Gender-confused “rights”? Women should feel safe and not have to worry about (“transgender”) men in dresses using female restrooms and shower facilities, say Maryland activists with the Citizens for Responsible Government.

From NotMyShower.com and the Citizens for Responsible Government, a Montgomery, County Maryland grassroots organization formed by citizens outraged at Montgomery County, Maryland’s passage of a “gender identity” “nondiscrmination” bill:

“By the stroke of a very powerful pen, County Executive Leggett has broken the biological barriers that separate male and female facilities. No longer will women and girls be able to feel completely safe in the most private and personal bathroom and locker facilities of schools, public pools, malls, stores, health clubs, restaurants and other such public places throughout the county. County Executive Ike Leggett signed Bill 23-07, the outrageous legislation that may result in forcing even religious schools to hire transgender teachers; and then also allow cross-dressing but biological males in your daughter’s school locker room. Maryland Citizens for a Responsible Government has filed a referendum to prevent the implementation of Bill 23-07. We are calling on every concerned Montgomery County citizen to join us in this huge undertaking.”

Youth walk in Boston’s annual “Gay/Straight Youth Pride March” holding a banner for BAGLY, the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Youth. The group is run by a cross-dressing, male-to-female transsexual activist adult. Kudos to MassResistance for exposing the corrupting influences on Massachusetts youth.

Brian Camenker of MassResistance.org writes:

We’ve just found out that the [Massachusetts] Senate Ways and Means Committee will be meeting tomorrow – Wednesday, May 14 – to decide on the 2009 budget appropriations. This includes the $750,000 now earmarked for homosexual activism targeting children in schools. Click HERE to contact the Ways and Means Committee to oppose the use of Massachusetts taxpayer dollars for this agenda.

Massachusetts citizens: want to know where your tax money is going? Read on:

1. Homosexual “Youth Pride Day” includes hardcore “gay” anti-religious propaganda. Speaker incites crowd to attack photographers.

This past Saturday was homosexual “Youth Pride Day” in Boston, run by the tax-funded Massachusetts Commission on Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Youth. It included a “celebration” on the Boston Common followed by a parade past the State House and a “transgender prom” that evening at Boston City Hall.

Kids were bussed in from all over the state. Homosexual activists were everywhere.

Will Soulforce founder and homosexual activist Mel White, pictured here with lover Gary Nixon, accuse Joel Osteen (right) of “spiritual violence” if Osteen’s Lakewood Church chooses not to enter into a “dialogue” over homosexuality?

Folks, the irony of this latest Soulforce gimmick is that most of these mega-church pastors (Harry Jackson being the key exception) are not known for confronting the homosexual agenda. For example, Bill Hybels’ Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, did not even participate in the Protect Marriage Illinois (www.protectmarriageillinois.org) referendum campaign in 2006. But Soulforce’s activism may force them to take a more public stand on this seeming ‘special sin’ that has its own well-funded and extremely powerful lobby. Targeted churches with contact pages are listed below the press release. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

_____________________________

News Release

Americans For Truth
www.americansfortruth.org

May 9, 2008

Contact: Peter LaBarbera: 630-717-7631; americansfortruth@comcast.net

Americans For Truth Condemns Soulforce’s Politicized ‘Dialogue’ with Mega-Churches

NAPERVILLE, Illinois — Americans For Truth President Peter LaBarbera today accused the homosexual activist group Soulforce of “politicizing Sunday worship” to further its anti-biblical agenda — by calling for (quasi-forced) “dialogue’ with mega-churches like Joel Osteen’s and Rick Warren’s “at the point of a potential protest.”

Soulforce is leading an activist event called the “American Family Outing” in which they seek “peaceful dialogue” (on their terms) with Lakewood and five other mega-churches across the country each Sunday between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. This Sunday they are targeting Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston.

LaBarbera issued the following statement on Soulforce’s American Family Outing gimmick:

“In a letter to Lakewood Church, Soulforce claims that its proposed ‘dialogue’ is designed to ‘lift up the conversation about faith, family and homosexuality to a national level and bring a new tenor of respect to the issue.’ The truth is that Soulforce is trying to convince Bible-believing churches that their Scriptural teachings against this particular sexual sin are wrong.

