The MassResistance blog began in early 2005 with a Massachusetts focus on judicial tyranny, same-sex "marriage", and LGBT activism in our schools. We broadened our focus to national-level threats to our Judeo-Christian heritage, the Culture of Life, and free speech. In 2006, Article 8 Alliance adopted the name "MassResistance" for its organization. CAUTION: R-rated subject matter.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Maine "Church" Performs Transsexual Play
Maine Church Performs Tranny Play; Minors Encouraged to Attend "Hidden: A Gender"
By Mike Hein, Christian Civic League of Maine (6-7-07)
On June 1, 2, and 3, the First Universalist Church of Auburn (Maine), presented the radical transsexual/transgender play "Hidden: A Gender." The play was written by the real-life transgendered Kate Bornstein, formerly Al Bornstein. Bornstein is a self-described "Buddhist, male-to-female transsexual performance artist, and gender educator." He authored the book "Gender Outlaw."
The play was recently described this way: "Through transgressively gendered performances, eight actors converge on the battlefield called gender and bring to life the struggles of Herculine Barbin, an eighteenth century woman with ambiguous [physical characteristics] later forced to assume a male role in society, and Herman Amberstone, a present-day male-to-female transsexual who's life experiences are remarkably similar to those of the author.
After three failed marriages and many years as a Scientology spokesman, Al Bornstein decided to become Kate. Bornstein eventually decided that he was neither male nor female, but a separate gender of his own. In his book , Bornstein writes, "I know that I'm not a man...and I've come to the conclusion that I'm probably not a woman, either..."
[The play] was sponsored by the church's Social Justice Committee, whose mission is to educate the church and wider community about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered issues. The First Universalist Church of Auburn's minister is the Reverend Doctor Jodi Cohen Hayashida....
Perhaps more disturbing than either the transsexual nature of the play itself or the play being performed in a church by church members is who was encouraged to attend the play: minor children....
The First Universalist Church of Auburn (ME) can be reached at 169 Pleasant Street , Auburn , ME 04210 , (207) 783-0461, and by email at uuauburn@verizon.net. The Rev. Dr. Jodi Cohen Hayashida can be reached at (207) 777-3196 and by email at jodihaya@gmail.com.
More Romney Doublespeak on Homosexual Parenting
It's a classic case of Romney trying to have it both ways. He says he supports the traditional family, but he supports homosexual parenting too. Both are "the American way" for him! See the AP story:
"N.H. woman challenges Romney on gay marriage" (6-6-07):
... Romney paused, asked [the woman] about her children and then praised her. "Wonderful," Romney said. "I’m delighted that you have a family and you’re happy with your family. That’s the American way. ... People can live their lives as they choose and children can be a great source of joy, as you know. And I welcome that."
But then Romney repeated his view of marriage. "Marriage is an institution which is designed to bring a man and woman together to raise a child and that the ideal setting for society at large is where there is a male and a female are associated with the development and nurturing a child," Romney said.
The former Massachusetts governor acknowledged other scenarios that raise children. "There are other ways to raise kids that’s fine: single moms, grandparents raising kids, gay couples raising kids. That’s the American way, to have people have their freedom of choice," he said.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
"GLBT Holocaust Commemoration" Tonight
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Romney Not Pro-Life: Letter to Mass. Citizens for Life Directors
31/May/2007
DEAR MASSACHUSETTS CITIZENS FOR LIFE DIRECTORS,
At the Directors' Meeting on Friday 11/May/2007, MCFL President Joe Reilly again attempted to have me removed as a director because of my efforts to expose Pro-Abortion politicians in the Knights of Columbus. His previous effort was on Friday 9/Feb/2007.
Joe Reilly, a K of C member, refused to address the issue of Pro-Abortion politicians in the K of C. His wife, MCFL Director Evelyn Reilly, who works for Mass Family Institute - a state associate of Focus on the Family - proposed a motion seeking to have me removed for "cause". Curiously, she failed to mention what the "cause" was! Evelyn Reilly’s motion failed by a 10-7 majority. I wish to thank those 10 MCFL directors who took a principled stand, and also those directors who chose to ignore Joe and Evelyn Reilly by abstaining, remembering that MCFL is an affiliate only of National Right to Life.
Earlier, the directors heard a report of the previous evening's dinner (10/May/2007) held by the Pioneer Valley branch of MCFL in western Massachusetts . Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts and a recent "convert" to Pro-Life, was a speaker and was given a "political leadership award".
