Anti-gays pout over gay journo conference
by Matt | August 27th, 2008 |
Brian Fitzpatrick of the anti-gay Culture and Media Institute (home of the rabidly anti-gay Robert Knight) isn’t too pleased with the recent National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association annual convention in Washington, D.C. (which I attended Aug. 21-24).
In a commentary posted at his group’s website Fitzpatrick takes issue with a panel discussion organized by my friend and colleague, furniture mogul and Faith in America founder Mitchell Gold:
Should coverage of religion in America ignore conservative Christian leaders like Dr. Pat Robertson and Dr. James Dobson?
Yes, according to a session at the annual conference of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, held over the weekend in Washington D.C.
Organizer Mitchell Gold claimed the purpose of his session, titled “Oh God! (or Allah…Or Buddha): Reporting on Issues of Faith & Religion,” was to discuss how homosexual journalists can report more accurately on religion.
If that was really Gold’s purpose, then he recruited a very odd panel of experts. The panel included just one journalist, David Waters of The Washington Post. The other participants were former United Methodist minister Jimmy Creech, Episcopal seminary president Ian Markham, and Ann Craig, Director of Religion, Faith & Values for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
Gosh…I wish I had known he was in attendance. I was at the same session!
Fitzpatrick goes on to say, “The discussion quickly degenerated into a seminar on how journalists can “conquer” the religion debate to advance the homosexual political agenda.”
In another posting at LifeSiteNews.com, Fitzpatrick goes into freak-out mode over NBC’s and other corporations’ support of the NLGJA convention.
As usual, Fitzpatrick’s commentaries are nothing short of the usual sort of truth-bending, anti-gay diatribes we’ve all come to expect from the organization’s hell-bent on erasing the existence of LGBT people from the life of the church, our communities, our schools, governments — hell, society in general.
If there is any bias on the issue of media coverage on homosexuality and religion, it certainly sits squarely with anti-LGBT media magnets like Pat Robertson and James Dobson. When the media wants commentary on these issues, that’s who they go to. Don’t think for a second Robertson and Dobson haven’t made their media availability time among the biggest chunks of their life schedules. If they’re asked for an interview or chance to spew their hatred, they take it.
What Fitzpatrick doesn’t get is that the session really was about broadening the media’s coverage of the homosexuality-religion debate. Instead of running to the same anti-gay sources time and time again, it really is a journalists’ obligation to seek out a wide variety of views. We don’t want to “ignore” Robertson and Dobson, but neither do we want to constantly hear their voices and their viewpoints only.
By the way, you shouldn’t forget about the new book edited by Mitchell Gold. CRISIS, a riveting collection of 40 stories (including mine!) of growing up gay in America, can be pre-ordered now. The official release — as well as official launch parties in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles — comes in mid-September.
Click here for more information on this new and exciting book.
2 Responses to “Anti-gays pout over gay journo conference”
Matt, I was disappointed to find that you were NOT mentioned in the DC METRO-Weekly regarding the NLGJA conference in DC this past week. Sigh. Anyway, I agree with your post, above. Some anti-gay people intentionally twist what they see to write what they want others to read. An anti-GLTB journalist is not going to write anything positive about us. His readers would no longer want to read his stuff.
By juanito on Aug 28, 2008
Haha, well, Juanito… I humbled you think I’m that well known. Perhaps one day.
By Matt on Aug 28, 2008