Immediate Action Required 2

Yesterday, the Washington Post’s printed a magazine ad supplement, a product of Grace Christian Church, containing articles and interviews by such rightwingers as Dr. Derek Grier and Dr. James Dobson. The entire purpose of the insert appears to be appealing to homophobia in the black community, as happy, primarily black families (and only white gays) are pictured throughout. The insert also seeks to diminish the legitimacy of the Gay Rights Movement, by repeatedly saying it is in no way like the Civil Rights Movement, despite Coretta Scott King having advocated standing with gays and lesbians in their fight for equal rights. (You can also see here for clear and relevant comments by Mrs. King on the issue.)

The entire insert can be viewed in four parts (thanks to John Aravosis of AMERICAblog for alerting everyone and hosting the pdf files):

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

This is the most vile piece of garbage I have ever seen printed in a newspaper with a reputation such as the Washington Post’s. The disclaimer makes it clear that it is not a publication endorsed by the Post, but as John said, it is:

[O]ne of the most bigoted homophobic things I have ever read. I am astonished the Post would print this filth.

In it you learn things like the fact that sexual orientation isn't genetic. Why? Because if it were genetic it would have to be passed by gay parents who don't have kids! Putting aside a number of holes in that theory, there's the more general scientific point about recessive genes. My point is that this filth isn't even scientifically correct, and the Post is publishing it. I didn't realize the Post had no problems publishing junk science targeting minority groups. Huh.

What's more, the entire publication is based on race-baiting. It is CLEARLY written for the black community in an effort to piss them off against the gays. Funny, but you'd think the Post would have a problem with a scientifically invalid publication whose sole intent was to enrage one minority community against another. But no.

[…]

Where the hell is the Washington Post on all of this? Pay them the right price and they'll publish any crap, no matter how outrageous, no matter how wrong, no matter how hateful and obviously race-baiting (note that the fags in the publication are all white).

This is so beyond the pale. You have got to see this. And we have got to respond. On its face this is publishing junk science meant to attack minorities, and is race-baiting, among other things. I wonder if the Washington Post would publish a magazine insert that, oh, specifically targeted the white community, alerting them to studies suggesting that blacks are genetically inferior to whites, more prone to disease and early death than whites, and that blacks therefore don't deserve affirmative action and other civil rights protections…

[…]

[I]f the Post wouldn't run bigoted race-baiting Aryan science studies about blacks - and they wouldn't - then they'd better treat gays with the same journalistic standard.

Please read the insert using the links provided and then register your disproval with the Post’s ombudsman, who can be contacted at ombudsman@washpost.com. We cannot let this stand.

The scapegoating of a minority group is nothing new, and neither is the use of propaganda to spread misinformation about a particular group. However, I’d like to think we’re still not on the descent into the mass hysteria that gripped Germany before WWII. Of course, if we don’t speak up against a mainstream publication raking in profits from such vicious bile, we’ll soon find ourselves only steps away from that slippery slope.


UPDATE: The following is the text of my letter to the Post:

To Whom It May Concern:

I have read the advertising insert published by the Washington Post, the space for which was purchased by Grace Christian Church. This is the most vile piece of garbage I have ever read in a newspaper with a reputation as that of the Post.

I understand this was not explicitly endorsed by the Post; however, do you have no standards for that which you publish even under advertising banners? The decision to include this hateful, race-baiting insert defies comprehension. I can assure you that I will never again consider a subscription to the Washington Post unless and until you print a retraction and an apology, and give equal space to a group such as GLAAD to counteract the damage this misinformational piece may have done.

Lest you think that you have only outraged the gay community, which you seem to find a disposable readership, I will tell you that I am a married woman in the red state of Indiana with not a single gay relative (that I know of), and I find your choice to buffer your profits by allowing such advertising nothing short of dispicable. I will be forwarding the information on your decision to publish such homophobic vitriol to all of my friends and family and encourage them to boycott your publication as well, until such time as you see fit to make appropriate amends.


UPDATE 2: Check out Atrios, who chose another page from the same website to register his own disbelief.