Friday, May 07, 2010

NO MATCH: Maddow Vs Cooper On George Rekers Rentboy Scandal

What a disappointment CNN's coverage was tonight. But WOW, did Rachel Maddow ever hit it out of the park! JMG reader Curtis observed on Facebook: "The difference in reporting between the two is notable. Probably not coincidental that one is out and one is not."

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Facebook Status Of The Day


Tweet Of The Day II - Rachel Maddow


UDPATE: ZOMG!

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Sarah Palin's Theocracy: America Should Be Ruled By Biblical Law

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CNN 10PM: Jo-Vanni Roman, Wayne Besen, & Dan Savage On Rekers Scandal

Tune into Anderson Cooper 360 at 10pm tonight as Jo-Vanni Roman, Dan Savage, and anti-"ex-gay" activist Wayne Besen rip into the NARTH/Family Research Council scandal enveloping Dr. George Rekers. Must see TV, y'all!

UPDATE: Feh!

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Craig Ferguson On Dr. George Rekers

As you might expect, Craig Ferguson delivers the funniest take on the Rekers scandal. Starts at the 2:00 mark.

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More Hot Water For Michael Steele

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Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum Responds To Dr. George Rekers Scandal

I just got off the phone with Nadine Smith at Equality Florida who tells us that our campaign against Bill McCollum has finally forced him to acknowledge the Dr. George Rekers scandal. McCollum's press release:
As hired counsel for the Florida Department of Children and Families, our office is committed to providing our client with the best possible legal representation in this matter. Dr. Rekers, a professor emeritus from University of South Carolina and a neuropsychologist with a degree from UCLA, came to our attention by recommendation from another academic after an exhaustive search for potential expert witnesses who were willing to testify. Dr. Rekers had exceptional credentials and he had provided testimony in similar cases on two separate occasions, one of which was a Florida case in Federal Court. The contract was executed at the direction of the Department of Children and Families, and the ACLU did not object to his position as an expert at the hearing. He has completed his testimony and is no longer involved in this case.
Equality Florida has learned that amount of money paid by the state to Rekers is actually much higher than originally thought.
An online search of Florida vendors shows Rekers was paid roughly $120,000 and his co-hort Walter Schumm recieved an additional $36,000 in taxpayer money. McCollum's office also tried to downplay their relationship with Rekers, insisting that DCF paid him, ignoring the fact that the Attorney General's office prosecuted the case, defined the strategy and selected its witnesses. But was McCollum's attempt to shift focus to DCF more than a political sleight of hand? Was it simply a lie? The same records that show that Rekers was paid double what was originally reported, also show the agency responsible for the funds as "Office of Attorney General- Finance & Accounting."
Go to Equality Florida's petition demanding that McCollum apologize. Continue to rain down your outrage on McCollum's Facebook campaign page. Call out Bill McCollum for his LIE that this is the work of Florida's Department of Children and Families. And as Nadine Smith just said to me, "How can he think it's BETTER that people think this huge amount of money was ripped from the nearly destitute agency devoted to serving Florida's children?" We WILL hang the albatross known as Dr. George Rekers around Bill McCollum's turkey wattle.

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Jo-Vanni Update

I've had a couple more phone conversations with Jo-Vanni today. He reports that his interview with CNN this morning "went pretty well," but that they gave him no indication when it will air. (I've emailed my contact at CNN to ask.) And they apparently will show him on camera.

In the meantime, I've got Father Tony working in Fort Lauderdale to put together a support team for Jo-Vanni. As I'm sure you all realize, there may be some pretty nasty people out to get him in some way or another. We've got a connection to one of South Florida's sharpest LGBT legal minds, but want to also make sure he's getting good advice on handling the deluge of media inquiries. And of course, the kid just needs some good old social support. None of us can be 100% confident we're getting the full story here, but until we know otherwise, we need to close ranks behind this kid and block any attempts by the Christian right to hurt him. South Florida readers, I welcome your emailed suggestions.

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YouTubers On Dr. George Rekers



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Tweet Of The Day - Roger Ebert

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Lord Jesus Christ Hit By Car

But it's OK. He is arisen.
A 20-year-old Pittsfield driver was cited by police Tuesday after she ran down Lord Jesus Christ in a marked crosswalk at Main Street and Strong Avenue, police said. Brittany E. Cantarella was cited for a crosswalk violation, said Northampton police Capt. Scott Savino. Christ, 50, of Belchertown, was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for treatment of minor injuries following the 3:30 p.m. accident. He was treated at the hospital and then released. Cantarella was making a left turn from Strong Avenue onto Main Street when her car, a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, struck Christ. Christ was in a marked crosswalk at the time of the accident, Savino said. Savino said officers checked Christ’s identification at the scene and confirmed it was his legal name.

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Lithuania Pride Is Back On

A court in Lithuania has overturned the ban on Baltic Pride.
A Lithuanian appeals court says a gay pride parade can go ahead as planned this weekend, overturning a ban imposed by a lower court that cited security concerns. Law enforcement officials have warned that Saturday's parade in downtown Vilnius could spark violence and should be canceled, an argument that swayed the lower court. But the Supreme Administration Court said Friday that the rights to assembly and expression are guaranteed by the European Convention and the government is obligated to defend them.
The parade is tomorrow. Let's hope everybody stays safe.

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GLAD Holds Presser After First Day Of Federal DOMA Challenge

You'll have to listen closely as the audio is somewhat overwhelmed by traffic noise, but it appears that things are going well.

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Tired Old Queen At The Movies #30

1948's Red River starring Montgomery Clift and John Wayne!

