Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Iowa lawmaker repeats anti-gay propaganda

Just when you thought Dave Agema was bad enough when it came to state congressional legislators and leaders spouting off anti-gay propaganda, here comes another one. According to Radio Iowa, Iowa state Senator Dennis Guth of Klemme gave a speech which in part said the following:

“The media, for the most part, has bamboozled us into thinking that having a relationship outside of the boundaries of monogamous, heterosexual marriage is positive, happy and fulfilling,” Guth said. “Movies, television shows, articles and magazines abound with this theme, giving partial information to vulnerable audience: our children.”

 Guth said there are “numerous” health and mental problems associated with homosexuality that “ultimately” shorten the lives of gays and lesbians.

 “There are health risks that my family incurs because of the increase of sexually transmitted infections that this lifestyle invites. For example, there are more and more medical tests required before giving blood or giving birth,” Guth said.

Guth said “many civilizations have fallen” because the traditional family was not protected and he argued the homosexual lifestyle “is a lie.” “If I saw someone going the wrong way on a one-way street, I would make every effort to stop and redirect them,” Guth said.

“Simply put, it saves lives to have honest communication not only about the sexually transmitted diseases that shorten lifespans, but also about the deep loneliness that accompanies a life based on youth, beauty and sex.” 

All of what Guth said were lies. But before you get angry, please note that another state senator, Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, called him out:

“Much of what you heard today on the floor of the senate is warmed over rhetoric that has been invented by the Christian right, extreme groups,” McCoy said. “…What I heard today was ignorant and I know where it came from and I think that I am not gay by choice. I am not gay by choice, but I choose not to be ignorant.”

Just a small reminder that while McCoy was right on, the lgbt community must do more to call out anti-gay propaganda because a lot of the folks repeating it are those who vote on our very lives.

Related link - How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America.

3 comments:

EvilI said...

How does one have a monogamous, heterosexual marriage without first having a relationship outside of monogamous, heterosexual marriage?

Anonymous said...

You meet your future spouse the day before the marriage and your parent seal the deal with a few goats.

Unknown said...

YIKES...it's nearly impossible to know how to convincingly discredit this kind of ignorance...when you start by claiming misinformation to be valid and actual information referred to in the opposite, it's like trying to push a boulder uphill...hopeless!