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Recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) appeared before a massive fundraiser put on by the largest homosexual pressure group in the world, the Human Rights Campaign, to accept their 2007 National Equality award. In her speech — which you can watch by clicking HERE — Pelosi praised HRC “for being a powerful and positive counterbalance to the voices of hate.” Thus she confuses, as does the group that honors her, defense of marriage and the natural family — and opposition to homosexuality — with “hate.”
Here is how Speaker Pelosi ended her speech:
“Thank you, HRC. May God bless you. God has certainly blessed America with the work of the Human Rights Campaign.”
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Please forward this appeal on to your friends and family members:
A Note from Americans For Truth to Our Supporters:
They have the schools, the universities, the professional organizations, the corporate “diversity” programs.
We have the Truth. And the simple truth is that homosexual behavior is always wrong, but it can be overcome — like any sin — in a person’s life through the power of the Christ of Christmas, who came not to “condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:17)
TAKE ACTION: Write or call Speaker Nancy Pelosi and urge her to do the right thing by condemning the public nudity and perversions — and blatant anti-Christian bigotry — that occurred in her Congressional District at the “Folsom Street Fair” in San Francisco September 30. Contact Speaker Pelosi at 202-225-0100 or through her online contact page. Educate others about liberal tolerance run amok in San Francisco.
Americans For Truth is delivering the following letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) by courier today. On Wednesday, I will be in Washington, D.C., “speaking truth to power” at the National Press Club, as AFTAH publicly airs our video footage (shot by Allyson Smith) of the obscene “Folsom Street Fair” (See this link: WARNING: OFFENSIVE IMAGES: “Tolerance Gone Wild in San Francisco”) — with its police-tolerated public nudity and street orgies — held in San Francisco September 30.
Most of the city of San Francisco lies within Pelosi’s Eighth Congressional district, which she has represented since 1987. Speaker Pelosi is second in line to the presidency of the United States, behind Vice President Dick Cheney.
Americans For Truth is calling on Speaker Pelosi to publicly condemn the Folsom event and to use her considerable power to help stop similar affronts to public decency from occurring in San Francisco. We are also asking her to denounce the anti-Christian bigotry of the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” — a San Francisco group of men who dress in drag as mock “nuns” — which works directly with Folsom organizers and is a major beneficiary of that sadomasochistic event.
For a reminder of just how bizarre and offensive the Folsom event is — and what San Francisco is willing to “tolerate” — see our photo-story (WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES WITH NUDITY COVERED), “Tolerance Gone Wild in San Francisco.” Unlike the Folsom photos that we posted on our website, the shocking video footage we will show to the media Wednesday will be uncensored — just as it was allowed to occur without police intervention on September 30th.
To view Speaker Pelosi’s adoring speech to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the world’s largest homosexual lobby group — in which she boasted about San Francisco values — click HERE. — Peter LaBarbera
Ms. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker
House of Representatives
United States Capitol Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Madam Speaker:
Because you frequently extol San Francisco’s values to the rest of America, we are compelled to call your attention to what actually takes place at the Folsom Street Fair and other egregious and offensive “gay pride” celebrations in your Congressional District.
I was in San Francisco with a videographer on Sunday, September 30 and verified but a small segment of the most immoral and outrageous sexual behavior that ever disgraced the streets of any American city. On Wednesday, December 5, at 1:00 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, we will release the un-retouched DVD of the public debauchery which we videotaped during the city’s Folsom Street Fair just two months ago. Included is raw and unedited verification of:
• Large numbers of men walking on public streets either fully or partially naked;
• Groups of men engaged in orgies on the public street, including acts of oral sex and mutual masturbation, as crowds waked by and snapped pictures.