MCFL's endorsement of Mitt Romney is wrong. To see where Mitt Romney stands, one only needs to visit his own website at mittromney.com [see: Issue Watch/Affirming America's Culture and Values]. It reads: Governor Romney: "I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother...I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws, and not have them dictated through judicial mandate." This does not reflect a genuine conversion to Pro-Life principles, but rather a transition to a mainstream Republican Party position on abortion in anticipation of his presidential run. Mitt Romney is wrong on 2 counts:
1. ROMNEY'S EXCEPTIONS AMOUNT TO ABORTION ON DEMAND. UNDER THESE EXCEPTIONS ANY WOMAN CAN CLAIM SHE WAS RAPED, OR THREATEN SUICIDE, THEN DEMAND AN ABORTION. MITT ROMNEY FAILS TO SEE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO LIFE WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF CONCEPTION.
2. Roe v Wade needs to be overturned by the Supreme Court, but foremost by an amendment to the United States Constitution outlawing abortion. Letting the states decide is NOT THE ANSWER. Abortion, the murder of unborn children, is wrong everywhere. We need a decision at the federal level to make this clear to the people in every state, and to the whole world.
Yours in Pro-Life,
John O’Gorman
Winthrop, MA
cc: Others
Corporate Sponsors of "Gay" Porn at Boston Pride
Are Mayor Menino and the executives at all the Boston Pride sponsors receiving promotional copies of Hard? Are they enjoying the porn, as in this online excerpt? This trashy book is so bad we can't show the cover or print this excerpt. But we encourage you to follow the links, and see what's really being celebrated this week.
Who are the government, agency, and corporate sponsors of Boston Pride who celebrate this book?
Mayor Thomas Menino
Boston City Council/City of Boston
Macy's (lead sponsor of AIDS Walk)
Borders Bookstore
Bank of America
Delta
Wainwright Bank
Verizon
Hyatt Regency Boston
Stoli Vodka
Budweiser
Boston Volvo Village
Spirit Boston
Mix 98.5 FM
Orbitz
Hotels.com
Dowtown Crossing Association
Jurys Boston Hotel
Amtrak
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Center
Zipcar
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
Monday, June 04, 2007
Radical GLBT Activists Not Into Military Fetish
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Macy's Thinks Being "Gay" Means Holding Hands?
So to make it up to the GLBT community, Macy's is the lead sponsor of the AIDS Action Committee's walk today. And the Herald can report that Macy's has actually "stepped up it support" of Boston Pride. We guess the AIDS Action message they're sponsoring is still: "Go out and do it all. Have fun! Just use a condom -- if you remember; and get tested for HIV/AIDS -- if you're emotionally ready." This is how they plan to "stop the spread of AIDS."
See MassResistance's recent report on AIDS Action Committee -- and Mitt Romney's misguided donation to that organization.
Now if Macy's REALLY wants to stop the spread of AIDS (we thought their business was selling clothes?), maybe their window display should have some mannequins showing how to put on a condom properly, recommending the right lube, and sending a message about asking one's anonymous partner if he has HIV/AIDS before engaging in anal intercourse. Now who could be offended by that message? (No, Macy's, it's not just about hand-holding.)
Macy’s has stepped up its support of Boston Pride Week this year, its first as presenting sponsor of tomorrow’s AIDS Walk Boston. The chain’s increased backing of the annual gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered celebration follows what was considered a public relations debacle last year, when Macy’s bowed to an anti-gay group and removed presumably “gay” mannequins [or were they presumably transgendered?] from its Boston Pride window display at its Boston store. The CEO of Macy’s East later apologized for the move, blaming an “internal breakdown in communication.” This year, Macy’s allowed a Boston Pride Committee member to design the window display, which went up Thursday and depicts a silhouette of two men holding hands [so innocent and sweet] against a rainbow flag backdrop, a calendar of the week’s events and the words: “Macy’s celebrates Boston Pride 2007. Pride, united for equality.” ...
Will the Overweight Get "Hate Crimes" Protection?
When seeking special rights as a protected class, you need to go all the way, and make it a hate crime if anyone physicially assaults you or even verbally insults you. Or even says something negative about your weight, or overweight people in general. (No "fat jokes" allowed! That would be hate speech.) Or even discusses the health risks of being overweight.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
"Weight Discrimination" & Parallel Cases
- Weight is not clearly defined in the bill.
- Since weight is not an immutable characteristic, it is not "worthy of protected status on par with an individual's race or sex."
- Enactment of the weighty bill "would divert scarce state resources from serious issues."
- "A basic tenet of American law has been that businesses have had the freedom to choose employees and those with whom they wish to deal."
- "The burden this proposed legislation would put on employers, landlords, and others in commerce, would be substantial. It is no answer to state that a defendant who can establish that discrimination did not occur will be exonerated by the court system. Defense costs in discrimination cases are astronomical, win or lose."
- People who truly suffer a weight disability -- if their obesity "has a physical cause" and "limits their life activities" -- are already protected by disability laws, and can seek accommodations.
