THE HOMOSEXUAL MANIFESTO: SATIRE OR REALITY? Bradlee Dean

I just came across this article by Bradlee Dean titled HOMOSEXUAL MANIFESTO: SATIRE OR REALITY? 

Bradlee Dean is an ordained preacher, talk-show host of the Sons of Liberty Radio, and has a  ministry, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International. He speaks in High Schools and College campuses all over America and produced a documentary "My War". Dean's promotion likens him to Martin Luther King Jnr. I THINK NOT! 

The Homosexual Manifesto, referred to in Dean's commentary  is an article written by Michael Swift in 1987. Swifts article was written at the request of the Gay Community News as satirical "proof" of the so-called insidious and perverted "Gay Agenda" that conservative right wing Christian were claiming .  The original article was titled "Gay Revolutionary".

Context is everything 

The 1987 essay was written after nearly two decades of relentless hostile opposition from religious groups while gay and lesbian people sort to change laws that classed them as criminals and discriminated against them in areas such as employment and housing. Groups  such as Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, James Dobson's Focus on the Family, Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council, Pat Robertson's The Christian Coalition and Anita Bryant's Save our Children campaign being the most well known.

After years of cruel and hurtful lies being told about gay and lesbian people including claims that we recruit and we will take over the world unless we are stopped, Michael Swift wrote this piece in response. It (tongue in cheek) describes a scenario in which homosexual men dominate American society and suppress all things heterosexual. It was a joke. No gay or lesbian people since 1987 have used it as a blueprint for takeover. The majority wouldn't even know of it's existence.

Nearly 30 years later religious conservatives still quote this text, but they always omit the vital first line, which sets the context for the piece.
"This essay is an outré, madness, a tragic, cruel fantasy, an eruption of inner rage, on how the oppressed desperately dream of being the oppressor."
Every version of this essay found on Christian websites and books always fail to mention this important fact. This is not and has never been the gay agenda.


Dean's professionally produced video quotes Michael Swifts article as fact with clever images to reinforce the fear-mongering  message Dean wants to portray.

To Dean, as a Christian, I would like to remind you of a couple of bible verses. Exodus 20:16 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour" and Exodus 23:1 "Do not spread false reports". Either you haven't done your research about the piece you quoted or you have intentionally used it manipulatively to incite fear and anti-gay activism. Whichever it is, both are inappropriate and un-Christian. The latter is evil. 

Take action (only two minutes)

  1. Go to the video Homosexual Manifesto Threatens America
  2. Click on the thumbs down icon under the heading 'I dislike this' 
  3. Hover your mouse over the flag on the right (report) and click
  4. Check Hateful or abusive content
  5. Drop down menu select Promotes hatred or violence
  6. Optional: You have the option of writing 500 characters of why you think this should be removed.
  7. Hit submit.
Here's what I wrote:
This video is about an essay that was written as a satire. To quote the author Michael Swift "This essay is an outré, madness, a tragic, cruel fantasy, an eruption of inner rage, on how the oppressed desperately dream of being the oppressor." The person who put this up is using it irresponsibly to promote hatred of gay and lesbian people and justify anti-gay beliefs and motivate people to oppose moves for equality and to end discrimination. It is offensive and dangerous.

© Anthony Venn-Brown 
Twitter: @gayambassador 
Facebook: Anthony Venn-Brown - A Life of Unlearning
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Website: www.gayambassador.com 
Email:  info@gayambassador.com 

 Anthony Venn-Brown is the co-founder and former leader of Freedom2b, Australia’s largest network of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people from Christian backgrounds. He is also an educator and consultant on LGBT/faith issues and leader in deconstructing the ‘ex-gay’ myth. Anthony’s autobiography 'A Life of Unlearning', details his journey from married, high profile preacher in Australia’s mega-churches to living as an openly gay man. Anthony has been twice voted ‘One of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians’ (2007 & 2009) and  was one of four finalists for the 2011 ACON Community Hero Award. He is also the founder and director of Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International.

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