• Fully exposed men “greeting” other men by grasping other men’s genitals and massaging them in full view of passers-by. The police stood by and did nothing;
• A man sitting on the curb in broad daylight masturbating as crowds of people gawked and took pictures (he even posed for photos with others as he sat there naked and aroused);
• Theatrically dramatic sadomasochistic whippings and floggings – drawing blood and turning the willing “victim’s” skin bright red;
• Abundant flaunting of female nudity and real or simulated sexual acts;
• “Master-slave relationships” in which one man or women would “walk” their subservient “slave” with a dog-collar and chain. Others imitated animals (dogs and ponies) as yet another “fetish” on display: we talked to one woman whose mouth was bridled like a horse;
• Blatant anti-Christian bigotry in the form of “The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” men dressed in drag mocking Catholic nuns, greeting incoming attendees at Folsom; one male “Sister” wore a shirt that read “Bottom for Jesus” (“bottom” refers to his position in anal sex); entrance stickers featured a twisted, S&M-fetish version of DaVinci’s “Last Supper” painting;
• Young children with their parents witnessing this perverted and revolting spectacle.
— headline in article written by homosexual activist Wayne Besen in Venus Magazine, vol. 4, no. 4, 1998. Venus was a magazine devoted to African-American homosexuals, but that changed when Venus’ publisher, Charlene Cothran, left the homosexual lifestyle and dedicated her life — and her magazine — to helping other men and women find freedom from homosexuality through Jesus Christ. At the time, Besen was associate director of communications for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s leading homosexual lobby group. Now he runs an outfit called “Truth Wins Out,” dedicated to disparaging ex-“gays” and ministries that help people leave the lifestyle — and, of course, savagely attacking pro-family groups like Americans For Truth.
We’re sure that Besen, as America’s Premiere Anti-Ex-Gay Investigator (APAEGI), has created a file on Charlene, but based on her splendid speech at Americans For Truth’s banquet, his quest to “prove” that her change is not genuine (or perhaps that this former veteran homosexual activist never really was a lesbian…) will be an impossible one. Not that he won’t try, though.
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The following is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) speech to the homosexual activist group Human Rights Campaign, at HRC’s annual dinner in Washington, D.C., on October 6, 2007. Speaker Pelosi was awarded the 2007 National Equality Award by HRC, which is the largest homosexual activist group in the world. Under the video screen are some excerpts of Pelosi’s speech, taken from homosexual activist John Aravosis’ Americablog. Aravosis’ transcript is not wholly accurate; we will work on providing an exact transcript of the speech:
Excerpts from Pelosi speech at Human Rights Campaign (HRC) banquet:
“It is a special honor to receive this recognition from HRC and a personal joy to receive it from Jim Hormel.
“Thank you as well to Joe Solmonese for leading the way and defending the rights of the entire GLBT community. I will display this award with great pride so that everyone knows that HRC and all of you have a friend in the Speaker’s office. …
[Salute to HRC]
“Tonight, we join together in our nation’s capital to celebrate the accomplishments and the courage of the Human Rights Campaign.
“More than 700,000 voices strong, HRC is the prime mover for GLBT rights across America and an inspiration for millions more.
“When Jim Hormel and many other courageous Americans built the foundations of what would become HRC, our struggle for justice was in its early stages. But our cause for justice would not be denied.
“For being a powerful and positive counterbalance to the voices of hate – and for being the hope and salvation of millions of Americans – thank you, HRC.
[Condemns Federal Marriage Amendment]
“As we strive to work in a bipartisan way, we must also recognize the difference a Democratic Congress makes.
“In the previous Congress, we fought back cynical attempts to enshrine discrimination into the Constitution and defeated the Federal Marriage Amendment.
“In a Democratic Congress, unlike previous Congresses, malicious measures intended to divide the American people or to undermine the rights of the GLBT community are off the table.
…
“Instead, our Democratic Congress has a positive agenda.
[Transgender-Inclusive Hate Crimes Bill]
…
“This past May, the House passed Chairman John Conyers’ legislation protecting Americans against violence based on sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or gender identity.
“Some doubted that we could pass a hate crime bill if it included protections for transgender Americans.
“But [lesbian Democrat] Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin would not be denied.
“Representatives Baldwin and [homosexual Massachusetts Democrat] Barney Frank fought for a fully inclusive bill. HRC rallied support. And with 237 votes, the House passed hate crimes legislation.
“Just last week, the Senate followed suit with a strong bipartisan vote. Thank you, Harry Reid.
