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.
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)
- Go to the video Homosexual Manifesto Threatens America
- Click on the thumbs down icon under the heading 'I dislike this'
- Hover your mouse over the flag on the right (report) and click
- Check Hateful or abusive content
- Drop down menu select Promotes hatred or violence
- Optional: You have the option of writing 500 characters of why you think this should be removed.
- 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.
- More on the infamous Bradlee Dean in the Huffington Post here
- And also a piece by my friend Kathy Verbiest Baldock on her blog here,
© Anthony Venn-Brown
Twitter: @gayambassador
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.
Bradlee Dean writes in paragraph 8 'Swift’s original preface stated: “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.”
ReplyDeleteyes you are right. I can't recall that being there when I read the article though. Maybe it was added latter after criticisms.
DeleteDean says "I lay this to your candor. You decide if this is merely a satire, or if this is actually being played out in reality." This statement cannot be taken seriously. The average gay man or lesbian today has never even heard of Swift's "Manifesto" let alone believe it to be the blue print for achieving equality. The only people who seem to take Swifts article seriously are anti-gay conservative Christians who keep recycling the 1987 satire.
Floyd Corkins was an obviously mentally unstable person and no LGBT person in their right mind would condone his crazy violent actions. Bradlee Dean suggesting that this kind of behaviour is part of an LGBT community strategy is false and completely irresponsible
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteYou know you are such a liar because that you tube video proves all that was said in that essay IS happening. So Swift wasn't kidding. He was planning. And trust me when I say all you child molesters will get your karma honey.....especially those of you who adopt. NO ONE has more rage than adults who were molested and raped as kids. All of you deserve what you are going to get too. We will make sure it is the life in solitary confinement in prison or the death penalty through the prison system. You are NOT going to win you fing losers.....
ReplyDeleteOf course this would have to be an "anonymous" comment. No one in their right mind would publicly take ownership of what you just said. Actually, no one in their right mind would even say it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteWhen I see the gay influence in the schools policy and children's books, when I see a Baker and a Photographer denied their 1st Amendment rights for the sake of the gay community in the name of discrimination, which is not discrimination. If they were denied a public service, or service at a restaurant then THAT would be discrimination. This is someone requesting the services of another's Artistic abilities which are protected under the 1st Amendment, as is a persons Right to Freely practice and express their religion. To deny someone access to someone elses Artistic ability is not discrimination, and yet here we are. A baker and a photographer are both denied their 1st Amendment right to Freedom of Religion, and Expression of their Artistic talent based on their religious conviction. That is tyranny! I see a bunch of politicians lining up to support the "Gay Agenda" sacrificing Christians' rights. I see activist judges supporting this as well. Do I believe that all "gays" are at this level of militarism? No. But I see enough politicians, judges, teachers, and other societal leaders that will manipulate society and policy to bring this about. So is it satire or reality? Sadly, I see the results of this Manifest becoming reality.
ReplyDeleteHey Mike....I think from what Jesus said the Christian has no rights. They are slaves to Christ and a servant to all. I think what you are seeing becoming a reality is the universal acceptance of basic human rights. This is not a gay agenda or manifesto.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteYou're quoting Exodus to him??? Now that's hypocrisy!
ReplyDelete.
????
DeleteSatire? Yet what is spoken of in the manifesto is already starting to happen all over the world... EVERYONE (including Anthony Venn-Brown) knows that homosexuality is wrong, whether they want to admit it to themselves or not. Homosexuality is just another way of being perverted, and calling it a "right", "freedom", or "love" is a clear sign of stupidity, arrogance, dishonesty, insanity, and immorality. If we truly loved people we would correct their wrong doing and try to free them from their immoral sickness of homosexual perversion. And no, Anthony, a man thrusting his penis into another man's rectum to "get off" is certainly not enlightenment, so stop lying and trying to make things look like something they obviously are not.
ReplyDeleteIts challenging not to respond with the same vitriol that you have displayed in the tone of your comment Bob. ...but I will refrain. You clearly have some issues to work through and not ones that I can help you with. I live with the quiet confidence that one day people like yourself will be no more. Till that day we continue to overcome ignorance and misinformation with truth and create a world where all people are treated with the dignity and respect we all deserve.
