Julie Millam, executive director of the Montana Family Coalition, says “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” should not be on TV:
“To me, that’s not a reality show about gay people,” Millam told the
Billings Gazette.“A really good reality show for gay people would be five gay men
dying of AIDS.”
This comment was carried, without criticism, by the Exodus news clipping service.
Oh. My. Goodness.
From MFC’s mission statement: Our Mission is to reach out, educate and encourage families, educators, and legislators to work together in returning our society to these time-tested values.
The group has another effort — collecting signatures for a petition to keep “One Nation Under God” in the US Pledge of Allegiance, labeling the judicial decision to excise those words (which were only added to the pledge in the 1950s during the McCarthy Red-scare era) a “dagger these belligerent judges thrust into the hearts of every God fearing American.”
So, instead of watching “Queer Eye” or merely switching TV channels, God-fearing Americans would rather watch gays dying from AIDS? Such good Christians…
You know what amazes me most about groups that want to return to “time tested values” is the fact that they seem to forget that change is constant and those time tested values were just a short stop on the road to tomorrow. The values that are still productive and life giving today might not be the same values that were then.
While her statment is appalling, I’m all for this Julie Millam speaking her mind freely in public. In the long run, she’s only further weakening the “christian” right wing political movement. These kind of over the top statements show the true colors of the people who make them and will only hurt the causes they support.
It’s kinda funny that this group thinks they’ll shoot a big hole in a runaway hit like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Don’t they remember the miserable failure of the Disney boycott?
Oh, wait. NOBODY remembers the Disney boycott.
To me it’s not a show about gay people, either. It’s a show about fashion and cooking and culture and grooming and interior design. It’s not gay people’s fault that they happen to be better at this stuff than the poor style-deficient straight guys that they help out so capably.
What the right wing consistently fails to consider is that the ‘time tested’ ideas they like passed away for very good reasons. The test of time showed them to be either unworkable or to have severe defects. The reason we have no fault divorce is the old system perpetuated very bad relationships long beyond any point at which they might have been deemed salvageable. People got fed up with the long drawn out process. And got rid of it. Praising things that never worked to begin with is not a really sound basis for public policy.
On the AIDS show, would she keep up with the data that now show 53% of all new cases are among Black Americans? Would showing 5 Blacks dying of AIDS be her idea of a commentary on the Arican American community? Totally disgusting.
You guys misquoted her- whats new?
She didin’t say that! She would never want to see gays dying of Aids, that is why they warn people of the consequences. Don’t believe everything you read.
If Ms. Millam was misquoted, then please kindly provide the actual quote from a credible source. We welcome accurate information from respected sources.
In any event, AIDS is not a consequence of homosexuality. So yes, it is true, one should not believe everything that one reads from anonymous individuals who provide no specifics.
Mike, this “k” has shown up in many places, including my personal email, posting this rebuttal:
I asked “k,” whom I believe is Julie Millam, if indeed she said the words Allison Farrell quoted in the Billings Gazette article. So far she has refused to answer directly.
AFAIC, the issue is only this: Did Julie Millam say the words in her interview with Allison Farrell? If she did, whatever her real wishes regarding gays, AIDS, and “Queer Eye,” the statement was vile, inhumane, and unChristian.
In the meantime, I have a call in to Allison Farrell, who is expected to be at her post at the Gazette‘s state bureau in Helena tomorrow. Perhaps she will be more forthcoming than the slippery Ms. Millam.
“K” used Touch America as his/her ISP while posting to XGW.
Touch America is a major Montana ISP.
I welcome civil and respectful participation in XGW by ex-gay and anti-gay individuals. I welcome their suggestions and their feedback.
I do not welcome irresponsible, hit-and-run postings by anonymous trolls. So I have banned “K” from posting comments until he or she contacts me (via e-mail) and provides a legitimate and verifiable identity.
Since lesbians have the lowest rate of HIV of any demographic group, does the mysterious ‘k’ favor that women should choose being lesbian over the risks of infection, and of physical abuse, associated with marriage?
It is interesting to note that the person who wrote to Natalie Davis, claiming to speak for MFC, espouses tactics that help spread HIV/AIDS.
The person encourages stereotypes about same-sex-attracted individuals, and cites studies but lacks the courage to identify the studies. In other words, the person is unwilling to describe “reality” with any verifiable detail.
HIV is spread primarily via unsafe sexual activity and the use of dirty needles by abusers and developing-world medical clinics.
It is dishonest, and therefore un-Christian, to blame sexual attraction — or, for that matter, monogamy.
That is more than fair.
By the way, here is a link to the TraditionalValues.org article where Millam (“k,” I believe) found the inspiration for her, um, misquoted statement.
