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“Sexual Orientation”/”Gender Identity” and the Law
Law banning pro-heterosexual Reparative Therapy for minors now likely to go into effect
Mat Staver
June 30, 2014
The following is reprinted from LC.org (web links added by AFTAH); to donate to Liberty Counsel, go HERE:
Washington, DC—The Supreme Court passed on Liberty Counsel’s petition regarding California’s ban on change therapy in the case of Pickup v. Brown. Two lower court judges and two separate appellate panels have issued conflicting opinions upholding and blocking the ban on change therapy. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction pending appeal, followed by a three-judge panel that upheld the law. That panel then agreed to continue the injunction blocking the law until he Supreme Court had a chance to weigh in on the case. Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to pass on the case means the proceeding will go back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which could lift the injunction and allow the law to go into effect.
Former homosexual David Pickup says, “Reparative Therapy helped save my life.” Read his testimony HERE; read other ex-“gay” and ex-lesbian testimonies on the PFOX website.
The California law was the first to restrict licensed counselors from offering, and minor clients and their parents from receiving, any counsel to change unwanted same-sex attractions, behaviors, or identity.
“I am deeply saddened for the families we represent and for the thousands of children that our professional clients counsel, many of whom developed these unwanted attractions because of abuse of a pedophile. The minors we represent do not want to act on same-sex attractions, nor do they want to engage in such behavior. They are greatly benefiting from this counseling. Their grades have gone up, their self-esteem has improved, and their relationships at home are much improved,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “These children have been victimized twice – first by the likes of Jerry Sandusky, and second by legislators and judges who have essentially barged into their private therapy rooms and told them that they must pursue their unwanted and dangerous same-sex sexual attractions and behavior,” said Staver.
Jack Roeser, a phenomenally successful entrepreneur, leading Illinois conservative philanthropist and a faithful AFTAH and pro-family benefactor, passed away June 13 at the age of 90.
I got to know Jack long after he had achieved his business success. I remember a decade ago when he gave me a tour of Otto Engineering–which he started humbly in his basement in 1961 in Park Ridge, Illinois (childhood home of Hillary Rodham Clinton)–and which makes specialty electronic and communications products, including control switches for American fighter jets. Though by this point Jack was retired from day-to-day operations at Otto, he was hardly detached as he proudly explained the history of Otto, including products he invented that were still key to the company’s success.
It was Jack’s ingenuity and determination that builtOtto. A friend, relaying a conversation with Jack, told how he was awarded a coveted supplier contract by simply out-hustling much larger, competing corporations and by demonstrating Otto’s ability to rapidly turn around his innovative switch design. Jack was truly a classic American success story–a living testimony of what one person can accomplish in a free society that rewards hard work and creativity. [See this Breitbart tribute to Jack.]
A little-known legacy of Jack’s is how Otto’s continued growth and success dramatically transformed the small town of Carpentersville, Illinois, where it is based. Otto, now run by Jack’s son, Tom, employs around 600 people in its beautifully-restored factory complex on Main Street along the Fox River. In 2008, Tom and Jack launched a remarkable home renovation project, Homes by Otto, that has rejuvenated Carpentersville, one gutted-and-rebuilt house at a time. It is a model for private industry and charity doing efficiently what governments the world over have failed to do despite their profligate spending of taxpayer dollars (think HUD projects). [See this FOX News interview with Tom Roeser.]
So Jack’s legacy of productive and compassionate conservatism lives on through his son. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree after all.
You can watch a short video celebrating Jack’s fascinating life produced before his death below.
Fighting the Left
Jack was an engineering genius with more than 50 patents, but he was no fan of the Left’s social engineering. He possessed the wisdom and common sense of a more grounded and God-fearing generation that instinctively knows the difference between right and wrong. Scoffing at the idea of legal “same-sex marriage,” he didn’t need to be convinced of the immorality of homosexuality–and the folly of promoting it through the government as a “civil right.”
No ray of sunshine, no warm ocean breeze rustling through the palm leaves can bring cheer to Isla Vista. A cloud of sorrow covers the picturesque college town and seeps though every fastened gate, through every locked and bolted door, and pierces every bewildered heart.
Nothing is more precious than the life of a young woman who eagerly awaits the joys of life. And no hurt exceeds the pain of a father or mother who sees a cap and gown replaced by a funeral shroud.