DeleteWhere is the respect and dignity for all those in the homosexual community who have become homosexual because they were sexually traumatised or for another reason (and there are many), which means that they were not born that way. How are leaders in the homosexual community like yourself addressing the fact that there may be many people who are not actually homosexual and mistakenly think themselves to be. Instead all the public hear is we have the right to be homosexual and its normal. In many cases it is not, yet all you and other homosexual people care about is encouraging people to be homosexual and stay homosexual when the reality is when you experience sexual trauma, you don't suddenly turn heterosexual but it does happen the other way around, which has obvious implications and when the media portrays stereotypical natural families, it does not influence people to become heterosexual, they are naturally so but it does work the other way around where they media influences people who are normally not homosexual to explore being so. If you are such a righteous, caring and respectful community how is it that you will not address or accept that everyone is not born this way and instead you promote it in all cases as being natural, further damaging the very people you claim to care about and taking away the rights of these same people to be heterosexual.
ReplyDeleteThe following article from http://www.kalimunro.com/article_malesurvivors.html appears to give a very balanced perspective on the dilemmas of gay men who have experienced sexual abuse, particularly as children. I don't know if anyone is willing to discuss this topic but he raises some provocative ideas, including:
Delete"Gay survivors can feel like their sexuality is as shameful as their abuse was, and may have a hard time separating the two.
"...given the likelihood that the survivor was abused by someone that he knew and trusted, it may feel easier, or safer, to have sex with someone he doesn't know or trust.
"A gay survivor who sees a causal relationship between the abuse and his sexuality is likely to experience a lot of conflict about being gay...
"But even if he is comfortable with being gay, he may struggle to let himself enjoy being sexual and close with another man.
"During sex, he may find himself behaving or responding in similar ways to the way he behaved or was forced to behave when he was abused."
Personally speaking, abuse played a big part in preventing me from coming out for more than 20 years. It also played a major role in how I responded to my relationships with men in the process. Am I really free of the shadow?
How does Sexual Abuse and Homophobia Effect Gay Men?
"Both sexual abuse and homophobia have a profound impact on gay men's ability to feel comfortable with themselves, their bodies, their sexuality, and their sexual relationships. If sexual abuse is a gay man's framework for understanding what it is to be gay, being gay may be viewed as something profoundly shameful and dirty; and something that needs to be hidden, like a dreadful secret. This association with the abuse, in addition to the homophobia that lesbians and gays routinely face, makes it particularly hard for gay survivors to feel comfortable with themselves, their bodies, their sexuality and coming out. Gay survivors can feel like their sexuality is as shameful as their abuse was, and may have a hard time separating the two. They may feel like they are abusers, feeling as though they are guilty too, or they may worry that all gay men are abusive.
If a survivor's understanding of what it means to be gay is derived from having been sexually abused by older men, a survivor may express his sexuality through anonymous sex with older men. Of course, this can be a choice apart from abuse, but it can also be a replaying of something familiar and unresolved. In addition, given the likelihood that the survivor was abused by someone that he knew and trusted, it may feel easier, or safer, to have sex with someone he doesn't know or trust.
The gay survivor may worry, "Am I gay because of the abuse?" In my experience, this question reflects how badly he feels about himself and his sexuality, and the question is a result of the combined effects of sexual abuse and homophobia. Survivors often feel shameful, "bad" and "dirty," and believe they are "damaged goods." In a homophobic context, this shame extends to being gay. Straight survivors may feel dirty about themselves and having sex, but they do not feel dirty about being straight. A gay survivor who sees a causal relationship between the abuse and his sexuality is likely to experience a lot of conflict about being gay, and may end up resigning himself to being gay. He doesn't feel good about the abuse, so how can he feel good about something he believes is caused by the abuse?
If he's fortunate, he is able to distinguish between sexual abuse and being gay. But even if he is comfortable with being gay, he may struggle to let himself enjoy being sexual and close with another man. Having sex with a man can bring up frightening feelings and memories. He may feel like he is back there again with the man (or men) who raped him. His body may go numb, and even though he goes through the motions of having sex, he may not feel really connected.