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Iowa Sen. Merlin Bart: Gay Families Don't Deserve To Use State Parks

Iowa state Sen. Merlin Bartz wants to mark sure that state agencies don't extend right or privileges to gay couples, even though his state legalized same sex marriage last year. One the things Bartz wants to stop is the plan to allow gay couples to use the family campground portion of state parks.
The rates or fees for camp sites are the same, whether you’re a family or a non-family, but the state allows families to put up more than one tent on a camp site. “They’re changing their language even though the state legislature has not had a debate on this particular issue,” Bartz says. Bartz is a member of the Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee which meets on Monday. He’s asked D.N.R. officials to explain their proposal at that meeting. Bartz says he wants to be “vigilant” and keep state agencies from writing rules that extend new benefits to gay couples. “A lot of the advocates of gay marriage in Iowa have said, ‘It doesn’t affect anything. Nothing has changed,’” Bartz says. “The reality of it is that everything is changing.” Bartz concedes the D.N.R. might be sued if they fail to ensure “family” policies for camping apply to gay couples, although Bartz says the state may be sued by gay marriage opponents if the rule is changed.
The campground rule change will be voted on this summer. Why must it be VOTED on?

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Sean Chapin - This Is Not A Hate Crime

JMG reader Sean Chapin reacts to yesterday's "not a hate crime" verdict in Brooklyn. Watch this. WATCH THIS.

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Britain's Parliament Is Hung

But not in the good way. With no majority won in yesterday's election, a coalition government will have to be created.
David Cameron has reached out to the Liberal Democrats in an effort to form a government - after the UK general election resulted in a hung parliament. The Tory leader, whose party won most seats but was short of a majority, said he wanted to make a "big open and comprehensive offer" to the Lib Dems. BBC political editor Nick Robinson said it could include Lib Dems in cabinet. Labour leader Gordon Brown has already stressed his party's "common ground" with the third biggest party. The Tories are expected to get 305 seats, just short of the 326 needed for an outright majority. Labour are expected to end with 255 MPs and the Lib Dems 61. Past practice under Britain's unwritten constitution sees the sitting prime minister in a hung parliament having the right to make the first attempt at forming a ruling coalition.
RELATED: Northern Ireland Prime Minister Peter Robinson, the husband of the boy-fucking cougar and anti-gay Iris Robinson, lost his seat in Parliament. His loss was quite unexpected. Robinson had been expect to help craft Parliament's coalition.

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On Baby Naming

From the New York Times' Paul Schmidtberger:
If there were any truth to the idea that a particular name can guarantee a particular character trait for the child — or vice versa — most people would be named Vaguely Dissatisfied. Or Kinda Bitter. In my case, my parents could’ve just named me Unemployed and saved everybody a lot of trouble. Misspelling a child’s name won’t make Junior special, creative or unique. Y’s and I’s are not interchangeable, and apostrophes are not some sort of newfangled confetti to be sprinkled liberally throughout groups of letters. Parents shouldn’t impose cryptic, incoherent or foolish spellings on their own children, nor on society as a whole. And they shouldn’t condemn their children to a lifetime of bleakly repeating that, no, the name in question is spelled “Shaiyahne,” not “Cheyenne.” (And while I’m at it, don’t name your child Cheyenne, either.)
My eight year old niece's name is both unusual AND its spelling in non-intuitive. But there isn't any random punctuation in it, at least.

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Scissor Sisters - Fire With Fire

Producer Stuart Price's influence is quite evident on this, the first single from the upcoming third album by Scissor Sisters. Elton John meets The Killers' Human. And that's a very good thing.

UPDATE: Video pulled for blah, blah, blah.

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Sir Ian McKellen On Aging

From a British campaign to battle loneliness among seniors.

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My Interview With Jo-Vanni Roman

Around 1am this morning I got tipped by one of the guys at Unzipped that Jo-Vanni Roman was finally ready to speak with me. Five minutes later I had him on the phone from Fort Lauderdale, but not before I alerted Father Tony to be ready to rush over to him immediately for a video interview. Jo-Vanni declined to meet with Tony for reasons you'll learn at the bottom of this post. Right now, I'm going to cover some key points of our 90 minute, wide-ranging conversation before they slip out of my mind. It's 3:00AM!

Let's open by saying that this kid is no dim bulb. I found him frank, sharp, funny, and quite forthcoming to all my questions. And I had a lot. But I also must say Jo-Vanni is almost painfully naive about some things, as you'll see. Since this interview was completely unplanned, it wasn't recorded and I didn't have a prepared set of questions. So as our conversation bounced around timelines and often veered into unrelated tangents, I think the best way to write this post is just to bullet-point some of the key things he said me.

-Jo-Vanni came out to friends in high school at the age of 16, but went on his first date with a boy while in the 9th grade. His parents know he's gay, but they don't yet know that he escorts.

-His first contact with Dr. George Rekers was via email through Rentboy.com. They met in person one time before the trip to Europe, but "nothing happened."

-Jo-Vanni was excited to take his first trip out of the country and use his passport for the first time. He describes Rekers as a pleasant, amiable travel companion. Before leaving Miami, Rekers told Jo-Vanni that he was a child psychologist, but gave no hint of his also being a Baptist minister, much less a nationally infamous anti-gay activist.

-In Europe, much of their sightseeing involved visiting historic churches and cathedrals, where Rekers would offer various historical facts about the buildings and their place in the history of their respective religions. Jo-Vanni says that he never felt preached to or that Rekers was trying to convert him from being gay, although he says they did have at least one rather direct conversation about "all morality being from God." An ardent atheist, Jo-Vanni says he argued to Rekers that one could be a moral person and still not believe in God. "That was pretty much it as far as religion. He didn't quote Scripture at me or anything," he said. So much for Rekers' claim of Christ-like outreach to the fallen.

