and racist Churchill it’s a toss up who is the bigger waste of flesh, and bandwidth.
RPCV
Mark: You fuck head. I’m poz myself, but realize that had I played safely I wouldn’t be infected. I accept responsibility for my past flawed behavior, but I have NO SYMPATHY for ANYONE in the developed world who contracts HIV from the type of activity I still see going on in bars, adult theaters, and adult book stores with video booths (and the trees and bushes next to these venues). If people today want to continue to play with fire, I HOPE they get burned for they deserve it. Touche.
Alex Sarmiento
David Benkof and Dubya can suck it. What Dubya is doing is NOT real AIDS activism. Real AIDS activism should involve ALL FACETS of the disease, and not just the “abstinence” part. Abstinence is the only fool-proof way to prevent AIDS, yes, but even if one does abstain, that doesn’t mean that they’re NOT going to get infected.
mark
RPCV
Proving what a waste of flesh you are, and unlike you, I wish HIV/AIDS on no one.
RPCV
Mark: It’s difficult for you to accept the fact that you contracted HIV from irresponsible behavior, isn’t it? Wake up. It’s your and my own fault. Period.
mark
RPCV
You know exactly NOTHING about when or how I contracted HIV…so speak for yourself, and don’t you DARE PRESUME to speak for me again,,,,clear enough fag-basher?
cuz this can get real f*ckin ugly real f*ckin quick
RPCV
Mark: As Bush said: “Bring it on.”
mark
You quoting one of the stupidest and most dangerous f*cking remarks from the stupidest f*cktard to ever live in the White House…how does that not suprise me?
mark
RPCV,
“I still see going on in bars, adult theaters, and adult book stores with video booths (and the trees and bushes next to these venues).”
What a sleazy life you got, but it also doesn’t suprise me…another ghetto gutter snipe
RPCV
Mark: As if you’re a reformed sexaholic???
David Benkof
Mark-
I was in elementary school and junior high.
Tim in SF – I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. There is as much evidence I’m ex-gay as there is that you’re a pedophile – none. How was last week’s NAMBLA meeting?
Paul Raposo-
This is the last I will have to say to you. People can look at the evidence for themselves, and decide which one of us libeled the other, and whether or not you sent me a death threat. I see no use in further communication between us.
Mark-
Not 95. 2001. And since Joe Lieberman and Clarence Thomas are two of my personal heroes, thank you.
RPCV-
You wouldn’t be gay, would you? Because it’s typical of the selfish gay community to turn its backs on HIV victims who are black and poor because “they asked for it” and “they should have used a condom.” In the Jewish community, I learned to take care of the people with my identity who suffer most, without judgment. But gay people are more interested in dance parties and lesbian golf tournaments and “gay family cruises” and ruining marriage for the rest of us to actually slow down and help LGBT people in need.
Tom in Houston-
Thanks for asking. I do not beleive homosexuality is wrong. I think gay sex is immoral (as do all Orthodox Jews), and marriage is between a man and a woman – no matter what the government says. But there’s nothing wrong with being gay, and I oppose measures to make people feel bad just because they have same-sex attractions. It’s what they do with being gay that matters.
I do have a piece challenging “pro-marriage” bigots that will appear on my blog (I think) some time in the next several days.
I favor “mutual beneficiary” programs like the one in Salt Lake City – but greatly expanded. I’d like to see national, state, and local plans extending benefits like health care and hospital visitation (and more) to the mutual beneficiaries of non-married people. I think virtually all the substantive (not symbolic) concerns of same-sex couples can be accomplished through fair legislation, without meddling with everyone else’s marriages.
For a few months in 2004 I received about $2,000 to do a writing project for a group that opposed same-sex marriage. Other than that I have never received money from groups opposed to SSM – although I would gladly take their money, just as a writer who supports redefining marriage would be happy to take money from “marriage equality” groups.
mark
David where are your het wedding photos…color me disappointed
mark
benkof,
“ruining marriage for the rest of us ”
Please give examples of all the het or bisexual’s marriages us selfish gay folks ruined…start in MA, you have 5 years of data to support your assertion..now start naming their f*cking names…I’ll wait.
mark
Benkof,
Reading your hillariously PADDED resume was good for a laugh, who knew all my published letters to the editor, made me on their Newspaper staff too?
RPCV
David Benkof: You’re right, with one exception. As a realist, I have no sympathy for people who, after 25+ years of the epidemic, choose not to protect themselves. I either lack the capacity or choose not to help those I feel should have learned how to do so themselves. To coin an old cliche, “One can lead a horse to the water…..” and, well, you know the rest….
mark
RPCV,
I have no sexual addictions, never did.
