In an article today in The Washington Post, Exodus board member and Ohio antigay activist Phil Burress argues that drugstores should lock up condoms.
Citizens for Community Values — which promotes abstinence as the answer to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies — applauds adding steps to buying condoms.
“I’d rather see them locked up,” said Phil Burress, president of the organization. “It’s a lie that condoms prevent all sexually transmitted diseases anyway. People should be educated about that and practice abstinence.” But there is little impartial evidence of measurable benefits from abstinence-only policies, say scientists.
Burress pointed to a 2001 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases report showing that condoms aren’t effective in preventing the spread of the human papillomavirus (HPV). But, according to the NIAID report, condoms are considered effective against unwanted pregnancy (86 to 97 percent), HIV/AIDS (85 percent) and gonorrhea in men (49 to 74 percent).
Burress’ political agenda is to make sex dangerous. While responsible sex educators promote abstinence, monogamy, and prophylaxis in that order, Burress promotes two extremes: Abstinence — or sickness and death. Burress shows little mercy toward those who are drawn to have sex prior to marriage or spouses whose partners are HIV-positive.
CCV’s web site says the organization is “associated with Focus on the Family as a Family Policy Council in Ohio.” The web site does not reflect a broad concern for community values. The site’s choice of topics suggest a morally selective and relativist fixation on homosexuality and pornography.
Given the organization’s opposition to safeguards for those who either struggle with sexual compulsion or who choose not to abide by fundamentalist Christian sexual mores, it would appear that CCV does not uphold community values; it upholds a merciless culture of disease and death.
“I’d rather see them locked up,” said Phil Burress, president of the organization. “It’s a lie that condoms prevent all sexually transmitted diseases anyway. People should be educated about that and practice abstinence.”
Mr. Buress is using a classic example of the strawman here. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone declare that condoms prevent ALL sexually transmitted diseases. For him to make that statement and then declare it a lie is disingenuous at best.
Condoms aren’t the only “things” that Phil Burress wants locked up…Lawrence v Texas
Abstinence does have the best perfect use rate, but I’m willing to bet that condoms have a much better typical use rate when it comes to preventing STDs and pregnancy.
The devil is in the details.
Exodus should be embarrassed to be affiliated in any way with Burress. In 2000, openly gay Arizona Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe, spoke to the Republican National Convention about issues of foreign affairs, on which he is considered a specialist.
Here’s Burress’ response to the Chairman:
Mr. Nicholson,
I am Phil Burress, Chairman of Equal Rights not Special Rights based in Cincinnati, Ohio… Mr. Kolbe as a self described homosexual means nothing except to say he engages in sodomy. Did you know that in Arizona, sodomy is against the law? Mr. Kolbe should be arrested when he returns to his home state for violating state law. Would you agree that all lawmakers should insist that all laws be enforced? Respectfully, Phil Burress
Any gay person seeking reorientation through Exodus should consider that on their Board is a man who advocates LOCKING YOU IN JAIL. Exodus has on its Board a man who makes no distinction between specific sexual acts that were illegal (found later to be a violation of the Constitution) and persons who identify as gay.
Exodus has long since left any true mission of helping those who wish to change their orientation. They are controlled by those who seek the physical, spiritual, and economic harm of gay people and make little distinction whether you are seeking to change your orientation or sexual behaviors.
Phil Burress believes that a person who is seeking to over-come same-sex-attraction – but not yet completely chaste – should be denied access to condoms. Stephen Bennett believes than an ex-gay that is not yet completely chaste should be restricted from taking medicine that might prevent HIV infection.
I cannot think of an attitude further from the teachings of Christ. Yet Exodus and the anti-gay Christian right do not chastise these examples of hatred and harm.
The ex-gay activists seem to take delight in the misery of others and seek to stop anything that might alleviate that misery. And that, my friends, is evil.
I guess when one finds that changing one’s sexual orientation is not possible, one has to come up with some other reason to exist. So one looks to where the money is coming from and goes in that direction.
Timothy, you really are an outstanding communicator