-Jo-Vanni says their accommodations were far from deluxe and that their hotel in London was "like a crappy Days Inn or something." It was in those budget hotel rooms where he and Rekers had their daily erotic nude massage sessions. Jo-Vanni confirmed to me the "anus long-stroking" technique reported by the Miami New Times, but says that's as far as things went. He says that Rekers never suggested taking things further, but that Rekers' cock was "rock hard" during the massages. "So it was definitely sexual for him?" I asked. "Oh, for sure!" he replied. And in that way that 20 year-olds speak, he added, "He was definitely totally gay for me." I asked, "And you didn't think it was strange that he didn't at least want to blow you?" He hesitated. "Yeah, at first, I guess. But it kinda felt like maybe he was just getting started, you know, like he was new to gay sex, maybe." (This I doubt highly, but didn't say so to Jo-Vanni.)

-As for the much mocked "lifting of the luggage," Jo-Vanni says that Rekers told him that he'd had three hernia operations. Jo-Vanni says he did indeed do most of the luggage carrying on the trip. In fact, he says that the now notorious Miami International photo was a fluke and the reason it seemed that Rekers was pushing the luggage cart is that they'd been separated moments earlier as they exited customs. Jo-Vanni had been waved through ahead of Rekers.

-Jo-Vanni swore to me that he still has no idea how the Miami New Times was tipped to their arrival in Miami. He claims he had no contact with their reporters either before or during the trip. He speculated to me that "maybe somebody hacked George's email." According to Jo-Vanni, "Some guys rushed up, took our picture and ran away. I said to George, 'Did you just see that?'" (This aspect of the story intrigues me greatly.)

-Jo-Vanni says he first got wind of the expose' by the Miami New Times when they called to advise him of the pending story and request a reaction. They also told him exactly who he'd been vacationing with. Jo-Vanni says he immediately called Rekers, asking, "Did you tell them you went with me? You did? Why did you do that?" Jo-Vanni is angry that Rekers confirmed the trip. "If he hadn't, it would have just been their (Miami News Times') word against ours."

Since the story broke on Tuesday, we've all seen George Rekers' increasingly desperate attempts to deny the sexual aspect of their trip or that he even met Jo-Vanni on Rentboy.com in the first place. They've spoken on the phone once since then, during which Jo-Vanni angrily confronted Rekers about his anti-gay work with the Family Research Council. "I just stay in the background" was Rekers' limp defense. The call ended with Rekers begging Jo-Vanni to refuse future interview requests.

After covering every aspect of his time with Rekers that I could think of, I wanted to know if Jo-Vanni now got exactly who he is. I asked him, "You DO understand just what an incredible monster George IS, right? The horrible things he's said in court about gay people? That he's personally responsible for ripping apart gay families?" I wanted to disabuse Jo-Vanni of what seemed to be fleeting moments of odd affection for the man who'd been such an agreeable travel companion. "Oh, yes. I get it, I really do. He's like way worse than the orange grove lady." The orange grove lady. I'm afraid I went a little Professor Homo at that point and gave Jo-Vanni a three-minute primer on Anita Bryant.

But that "orange grove lady" moment sort of crystallizes who Jo-Vanni is, I think. He's clearly a sharp kid, but there's a plaintive naivete to him. We talked about his being deluged with media requests and he asked me if I'd ever heard heard of the National Enquirer and if "they are any good." Yes, I've heard of them. They're horrible. Stay away from them. "OK, thanks for telling me, They've been calling." He also, as impossible as it seems, had never heard of Ted Haggard or the Mike Jones scandal and he seemed somehow encouraged to learn from me that another gay escort had been through a similar firestorm of attention. I told him about Jones' book and Jo-Vanni responded, "I should probably buy that tomorrow, huh?"

We'd been on the phone for more than an hour at that point, having veered randomly into non-scandal related topics like how many Puerto Ricans live in NYC (lots, he was surprised to learn). I was about to wrap things up when I almost idly asked, "So what have you got planned for tomorrow, more laying low, so to speak?" He said, "Well, I do have to get up early for an interview. You know that guy, the gay reporter on TV?"

That gay reporter is Anderson Cooper, whose office has been calling Jo-Vanni. So this morning CNN's Randi Kaye will meet Jo-Vanni at a Fort Lauderdale hotel for an on-camera (but probably silhouetted) interview. And there Jo-Vanni says he will hand over the confidentiality agreement signed by himself and Dr. George Rekers. "You know, I'd love to see that contract if you wouldn't mind faxing or emailing a photo of it to me," I said innocently. Jo-Vanni laughed and declined. Like I said, naive perhaps, but not dumb.

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Thursday, May 06, 2010

NARTH: Our George Rekers Might Be A Dirty Homo, But We Still Hate Queers

NARTH has responded to the prostitution scandal enveloping their star performer, Dr. George Rekers.
While NARTH is focused on the science of homosexual attraction, personal controversies often deepen the existing cultural divide on this issue. Such is the case in the recent news stories concerning one of our members, Dr. George Rekers. NARTH takes seriously the accusations that have been made,and we are currently attempting to understand the details behind these press reports. We are always saddened when this type of controversy impacts the lives of individuals, and we urge all parties to allow a respectful and thorough investigation to take place. At this difficult time for the families and individuals involved, we extend our sympathies. We also wish to reiterate our traditional position that these personal controversies do not change the scientific data, nor do they detract from the important work of NARTH. NARTH continues to support scientific research, and to value client atonomy, client self-determination and client diversity.
Rekers remains listed on the officers section of NARTH's site. For now, anyway. For those blissfully unaware, NARTH is by far the most repulsively foul of anti-gay groups. And that's saying something. According to NARTH, gay men are literally shit-eating pedophiles with the nonexistent "gay bowel disease." But we can be changed. And incidentally, I've been told they are following the Rekers story on JMG "very closely."

