Illinois Department of Employment Security document affirming that Matt Barber was NOT fired for misconduct at Allstate Insurance Co. It states that Allstate fired Barber "because AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT AN ARTICLE HE HAD WRITTEN WHILE ON HIS OWN TIME." Click on graphic to enlarge.

By Peter LaBarbera

Below is a longer version of an article I posted in Facebook responding to homosexual activist Alvin McEwen, who repeated an oft-used bit of “gay” misinformation about Allstate’s 2005 firing of pro-family advocate Matt Barber. (Barber sits on the Americans For Truth Board, is Associate Dean at Liberty University School of Law, and is Director of Cultural Affairs for the Liberty Counsel.) Alvin is a bitter fellow who — although purporting to factually correct alleged pro-family falsehoods — regularly dishes them out himself (go HERE to see him viciously slander me as “Porno Pete”). In posting a response to an AFA column by pro-family writer Jerry Newcombe (reprinted at bottom), McEwen writes:

Sorry but Mr. Newcombe is inaccurate about one part. Matt Barber used his company’s computer AND identified himself as an employee of the company [Allstate] in his column. That’s why he was fired.

Funny how I heard these same spurious “talking points” about Matt Barber’s firing from the mouth of Rick Garcia — formerly Illinois’ top homosexual activist before he was ousted by Equality Illinois. We were on a Chicago TV news program together and I was making the point that conservative Christians are now more likely to lose their jobs or face punishment on the job than homosexuals.

Of course, had Matt been a homosexual activist who was abruptly terminated after writing a column on his own time about “gay pride,” the liberal/”gay” outrage would have been through the roof — and Alvin would not be repeating Allstate’s misleading corporate “spin” as he does above.

Following is my correction of Alvin McEwen’s erroneous and tendentious “correction”:

Matt Barber is a good friend of mine, a Christian man of high integrity, and a Board Member for my organization, Americans For Truth. As one living in Illinois who was intricately familiar with Matt’s case, I want to set the record “straight” here and correct the lies that homosexual activists like Alvin McEwen repeatedly spew about his unjust firing.

Homosexual activist Alvin McEwen pushes a lie about the abrupt firing of Matt Barber by Allstate.

Barber was fired after writing a column (which was published by conservative websites) against the homosexual agenda — on his home computer, on a Saturday. He did NOT identify himself as an employee of Allstate, but a third-party blog publisher did so by mistake. A staffer with the homosexual lobby group Human Rights Campaign then “reported” Barber’s web article to Allstate’s HR depart, and Matt immediately was called in on a Friday afternoon. Ironically, he was told that Allstate “celebrates diversity,” and that his (traditional) values did not reflect those of Allstate. Barber was suspended and informed that he likely would be fired for writing the column. He was then escorted by Allstate security guards off the corporate grounds. Monday morning, Barber was canned over the telephone.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security [see graphic above] investigated the firing and found Barber innocent of misconduct; IDES made this judgment (emphasis theirs): “The claimant was discharged from ALLSTATE INS. CO. because AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT AN ARTICLE HE HAD WRITTEN WHILE ON HIS OWN TIME.”

Read the rest of this article »

Walt Heyer as the man he is today -- living in his God-given gender.

This is the fourth and final part of our interview with Walt Heyer [listen HERE], a former transsexual who went through a body-disfiguring “gender reassignment surgery” (to live as “Laura”) only to regret it — and ultimately returned to his God-given gender as a male. This interview was pre-recorded and aired August 20, 2011. AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera and Heyer discusss his book, “Paper Genders: Pulling the Mask Off the Transgender Phenomenom.” The book describes the extremism and fraud of the early “fathers” of the “sex-change” phenomenon – including Dr. John Money, who said it was not necessarily “pathological” for a 10- or 11-year-old boy to be in a sexual relationship with a man in his twenties or thirties. Money also covered up the failures of early transsexual operations in his zeal to popularize the idea of “sex-change” in the media. (Heyer emphasizes that it is impossible to change one’s sex.) LaBarbera reads from several letters found in Heyer’s book from men who regretted their “gender-change” surgeries.

