Peter LaBarbera’s anti-gay group, Americans For Truth, delighted in today’s Oprah show. He posted this article:
Oprah Exposes NAMBLA: Homosexual Pedophiles Online
…Mr. Eisenwald [sic] was a guest on “Oprah” because today’s program focused on homosexual pedophiles and on NAMBLA, the North American Man-Boy Love Association…
Oprah’s show today focused on pedophiles, those adults who prey on children, both girls and boys, and use the violation of their innocence for their own sexual gratification. Oprah had on experts who had experience in setting up and capturing the assailants or had penetrated their circles.
And one such circle is a group called NAMBLA (North American Man Boy Love Association) which is comprised of adult men with an interest in underage boys. Incidentally, we are not talking about 22 year old guys who have a thing for their 17 year old neighbor. No, these are middle age men who get together to discuss ways to get sexual access to children. Let there be no doubt that ExGayWatch unequivocally and unreservedly denounces this group and has nothing but disgust for its members.
However, Peter LaBarbera abandoned truth in both his headline and the body of his comments.
First, Kurt Eichenwald’s two articles were not about “homosexual pedophiles” at all but about the access that all predators have on the internet to semi-nude erotic photographs of small children and the way that pedophiles are using the internet to connect with each other. The bulk of one of Mr. Eichenwald’s article was about pay-sites that post pictures of young girls in wet or otherwise revealing clothing. The other discussed how predators would get access at children including woo their mothers.
In addition to Eichenwald, Oprah had Robert Hamer, and FBI agent that spent three years infiltrating NAMBLA, Darlene Calvin, the ex-wife of one of the NAMBLA member arrested in a sting that Hamer organized, and John Kennelly who participated in a Dateline sting. About the only thing missing was any discussion about “homosexual pedophiles”.
So did Oprah focus at any point on “homosexual pedophiles”?
Not that I can tell from the website. The only pedophile about whom we know anything of his life was Todd Calvin, the ex-spouse of guest Darlene. And he could only be described as heterosexual or, at least, “living the heterosexual lifestyle”. In fact, there was no identification at all of any men who exhibited any sexual, romantic, emotional, or other interest in adult men.
I don’t know if Oprah cautioned her audience that most predators of children, both boys and girls, are friends or family members and are frequently married men. But on the other hand, I did not see that she confused child molesters with gay men.
So why did LaBarbera claim that “today’s program focused on homosexual pedophiles”? Is it because LaBarbera was confused and thought that predators on boys must be gay men? Did he just make a mistake?
No. LaBarbera knows better. His extensive “research” at sex clubs and in smut rags has earned him the nickname “Porno Pete”. He is quite aware that gay men do not have any disproportionate interest in children and that pedophiles who prey on boys very seldom are interested in adult men.
Yes there are some gay men who molest children. But LaBarbera knows that focusing worried parents on the gay community will distract them from where the majority of these predators lurk: in the churches, parks, boy scouts, and families that identify as hetersexual.
Then why? Why would Americans for Truth make a claim that they fully know isn’t true? Why would LaBarbera do anything that could endanger the safety of children.
The answer is that LaBarbera and Americans for Truth have an agenda, and truth and the safety of children have no part in it.
I watched this show today and Oprah did not conflate homosexuality and pedophilia, I didn’t hear any references to homosexual pedophiles. Porno Pete knows that some pedophilic behavior is man on girl, funny how he isn’t implying that all heterosexuals are pedophiles.
In fact now that I think about it I’m pretty sure the word homosexual wasn’t used in the entire show.
So, Randi,
You confirm what we observed on the Opray website: that Peter LaBarbera wouldn’t tell the truth if it got him 30% off at the Olive Garden.
To equate homosexuals with pedophiles is pure ignorance and willful disregard for the truth.
Homosexual couples are consenting partners.
Pedophiles haven’t anyone’s consent but their own.
I posted this on knowthyneighbor.org -Florida, and thought it germane to the discussion here.
http://knowthyneighbor.blogs.com/florida/2006/06/watch_cnn_foota.html#comments
I’ve also seen this on other states’ “for marriage” sites.
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One of the more despicable attempts to portray all gay persons as pedophiles. (Florida4Marriage, Pastors resources section, ALSO on their power point presentation):
[Growing influence of NAMBLA (North American Male Boy Love Association) which shamelessly promotes sex between adults and children. This organization has not been endorsed by most gay and lesbian publications, but it has not been condemned either.
Their motto, “Sex before eight or else it’s too late.”]
1. Since they (F4M) can’t honestly say all homosexuals are pedophiles they do the next best thing, dance around the subject in order to make it seem like there’s a connection. Another vile attempt to portray and connect two people, so in love, that they are interested in committing to each other for the rest of their lives, with the act of raping children. Just another “this isn’t discrimination, we’re just protecting marriage” arguments courtesy Florida4Marriage.org.
2. And when was the last time you described child abuse as something that happened BETWEEN two people? How about assault “between” two people? Murder “between” two people?
3. The disclaimer that “This organization has not been endorsed by most gay and lesbian publications” is dismissed by “but it has not been condemned either.” Implying that somehow we are responsible for going out of our way to condemn child abuse yet haven’t done so!
4. Ending with: “Their motto, “Sex before eight or else it’s too late.” Ensuring that the reader walks away wondering if those are the sentiments of gays and lesbians, or just those of NAMBLA.
No they’re not bigots, they don’t hate gays, it’s all about protecting marriage and the children. That’s also not acid rain melting my car, it’s poorly buffered precipitation.
Oprah, herself a victim of abuse has been EXTREMELY responsible in her reporting in this way.
What LaBarbera is doing and will do, in some twisted form of control-will make a fearful and ill informed public do his dirty work by condemning ALL gays and lesbians.
Gay men in particular.
In this way, as long as the public perceives gay men as a physical threat to children.
Then all gay men can and will be threatened with violence.
The public will then feel vindicated that they are ridding society of a dangerous and stealthy element.
And LaBarbera validates this belief.
So all his denials ring hollow that he doesn’t condone violence or any other form of attacks on gay people, when it’s as predictable as the sun coming up that it’s sometimes the only way to get gay teens, and other gay people to come to him and other ex gay therapy for correction before they endanger someone or are endangered.
It’s a set up all the way around.
And I’m sick of LaB and all the others denying that it isn’t.
I told him on another site (IGF) that he didn’t distinguish pathology from fetish.
Nor what’s exclusive only to gay people (gay sex).
And I was right.
I have mentioned often that I worked for LAPD and was privy to databases on all kinds of crimes. We were located downtown at LAPD headquarters.
It’s not hard to talk to vice, homicide or other police concerning who are the most dangerous and persistent sex criminals out there.
Peter LaB, would do better by standing by the same information that comes straight from the FBI or local police agencies that informs Oprah.
And as I also keep saying, it’s GOOD news that gays and lesbians AREN’T the reprobates that Peter LaB and the TVC and FRC WISH they were.
A normal and moral person WOULD see it that way and work accordingly TOGETHER with gays and lesbians to deal with criminal elements.
After all, there are gays and lesbians in law enforcement.
And gay and lesbians parents as concerned for the safety of their’s and other kids too.
I don’t normally post here, just a voyeur. But I’ve wondered if anyone has thought to try to bring this to Oprah’s attention.