- There is no proven discrimination against this (however loosely defined) class of people.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
"Gay" Historical Revisionism
And we say SHUT UP, ALREADY to Mr. Tom Lang (founder of KnowThyNeighbor.org, intimidator who published the signers' names for the VoteOnMarriage petition) who introduced similar questions at the State House on Tuesday, when he testified against our Parents' Rights Opt-In bill (S321). Enough of such "gay" historical revisionism being crammed down the throats of schoolchildren! When people study Michelangelo, what's important is the beauty and meaning of the Bible scenes he painted in the Sistine Chapel and the way he chiseled the Pieta. We don't need (or want) to know that the homosexual movement makes the "historical" claim that he shared their perversions. If the artist's rumored "sexual orientation" were brought up in a junior or high school classroom, then kids would immediately STOP thinking about his art and START thinking about anal intercourse.
While many fine people turned out on Tuesday to support our side, few came to oppose. But Mr. Lang was there with his petite, blond-bombshell "husband" . . . because he wants to be sure the kids DO keep thinking about sodomy in their art history class. (Also testifying for GLBT brainwashing in the schools was the co-chair of the Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, who took the occasion to add the terms "Bisexual and Transgender" to the name of his commission when he delivered his testimony.)
Mr. Lang whined that if our Parents' Rights bill is passed, schoolchildren wouldn't be able to discuss how Michelangelo's "gayness" informed his artistic genius (and therefore these poor children would lose all self-esteem and commit suicide). And that any discussion of the genius (ha!) of Gertrude Stein's "A rose is a rose is a rose" must make reference to her lesbianism. His testimony simply underscored our suspicion that he and his activist buddies are totally focused on sex and sexuality. Nothing else in life stands on its own. A case of arrested development?
Here's the homosexual newspaper Bay Windows' account of Mr. Lang's testimony, and Brian Camenker's objection: "Nazis? AIDS? Camenker must be talking about the gays again" (5-31-07):
Discussion of the Holocaust was prompted by the testimony of KnowThyNeighbor founder Tom Lang, who argued that the “opt-in” bill backed by MassResistance would essentially require that schools wallpaper over the history of LGBT people and their lives unless parents gave their approval to include them. He said teachers would have to discuss figures such as Gertrude Stein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and British World War II code-breaker Alan Turing while steering clear of their homosexuality and the impact that had on their works and their lives. He said the silencing of discussion about LGBT people would extend into topics where sexuality figures centrally, such as the Holocaust.
“A trip to the Holocaust memorial would be fine unless a teacher includes homosexuals among the list of the six million Jews, Gypsies, dissenters and social outcasts murdered by the Nazis in their death camps,” said Lang. He added that while the bill would limit discussions on sexuality for all students, the ones who would be hurt the most by the bill would be LGBT students. “But the true intent of S.321 is to take away the identity of LGBT children and to prevent them from reaching their full potential and achieving their greatest self-worth,” said Lang.
Camenker responded to Lang with his own testimony, arguing not only in favor of the restrictions on discussions of homosexuality and other “alternative sexual behaviors” but also disputing the persecution of gay men by the Nazis.“Being Jewish myself with many relatives from Eastern Europe, I was able to study the Holocaust and not have to deal with homosexuality. ” said Camenker. “One of the things that the gay movement is trying to do that drives parents crazy is to push that subject into the public school system.”
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Who Is Hugh Hewitt?
From Wikipedia:
Hewitt became Executive Editor of Townhall.com in 2006, when Salem Communications purchased it and re-engineered it from a web magazine into a conservative new-media and activism forum. ...Hewitt's nationally syndicated radio show, The Hugh Hewitt Show, is broadcast from Los Angeles and can be heard from 6pm-9pm eastern time; 3pm-6pm pacific. The show can be heard on 112 stations on weekdays and is syndicated by the Salem Radio Network. ... A self-described "Center-Right" opinion machine and "the best in intelligent political talk," The Hugh Hewitt Show covers a wide variety of subject matter. ...
But Mr. Hewitt does not want to honestly cover Mitt Romney's record in Massachusetts.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Mandatory HPV Vaccine for Schoolgirls? State House Forum Wednesday
On Wednesday, May 30, 2007
11:30.....The Caucus of Women Legislators hosts a legislative forum to discuss the pros and cons of requiring pre-teen girls to be immunized to guard against cervical cancer. A panel is scheduled to include Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigby, Boston University Medical Center Dr. Katherine Hsu, Health Care Financing Committee co-chair Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge), and Merck senior director of medical affairs Dr. Gregg Sylvester. The panel will also discuss funding proposals for a vaccine.....Room 350 [at the State House]
See our previous posting
Will Mass. Require HPV Vaccine -- Now Linked to Deaths? (5-25-07)
And see the Washington Times, "HPV vaccine concerns give legislatures pause" (4-25-07). Other states including California, New Mexico, and Maryland have had the sense to step back from this foolishness:
The initial rush to require the inoculation of preteen girls with the new HPV vaccine Gardasil fueled by Merck & Co.'s lobbying is meeting resistance as state lawmakers nationwide begin to question its safety, long-term effectiveness and cost.