I’m happily coupled for the past 5 years with another Poz man who is amazing,and smart, and sucessful, and HOT. We each survived losing a lover to AIDS about 17 years ago, and our lovers loved us until they died.
Judging by your named haunts, you have NOTHING and NOBODY, judging by your caustic personality…you NEVER WILL.
What a sad pitiful nothing you are.
RPCV
Mark, as if I need to share this with you, but I’ve been happily partnered with a man for 3 years now. We’re a magnetic couple – I’m poz and he’s neg. Our relationship is working wonderfully. And, I wish you nothing but the best with yours. Kiss, kiss.
mark
Benkof,
“In the Jewish community, I learned to take care of the people with my identity who suffer most, without judgment. ”
Funny I know gay couples fostering children disabled with AIDS, and the heterosexuals ONLY fought them for one son who happened to test HIV negative, after a false positive diagnosis. Or LGBT families who adopt older racially mixed children who have languished for over a decade in physically and sexually abusive foster homes.
Exactly how many AIDS disabled childrn have you opened your home to? How many Katrina evacuees did you house?…EIGHT evacuees lived with us and their dogs, near Baton Rouge, and they were Gay and Straight, and Black and White.
If you didn’t help those with AIDS, and you didn’t help those after Katrina…don’t be bragging about helping the LEAST OF THESE.
mark
RPCV,
“Our relationship is working wonderfully”
or
“I still see going on in bars, adult theaters, and adult book stores with video booths (and the trees and bushes next to these venues).â€
Funny I believe the latter
David Benkof
Mark-
I have blogged extensively about the ways gay “marriage” hurts marriage at GaysDefendMarriage.com. Where did I post my resume on line? I have only had a handful of letters to the editor published, ever. The vast majority of my writing in major newspapers have been paid opinion pieces. I also let some smaller newspapers like the Palo Alto Daily News run my stuff for free.
We all have to make choices in how we do our volunteer work. I have a cause over in Israel that I work on. If you chose HIV-positive children or Katrina victims, terrific. I admire you. But nobody can help all good causes.
mark
kiss kiss?
Seems your “bring it on” Bravado….got chemically castrated.
now stick your tail between your legs as you slink under a rock, and don’t bother me in the future.
RPCV
All: I just finished reading about Benkof and the litany of postings here. While I don’t agree entirely with what he espouses, quite frankly, if we take an objective view of his theses, I largely agree with what he writes. Especially with regard to the shallowness of the gay community. As I’ve written in numerous posts, I feel the gay community has a lot of maturing to do before we can expect widespread acceptance from society at large. Our “gayness” and long held antipathy to the unfair treatment we’ve received does not make us immune to criticism. We really should do a lot of introspection and determine how best to re-introduce ourselves to society. With positive actions we’ll likely gain the incremental steps we deserve toward acceptance.
RPCV
Mark: Calm down.
mark
I repeat
benkof,
“ruining marriage for the rest of us â€
Please give examples of all the het or bisexual’s marriages us selfish gay folks ruined…start in MA, you have 5 years of data to support your assertion..now start naming their f*cking names…I’ll wait.
name the names or shut da f*ck up
mark
RPCV
to quote Cheney..”go F*CK YOYURSELF!”
mark
yourself…typo
mark
Benkof,
when you do something to help a Palestinian family…call me
btw. a dear friend who guards his closet closely, teaches orthodox Jewish children, and they’d fire him on the spot if they ever learned he was gay.
mark
RPCV,
“I feel the gay community has a lot of maturing to do before we can expect widespread acceptance from society at large”
I neither need or desire ANYTHING from society at large, certainly not their acceptance. I avoid the larger (straight) society as much as possible.
mark
Benkof,
your resume was dissected here
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/david-benkof-behind-the-mask
Gannon/Guckert has better press credentials
Mr C
No shade on this RPCV,
I see after reading some of your comments on this post here.
I see your bitterness. But lift the iron shell and live happily without hate girl. You’re really in no predicament to have such hate within.
mark
Benkof,
Since you base your discrimination against same sex marriage based on Orthodox jewish teachings, and you are named David…consider this
“King David’s Love For Jonathan
Samuel 1:25-26 clearly states male-male love is greater than that of a women.
“I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me; THY LOVE TO ME WAS WONDERFUL, PASSING THE LOVE OF WOMEN.” – King James
or, Revised English ” Jonathan lies slain on your heights. I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you are most dear to me; YOUR LOVE FOR ME WAS WONDERFUL, PASSING THE LOVE OF WOMEN.” Is the same in all modern English versions.
The speaker is King David. David was Jonathan s brother-in-law While some may not like the FACT that this is what the scripture says it does clearly state that the love between two men can be greater than between a man and a women. Many Christians are homophobic. They should try really loving homosexuals and they might find the fact homosexuals can deeply love each other not so difficult to grasp and accept.