“After 15 long years, we will – for the first time – put this bipartisan hate crimes legislation on the President’s desk. …
[Wants Transgender-Inclusive ENDA]
“As members and supporters of HRC, you understand that it is truly historic that the House of Representatives will soon pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
“The tremendous progress we have would not have been possible without the great leadership of Chairman Barney Frank of Massachusetts [D]. With his brilliance, his wit and legislative skill, he persevered in bringing ENDA before the Congress.
“America is a great and wealthy country, but we cannot afford to squander the talents of any of our citizens, nor should we.
“We all benefit if everyone gets a chance to work hard, and support their families.
“Yet today, in more than 30 states you can be fired for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
“That is wrong. Federal action is needed, and it is long overdue.
“I strongly believe that transgender individuals deserve the same rights and the same protections as any other Americans and will work to see that ENDA also protects their rights.
“In a few weeks, the House will be voting on ENDA. And those who oppose us will be lobbying on the Hill and working to defeat any version of ENDA. We cannot allow the forces of discrimination succeed.
“Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and others will do the inside maneuvering. But we cannot succeed without outside mobilization. Working together, we will mobilize, and educate. Each and every one of us must take personal responsibility for passing the strongest possible ENDA – one vote at a time.
“History teaches us that progress on civil rights is never easy. But justice is inevitable. It’s about time.
“Many saw the 1957 Civil Rights Act as not having done enough, but it helped lay the groundwork for the great Civil Rights Act that followed.
“On the occasion of receiving the HRC Equality Award, I give you my commitment as Speaker of the House that I will fight for the most inclusive ENDA possible so that our nation’s laws are in harmony with our nation’s ideals.
[Praises San Francisco’s ‘Tolerance’]
“I accept this honor tonight on behalf of the many members of Congress who stand with HRC, not because it is popular in their districts, but because it is right.
“I also accept this award on behalf of my constituents in San Francisco.
“People always say it is easy for me to take these votes and be for these issues because San Francisco is so tolerant.
“It is not about tolerance. It is about the respect we have for each other. It is about the pride we take in our community.
“That sentiment is now spreading across America. And it is happening thanks to the work of the Human Rights Campaign – and each and every one of you. …
“May God Bless you, and May God Bless the America.”
NOTE TO READERS: Proposed amendments to H.R. 3685, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) approved by the Rules Committee for a vote on the House floor — probably tomorrow — do little to address the bill’s core problem: it tramples on the rights of Christian and moral-minded businessmen by creating new federal employment rights based on aberrant sex (or at least the inclination toward homosexuality/bisexuality). AFTAH released the following media advisory today:
Americans For Truth Says ENDA, H.R. 3685, Would Lead to Religious Persecution
Christian Newswire. NAPERVILLE, Illinois — Americans For Truth President Peter LaBarbera today urged Christian, Muslim and other moral-minded Americans to “wake up to the tremendous threat that the ‘ENDA Our Freedom’ Bill, H.R. 3685 (Employment Nondiscrimination Act), poses to their religious and First Amendment freedoms.” H.R. 3685 could be debated on the House floor today. [It now appears the vote will be Wednesday, Nov. 7.]
“In an era when homosexuals are being hired – not fired – for “being gay” — and when Christians are already being punished or fired by corporations like Allstate for opposing homosexuality, ENDA would lead to further harassment of faith-motivated employees by creating federal ‘rights’ based on homosexuality and bisexuality,” LaBarbera said.
He offered this example as to how ENDA would codify discrimination: “Take an orthodox Jewish entrepreneur who owns a large day care center. He can now factor in his morality about homosexuality as a sin. (He rejects the idea of innate, innocuous “sexual orientation.”) Under ENDA, if his company were to grow to 15 or more employees, he would lose his right to consider his own religious and moral beliefs in hiring/firing decisions. A bisexual with good credentials who does not get hired might sue him for “discrimination.” (If he’s an outspoken pro-marriage advocate, he might be targeted for a “gay” lawsuit.) The government’s politically correct view of homosexuality could force this man, and hundreds of thousands like him, to violate their conscience. It’s Big Government with an amoral twist and, incidentally, a homosexual activist lawyer’s dream.”