During sex, he may find himself behaving or responding in similar ways to the way he behaved or was forced to behave when he was abused. He may try to please his partner with little or no regard for his own pleasure. He may feel like he's performing, even though he doesn't want to. He may place himself in situations where he doesn't have enough control because that's what he knows. Or, he may need a lot of control during sex because he didn't have any when he was abused. And although he may crave emotional and physical closeness, he may avoid them for fear of being hurt or betrayed again. On a deep level, he may not feel safe with or trust men which makes it very difficult for him to have meaningful relationships, or to feel proud of being gay.
DeleteClearly there is a profound difference between sexual abuse and being gay--one connotes control over a child, coercion, force, exploitation, and abuse, and the other connotes sexual freedom, free choice, romance, and love. Unfortunately, gay survivors may have a hard time feeling this difference and may struggle to come out, accept themselves, trust other men, have sex, or be in a relationship."
this also might be useful http://www.livingwell.org.au/information/dealing-with-recent-sexual-assault-medical-matters/when-a-man-is-raped/
DeleteWhat you don't admit is that A. The Bible has the hidden wisdom that you can't understand. Because demons are blinding you to your hurting yourself. God is love you are rejecting love for lust you are being enslaved by demons that want to kill you but you don't admit it because of the deception within you. Look up Alexander the Great was He a Homosexual, look up Sodom they forced everyone to be raped into homosexuality even if they didn't want to, Rome the A Class citizens were forced to be homosexual, in american slavery they were forced to be homosexual the demons get off on forcing people they are all about oppression the spirit in your life is oppressing your mind that is why you don't even see that you are destroying yourselves. God said there was a sinful nature deposited in us all along time ago this nature of sin is what satan uses to make people kill themselves though madness of sin. God loves you but you must choose Him you must choose to want to be set free in Jesus name look up sing over me the documentary. We all were born into a world of sin a world that the devil exists in he tempts us all but you can't obey the temptation it is what leads to dead, there are various temptations drinking for instance, people do this first because they want to fit in or because they think it makes them macho but its all about hooking the person and leading them to death. You can believe you are doing something natural and you were persecuted but God created the family He created procreation long ago the devil created homosexuality with fallen angels to destroy the family.
ReplyDeleteI am not here to attack you but the truth is that you are being attacked and it is because you don't even know the attacker exists He plants thoughts into your mind you think are your own vain imaginations The Bible warns us about, this is why you feel you are born homosexual from the time of your youth you fight these thoughts some of you were abused not loved by parents, and have been attacked beaten, etc...For that I feel simpathy for you, but you cannot blame God for that, He didn't tell anyone to do so. In the Old Testament man could not be redeemed so the only way to stop sin was to cut it off from many but causing them to see its ultimate result of death. Eventually it would just kill them all more if it were not cut off in the few who started it. That is why God destroyed Sodom, it is like what you call a querntine (sorry for misspelling). It was God's stopping this before more people choose to do it, to be an example, however, even though He did this outwardly He knew that the devil would just keep on tempting people inwardly because that is how he manifests his being in the earth realm though forcing His nature on man. You are being used, but not by God He is not the enemy. However, you in an unnatural lust! It is not coming from God but demons.
ReplyDeleteEven though you think it was a joke, hasn't this all come to pass that is the fact that satan can speak a false future though a person if they are open, it was demons that planned this for america just as they did before in pagan times when they were worshpped in fact the pagan god Zeus a homosexual and we know that idols are demons they represent demons. You have to see this was always an demonic agenda because God said, THESE TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH MEN AND WOMEN LET NO ONE DESTROY THIS UNION JESUS ALSO SAID THIS AGAIN ONLY THESE TWO. So Jesus is God, He would not disobey His own self. You can lie to yourself but not God, and in the end you will be judged by Him. Judgement will not factor in opinion but God's Standards of Righteousness. You can waist your time arguing with God but in the end He will simply judge you.
ReplyDeleteYou can be set free from the chains of the satan that are mental and spiritual if you call on Jesus Christ as Lord, and surrender your all to Him all your sins will be forgiven, but you have to realize that if you don't admit you are sinning you change because God won't go over your will you have to yield to Him.
ReplyDeleteGman I certainly agree with you 100%. Many times people misunderstand God's love for discrimination or even hatred, they fail to know when and where to apply that dividing line when He says we must love all people, and yet hate sin.
Delete