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OUTRAGE: Hate Crimes Charges Dismissed In Brooklyn Murder Of Jose Suzuchanay

Unbelievable. Hakim Scott, on trial for the brutal 2008 murder of Ecuadorean immigrant Jose Sucuzhanay, has been convicted of manslaughter only. The jury dismissed the hate crimes charge, despite overwhelming evidence that Scott and his accomplice screamed anti-gay and anti-Hispanic epithets as they beat Sucuzhanay to death with a metal baseball bat. The second jury is still deliberating the case of Scott's accomplice, Keith Phoenix.
Scott was accused of breaking the bottle over the head of Sucuzhanay as he walked arm-and-arm with his brother, Romel, on a cold night in Brooklyn. The brothers were returning home from a bar; Jose was drunk, and Romel was helping him walk. Prosecutors said Scott, 26, and Phoenix, 30, mistook the brothers for gay men, and yelled anti-Hispanic and anti-gay slurs at them. Scott smashed the bottle over Jose Sucuzhanay's head and chased after Romel with the broken bottle, while Phoenix beat Sucuzhanay with an aluminum baseball bat so badly he cracked open his skull, prosecutors said. Sucuzhanay died several days later at a hospital. Phoenix has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, manslaughter and attempted assault, all as hate crimes. His jury began deliberations Thursday evening. Phoenix's defense attorney, Philip Smallman, said Thursday in closing arguments that the case was about a fight that escalated, not a premeditated attack.
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is livid. Via press release:
“I am outraged by the dismissal of hate crime charges in one of the most heinous acts of hate our city has witnessed in recent memory. It is incomprehensible to me that such violent acts of hate could receive a verdict of not guilty. Hakim Scott viciously attacked Jose Sucuzhanay while calling him derogatory names and stood by and watched while his fellow attacker, Keith Phoenix, beat Jose with a baseball bat. Jose was attacked simply because of who he was and who these two criminals perceived him to be. His attack was motivated and fueled by pure hatred. I urge all New Yorkers to join me in condemning this verdict, as we did when we originally learned of this attack.

"Justice was served with guilty verdicts on manslaughter and attempted assault charges. With these two charges combined, Hakim Scott faces up to forty years in prison.
The fact is, however, that Mr. Scott has escaped serving any time for his vicious hate, hate that was at the heart of this horrible crime and murder. This is a sad day for the family of Jose Sucuzhanay and for all those who uphold and fight for tolerance and acceptance. I pledge to the Sucuzhanay family that our fight is not over and we will do all that we can to see Mr. Scott in jail for the rest of his life. We remain hopeful that Keith Phoenix will ultimately be found rightfully guilty in the hate charges he faces."
I just really cannot believe this. These monsters singled out the Suzuchanay brothers, thinking they were gay because they had their arms around each other. They then beat Jose to death while screaming "Faggot ass niggers!" at them. How the FUCK was this not a hate crime?

RELATED: My extensive coverage of the attack, the vigil, the memorial, and the trial can be found here.

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Rekers To Miami Herald: I Am Not Gay!

In a letter written to the Miami Herald's LGBT issues blogger, Steve Rothaus, Dr. George Rekers is threatening a lawsuit against the Miami New Times for calling him a homosexual. According to Rekers, rentboy Jo-Vanni Roman called him today begging to him to tell the world that he was not hired to be a prostitute. Rekers says:
If today’s news story in the Miami New Times is accurate, I have been advised to retain the services of a defamation attorney in this matter, because the fact is that I am not gay and never have been. My travel assistant called me this afternoon earnestly asking me to clarify on my website that he worked for me as a travel companion and not as a prostitute. I completely agreed with my travel assistant that it is absolutely true that I hired him and he worked for me as a travel companion and not as a prostitute. I also read to him the first sentence that has been posted on my website for several days that says, “A recent article in an alternative newspaper cleverly gave false impressions of inappropriate behavior because of its misleading innuendo, incorrectly implying that Professor George Rekers used the Rentboy website to hire a prostitute to hire a prostitute to accompany him on a recent trip.”
Rekers goes on to recount the phone call, using the expression "life my luggage" six times. SNORK. So now the ball is back in Jo-Vanni's court. Did this phone call really happen? Is Jo-Vanni now concerned about a possible arrest? Much more likely is that Rekers has completely invented this entire story.

UPDATE: In a separate Miami Herald story, Jo-Vanni supports Rekers' version of events. Note that this interview was made yesterday, before today's Miami New Times story in which Jo-Vanni made the anus long-stroking claim.
Both Rekers and Geo, who declined to give his real name, deny they had a sexual relationship during their 10-day journey to Spain and England. "In all honesty, I did go on the trip with him,'' Geo, 20, told The Miami Herald on Wednesday. "He was setting me up as a companion. In all honesty, he's a very kind, family-values man.'' Rekers, 61, said via e-mail that he hired Geo as "an assistant to lift his luggage in his travels because of an ongoing condition following surgery.''

He added: "Dr. Rekers found his recent travel assistant by interviewing acquaintances. There was nothing inappropriate with this relationship. Professor Rekers was not involved in any illegal or sexual behavior with his travel assistant.'' Geo says Rekers -- the father of three grown sons -- hired him to carry luggage, be a companion and to translate Spanish to English during their time in Spain. "Nor did he pay me enough'' for sex, Geo said. "I was getting about $75 a day,'' Geo said, adding that he and his friends usually charge $300 to $500 a day for sex. Geo said he is a Miami Dade College student who became a prostitute to pay his bills. "I was just trying to get through school,'' he said. "I think I'm going to have drop my classes.'' Geo's parents know he's gay, but not that he's an escort. "Who the hell wants to tell them I was doing this stuff?'' he said. "I come from a very conservative Spanish family.''

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Department Of Defense Launches Internal DADT Dialog Site For Active Duty Soldiers

Could this be part of the DADT repeal implementation study?
A new online inbox that enables servicemembers and their families to comment anonymously about the impact of a possible repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law has gone live. The inbox will enable servicemembers and families to offer their thoughts about how a repeal of the law that prohibits gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military might affect military readiness, military effectiveness and unit cohesion, recruiting and retention, and family readiness, a defense official explained. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates created an intradepartment, interservice working group to conduct a fair, objective, comprehensive and dispassionate review of these issues, the official said. The online inbox is one method the group will use to systematically engage with the force and their families. A non-Defense Department contractor will monitor comments made through the inbox and eliminate any identifiable information inadvertently submitted to ensure anonymity, the official said.
The site is located here, but seems to be inactive at the moment, so we can't yet tell how it will screen out anti-gay non-military commenters.