... "It is far too early for this vaccine to be mandatory. We don't know about its long-term effectiveness or safety," said Lawrence Gostin, director of the Center for Law and the Public's Health at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities. "A response to the rush to mandate could backfire on us with public dissatisfaction and serve as a deterrent to all vaccinations." ...
Merck's lobbying efforts are widely credited with the speed at which a legislative initiative was begun in nearly 40 states. Working with Women in Government, an advocacy group for female state legislators, Merck prodded state lawmakers to prepare legislation while Food and Drug Administration approval was still pending. Many of the bills across the country have been introduced by members of Women in Government.
Merck called off its Gardasil lobbying effort in February after public criticism over the company's motives began to swell. Merck had the backing of a number of prominent public-health organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which have recommended that girls receive the vaccine. The groups stopped short of pressing for the mandate that Merck wants. Some say they are not ready to endorse a mandate so soon after the vaccine gained FDA approval.
Response to Our Memorial Day Message
Well spoken. I don't know how I was placed on your mailing list but I am grateful to whomever is responsible. I believe the sin of sodomy and lesbianism is the height of rebellion against God's established order. This battle is not about homosexual and lesbian rights. That is only the fruit. The root of the problem is the same as it was in Genesis 3 when Satan challenged God's sovereign right as Creator to establish the rules of life for his creatures. Keep the faith, and fight the good fight, in Jesus' Name.
In His service,
Mr. X
Monday, May 28, 2007
GLSEN & Youth Pride Connecting Teens Directly to World of Promiscuous GLBT Sex
Was this 35-year-old man, "Princess Diana" the "performer" at YOUTH PRIDE (see top photo) and BAGLY Prom?
GLSEN Boston was given an award (along with Governor Deval Patrick) at Youth Pride on May 12, sponsored by the Massachusetts Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth. What do these groups promote?At Youth Pride, we saw a huge man in a black dress mingling with young teens. We were told by an organizer that he was an official "performer" that day (both for the Youth Pride rally and parade, and the BAGLY queer prom at Boston City Hall later that night). On what we think is his MySpace, a friend posts "Rock out with your c**k out."
Another apparently official "performer" at Youth Pride was the huge trans club entertainer calling himself "Becca D'Bus". See his YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alhXI4ezWXM&mode=related&search= [“I’m not your f**king baby”]
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE, WEB SITES AND VENUES that GLSEN Boston and the COMMISSION on GAY and LESBIAN YOUTH are INTENTIONALLY leading teens to. HOW FAR DOES THIS HAVE TO GO BEFORE CITIZENS WAKE UP???
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Talk of Bestiality in Elementary School
Beyond reading the occasional story of remote farms catering to these tastes, or absurd (supposedly satirical) theater about a man and his goat, we've recently heard tell of a local elementary school where one of the little boys is repeatedly telling his classmates how he French kisses his dog, and how good it feels. Now where is this child getting these ideas? Will the teacher be able to put a lid on it, or is this just another "sexual orientation" that cannot be discriminated against?
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Maine Adds "Domestic Partner" Benefits to Law
Homosexual Welfare Bill Awaits Governor's Signature
by Mike Hein, Christian Civic League of Maine
May 25, 2007
After four months of intense lobbying, the Maine Legislature voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill on May 23 and 24 that will extend significant employment benefits to homosexuals. The bill, LD 375 "An Act To Amend the Family Medical Leave Laws," was sponsored by Senator Dennis Damon of Hancock County , and co-sponsored by nine other homosexual-friendly legislators.
The bill has been this session's legislative priority for the Maine homosexual lobby, led by homosexual lobbying groups EqualityMaine, the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the Maine Women's Lobby, and the Maine Civil Liberties Union. All four groups submitted written public testimony at the bill's February 28 public hearing before the Labor Committee.
The bill will add a formal definition of "domestic partner" to the Maine state statutes. "Domestic partner" is clearly defined in the bill as a partner of an employee who "...has been legally domiciled with the employee for at least 12 months, is not legally married to or legally separated from another individual, is the sole partner of the employee and expects to remain so, is not a sibling of the employee, and is jointly responsible with the employee for each other's common welfare as evidenced by joint living arrangements, joint financial arrangements or joint ownership of real or personal property."
If homosexual couples meet the 'domestic partner' definition requirements, they will be granted up to ten weeks of leave from their employment under Maine 's current Family Medical Leave laws.
GLSEN Boston's MySpace Update
[See our earlier report.]