America should weep bitter tears over this. America must. Like the Prodigal Son who abandoned his father’s ample table to feed on the husks of swine, America has exchanged traditional views on marriage and the family for an unworkable code of sexual liberation. Under this dubious code, each man and woman becomes a law unto himself. If anyone doubts this, let him contemplate the words of the perpetrator. In his final message to society, Elliot Rodger declared himself to be beyond the commands and prohibitions of any law, human or divine.
Elliot Rodger’s understanding of human existence and sexual morality was gleaned at random from pop culture, lurid movies, and violent video games. Far from regarding women as a helpmate, life-long companion, and future mother of his children–which is the Christian view of marriage–Rodger saw women as a potential sexual conquest, a sort of prey.
In my 30-year battle for the family and marriage, insofar as God gave me the strength and wisdom to do so, I warned of the extreme danger which results from a wrong understanding of human sexuality. My warnings were rejected, both by society at large and by the pro-family movement, as alarmist, intolerant, and divisive.
Taking Social Conservatives for Granted? Some leading Indiana grassroots, pro-family conservatives have complained that Gov. Mike Pence (above)–a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2016–did not use his office more boldly and effectively to help push through an amendment, HJR 3, that would preserve the sanctity of marriage as one-man, one-woman in Indiana.
Congratulations to Micah Clark, the Indiana Family Association, and all Indiana pro-family and pro-life conservatives for their resounding victories on Election Day! Gov. Mike Pence, here’s the bottom line: are you listening to the people of your state, or the ‘liberal-tarian’ or “moderate” Republican elites and left-leaning media pundits inside the Beltway? The latter’s tired mantra to “avoid the social issues” is–like so much that goes on in Washington, D.C.–out of touch with the GOP’s grassroots conservative base. Yes, we needed this good news! — Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality
This article is taken from AFA-Indiana e-newsletter, May 7, 2014:
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Huge Wins for Conservatives; Vindication in Primary Results
[The May 6, 2014 Indiana] primary election was as close to an across the board sweep as you will ever see in politics. Republican voters finally got their chance in a few state legislative districts to express their anger over the failure of the GOP-dominated statehouse to pass a marriage protection amendment [HJR 3]. If only there had been more conservative challengers in legislative races where establishment Republicans had voted for the unraveling of marriage.
In addition, incumbents targeted for their defense of social conservatism won as well. You may recall when Rep. Bob Morris stood alone under immense criticism for pointing out that the Girl Scouts of America’s national organization had grown closer and closer to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. The establishment loathes conservatives whom they cannot control and Bob is one of those. In spite of a misguided high-profile pro-life endorsement of his pro-homosexual “marriage” opponent, Bob won the primary re-election yesterday.
Likewise, same-sex “marriage” supporters targeted Rep. Milo Smith, who chaired the committee that passed HJR 3 on to the House floor after Representatives Torr, McNamara and Leonard blocked it in the House Judiciary Committee. Liberals, who claim to support homosexuals, viciously “outed” Rep. Smith’s son–trying to personally hurt the Smith family and Milo’s re-election. Milo’s challenger was an executive with Cummins Engine, a key proponent of homosexual “marriage” in Indiana. Yet, when all was said and done, even in the sometimes more moderate Columbus area, Smith won with 59 percent of the vote.
The House author of HJR 3, Rep. Eric Turner, was tarnished with an ethics investigation that the media covered extensively. Yet, when he was exonerated of any wrong doing last week, the media coverage was incredibly thin. (Pro-same-sex “marriage” Republican legislators may have leaked his privately speaking about a bill upon which he did not even vote.) Rep. Turner also won with 59 percent opponent who had ironically called Turner’s authoring of HJR 3 “an abomination.”
The biggest victories for conservatives came in northern Indiana where the Chair of the House committee on Family and Children, Rebecca Kubacki, was trounced nearly 2-1 by her opponent. She had voted against the marriage amendment after previously campaigning as “a Catholic who would defend marriage” when first elected. She then seemed to lie about the entire process the amendment went through. Curt Nisely hammered Kubacki on her voting record, which included votes against natural marriage, against religious freedom for church childcare ministries, and for the Common Core.
Nearby, Rep. Kathy Heuer in Whitley and Allen Counties lost big as well for the same three issues. Chris Judy, an outstanding candidate, surprised even his own team by winning 60% of the vote, even handily defeating Heuer in her home county. Not even an endorsement from the Governor helped Rep. Heuer, in fact, it may have hurt her. (More on that later.)