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HomoQuotable - Alan Chambers

"Despite the familiar human desire to throw the stone in my hand at Dr. Rekers, I cannot. He is a human who seems to have made a mistake. He is a Christian who seems to be guilty of practicing what he has preached against. It is that fact that alone causes the deepest feelings of anger to arise no matter what side of the debate one falls. Regardless of any sexual impropriety, his actions were not above reproach and that has hurt his excellent reputation.

"This fiasco has also fueled speculation and doubt about the lives of others who have chosen to pursue a life in Christ above their sexuality – people like me, and those I represent at Exodus. And while Dr. Rekers may be guilty of things beyond those he has admitted, he deserves no less grace than I or any in the gay community – those now reveling over what must feel like a victory beyond their wildest dreams to prove that people affected by same-sex attraction cannot and should not do anything but embrace a narrow view of their same-sex attractions, by adopting and celebrating a gay identity." - Exodus International president Alan Chambers, offering to re-de-gay George Rekers, since Rekers' own 35 year history of anti-gay work was clearly didn't reduce his desire to have his anus long-stroked by nude young hotties.

Jo-Vanni, Chambers also wants YOU to call him. SRSLY. Right now. Out rates apply.

(Tipped by JMG reader Ikahana)

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World Markets Sagging As Financial Crisis In Greece Worsens

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University Of South Carolina Erases Dr. George Rekers From Their Site

Whoops, who used to occupy this faculty page for the University of South Carolina? Man overboard! Box Turtle Bulletin's Timothy Kincaid asks:
I’m curious as to the exact criteria for removing any mention of Dr. Rekers. Was it because the University of South Carolina was delighted to have an anti-gay activist as a respected and privileged emeritus professor, but not so delighted to have a man who was revealed to be engaged in behavior that is homosexual in nature?
Hit the above link for the original pre-scandal image.

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Yesterday's Signorile Interview

You can click over to Michelangelo Signorile's site for an audio clip of my SiriusXM interview with him yesterday about Dr. George Rekers and Florida AG Bill McCollum. Hopefully I don't sound like too much of a tool.

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Orrin Hatch On "Abysmal" Airport Security

As much as it grievously pains me to agree with Orrin Hatch on anything, it does seem unbelievable that one can buy an airline ticket in cash, at the counter, with no luggage, and stroll onto a flight to the Middle East (or anywhere) without further attention.

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Today In Journalistic Racism

The Awl reports that Long Island's Smithtown Messenger has created a before-and-after photo essay to demonstrate how the stress of the presidency affects the faces of presidents and first ladies. The projected "after" photo of the Obamas is from Sanford & Son. Oh, but the paper has now issued an apology. So it's OK!

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Dems Hit Back At Fiorina's Demon Sheep

Remember California U.S Senate candidate Carly Fiorina's much-mocked "demon sheep" ad? AmericaBlog tips us to the Democrats' hilarious response.

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Rekers' Hooker: Yes We Had Sexy Time

Jo-Vanni Roman, the Rentboy.com escort hired by "ex-gay" activist Dr. George Rekers, revealed to the Miami New Times today that he and Rekers did indeed have sex (of sorts) on their ten day vacation through Europe.
The male escort hired by anti-gay activist George Alan Rekers has told Miami New Times that the Baptist minister is a homosexual who paid him to provide body rubs, once a day, in the nude, during their ten-day vacation in Europe. Rekers allegedly named his favorite maneuver the "the long stroke" -- a complicated caress "across his penis, thigh... and his anus over the butt cheeks," as Lucien puts it. "Rekers liked to be rubbed down there," he says. In his first interview since the New Times broke the story Tuesday, the 20-year old escort, who prefers to go by the name Lucien, contradicts Rekers' contentions that he hired the escort to help carry his luggage and that he was trying to save the soul of a lost sinner. Although Rekers does have physical ailments that make it difficult for him to haul suitcases, he wasn't hired to carry luggage on their European vacation, Lucien said. "It's a situation where he's going against homosexuality when he is a homosexual," Lucien says.
The Miami New Times promises further disclosures later today, including information about a confidentiality agreement Rekers reportedly asked Roman to sign.

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Tweet Of The Day

It's a criticism worth discussing and one that I (probably too glibly) addressed yesterday on Signorile's show. As I noted in a post on Tuesday, I had decided to cloak Geo/Lucien/Jo-Vanni's identity, but once he was revealed on Unzipped, that plan, obviously, became moot.

I've also been criticized for using the words "hooker" and "prostitute," rather than the more PC term, "sex worker." But to be frank, when the Christian right and mainstream media go Googling this story, "sex worker" will not be among their search terms. And we DO want them finding out the truth about Dr. George Rekers.

I suppose the real issue here is whether we consider the risking the prostitution career (and not unrealistically, the safety and potential imprisonment) of a young gay man to be worth bringing down someone who has spent the last 35 years wreaking a path of destruction through the lives of untold thousands of LGBT people, their children, and their families. I have no answer for that.

I do worry for the young man caught in the center of this, however he may have willingly or unwillingly placed himself there. And it should be said that I certainly have no issue with sex work itself. (Insert the cliched [but in this case very true] "some of my best friends..." line here.) Yes, the Rekers scandal is beyond delicious and any blogger's dream. Nevertheless, and while I think we've done the right thing here (so far, at least), my Twitter critic's point is worth keeping in mind as we proceed.