GLSEN (the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network) portrays itself as a leader in the struggle for "civil rights" for GLBT youth, especially in our schools. They demonstrated their commitment by handing out the Little Black Book to young teenagers at their annual conference in 2005.
The second "friend" still posted on GLSEN Boston's MySpace is now calling itself "Reverend C**kvomit". This anti-religion name alone is such an outrage that schools across Massachusetts should immediately ban GLSEN from their premises, instead of giving them free and privileged access through the GSAs ("gay" clubs in the high schools), the Day of Silence, "diversity training" sessions for staff, etc.
While the "friend" space has cleaned itself up a little (removing hardcore pornographic images), there are still soft-porn images, Satanic symbols, and horrific culture-of-death photos.
We've pointed out before that in its essence, the GLBT scene is a part of the larger CULTURE OF DEATH. The fact that GLSEN will not block this "friend" from its MySpace, which appeals directly to children and teenagers, confirms this.
Another Romney Flip-Flop: Campaign Finance
Here's a video from his 1994 Senate campaign vs. Ted Kennedy, calling for strict campaign finance regulation.
From today's Washington Post:
Campaign Finance Flip:
The Mitt Romney who ran in Massachusetts had it right.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
"MY FEAR," former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said at the Republican debate this month, "is that McCain-Kennedy would do to immigration what McCain-Feingold has done to campaign finance and money in politics, and that's bad." Mr. Romney has turned campaign finance reform into one of his stump villains -- which represents a dramatic and wrongheaded turnabout from his days running for office in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Romney called for spending limits on candidates and a 10 percent tax on campaign contributions for state elections to finance publicly funded campaigns. Massachusetts Romney wanted to abolish political action committees because they wield too much power, and he bemoaned the influence of money in politics.
Presidential candidate Romney vows that, if elected, "a top priority will be to push for the repeal of this deeply flawed measure," referring to the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.... Read more...
Friday, May 25, 2007
The End of Free Speech in Britain
Comments:
I wish a group such as yours could exist here in the UK, where any dissent is prosecuted as a "hate crime" with NO DEFENCE PERMITTED, and where, since April it has been illegal NOT to indoctrinate children - even toddlers - with disgusting homosexual propaganda.
Putting your (censored) in someone's (censored) is NOT sex. It's masturbation. It's no different to putting it in a farmyard manure heap. It does retard emotional development though, and that's what those in power really want, a population of immature pansies incapable of resisting attempts to control our every thought, word and deed.
For the sake of America you MUST keep up the fight, and you MUST win. I wish you every success.
- Barney
And that reminded us of a much more refined (but related) recent posting at Defend the Family:
"Requiem for the Magna Carta"
Scott Lively, J.D., ThD.
On June 15, 1215, an intrepid group of English lords stood on the field of Runnymede and faced down the leviathan of arbitrary governmental power, represented at that moment by the heavy-handed King John. They called the list of concessions which they extracted from him that day the Magna Carta Libertatum, and this "Great Charter of Freedoms" has served as a mighty foundational pillar of constitutional law and human rights law for nearly 800 years.
From the Magna Carta have come such legal essentials to democracy as the right of habeas corpus (clauses 36, 38-40) and the right to due process of law (clause 29). But the clause to which the barons gave preeminence, placing it first in the list, was the one which provided that "the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired."
On March 21, 2007, another group of English lords, those seated in the upper house of the English Parliament, dealt the death blow to that great clause, which has protected not only the integrity of the English Church, but the notion that the church can stand as a moral authority independent of a nation's ever-changing social policies and political currents. Ironically, this long-standing freedom was cancelled by the approval of the Sexual Orientation Regulations of the Equality Act, a document which has all the appearance of a human rights instrument. In its implementation, however, this set of rules will have the effect of (among other things) prohibiting private Christian schools throughout the United Kingdom from teaching students the Biblical position that homosexual sexual behavior is morally wrong, and that it violates the evident heterosexual design of the human body.... Read more...
Boston Pride's Sex Offender Says His Crimes Just His "Personal Life"
Read Mr. Berggren's resignation letter (below) carefully. Note his attempt to cast his CRIMINAL record as just part of his "personal life". No, Mr. Berggren, what you do in your bedroom -- with teenagers, with pornography involving young people -- is NOT just a private affair. It is exploitation of underage children, and therefore communally recognized as harmful to society. It is therefore PUBLIC business. That's what being convicted of a crime means: a violation of society's standards. Maybe you didn't have a public audience while the activity was going on, but that doesn't mean that activity was just "personal".
Unless one escapes to some little island pederast paradise, one must accept the fact that society recognizes the criminality of certain sex offenses. And once one is convicted of sexual offenses, he has no "privacy" concerning that conviction. Does Mr. Berggren's state of denial tell us he's still not accepting society's standards? Remember that this man also holds a high position at the "gay" newspaper, In NewsWeekly, so is still in a very high-impact public position. The Dig reported: "Berggren, who is officially classified as a Level 2 offender (“moderate” risk of re-offending), doesn’t feel his record is an issue.