You can order the book through Heyer’s website, www.sexchangeregret.com. (Heyer’s autobiography, “Trading My Sorrows: A True Story of Betrayals, Bad Choices, Love and the Journey Home,” is available on his site, www.TradingMySorrows.com.) We encourage you to promote Walt’s  amazing story — to get out his message that destruction of one’s sexual organs is NOT the answer to gender confusion, and that many people who undergo such surgeries come to regret them.

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes.  Do not use Real Player. It is not supported and there may be difficulty when listening with it.  Left click once on the link below to play. (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.)  OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.

8-20-11, Walt Heyer, Part Four

Beloved Christian leader sounds warning on Christian apathy, loss of religious liberty

We are delighted to announce that Moody Church Senior Pastor and author Dr. Erwin Lutzer will be the keynote speaker at Americans For Truth’s annual banquet Saturday, October 15^th at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights, Illinois, northwest of Chicago. Dr. Lutzer is a keen observer of moral and spiritual trends in America and we welcome his insights on the growth of homosexual power in the United States and its effect on our liberties.

Who: Dr. Erwin Lutzer, Senior Pastor, Moody Church, Chicago, Illinois. Pro-family culture warrior Scott Lively will also be honored at the banquet

When: Saturday, October 15, 2011; doors open at 6:00 PM.

Where: Christian Liberty Academy, 502 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60004, northwest of Chicago; website HERE.

What: Dinner banquet to raise funds for Americans For Truth About Homosexuality. Expect a delicious dinner, wonderful speeches and a contingent of homosexual protesters outside the building chanting lies about AFTAH.

Cost: $10 per person in advance; $20 per person at the door.  Sign up for $10/person online at www.americansfortruth.com/donate/; or mail your check to: Americans For Truth, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-552.  RSVP/inquiries to americansfortruth@gmail.com.  Please consider buying extra tickets for your friends, family and co-workers!

Dr. Lutzer: Preacher and Author

For those of you outside Chicagoland and the Midwest who may be unfamiliar with Dr Lutzer, he is a gifted preacher who pastors the historic Moody Church in Chicago (founded by the great evangelist Dwight L. Moody). Lutzer is also the author of numerous books, including: “The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage” (for which Lutzer was branded a “hater” by the Marxist “Gay Liberation Network” in Chicago); “When a Nation Forgets God: 7 lessons we must learn from Nazi Germany”: “Hitler’s Cross”; and “Oprah, Miracles and the New Earth: A Critique.” Here is an Amazon.com link where most of Dr. Lutzer’s books can be purchased.

Dr. Lutzer, who was born in Canada and became an American citzen, has blessed many with his gift for clearly explaining biblical truths. He has a keen grasp on the pivotal ideas and spiritual and cultural developments that decide a nation’s course. And he has the integrity not to compromise on God’s Word even when it becomes politically incorrect. As one who has heard Pastor Lutzer preach on the radio many times (and once at Moody Church), I can safely assure you that you will be blessed by his message and godly counsel for America.

Lower Cost; Buy Bulk Tickets!

We are trying something new for this banquet – lowering the entrance price to just $10/person for advance ticket purchases, and $20/person at the door. We know the economy is rough and we want as many people as possible to attend and hear Dr. Lutzer. So please support us by sharing this event with your network of friends or even buying a table of 10 or 5 tickets so your friends and family can attend. Send queries and RSVPs to americansfortruth@gmail.com.

This is Walt in his fantasy identity as "Laura." Heyer's grandmother dressed him up as a girl when he was a young boy.

The following is Part Three of my interview with Walt Heyer, a man who left the confused world of “transsexuality” — after he had gone through “gender reassignment surgery.” In this discussion — which aired August 13, 2011, we discuss Walt’s autobiographical book, “Trading My Sorrows,” and how faithful Christians reached out to him in the grace of God. Heyer’s websites are www.TradingMySorrows.com and www.SexChangeRegret.com. Go here to listen to Part One and Part Two of this fascinating interview. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes.  Do not use Real Player. It is not supported and there may be difficulty when listening with it.  Left click once on the link below to play. (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.)  OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.