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JMG Readers Shut Down Florida AG Bill McCollum's Facebook Campaign Page

Thanks to the thousands of you that heeded my call to visit Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's gubernatorial campaign Facebook page, the page's administrators have repeatedly closed it down, wiping out all of the entries demanding his response to the Rekers scandal. My outclick tracker thingy tells me that 22,441 of you hit his page in the last 24 hours and I thank all 22,441 of you beautiful people, whether you left him a message or not. And big thanks to Michelanglo Signorile, who yesterday sent his listeners there too. We've gotten McCollum's attention, that much is certain.

Today we're waiting for a response from the Florida Department of Children and Families, to whom McCollum's office yesterday passed the buck regarding the $87,000 payment to Dr. George Rekers so he could continue his campaign to rip apart Florida's gay families.

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Yeah, Totally

Rite Aid, Second Avenue, 8am

Cashier: And that comes to $10.02.

Elderly Man: OK, wait I have the pennies.

He empties his pocket onto the counter and a small diamond-shaped blue pill skitters towards the cashier, who quickly pushes it back towards him with a gasp.

Elderly Man: That's an ALIEVE!

Cashier (expressionless): Oh. I believe you. Yeah, totally.

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Lady Gaga Does Idol

Towleroad tips us to this clip of Lady Gaga's gay-gay-gay performance on American Idol last night. BTW, some of you have written wondering why I haven't been covering Idol every week this year as I did over the last three seasons. No special reason, other than I figured the nonstop RuPaul coverage was enough silly television for your delicate nerves.

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Jersey Shore Producers And MTV Sued For Racketeering Over Bar Fights

The New Jersey Superior Court has agreed to hear a lawsuit that claims that MTV and the producers of Jersey Shore are engaging in an ongoing criminal enterprise by staging deliberately provoked bar fights between cast members and patrons of the nightclubs that they attended while on camera.
The lawsuit claims Ronnie Magro, the beefiest of the "Jersey Shore" crew, went out of his way to pick fights during the show's taping. In one episode, an exultant Magro howls at the camera after knocking out Stephen Izzo Jr., who is named in the suit. Joshua Thomas, also part of the lawsuit, said Magro started a fight with him and his wife, Kristin Porrenod. After the fisticuffs aired, Thomas said he was fired from the Monmouth Beach police force, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Just in time for season two, which premiers in July.

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Gay Activist Wayne Mahlke Busted In Ugly Confrontation With NYPD

Wayne Mahlke, the former vice president and co-founder of the Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens, faces seven years in prison over a nasty and seemingly unprovoked confrontation with a female NYC cop.
A foul-mouthed former aide to disgraced ex-Sen. Hiram Monserrate cussed out a city cop and tried to bully his way out of an arrest by flashing a fake police placard, prosecutors said Tuesday. Wayne Mahlke, 48, was stopped at a red light near the Queensboro Bridge just after 9 a.m. when he saw NYPD Officer Denise McDonald on patrol. "Why don't you do your job, you fat bitch!" Mahlke shouted in what prosecutors said was an unprovoked verbal onslaught Sunday. When the 19-year NYPD veteran asked for his license, Mahlke tried to maneuver his 2009 Honda Civic past her but she stopped him by stepping in front of his car, prosecutors said. Mahlke then pulled out an official state Senate business placard and a forged police placard, trying to pull rank, they said. "You don't know who I am," Mahlke reportedly told her. "I'm higher ranking than you. I work for Mayor Bloomberg." She was having none of it. Mahlke was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct, failing to obey directions of a police officer, and not producing a valid license.
Mahlke has never worked for Mayor Bloomberg.

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Gringo Masks

Over on GringoMask.com, Arizona's Hispanics are invited to print out the above face masks to have on hand should they encounter the police.

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DC's Capital Pride On Fenty/PFOX Flap

Washington DC's Capital Pride has issued a statement regarding the calls by some activists for Mayor Adrian to be disinvited to the parade. Last month it was learned that Fenty's office had accidentally honored the founder of the "ex-gay" group PFOX.
In recent days, there has been a public call to “un-invite” Mayor Adrian Fenty from Capital Pride festivities. While Capital Pride feels that PFOX and its mission are harmful to our community and our families in Washington, D.C., Mayor Fenty, all elected officials, and all of those running for office are always welcome to join in the celebration of Capital Pride. Everyone who supports equality for LGBT people in the Washington, D.C. area is welcome to attend and participate in Capital Pride’s 35th Anniversary Celebration, June 4th -13th. After 35 years, you ain’t seen nothing, yet!

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Colbert Report On Dr. George Rekers

With a screenshot of JMG, but no mention. Oh, well!

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Teabagger Ad Of The Year

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Open Thread Thursday

Nothing but good news. Promotions. Achievements. Love life. Vacation plans. Brighten up this here joint.

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Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Advocate Locates Geo/Lucien

The Advocate has learned the real name of the elusive Geo/Lucien, but the kid is still not talking.
“Lucien,” the young man at the center of an emerging scandal involving one of the most influential leaders of the "ex-gay" movement, is known on his Facebook and MySpace profiles as Jo-vanni Roman, The Advocate has learned. Reached Tuesday afternoon by phone, a man purporting to be Roman repeatedly declined to discuss any details of being hired by Rekers for a recent 10-day trip to Madrid and London. “I don’t think people realize how serious this has gotten, and I would have talked about this had my privacy been respected,” Roman said, referring to his Rentboy.com profile, which was posted Tuesday by Unzipped followed by several gay blogs. “There’s absolutely nothing else I can say,” Roman added. According to Facebook and MySpace profiles created by Roman, he is a 20-year-old Miami resident and a 2008 graduate of Felix Varela High School in The Hammocks, an unincorporated suburb located 20 miles west of Miami.
I've written Jo-Vanni via Facebook and again requested an interview. We're not holding our breath, but in the meantime, check out his 2008 teen angst-laden MySpace rant about the difficulty of finding "a nice guy in this fucking city."