“You don’t achieve good-faith dialogue by announcing that you will be arriving at a church on a specified Sunday with ‘several dozen’ homosexual-led families. In the same way, Soulforce sent homosexual activists demanding ‘dialogue’ to Christian colleges: those that refused were hit with media-hyped protests.

“It is no more appropriate to ‘dialogue’ over homosexuality than it is to dialogue over any other sin. What if a traveling band of incest advocates – or perhaps a Gossipers’ Task Force — announced that it would be arriving at Lakewood Church on Mother’s Day demanding ‘dialogue’ about their special interest? This is pro-‘gay’ political theater, nothing more.

“Soulforce and its allies (including Peggy Campolo, wife of Tony Campolo) claim they are ‘deeply committed to respect for the authority of Biblical teachings.’ That is not true, as evidenced by Soulforce’s twisting of Scripture to advance the notion that homosexual behavior is acceptable. Soulforce founder Mel White has recklessly accused Christian pro-family leaders who defend Biblical orthodoxy of ‘spiritual violence’ –– playing to the vicious caricature of traditionalists as violent ‘homophobes.’

“Christians don’t negotiate with God over homosexuality or any sin. Rather, we reach out with truth in love to people with the hopeful Gospel message that God can help them overcome any sin, including homosexuality, through faith in Jesus Christ.”

TARGETED MEGA-CHURCHES AND THEIR CONTACT PAGES:

Lakewood Church, Houston, TX (Rev. Joel Osteen)

The Potter’s House, Dallas, TX (Bishop T.D. Jakes)

Hope Christian Church, Beltsville, MD (Bishop Harry Jackson)

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Lithonia, GA (Bishop Eddie Long):

Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, IL (Rev. Bill Hybels): (write to info@willowcreek.org)

Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA (Dr. Rick Warren): (write to info@saddleback.net)

Selective prosecution illustrates danger of ‘hate crimes’ laws

Brett VanAsdlen

TAKE ACTION: 1) Urge Champaign County, Illinois State’s Attorney Julia Rietz (phone: 217-384-3733) to drop the government’s one-sided felony “hate crimes” prosecution against 18-year-old student-athlete Brett VanAsdlen — based on the inconsistent and likely exaggerated claims of Steven Velasquez, a homosexual University of Illinois (U of I) student who may have initiated physical contact with VanAsdlen. Already, Brett is being smeared as violent “gay-basher” by Velasquez and pro-homosexual activists in the media. Pray for Brett and his family.

2) Call or write WCIA-3 TV, the local CBS affiliate, and urge them to be fair in their coverage of this unfortunate story. Call (217) 373-3650 and ask for Producer Nancy Foreman. WCIA reporter Amanda Evans has led the TV coverage of the story, but her reporting appears to heavily favor Velasquez. It is wrong to smear the reputation of young man by airing all the accusations against him without presenting the other side of the story.

_____________________________

By Peter LaBarbera

CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Illinois — Two young men — one homosexual, one heterosexual — tell very different stories about an argument that occurred late on a Friday night (April 11) in this college town, but only one — the straight student-athlete — faces a felony “hate crime” conviction with a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison.

Brett VanAsdlen faces a Class 4 felony hate crime after originally being charged with aggravated battery following an incident in which he pushed 20-year-old homosexual University of Illinois student Steven Velasquez to the ground. The critical question is: why did he push Velasquez and who was aggressor? VanAsdlen’s family says it was Velasquez who — after Brett made a comment about Velasquez and his homosexual partner — first “got in Brett’s face,” to which Brett responded by pushing Velasquez away. Velasquez claims that Brett attacked him unprovoked because of his homosexuality.

You can read and watch WCIA-TV’s initial, one-sided account of the incident featuring an interview with Velasquez HERE — which set the tone for those seeking to portray VanAsdlen as a violent hate criminal.

Dr. Mike Brown of ICN Ministries

The following is from our friends at ICN Ministries, led by Dr. Michael Brown. To see a preview of Harry Knox’s (and HRC’s) homosexualist theology, see our story, “VIDEO: Satan’s Talking Points? HRC’s Harry Knox Claims Homosexuality Is ‘Gift from God’ in MSNBC Debate with CWA’s Matt Barber,” where you can watch the MSNBC debate on YouTube. For more on Mike Brown, see his response to Christian Left leader Jim Wallis on same-unions HERE.