Bill Berggren resigns from Pride Committee
by Lissa Harris
Weekly Dig 5/24/2007
Boston Pride fundraising committee chair Bill Berggren resigned voluntarily from his position, in response to an article we ran yesterday that highlighted his criminal history and current status as a registered sex offender. From the Weekly Dig:
Here’s what Berggren had to say:
“I’m a little disappointed. I’ve never hidden anything about my life … I have a lot of support in the community. My phone has been ringing all day long with people telling me not to resign. But I feel at this time it’s the best thing for the community,” he told Bay Windows.
And here’s his resignation letter:
“To: The Board of Directors, Boston Pride Committee
May 23, 2007
Dear Members of the Board:
It is with a heavy heart that I am submitting my resignation as fundraising chair of Boston Pride. The resignation is effective immediately.
My resignation comes in the wake of a malicious attempt to bring my personal life into the public sphere. This has precipitated a hasty judgment from some members of the community, and I anticipate the enemies of Pride will seize this opportunity to attack the organization. In order to protect Boston Pride from unnecessary attacks two weeks before Pride Week, I am quickly stepping aside.
This is not an easy decision, but I feel that the message and spirit of Pride is more important than any one individual. I hope members of the community and the media will accept this matter as closed and continue to enjoy Pride as we all intended it. I also hope and ask for my privacy to be respected during this time.
Sincerely, Bill Berggren”
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Boston Pride Board Member Outed as Sex Offender
See the Weekly Dig, "Pride and Prejudice -- Sense and Sensibility? Not So Much" (5-23-07).
Berggren also has a long rap sheet. In 1998, he was convicted on child pornography possession charges, after a search of his Wakefield business by US Customs officials and local police. A story about the conviction in the Wakefield Daily Item reports that in 1991, Berggren also pled guilty to indecent assault against a 19-year-old. In 1985, he was found guilty of showing pornography to six teenagers. He was also found guilty on 10 counts of providing alcohol to a minor. Clearly, this stuff would be volatile information in the hands of someone like Brian Camenker... [ironically, we did have the info, just hadn't gotten it out yet -- but it's out now!] ...
Berggren, who is officially classified as a Level 2 offender (“moderate” risk of re-offending), doesn’t feel his record is an issue. “Everything I am doing is 18-plus events,” he says, tersely. “They know who I am, they know what I’ve done, and they appreciate my work. I have nothing to hide.”
Berggren’s history is clearly no secret in the volunteer circles in which he runs. “He’s not really secretive about it. A lot of people know,” says Keri Aulita, vice president of the Boston Pride board. “Their competitive paper could have broken it a long time ago.”
“It is a concern, but it is a concern everybody is aware of and everybody has addressed,” says Joblin Younger, who serves on the board of directors of the Friends of the Commission on GLBT Youth and is a former member of the Boston Pride Committee. “And it’s very seriously taken into consideration what situations Bill is allowed to be in.”
Boston Pride has contracted with the Human Rights Campaign to run criminal offender record information (CORI) and sex-offender record information (SORI) checks of all volunteers working in family areas. Sex offenders aren’t allowed. But it’s not a perfect system.
In part, the Boston Pride board’s policymaking comes in response to a 2005 incident in San Diego, when a conservative activist [James Hartline, ex-homosexual, now Christian activist, living with AIDS] ran the names of all the Pride volunteers through the sex-offender registry database and came up with a couple of matches. The resulting brouhaha brought a firestorm of unwelcome attention down on the event, and eventually, the Pride Committee acted to bar all people convicted of crimes against youth from volunteering.
Interviews with former and current Pride volunteers made it clear that the organization doesn’t consider Berggren’s sex-offender status an issue. The consensus is that he’s up-front about his history, he’s served his time and he doesn’t need reminding to stay away from the under-18 crowd.
That said: If Boston Pride thinks his position doesn’t reflect badly on Pride, on Boston and on the gay community at large, they’re in serious denial.
Bay Windows also ran this piece: "Bill Berggren resigns from Pride Committee" (4-25-07).
The Dig, quoting a 1998 report published in The Wakefield Daily Item, highlighted Berggren’s past run-ins with the law, including a 1998 conviction for possession of child pornography, a 1991 guilty plea to indecent assault on a 19-year-old and a 1985 conviction for possession of pornographic material with the intent to distribute it to minors. ...