Walt as he is today: the man God made him to be.

8-13-11, Walt Heyer, Part Three

I informed Ms. Delay that the concerns with Willow go far beyond the Soulforce incident, and raised the 2009 Leadership Summit’s featuring of former Britich Prime Minister Tony Blair — who championed homosexuality during his “leadership” tenure in the U.K. Certainly we continue to question why a Christian church — or a related church-sponsored leadership ministry — would honor a man (and men) who used their executive gifts to advance explicitly ANTI-BIBLICAL agendas in the culture. The story goes far beyond Willow Creek to the purpose of Christians as defenders of God’s unchanging Truth (as opposed to subjective, man-centered “truths”) in a sin-soaked world.

One more thing: nothing here takes away from the important work that Willow Creek Community Church does in the community through its many ministries. I spoke to two friends in Illinois — a man and a woman — who have been deeply blessed by acts of Christian charity carried out through the church’s giving programs. AFTAH focuses on homosexuality, in this case Christian fidelity to politically incorrect Scriptural teaching: we believe that steadfast honoring of biblical truth (no matter the cost) — combined with selfless love — defines the believer’s calling. We’ll keep you updated. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

____________________________________

AFTAH Protests Willow Creek’s Lack of Biblical Leadership in Breaking with Ex-Gay Ministry

August 11, 2011

Contact: Peter LaBarbera: 630-717-7631; americansfortruth@gmail.com

S. BARRINGTON, Illinois — Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) President Peter LaBarbera announced a peaceful sign vigil today and tomorrow outside Willow Creek Community Church—to protest the mega-church’s puzzling disassociation from a Christian ministry that helps men and women overcome unwanted homosexual desires.

The Americans For Truth vigil targets Willow Creek’s annual “Global Leadership Summit” – which draws thousands of Christians annually to the church’s campus in Barrington, Illinois. AFTAH’s banner message – “Is Willow Creek Qualified to Lead?” – will greet Summit attendees Aug. 11-12. That and other messages such as “Willow Creek Caves to Gay Activist Pressure,” will highlight the influential mega-church’s failure to boldly proclaim the Gospel’s life-changing truth on the homosexual issue.

“Christians across the nation were stunned to learn that Willow Creek had abandoned its friendly working relationship with Exodus International, the world’s largest ‘ex-gay’ ministry,” LaBarbera said. “Worse, the break came in 2009, shortly after Willow Creek’s leaders met with Soulforce, a homosexual activist group. Soulforce activists target mega-churches and Christian ministries like Focus on the Family — demanding a (politicized) “dialogue” even as they accuse leaders who defend the Bible’s clear, historic prohibition of homosexuality of “spiritual violence.”

Assails homosexual hate group Truth Wins out and “gay” lobby’s harassment of ex-gays

The following is reprinted from PFOX’s (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays) website. Greg Quinlan was a presenter at both AFTAH Truth Academies:

I Am a Man

By Greg Quinlan

Why have gay activists instigated media attention over ex-gays and the husband of Presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann?

Apparently, Mr. Bachmann, who has a PhD in clinical psychology, operates several counseling centers which also offer services to homosexual clients seeking to overcome unwanted same-sex attractions.  But because even one ex-gay proves that homosexual behavior is not innate or immutable, the gay lobby’s fear of their former members results in false claims and attacks aimed at preventing homosexuals from exercising their right to self-determination. They cannot bear to have even one homosexual leave homosexuality, hence their outrage at Dr. Bachmann.

I know because I am ex-gay myself.  I suffer more harassment as a former homosexual than I ever did as an out and proud homosexual.

The ex-gay community includes thousands of former homosexuals like myself who benefited from counseling.  We did not choose our homosexual feelings, but we did exercise our right to seek help to change those feelings.  As a registered nurse, I saw hundreds of gay men die of AIDS before I finally left the gay lifestyle.