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Family Research Council Denounces Co-Founder Dr. George Rekers

"In the past 24 hours FRC has received calls regarding Dr. George Rekers and his connection with the Family Research Council. After reviewing the historical records we did verify that Dr. Rekers was a member of the original Family Research Council board prior to its merger with Focus on the Family in 1987.

"Reports have been circulating regarding Dr. Rekers relationship with a male prostitute. FRC has had no contact with Dr. Rekers or knowledge of his activities in over a decade so FRC can provide no further insight into these allegations.

"While we are extremely disappointed when any Christian leader engages in the very activities that they 'preach' against, it is not surprising. The Scriptures clearly teach the fallen nature of all people. We each have a choice to act upon that nature or accept the forgiveness offered by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and do our best to ensure our actions, both public and private match our professed positions." - Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, simultaneously denouncing Rekers and pretending NOT TO KNOW WHO HE IS.

No knowledge of his activities? SRSLY? When they've been skipping hand-in-hand to every anti-gay conference in the country? Wow, THAT lie is almost Rekersesque, innit? MAN OVERBOARD!

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The Libertarians' Nightmare

The Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian "think tank" has created this clip in protest of the horrible government regulation of everything in our lives. Things like traffic! And product safety! And consumer protection! Nightmare!

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Urban Dictionary

Dan Savage mints another one.

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Today On Signorile's Radio Show

I'll be on Michelangelo Signorile's SiriusXM show today at 4:30 EDT to try and cause some more trouble for FRC/NARTH douchenozzle and gay prostitute patron Dr. George Rekers. SiriusXM's gay programming runs on channel 109 and can be streamed online with a free trial enrollment.

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HomoQuotable - Dr. George Rekers

"A recent article in an alternative newspaper cleverly gave false impressions of inappropriate behavior because of its misleading innuendo, incorrectly implying that Professor George Rekers used the Rentboy website to hire a prostitute to accompany him on a recent trip. Contrary to Internet stories based on this slanderous article, following medical advice Professor George Rekers requires an assistant to lift his luggage in his travels because of an ongoing condition following surgery. His family, local friends, and even another university professor colleague have offered to accompany him on trips to lift luggage. Professor Rekers was not involved in any illegal or sexual behavior with his travel assistant." - Dr. George Rekers in third-person statement he posted on his personal site. Lying makes the Baby Geo cry, Georgie.

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OHIO: Joe The Plumber Wins GOP Thing

Joe the Plumber has been elected as a GOP committee rep in Ohio.
Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher, who was hailed by Republican John McCain's presidential campaign in 2008, won one of nearly 400 seats on the local Republican Party committee in Ohio's Lucas County. But don't call him Joe the Politician just yet. The group he'll serve on meets only a few times a year to elect the county chairman and sets the party agenda. Wurzelbacher won the seat by a 38-24 vote Tuesday in his suburban Toledo precinct. A message seeking comment was left with him Wednesday. He became an overnight sensation almost two years ago after questioning then-Sen. Barack Obama on the campaign trail about his economic policies and then when McCain repeatedly cited "Joe the Plumber" in a debate. He was held up by the GOP as an example of the middle-class worker who would be hurt economically by an Obama presidency. Wurzelbacher has since written a book, spoken at conservative gatherings and spent a few weeks as a war correspondent in the Gaza Strip.
RELATED: Last year Wurzelbacher famously pledged that he would never allow his children near any damn dirty queers because "all gays are pedophiles."

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What Does Florida AG Bill McCollum Have To Say About Dr. George Rekers NOW?

I've been on the phone with the Florida Attorney General's office and the Bill McCollum For Governor campaign trying to get a statement and/or reaction to the Dr. George Rekers prostitution scandal.

Campaign spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said that she is aware of the story, but that the campaign would not be issuing a response, as Florida's gay adoption battle is still in litigation. She then referred me to the press office of the Attorney General, where I spoke to communications staffer Rachel Sloan. Sloan was unaware of the story, but was quite cooperative and opened a press request file for me, to be sent to her superiors and (presumably) McCollum via their Blackberrys today.

I explained to Sloan that we expect McCollum to answer for his payment of $87,000 to an anti-gay so-called "expert witness" on gay parenting, a man who has now been exposed as a closeted homosexual himself and a patron of male prostitutes at that. Here are the three questions posted to Attorney General Bill McCollum, for which we await a response.

1. How was Dr. George Rekers selected as an expert witness? (What due diligence was performed to ascertain his credentials? Who recommended him to the Attorney General's office?)

2. Where did the funding come from to pay Rekers and his associate their $87,000 fee? (And is there a mechanism for the state to demand back their fee now that Rekers has been exposed?)

3. Will Attorney General McCollum now publicly denounce Dr. Rekers as a fraud, a liar, and a hypocrite?

I cautioned both of McCollom's flacks that this WILL be a very big issue in his gubernatorial campaign, since he's been "palling around with guys who patronize male prostitutes."

UPDATE: McCollum's office is stonewalling us and passing the buck to the Florida Department of Children and Families. Calling THEM now. And calling the campaign offices of all of McCollum's opponents, both Democrats and GOP.
UPDATE II: Everybody please go to McCollum's campaign Facebook page and DEMAND his response to the outrage of paying Dr. George Rekers $87,000 to help destroy Florida's gay families! Do it NOW.

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Sue Sylvester & ONJ Get Physical

I realized that many of you tender kittens are too young to remember the original video, so you might want to check it out for comparison.

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Rekers & Geo: In Flagrante Delicious

Since the ho is out of the barn, the Miami New Times has released their photo of NARTH/FRC fuckweasel Dr. George Mekers at MIA with his hired male prostitute, the barely legal twink Geo. The New Times properly notes that Geo doesn't seem to be fulfilling his duties as Rekers' paid luggage lifter.

CAPTION THIS PHOTO.

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Leno Rips On Dr. George Rekers

The Rekers hooker scandal made Jay Leno's opening monologue last night. Start the below full episode clip at 7:00 for the zingers. Of course, Leno couldn't exit the bit without trading homophobic jibes with his band leader over which of them would be visiting Rentboy.com after the show.