The passage in question is the one germane to this discussion:
The TVC statement is still horrifying, hateful, and untrue, of course: Most gays do NOT have HIV or AIDS, so their sexual behaviors don’t lead inevitably to death. Political Religious Righters, be they TVC or MFC, ought to stop with that nonsense, as those statements do not help their credibility. And neither do the shenanigans and studied avoidance of “k.”
It is also interesting, Natalie, that the supposed reduction in gay male life spans that the “pro-family” movement always likes to bring up is due ENTIRELY to HIV/AIDS, and not to anything in the “homosexual lifestyle.” To argue HIV/AIDS is somehow caused or spread by “homosexuality” would be like arguing the disease is due to being South African.
The reality is that the West got a huge wake-up call about HIV/AIDS from the gay community – if the gay community had not been infected first, the results would have been disastrous. Look at Africa, where the main mode of transmission is heterosexual sex – although lack of medical sterilization is also a major factor. Even so, the HIV/AIDS infection rate in Africa is far higher, on a per capita basis, than it is in the West, and a lot of that is due to heterosexual promiscuity.
We know that HIV/AIDS has managed to invade every continent, and it has done so using multiple means of transmission (sex, medical devices, unclean non-medical needles). If the infection had appeared first in the straight community, which in the US is so reluctant to even discuss their sexual proclivities (or at least were in 1981), it would have taken many more years before authorities would have definitively determined the infection was sexually transmitted, and that condoms could reduce that transmission rate. The gay community, being more than willing to discuss sexual antics with CDC investigators, helped the CDC to quickly link HIV to sexual intercourse, in particular anal sex, and allowed the gay community to step in and protect our own when the government would not.
America owes the gay community a note of thanks, for being the canary in a coal mine.
Oh, and “k” or whoever you are – the HIV infection rate, AT ITS WORST, for gay men in the US was never more than 10% – which means a whole heck of us don’t have IT, and won’t get IT.
Got one more response from Julie, um, “k” today:
“we don’t want homosexuals to die, and that is why we warn of the horrifying aids virus.”
Heavy sigh.
K’s what I call my girlfriend because “Katarina’s” too dang long sometimes! Something tells me that this k and my K are extremely different, though.
You all make great points. I’m still just sickened that people think like this today, and that instead of acknowledging how offensive she was, she *keeps going*! She’s obviously too thick to understand exactly why her remark offends decent people.
As a gay montanan, one who advocates for equality, and one who watches Julie Millam every day at the state capitol disparaging gay folks … No, Millam doesnt want anyone to die of aids. Yes, she wants gays relegated to second class status. Yes, shes a loose cannon when talking to media. Millam has been known to say that she wanted to quit her job at the Montana Family Coalition “every day.” She got her wish. If youre ever in Helena, Montana swing by Applebees and order an asian chicken salad from Jules. And be sure to tip well.
ok, i must say that a suggestion of a show about 5 gay men dying of HIV/AIDS is a very inaccurate idea. it is very stereotypical and assuming to suggest that it would be 5 gay men who have HIV/AIDS. I mean, for christ sake, there are plenty of straight people who sleep around and have various STD’s and HIV-related diseases. This “suggestion” of a show about 5 gay men with STD’s is not only inaccurate, but allso very accusing. that is to say, it suggests that it is primarily homosexual men who sleep with multiple partners and get STD’s. This is simply untrue. 87 % of the HIV-positive population is made up of african americans and hispanics, most of whom are not homosexual. its very biased to claim that it would be an accurate portrayl of gay lifestyle to have a show about 5 gey men dying of HIV/AIDS.
You are all majorly fucked in the head. how can you people be so hateful. Jesus never hated anyone.
I couldn’t help but leave another comment. Being gay is not something that people choose. its just there just like your hair color, but unlike your hair color it can not be changed. Gay people can’t change nor does every person those gay have sex with many diffrent people or have aids. This makes me sick such people even think this way. I’ve been with my partner for 3 years and we live a very nice lifestyle just as anyone else, ecept the fact that we have to deal with shit like you people degrading us all the time. Get a life. Mind your own bis. live your own life.
Wait one more, Something else I must point out. There are many more people in this world and our state for that matter that are stright and spreading std’s to women and children.
It’s not gay people who made this problum for you all. its stright men who sleep around because you wont let them be themselfs,(meaning coming out of the closet) so they have their family at home and go out to the bath houses and sex stores and become infected from other men doing the same thing. Because they feel no other option then to go to such places to find sexual partners. I would say then the finger needs pointed at the right wingers. Think about it whos really the prob. with this matter. look in the mirror…..good-day
Nels- this is not an exgay site. This site exists to criticize the exgay movement’s deceptions. Your passion is admirable but your words are misplaced.