Perhaps this greater love between men and women had something to do with the fact opposite sex marriages were not based on mutual love or attraction, but only the man’s making a financial deal with the girls father. The women was the property first of her father and then of her husband. Love had nothing to do with it, she was his property.
In same sex marriages (now discovered as historical fact of middle age and pre-modern Christians), the rituals were based on mutual love not property rights. Remember also that adultery was only wrong for a married women, never a married man with a single women, since adultery was the property right violation of a man over his wife. But since no equal right existed for a married women, her husband could never commit adultery and could have as many wives, concubines, prostitutes and breeders as he wanted.”
http://www.libchrist.com/other/homosexual/David.html
short of Abraham or Moses you’d be hard pressed to be more orthodox than King David.
TH
I am so fucking sick of hearing this bullshit! Let’s not forget that Clinton dealt with a Republican Congress that was overwhelmingly hostile to all forms of foreign aid. Remember Jesse Helms anyone?
Clarknt67
You know, it’s funny, I was just thinking that it IS true, one part of the Bush legacy is has has addressed and been good on the issue of AIDS, in Africa in particular.
But he’s a heinous human being and I abhor everything else about about him, his agenda and his corrupt cronies.
Paul Raposo
“This is the last I will have to say to you. People can look at the evidence for themselves, and decide which one of us libeled the other, and whether or not you sent me a death threat. I see no use in further communication between us.”
David, you’ve accused Tim of threatening your life and you’ve accused me of the same absurdity. Your victimhood is pathetic, if it weren’t so frought with cliches and contradictions. Get down off the cross, David. Your sexuality chnages to suit whatever group you wish to reach and argument you wish to make. All you’ve ever done for the LGBTQ community is make money off of us and now, you continue to do so by bragging that you made more money by “selling” your articles to a major newspaper, as opposed to gay publications. You’re a paraiste living off of the LGBT community, David. You’ve had six years to find a weife. If you’re not married to a woman now, then you’re either not really looking, or–clearly–it is not what you want. Get over yourself and stop using us to line your pockets, douchebag
Paul Raposo
“Tim in SF – I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. There is as much evidence I’m ex-gay as there is that you’re a pedophile – none. How was last week’s NAMBLA meeting?”
Your obsession with pedophilia is disturbing, David. I’ve found a dozen instances online where you have accuse people of being pedos–men and women. Disturbing.
RPCV
Paul Raposo: You wrote: “Get down off the cross, David.” Strange. The man is Jewish….. Like, duh!!!
David Benkof
Mark-
I typed in a lengthy response to you that did not post for some reason. I’m not going to bother re-creating it. Whether I’m being censored or whether the site doesn’t work too well, I don’t want to spend lots of time typing in messages that never get posted.
You’re welcome to continue this dialogue with me (as is everyone except Paul) at GaysDefendMarriage.com.
nikko
David, you’re double talk is straight out of Catholic teaching which says homosexuality is not wrong but acting on it is??!! WHAT??! IT’s the same thing! What kind of stupid reasoning is that? Oh, I know, it’s convoluted religious teaching trying to sound less hateful. You lied. You are anti-gay if you believe that theology. So what’s in this for you? You are probably never going to enjoy gay sex, so stay away and stick to you own ilk. I can’t belive you…ugh.
mark
Benkof
“You’re welcome to continue this dialogue with me (as is everyone except Paul) at GaysDefendMarriage.com.”
hold your breath until I follow you to a site which publishes you…do that honey
Paul Raposo
“The man is Jewish”
So was Christ…Like, duh!!! So I thought it an apt barb. But Christ never came back and Bianco just won’t leave.
David Benkof
Mark-
I’m happy to continue the dialogue at the venue of your choice, as long as my comments are all posted and not censored or lost in cyberspace. Let me know.
levoiceotruth
Thank you Bush for fighting the good fight to control aids and hiv. If you dont think AIDS or HIV are a problem, youre an idiot. AIDS took the life of my cousin along with countless others. Even more needs to be done. I can get off my high horse and get him credit for that. Mind you i still hate the president because he is just slightly smarter than people who dont think AIDS is a problem, and thats still pretty dumb. And he wasnt supposed to be in office to begin with AND we are in Iraq for reasons undocumented when we should be getting rid of the Taliban and reinstating their old monarchy. through th good times, bad times, we are all waiting til november.
mark
I’m happy to continue the dialogue at the venue of your choice
choice = queerty
where Paul can join us
greybat
And DAVID…we are all still waiting to hear about all those straight marridges that were ruined by Gay marridges.
Did you know that David actually murdered Bathseda’s husband so he could marry? Lucky he was Jehovah’s darling, or it might have been called sinful!