The third establishment candidate mutually targeted by pro-family activist groups, including the AFA of Indiana PAC was Rep. Casey Cox. He was gifted with a three-way primary in which both candidates split the protest vote that came mostly from our radio exposure of Casey’s flip-flop in support for homosexual “marriage.” Even though neither of his opponents did any mail or radio, Cox ended the night with less than 50 percent of the vote in a race that he should have easily won with his significant money and campaign staff advantages.
Yesterday’s primary also saw the selection of two outstanding pro-family newcomers to the State Senate who should win their Republican districts this fall. The first is Liz Brown in Fort Wayne who replaces the retiring state Senator Tom Wyss. The other newcomer is Jeff Raatz in Richmond who won in the seat of retiring Senator Allen Paul. Jeff Raatz will bring a good perspective on education, charity and family with his work with New Creations Ministry for troubled teens.
We appreciate our good friends at Illinois Family Institute for producing this video interview of AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera on his recent detainment and arrest in Canada. Former Moody Radio reporter Monty Larrick conducts the interview. At the end is an address for the Legal Defense Fund for LaBarbera and Canadian Bill Whatcott [or see this link]. The video was published by IFI April 29, 2014; [view it on IFI’s YouTube page HERE]:
Here is a new survey that cuts through the media-manufactured hype that the battle over homosexual “marriage” is over and that legalized same-sex “marriage” with popular support is “inevitable” across the United States.–Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH
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Citizens for Community Values Action (CCVA)
PRESS RELEASE
April 14, 2014
Contact: Phil Burress, Chairman, Citizens for Community Values Action (CCVA)
New Poll Shows Decline in Support for Same-Sex Marriage
A new independent poll of 405 registered Ohio voters confirms a decline in support for same-sex marriage in Ohio. The poll was commissioned by Citizens for Community Values Action (CCVA) and conducted during the week of March 31 – April 3.
Highlights of the poll show:
1) Only 33% of respondents are certain they would vote to allow marriage between two people of the same sex. Correspondingly, 52% of people are certain to vote to keep marriage as only between one man and one woman.
2) 55% do not think it is necessary to have another vote this year on homosexual marriage
3) On the question, “Do you personally agree or disagree that marriage should only be between a man and a woman?” 56% agreed and 34% disagreed, with 9% don’t know/no response.
4) 89% of those polled are either absolutely (66%) or very likely (23%) to vote.
“These are the kind of numbers we saw prior to the 2004 vote when Ohioans passed Issue 1, the Marriage Amendment, with nearly 62% of the vote,” said Phil Burress, CCVA Chairman. “I believe this return to pre-2004 polling numbers is a direct result of the open hostility and bullying being experienced by citizens and people of faith who hold a natural or traditional view of marriage.”
“Like Ohio, voters in 31 out of 34 states have voted with margins as high as 60-80% to recognize marriage as only between one man and one woman,” Burress stated. “The shockingly intolerant decision by Federal Judge Black to invalidate the clear will of more than 3.3 million Ohio voters is egregious. It’s another example of homosexual activists using sympathetic judges and the courts as a blunt instrument to force a redefinition of marriage and family on the people of Ohio. It seems clear that when advocates of ‘marriage equality’ cannot convince the people and win at the ballot box, they resort to the courts and judicial fiat. But it’s also clear that most Ohioans still understand that natural marriage has no equal.”
“We believe Judge Black’s decision will be overturned – as it should be – by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit,” Burress concluded.
The following commentary by Sun News “Byline” host and Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley aired April 15, 2014, regarding the arrest at the University of Regina (in Saskatchewan, Canada) Monday of Canadian pro-family/pro-life activist Bill Whatcott and American AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera:
On May 11, 2013, I spoke at a pro-family rally and posed the question, “Do you fear God or man?” on the issue of homosexual “marriage–which, of course, is not truly marriage in the eyes of our Creator. The rally was sponsored by Illinois Family Institute and was held outside of (Republican) State Rep. Jim Durkin’s district office in Western Springs, Illinois. At the time, Rep. Durkin was undecided on a pending homosexual “marriage” bill but he ended up voting “No.” The bill ultimately passed the Democrat-dominated Illinois General Assembly and was signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn (D). It goes into effect June 1, although unnatural “gay marriages” are already allowed in Chicago and surrounding Cook County due to legal action. –Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH [Watch this on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/Y4t3bzYkc0c]