To understand the inherent conflict between “gay rights” and religious freedom, LaBarbera pointed to lesbian Georgetown professor Chai Feldblum’s 2005 Beckett Fund presentation, “Moral Conflict and Liberty: Gay Rights and Religion.” Unlike most homosexual activists, Feldblum at least recognizes that religious citizens have a valid moral claim in opposing homosexuality, yet she asserts that homosexuals also have a “moral” claim for their “civil rights” (including same-sex “marriage”). She calls the conflict between those two claims a “zero-sum” game.
“Feldblum says her ‘morality’ outweighs that of traditionalists. I would strongly disagree, seeing that this nation was founded by people seeking religious freedom. ENDA would take away Christians’ and others’ right to stand up for Biblical morality and live by the dictates of their own moral conscience,” LaBarbera said.
Matt Barber lost his job at Allstate due to pro-homosexual activism. He says it’s a canard that Christians are “focusing too much” on this issue. Why do some Christians feel guilty about opposing a homosexual lobby that is so brazen it now openly promotes homosexual activity as normal to innocent, young children? (See page from “King and King” children’s book below.)
Folks, my good friend Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America and Americans For Truth Board Member, is right on in this excellent essay rebutting the increasingly common complaint that Christians are focusing too much on homosexuality.
I find it curious at this juncture in American history when the homosexual lobby is at the zenith of its power — and on the verge of passing an oppressive, sweeping federal bill creating special workplace privileges based on people’s inclination toward aberrant sex — that Christians of all people would urge a de facto public policy and cultural retreat in opposing that movement.
Why are so many people of faith riddled with guilt in opposing a sin-based movement that threatens everybody’s religious and First Amendment freedoms? Perhaps it’s because many Christians, far from “hating gays,” as the trendy accusation goes, are intimidated by the liberal media and no longer agree with their Creator that homosexual acts are an egregiously sexual sin.
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Professor Rob Gagnon, author of The Bible and Homosexual Practice, examines the potential assaults on liberty if the ENDA bill (Employment Nondiscrimination Act, H.R. 3685) becomes law. Gagnon’s paper, “Don’t ENDAnger Your Liberties in the Workplace,” is a must read, as it delves into the potential reactions (and over-reactions) of corporation managers to a federal law that bans “discrimination” based on homosexuality (“sexual orientation”). Check out these scenarios offered by Gagnon:
Suppose in the lunchroom or at the water cooler you engage in a conversation about sexual ethics. If a fellow employee extols homosexual bonds and you express your moral reservations about such bonds, you or the company could be liable for an anti-discrimination lawsuit for creating an intimidating atmosphere in the workplace that adversely affects the standing of a person who is vocal about his or her homosexual activity.
Let’s say that, in response to “diversity” posters, you post on your cubicle the text of Rom 1:24-27. Or in response to a corporate directive that you participate supportively in a “Coming Out Day” you respectfully decline because you find homosexual practice to be morally offensive. Or in an attempt to get exempted from the email list of the company’s “GLBT” organization (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender) you send an email requesting to be removed from the list because you think homosexual practice is immoral. In all these circumstances, you are far more likely to be disciplined or fired, and to have no legal redress, with an “ENDA” in place than without it.
As a means of protecting the company against “discrimination” lawsuits, your employer may require you to attend indoctrination seminars that stress that homosexuality is as morally neutral as race or sex; and, moreover, to participate in “coming out” celebrations in the workplace that affirm “sexual diversity.” Your employer may further prohibit, under penalty of termination, any conversation, written communication, or act that calls homosexual practice into question.
While homosexual and bisexual persons will have their jobs protected under this act, your job status and advancement will have no such protections if you manifest “discriminatory” words against homosexual behavior. Indeed, not only will your religious convictions not be protected in a secular workplace, but also they will be treated as “bigotry” akin to racism and sexism. Corporations don’t generally hire or promote bigots. It is not good for business.
