Ex-gay survivor Peterson Toscano will be taking his one-man show to the Lambeth Conference, the 10-yearly international gathering of Anglican bishops. The announcement has provoked a near-hysterical response from some “traditional” Anglicans.
At Times correspondent Ruth Gledhill’s blog, one reader predicts that the conference “will simply be a circus.” Another laments that “there will be clowns for entertainment.”
But over at Stand Firm in Faith, where Greg Griffith has “no doubt … just how gay Peterson Toscano really is,” the reaction borders on self-parody. Indeed, I thought initially that this comment was a spoof, although on further reading it appears not. The incisive commentator first speculates that Peterson is using a form of hypnosis:
I am not an expert but I do know a bit about some of techniques used in mind control. I call attention to the subject’s use of snapping his fingers as he moves from personality to personality.
Clearly, the subject could be using the snapping as a method of drawing the viewer’s attention to the fact that he is changing his presentation or it could be an auditory cue to a twisted mind to shift from one character to another.
Then he incredulously adds:
I do not think anyone would argue against the observation that something really awful has happened to this young man.
Read the rest for yourself. He helpfully offers an informal diagnosis of schizophrenia. On the plus side, Peterson twice in the thread is referred to as a “young man” (I told you it was incredulous!), so surely there is reason for hope.
Peterson’s own understated response is buried somewhere in here. Event details are here.
Peterson’s ability to take such attacks on his character in stride like that totally astounds me.
Greg Griffith has a trail of bizarre comments on that site that stretches back years. Something really awful happened to him evidently.
One more thing, there really needs to be an ex-ex-gay presence at all these church conventions. They ex-gay crowd tried to pull their magic at the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada and no one was there to answer their claims.
Hypnosis? I rely on heterosexists for entertainment and they rarely let me down.
I applaud Peterson for his understated response to the very non-subtle attacks by some in that blog thread. In case the post’s author and some of his commentators want to join us in the real world, I suggest they do a bit of research into Peterson’s life and work before making any more foolish comments and patently ridiculous claims about his life and mental state.
So he didn’t like the show?
Peterson’s actions, in my opinion, after taking cruel, gruesome hit-after-hit for his sexuality and responding with absolute patience and peace, reflect his Quaker religion. The evidence is here: Peterson is a prince among men.
I think comments like those from Griffith only add to the just idea of how out-of-control and point-blank wrong (and quite unchristian) anti-gay hate mongers truly are.
Peterson did a great job in responding to the attacks. Nothing gets under the skin of a pro-hate fanatic more than receiving an intelligent response like that of Peterson.
Keep up the great work!!
“schizophrenia?”
Griffith apparently isn’t very ‘spiritual.’ Peterson is obviously demon possessed. He is a tool in the hands of the devil being used to further the ‘gay agenda.’ Why mince words? He mesmerizes little children then takes them back to his lair and eats them. sigh. Griffith did make one good point, however (he should have stopped there):
Toujoursdan remarked: “There really needs to be an ex-ex-gay presence at all these church conventions …no one was there to answer their claims.”
As and ex-ex-gay, I would happy to be part of that presence and help answer those claims. Just let me know when, where and how.