Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Challenge to the Reckless Media Re: Pervert Bigots


Dear Media: From now on, every time a preacher or politician speaks out against homosexuality or calls for denying rights to LGBT people you must investigate that person and demand answers from the individual about his or her sexual activity. If you do not, you've shirked your responsibility as journalists, instead pandering to sensationalist tactics by self-loathing, disturbed bigots. Because here we have, once again, a man who railed against homosexuals as perverted and sinful only to be exposed as a hypocrite and, in this case, an alleged pedophile:


The Rev. Grant Storms, the Christian fundamentalist known for his bullhorn protests of the Southern Decadence festival in the French Quarter, was arrested on a charge of masturbating at a Metairie park Friday afternoon....

...He is especially known for arming followers with bullhorns, Bibles and picket signs to protest Southern Decadence, the three-day gay festival held in the French Quarter during Labor Day weekend. Storms grabbed national attention in 2003 with his failed attempts to shut down what Southern Decadence organizer Chuck Robinson called a peaceful festival that celebrates gay and alternative lifestyles.

We've seen this in homophobic pastor after homophobic pastor, antigay politician after antigay politician. The evidence is now abundant and clear: If a public figure is railing against homosexuality it's probable -- yes, probable -- that he or she is hiding a sexual secret about which he or she is ashamed, filled with self-hate and lashing out at other. The press must not report on these people's hate-filled rants and theatrical events unless the individuals are both asked about their sexual activities and thoroughly investigated. Anything less than that is recklessly irresponsible journalism.