Contrary to the myths being generated by outraged homosexuals, counseling for unwanted same-sex attractions is not prohibited by any medical association.  Unhappy homosexuals are not children in need of parental permission and can freely choose their own therapeutic treatment just like anyone else.

The Bachmann incident demonstrates that as homosexuals gain more civil rights, heterosexuals are losing theirs.  Because gays are a wealthy and politically powerful minority, they claim access to media attention, political power and corporate influence that middle America does not have.

“You can’t change your gender,” says man who tried

Walt Heyer as himself, a man.

Over the years I’ve interviewed or met many former homosexual men and ex-lesbians, but never an ex-transgender. Walt Heyer is one such man: with Christ’s help he walked away from the “transgender” lifestyle (gender confusion). Unfortunately, his godly change occurred long after he’d undergone a radical “sex-change” operation that mutilated his genitalia — as part of his quest to become the woman in his head, “Laura” (see photo below). This interview [listen HERE], the first of three parts, was pre-recorded and aired July 16, 2011 on WYLL 1160-AM Chicago.

Heyer describes his very troubled childhood — including being beaten by his father and victimized at a young age by his grandmother — who dressed him up as a girl. Walt was also sexually molested over a period of three years by his uncle. Heyer now crusades against “Gender Reassignment Surgery” and counsels others seeking to overcome the pull of gender confusion in their lives. He has also authored three books including his autobiography, “Trading My Sorrows,” and “Paper Genders” — all available on his website, www.tradingmysorrows.com/. Please share this interview with your friends and especially young people, who are barraged with pro-“transgender” and pro-homosexual messages. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

Walt Heyer as "Laura Jensen" after his "sex-change" operation.

HOW TO LISTEN: Left click once on the link below to play. You may also right-click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show. NOTE: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes. Do not use Real Player; it is not supported and there may be difficulty when listening with it. (Please be patient: depending upon the speed of your internet connection, it may take a moment or two to load.) 

7-16-11, Walt Heyer, Part One

“Does this mean you’re not going to be gay anymore?”

Stephen Black, who left the homosexual lifestyle and has now been married 25 years, says Gospel truth must be preached to "gays," in the love and humility of Jesus Christ.

Here is Part Two of our pre-recorded interview with Stephen Black [click HERE to listen] of First Stone Ministries, based in Oklahoma City. This interview with Black (?www.stephenblack.org), who once considered himself “gay,” aired July 9, 2011. Stephen and AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera discuss the ideal of speaking the truth about homosexual sin, in the love of Christ. They criticize the soft, defensive message of “emergent” Christians like Andy Marin (author of “Love Is and Orientation”) — as a false form of love bereft of biblical truth. (Marin is reluctant to call homosexual practice sinful and has launched an “I’m Sorry” campaign whereby evangelicals apologize to homosexuals (and others) for the alleged “homophobic” shortcomings of the Church; see the video of pro-same-sex-“marriage” evangelical Peggy Campolo currently at the top of Marin’s blog HERE [dated July 14th].) Black and LaBarbera agree with ex-“gay” Andy Comiskey that the “emergent”-type approach like Marin’s is a “gutless gospel.”  Yet they also agree that harsh or insensitive Christians can preach a lot of truths about homosexuality. but without the love and humility demanded of those advancing the Gospel (Black says some have been “cruel and mean” toward homosexuals). Stephen gives a short version of his personal testimony, but in Part One of this interview he lays out his life story (including being molested as a boy) and exodus from homosexuality; click HERE for Part One.  You can visit the archive page containing all the AFTAH Hour interviews HERE.

P.S. LaBarbera has extended an open invitation to Andy Marin to appear on the AFTAH radio show, or speak/debate at at a neutral forum on the proper attitude of Bible-believing Christians toward people practicing homosexuality. We hope he accepts; you can contact Marin at info@themarinfoundation.org.

HOW TO LISTEN:  Left click once on the link below to play. Please note: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes.  Do not use Real Player.  It is not supported and there may be difficulty when listening with it.  (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.)  OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.

7-9-11, Stephen Black, Part Two