Berggren told Bay Windows that he was “disappointed” by the fallout from the Dig article, but he chose to resign for the good of Boston Pride. He said the Pride Committee knew about his offenses, and he never made any effort to hide them.“I’m a little disappointed. I’ve never hidden anything about my life … I have a lot of support in the community. My phone has been ringing all day long with people telling me not to resign. But I feel at this time it’s the best thing for the community,” said Berggren, who in addition to his fundraising work also served as coordinator for the Boston Pride Idol competition. Berggren is associate publisher of In Newsweekly.
Will Mass. Require HPV Vaccine -- Now Linked to Deaths?
Massachusetts fell prey to the intense lobbying efforts by the drug company, Merck, and Senator Richard Moore has filed a bill in the Massachusetts legislature to REQUIRE this vaccine be administered to ALL 6th-grade girls in the state! Call your senator and rep and insist they oppose Bill S102.
"Merck's vaccine tied to 3 deaths; Company lobbied states for shots to be required" (5-24-07)
At least three deaths and more than 1,600 adverse reactions including spontaneous abortion and paralysis have been connected to Merck & Co.'s new vaccine for the human papillomavirus, a treatment the company has lobbied state lawmakers to make mandatory for young girls across the nation.
The report comes from Judicial Watch, the Washington-based public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.
"The FDA adverse event reports on the HPV vaccine read like a catalog of horrors," said Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch president. "Any state or local government now beset by Merck's lobbying campaigns [this includes Massachusetts; see Bill S102] to mandate this HPV vaccine for young girls ought to take a look at these adverse health reports. It looks as if an unproven vaccine with dangerous side effects is being pushed as a miracle drug."
One report, No. 275438-1, describes the reaction as coronary artery thrombosis, sudden cardiac death. "Given Gardasil vaccine dose #1 3/12/07. Collapsed and died on 3/26/07… Echocardiogram revealed very enlarged right ventricle, small left ventricle as well as large blood clots within both the right atrium & right ventricle."
A second report noted that the woman was vaccinated and "died of a blood clot 8 hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine." ...
WND earlier reported how the company's campaign to promote its $400-per person vaccine was sweeping the nation. ... Judicial Watch said documents it obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the provisions of the Freedom of Information provided information on 1,637 reports of adverse reactions.
See also Washington Times, "HPV vaccine concerns give legislatures pause" (4-25-07).
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Watertown Declares Itself "Place for Hate" -- of Traditional Values
Their message, in other words: If you don't agree that homosexuality if fine, normal, and beautiful, and that same-sex "marriage" is a blessing from God, YOU ARE A HATER! ... How convenient that they don't bother to define "hate speech and hate crimes." If a parent objects to the rainbow flag at the middle school, is that "hate speech"? If a citizen questions the "Day of Silence" at the high school, is that a "voice of division" which must be stomped out?
The "No Place for Hate" campaign is an imitation of the extra-governmental organizations ("Civil Rights Tribunals") that pushed the envelope for ultra-leftist and homosexual causes in Canada. These are community-based "Brown Shirt" clubs, and only haters of traditional Judeo-Christian values need apply. Ironically, a nominally Jewish group -- the Anti-Defamation League -- is behind "No Place for Hate"! But then, the liberal Jews threw out their Bible-based beliefs and values a long time ago. They're wandering in the desert again, ignoring the word of God.
While this will take up a lot of space, we believe the exchange below regarding Watertown's naming as a "No Place for Hate" community is worth preserving (and the local papers remove their links quickly). First, we reprint the hateful, irrational editorial by the Watertown Tab; then, a good response by Mark Charalambous, spokesman for the Fatherhood Coalition of Massachusetts.
Watertown Tab Editorial
Editorial: The left finally wins one in the culture war (5-10-07)
Bellevue Road curmudgeon Ralph Filicchia, to no one’s surprise, is “offended” that Watertown has declared itself “No Place for Hate.”
The Town Council voted unanimously in 2005 to adopt the “No Place for Hate” resolution, which says in part that “all acts of subtle or overt racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and ethnic bigotry substantially undermine our communities, schools and the promise of equal justice…”
Not exactly incendiary stuff. But Filicchia strode to the mic at Town Council on Tuesday to demand that the “No Place for Hate” sign be torn down and the resolution rescinded.
“The proclamation is discriminatory and a violation and infringement upon my civil rights as an American citizen,” Filicchia said. “I want the right to speak out without being guilty of a hate crime.”
There’s one way in which Filicchia makes an interesting argument. Labeling homophobia “hate” short-circuits debate over whether gay folks should be tolerated. After all, who could possibly be in favor of “hate?”
This paper has no sympathy for Filicchia and his right-wing fellow travelers, however few they may be. The right is simply reaping the whirlwind of years of its own highly successful debate-framing.
Let’s start with the term “pro-life.” How can anyone be against life? It’s a cunning coinage, though, that has done much to help the anti-abortion cause.
Or how about those on the right who proclaim or imply a monopoly on “patriotism?” Leftists are finally realizing they can reclaim the word in the name of virtues like peace.