Monitoring of “discriminatory” beliefs toward homosexual and bisexual persons could even extend, at least in the case of white collar employees, outside the workplace. For example, if a school teacher has published in a newspaper a letter that advocates that society not provide legal incentives for homosexual practice, or offers counseling for those seeking to come out of the homosexual life, the courts could rule (as the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled a couple of years ago) that the employer is entitled to take such discriminatory views into consideration in suspending or firing the employee.
In a manner similar to what it did regarding the “hate crimes” bill, the White House has issued a “Statement of Policy” raising constitutional and policy objections to H.R. 3685, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), sponsored by homosexual Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.). The Administration statement states, “The bill raises concerns on constitutional and policy grounds, and if H.R. 3685 were presented to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.”
REMAIN VIGILANT: please keep those calls and letters coming to the White House (202-456-1111 or -1414; www.congress.org), urging President Bush to do so — regardless of the form the bill takes.
Also, even some key Republicans are supporting ENDA, so call Congress today (202-224-3121; www.congress.org) and urge your U.S. Representative and both Senators to oppose ANY form of ENDA. A House vote on H.R. 3685 could come tomorrow. Homosexuality is not a “civil right” — period, and H.R. 3685’s “religious exemption” wording in ENDA is still very weak, as this memo from the Alliance Defense Fund asserts. See our paper, “14 Good Reasons to Oppose H.R. 3685, the ‘ENDA Our Freedom’ Bill.”
Americans For Truth’s revelation that a White House official had boasted to pro-family leaders that the White House had helped craft ENDA’s religious exemption language raised concerns among pro-family groups counting on an Administration veto of ENDA. It also touched off a flurry of blog posts on the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) side, where there is a ferocious battle taking place over ENDA. Barney Frank’s decision to back a version of ENDA that does not include “transgenders” has infuriated the pro-transsexual groups. Meanwhile, Human Rights Campaign, the country’s leading homosexual lobby group, is playing both sides of the fence — backing Frank’s compromise while publicly supporting Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s pro-transsexual amendment to H.R. 3685 to shore up its pro-“T” (transgender) credentials.
Traditional Values Coalition lobbyist Andrea Lafferty, who with father Lou Sheldon has done more than anyone in America over the years to keep the homosexual agenda in check on Capitol Hill, told Americans For Truth that at a recent pro-H.R. 3685 press conference called by Rep. Frank, the various homosexual/trans groups favoring a more radical (they say “inclusive”) ENDA were kept out in the hall, while HRC staffers were allowed in the room. Lafferty said that the homosexual newspaper Washington Blade played down the GLBT infighting.
Here is the White House’s statement on ENDA (emphasis added):
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
October 23, 2007 (House Rules)
STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY
H.R. 3685 – The Employment Non-Discrimination Act
(Rep. Frank (D) MA and 9 cosponsors)
H.R. 3685 would extend existing employment-discrimination provisions of Federal law, including those in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to establish “a comprehensive Federal prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.” The bill raises concerns on constitutional and policy grounds, and if H.R. 3685 were presented to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.
H.R. 3685 is inconsistent with the right to the free exercise of religion as codified by Congress in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The Act prohibits the Federal Government from substantially burdening the free exercise of religion except for compelling reasons, and then only in the least restrictive manner possible. H.R. 3685 does not meet this standard. For instance, schools that are owned by or directed toward a particular religion are exempted by the bill; but those that emphasize religious principles broadly will find their religious liberties burdened by H.R. 3685.
A second concern is H.R. 3685’s authorization of Federal civil damage actions against State entities, which may violate States’ immunity under the Eleventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The bill turns on imprecise and subjective terms that would make interpretation, compliance, and enforcement extremely difficult. For instance, the bill establishes liability for acting on “perceived” sexual orientation, or “association” with individuals of a particular sexual orientation. If passed, H.R. 3685 is virtually certain to encourage burdensome litigation beyond the cases that the bill is intended to reach.
Provisions of this bill purport to give Federal statutory significance to same-sex marriage rights under State law. These provisions conflict with the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman. The Administration strongly opposes any attempt to weaken this law, which is vital to defending the sanctity of marriage.