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Concerned Women Are Concerned That DC Won't Allow Voting Away Minority Rights

Concerned Biotches for America CEO Wendy Wright took the podium outside a DC courthouse yesterday in support of Bishop Harry Jackson's bid to overturn marriage equality. The court heard testimony yesterday and will issue their ruling shortly.

(Via - Good As You)

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Heckuva Job Brownie Accuses The President Of Inaction On Oil Spill Disaster

Talk about chutzpah! Of all people to cast stones.

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Gay Hooker Patron Dr. George Rekers Was Paid $87K To Stop Gay Adoption In Florida

When the story broke yesterday that NARTH member and Family Research Council co-founder Dr. George Rekers had patronized a male prostitute, some of you noted his role is Florida's campaign to maintain its ban on gay adoption. Towleroad recaps that for us this morning:
"Rekers was one of only two witnesses Attorney General Bill McCollum called in an effort to reverse a Miami judge who ruled Florida's adoption ban- the only one in the country- is unconstitutional. McCollum paid Rekers and a colleague $87,000 for testimony that called gay people mentally unstable and advised that the ban should be expanded to include Native Americans because, Rekers claimed, they are also at much higher risk of mental illness and substance abuse. 'They would tend to hang around each other,' Rekers testified. 'So the children would be around a lot of other Native Americans who are … doing the same sorts of things.' This latest controversy may shed new light on how outrageously bias and scientifically unsupported Rekers' testimony has been, said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida. 'It is disgraceful that the attorney general used taxpayer dollars to compensate this discredited bigot-for-hire,' said Smith. 'It shows just how low they have to scrape to find anyone even willing to defend this awful ban that denies children permanent loving homes.'"
He was paid a fucking fortune by the STATE to stop gay adoption, then he took that money to buy a ten-day sex romp through Europe with a boy barely out of his adoptable years himself.

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ARIZONA: Tucson & Flagstaff Sue Own State Over Immigration Law

Concerned about its impact on tourism, the Arizona cities of Tuscon and Flagstaff are suing their own state government over the recent immigration law.
They are the first municipalities in Arizona to approve legal challenges to the law. Earlier this week, proposed litigation in Phoenix took a hit when the city attorney said Mayor Phil Gordon lacks the authority to file suit without the support of the City Council. The new state law requires local and state law enforcement officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they're in the country illegally. The Flagstaff City Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution that says it's an unfunded mandate to carry out the responsibilities of the federal government. Its Tuesday night meeting drew a crowd that initially numbered in the hundreds but dwindled significantly as the night wore on.
The mayor of Phoenix wants to file a lawsuit too, but his city council has refused to back him.

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Sen. Joe Lieberman Wants To Strip Citizenship From Unconvicted Suspects

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TOMORROW: GLAD Challenges DOMA In Federal Court

Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) will represent eight married same-sex couples and three widowers tomorrow in their Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) challenge against the federal government. Via press release:
Represented by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the plaintiffs in Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management, all married in Massachusetts, have each been harmed by DOMA treating them as unmarried. Gill was filed on March 3, 2009, and has been called the case with the greatest potential for national impact by the National Law Journal.

“Every day DOMA is hurting couples and families – not just by denying them benefits and rights, but by denying that their marriages exist,” said Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD’s Civil Rights Project Director. “Under our Constitution’s equal protection guarantees, there is no justification for this.” Bonauto will be arguing on behalf of the plaintiffs before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph L. Tauro.

Judge Tauro will hear GLAD’s motion for summary judgment as well as the federal government’s motion to dismiss. The hearing will address the issue of whether DOMA Section 3 is constitutional six years after the first same-sex couples in the country started marrying in Massachusetts, the result of GLAD’s groundbreaking marriage case, Goodridge v. Department of Public Health.
Follow along on GLAD's DOMA blog.

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Chaos In Greece Over Financial Crisis

Greece is seeing its worst civil unrest in decades as the government imposed new austerity measures to combat the spiraling financial situation. Greece's crisis is threatening markets around the world.
Stock futures fell Wednesday, a day after major indexes posted their biggest losses in months on worries that Europe would not be able to contain Greece's debt problems. Strict austerity measure drew thousands of protesters onto the streets of Athens, where the demonstrators tried to storm Greece's parliament and hurled paving stones at police. Three people died in a fire set by Greek protesters in central Athens. European markets were mixed as investors remain cautious about whether a $144 billion aid package for Greece will help stem the growing debt crisis. German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked her country's lawmakers to rush the approval of Germany's $29.3 billion share of the Greek rescue program. Stocks plunged around the world Tuesday as fears escalated that Europe might fail to contain Greece's debt problems. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 225 points, its biggest drop in three months. Investors worry that Europe would have trouble bailing out larger countries like Spain and Portugal because the continent's governments spent so much supporting Greece. There are also concerns that the large debt among European nations could upend a global economic recovery.
VIDEO: Here is some raw footage of rioting today.

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Adoption Equality For Denmark

It might be hard to believe that a progressive nation like Denmark only yesterday granted equal adoption rights to gay couples, but that's the case.
Danish parliament passed a vote giving equal adoption rights to couples in registered partnerships yesterday, but without the support of the government. The opposition, together with breakaway members of the government’s Liberal Party, voted in favour of the legislation which will allow all same sex couples in registered partnerships the same adoption rights as married couples from 1 July. Danish homosexuals could previously adopt as individuals or adopt the children of their partner under the step-child adoption laws. Figures from Statistics Denmark show that of the 712 step-child adoptions in 2007, 103 were from couples in a registered partnership. The Liberal-Conservative government was left in a difficult position, being forced to introduce a legislative bill without backing it. Justice minister Lars Barfoed said last week that the government would remain firm in its commitment to vote against the bill. ‘I think children as a rule need a mother and a father,’ Barfoed said.

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