Of course there’s also “family values,” which begs the questions “What kind of family?” and “Whose values?”
So the left’s successful conversion of the term “hate” to include opposition to homosexuality and diversity is a nice coup. It’s a joy to see the sour looks on the faces of right-wingers as they get a taste of their own medicine.
Response:
Mark Charalambous (Fatherhood Coalition Spokesman)
It comes as no surprise that the Tab editors consider the anti-abortion movement's use of "pro-life" as "cunning coinage" ("Editorial: The leftfinally wins one in the culture war," May 10). After two generations worth of politically correct indoctrination in our educational system, logical reasoning has become a rare commodity.
The word "choice" describes a countless number of events experienced daily in every single person's life, starting at the very beginning of the day with, perhaps, "Should I get up now or snooze for a few minutes?" Perhaps followed soon after with "Do I have time for a third cup of coffee?" Choices are made every moment of our lives. In fact, one could argue that consciousness itself is nothing more than a series of choices, constituting our very sense of existence.
The use of this neutral and innocuous word to describe the "right" of a woman to kill her unborn child/fetus remains the single greatest example of the cultural left's corruption of language. "Affirmative action" as a euphemism for racial discrimination runs a close second. Somewhere George Orwell is smiling.
In comparison, it requires no stretch of the imagination or strained logic to recognize that "pro-life" is in fact a completely reasonable choice ofwords to describe the anti-abortion position. The issue at stake is life --human life, I might add -- and those opposed to abortion wish to prevent its taking.
So let's see now. I find rap music repellent, and I consider this "art form"and lifestyle representative of a degenerate culture. Under Watertown's "No Place for Hate" resolution, that would easily qualify as "hate speech." Similarly, I believe that homosexuality -- which is overwhelmingly learned, adaptive behavior -- is abnormal. (Once again, for the logic-challenged Tab staff and readers: "normal" is not just a word with some fuzzy, malleable definition; it means "that which functions according to its design.")
It is to me a no-brainer that any healthy society would draw clear distinctions both in custom and law between biological nuclear (heterosexual) families and homosexual "families" that require artificial means to produce or obtain their children. That, undoubtedly, also qualifies as "hate speech," and might cost me my job or even worse if the 'No Place for Hate' crowd continue to have their way.
I'm not sure if Mr. Filicchia is representative of a substantial proportion of the Watertown population who, except for him, have been mugged and muzzled by the PC thought police. I fear that he is the lone boy in the crowd of sycophants crying out that the emperor has no clothes. Perhaps his example of "speaking truth to power," to borrow a phrase from the cultural left's history, will motivate others to follow suit.
-- Mark Charalambous, Leominster
Sodomy Advocate to Lead Blue Cross of Mass.
Boston Globe: "Barrios to quit state Senate; Will become head of health foundation" (5-23-07).
The Globe reports that Barrios is "father" to two boys. His "spouse" (note: the Globe avoids saying "husband" knowing that's just too much for most of their readers) is Doug Hattaway, Democrat political consultant. Isn't Barrios the same guy who recently stuck his tongue out at a political opponent at the State House -- not in jest, but with deep ill will?
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
More on BAGLY Prom & Foxy Cleopatra
A Prom for All (6-20-06)
by William Henderson
"This is really the greatest thing ever said Hervey Tennessee, 23, of the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth prom, which celebrated its 26th year on May 13. Wearing three-inch vinyl platform boots and a formal tuxedo with top hat and tails, Tennessee--tonight known as "Ace, the Prince of Wales" but usually known by his drag alter ego "Foxy Cleopatra"--gracefully moved through the crowd as friends reached out to touch him. "I'm used to it," he said. "Come here long enough, and everyone knows you." Then he was gone, caught up in the arms of a friend from a local high school.
The event, billed as "the original and largest LGBT youth prom," was held at Boston City Hall, where about 1,200 youth came together on the dance floor. Jian Torres-Jones, 18, danced alone, a glow-in-the-dark rubber ring attached to the studded dog collar around her neck. Girlfriends Emily Osmun, 18, and Carolyn Connolly, 19, cuddled nearby, celebrating their 1 1/2-year anniversary. Between them stood a boy in white satin, Tye Ouellette-Tolles, the self-proclaimed belly-dancing beauty from Sunderland, Mass.
Inside a restroom at the prom Joyce McCarthy helped her son, Daniel, into an emerald-green dress. A padded bra and high heels completed his look. McCarthy took pictures, heaving a video camera to her shoulder at one point. "This is my son, and I love him," she said. As she started to cry, Daniel turned and looked at her. "I know. I promised I wouldn't cry," she said. "I tell him, "You be proud of who you are.' I don't know what's wrong with some parents who don't understand. Live life the way you want to live it."
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