ICN Ministries writes:

We are pleased to announce that for a 24 hour period, from 6:00 AM May 5th until 6:00 AM May 6th, you will be able to watch a free webcast of the important debate between Dr. Michael Brown, Director of the Coalition of Conscience, and Mr. Harry Knox, Director of Faith and Religion for the Human Rights Campaign, on the topic of “A Christian Response to Homosexuality.” The Coalition of Conscience is a network of Christian leaders and believers working together for moral and cultural change through the gospel; the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the world’s largest homosexual advocacy group.

This historic debate took place on February 14th at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte, NC with more than 300 in attendance. In February of 2007, Dr. Brown delivered a lecture series at the Blumenthal on “Homosexuality, the Church, and Society,” focusing on the work of the HRC on the final night. This drew a direct response from Joe Solmonese, president of the HRC, who publicly challenged Brown at the HRC’s fund-raising dinner in Charlotte. As a result of that public challenge, Dr. Brown suggested that both sides put the issues on the table in a mutually respectful way, leading to this year’s debate.

To view the webcast, go to www.revolutionnow.org and click on Watch the Brown-Knox Debate between 6:00 AM May 5th and 6:00 AM May 6th. This is an event you don’t want to miss!

For DVD copies of the debate, go to: http://store.icnministries.org/videoanddvds.html.

Blessings and grace,

The ICN Staff

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; NIV)

‘Transgender’ revolutionaries have joined their homosexual activist allies in ripping off the real civil rights movement. At left is a photo depicting Jim Crow racism. Racially segregated restrooms should never be compared to keeping gender-confused men wearing dresses out of public female bathrooms.

The following is excerpted from a report titled, “Peeing in Peace: A Resource Guide for Transgender Activists and Allies,” produced by the Transgender Law Center, based in San Francisco (where else?). What an insult to the genuine civil rights movement that ended the institutionalized racism of Jim Crow (emphasis added):

C. Historical Bathroom Activism
Bathrooms have long been a place where people with authority, power, or wealth have denied access to other people. Over 150 years ago, only wealthy people could afford bathrooms in their homes and poor people were forced to use insufficient, non-hygienic public toilets. For far too long, public bathrooms here in the United States were segregated between “white” and “colored” facilities. “Colored” bathrooms, along with colored sections of restaurants and buses to name only two more instances, were less sanitary and convenient than “white” bathrooms. One of the hard fought victories of the Civil Rights Movement was the elimination of these “colored” bathrooms because it was determined that “separate” was never equal. Women working in the construction trades struggled in the 1970’s to create women’s bathrooms on job sites where before there had been only men’s rooms. After decades of struggle, people with disabilities succeeded in passing the Americans with Disabilities Act in the 1980s, part of which included guidelines for the creation of accessible public bathrooms.

Despite all of the great work mentioned above, bathrooms continue to be unsafe for some people. Because of this, the work described in this guide is a continuation of the work of each of these past movements. One important thing that can be learned from past bathroom activism is that, unless we work on this issue with a variety of needs in mind the bathroom revolution will never work for everybody. [p. 3, “Peeing in Peace,” Transgender Law Center, 2005]

Thanks to Julie Roys of Moody Radio and WMBI in Chicago for her gracious words in this audio commentary today about the dual missions of Christians on the homosexual issue: ministry and truth-telling. The original conversation on Moody Radio to which Roys refers occurred April 15 on WMBI’s popular morning show. Morning host Mark Elfstrand interviewed Andrew Marin of the Marin Foundation and Moody Bible Institute Professor of Urban Studies John Fuder about their shared ministry of “immersion” evangelism in Chicago’s “Boystown” homosexual neighborhood; LaBarbera called into the program.

Two Sides of the Same Coin
By Julie Roys

Andy Marin and Peter LaBarbera.  They’re two very different men pursuing two very different missions.  But both serve the same God.

Andy Marin serves as president of the Marin Foundation; Peter LaBarbera, as president of Americans for Truth.  The Marin Foundation builds bridges with the gay and lesbian community.  Americans for Truth erects fences to contain the influence of that community. Some may see them as opponents.  But in reality, Marin and LaBarbera simply represent two sides of the same coin.  Marin emphasizes God’s love; LaBarbera stresses God’s truth. But both do God’s work.