David Benkof
Greybat-
I”ll talk to you anywhere I can say anything I want uncensored. Let me know.
mark
Benkof,
“Iâ€ll talk to you anywhere I can say anything I want uncensored. Let me know.”
As long as no threats of violence are stated, I find this site is exceptionally good at not censoring posts. Blogactive is another site which doesn’t censor much content.
Endymnion
The Secret Origin of AIDS in America:
Facts, Fallacies and Conspiracy Theories
In 2006 the AIDS epidemic will be a quarter-century old. Officially starting in June 1981 as a mysterious and fatal disease exclusively found in several dozen young white gay men from New York City and Los Angeles, the disease has now killed 20 million people with 40 million more currently infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), widely accepted as the sole cause of AIDS. One million Americans are now infected with HIV; and almost half of the new cases are African-American.
By Alan Cantwell, MD
http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read.html?id=5420
Bush gives money, that flows back into the coffers of the pharmaceutical criminals, to ‘fight’ AIDS just for appearance sake. Family Bush and the Zionists are Satan on Earth! Some of us have understood that, other’s never will.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nj6uyDDnx50
Bush committed 9/11 and INVADED Iraq, killing over 1 000 000 innocent Iraqi civilians. He needs to be impeached and hang by his neck until death. Same applies to some other MF in government!
Rex
WAAA? Appreciate this assholefor what? Using US as a means to stir up the HATERS/Bigots..during the 2004 election…I don’t think so….I loved to see Bush laying down, and lets just say asleep forever.
IDNY
No.42 has it right in a nutshell, though I would not have used those exact words its basically correct.
This has nothing to do with us ‘gays’.
mark
IDNY
WTF?
AIDS has nothing to do with gays?
That is as stupid as saying AIDS ONLY has to do with gays.
You don’t get to write your own facts, facts are facts.
There is no denying 60% of gay men in SF, and 50% of gay men in NYC died of AIDS. It was more like 25% of gay men not on either coasts, only because we had maybe a 1 year lag before the disease spread as devastatingly. Did you fail to notice a whole G*D DAMN generation of gay men who would be apx. 65 – 40 are missing?
The ignorance of basic knowledge of the pandemic, makes me think of Eli Wiesel writing a book about the holocaust almost annually, because he saw the denial seeping into the History books. Please, go read And the Band Played On, and Borrowed Time.
Paul Raposo
“choice = queerty where Paul can join us”
Thank you, mark 8^)
It’s funny that Bianco bitches about censorship here, while ignoring the fact that he moderates the comments on his blog and has yet to post the three comments I left him two weeks ago.
greybat
Actually, I think I’d prefer not to have a conversation. Just post a line or two of data, and we’ll leave personal opinions out of it.
RPCV
I’m amazed at how rabid the comments/opinions/views are on this topic. Aren’t people concerned about their blood pressures and the negative effects of anger-released cortisol? Besides, why does anyone care what other peoples’ opinions/views are? Opinions and views are like assholes, everybody’s got one (except for people who have a colostomy) and they all stink – except for your own!
Endymnion
HERE IS ONE REASON WHY I DO NOT ADORE BUSH:
Veteran Suicides: 18 every day, 1,000 attempts per month
Eighteen American war veterans kill themselves every day. One thousand former soldiers receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs attempt suicide every month. More veterans are committing suicide than are dying in combat overseas.
These are statistics that most Americans don’t know, because the Bush administration has refused to tell them. Since the start of the Iraq War, the government has tried to present it as a war without casualties.
In fact, they never would have come to light were it not for a class action lawsuit brought by Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth on behalf of the 1.7 million Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The two groups allege the Department of Veterans Affairs has systematically denied mental health care and disability benefits to veterans returning from the conflict zones…
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b24_1212090060
mark
Comparing Clinton’s work for AIDS compared to Bush’s work for AIDS is real simple.
Over 905 of the drugs which are keeping PWAs alive today were fast tracked through the FDA by Clinton. Fuseon is about the only AIDS drug developed in 8 years of Bush. Combine that with Bush gutting 1/3rd of Ryan White Funds $300M for FAILED Abstinence only programs, and his gutting all gay content from sex education brochures and Bush LOSES.
mark
90% = 905….typo
Brandon
mark, i think what IDNA meant was that what bush did for AIDS has nothing to do with gays, not that AIDS has nothing to do with gays. correct me if im wrong
Brandon
IDNY* typo
Jacqulyn Fripp
Superb blog, numerous fascinating information. I remember 7 of days ago, I have visited a similar blog.
nikko
You’re joking, right, JACQULYN?
coh4 key
Your web site is definately worthy of a bookmark, thank you!