10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked | Southern Poverty Law Center

Contents:

• THERE IS NOTHG UN-AIN ABOUT BEG GAY. MEVENI’S BIGOTRY WILL ST LIV
• THERE IS NOTHG WRONG WH BEG GAY QUOT & SAYGS
• WHY ARE PEOPLE GAY? GAY BY CHOICE OR IS BEG GAY GEIC?
• RON DESANTIS'S FLORIDA BOARD OF EDUTN: HEY, WHAT ABOUT THE “PERSONAL BENEF” OF BEG A SLAVE?FLORIDA’S NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI CURRICULUM STANDARDS WILL FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE SUPPOSED UPSIS OF SLAVERY.BY ERIC LUTZJULY 20, 2023RON DESANTIS SPEAKS DURG A MPAIGN EVENT IOWA JULY 14.RACHEL MUMMEY/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVERON DESANTIS’S WAR ON “WOKENS” SCHOOLS ASCEND TO DANGERO NEW HEIGHTS WEDNDAY, AS FLORIDA’S STATE BOARD OF EDUTN APPROVED NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI CURRICULUM STANDARDS THAT, AMONG OTHER THGS, WOULD FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE SUPPOSED UPSIS OF SLAVERY — A WHEWASHG OF HISTORY THAT THE STATE’S LARGT TEACHERS UNN CRIED AS A “BIG STEP BACKWARD” FOR TN.“GOV. DESANTIS IS PURSUG A POLIL AGENDA GUARANTEED TO SET GOOD PEOPLE AGAST ONE ANOTHER, AND THE PROCS HE’S CHEATG OUR KIDS,” ANDREW SPAR, PRINT OF THE FLORIDA EDUTN ASSOCIATN, SAID A STATEMENT BLASTG THE NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI STANDARDS. “THEY SERVE THE FULL TTH OF AMERIN HISTORY, THE GOOD AND THE BAD.”FLORIDA PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS MAY NOT GET THAT UNR THE NEW L APPROVED WEDNDAY, WHICH REQUIRE TEACHERS— A SECTN ON SLAVERY— TO NOTE THAT “SLAV VELOPED SKILLS, WHICH, SOME STANC, ULD BE APPLIED FOR THEIR PERSONAL BENEF.” IN A SECTN ON “RENSTCTN AND BEYOND,” A PERD MARKED BY JIM CROW AND ROUTE WHE TERRORISM ON BLACK MUNI, THE NEW L DICTATE THAT STUNTS MT BE TGHT ABOUT “ACTS OF VLENCE PERPETRATED AGAST AND BY AIN AMERINS,” WHICH, AS DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR GERALDE THOMPSON POTED OUT, SUGGTS CINTS LIKE THE OEE MASSACRE WERE “SPARKED BY VLENCE OM AIN AMERINS.”“THAT’S BLAMG THE VICTIMS,” SAID THOMPSON, WHO, AS THE WASHGTON POST NOT, HELPED PASS A 2020 LAW REQUIRG FLORIDA SCHOOLS TO TEACH ABOUT THE 1920 MASSACRE, WHICH A WHE MOB KILLED DOZENS OF BLACK RINTS OF OEE, FLORIDA, ELECTN DAY VLENCE. (MANNY DIAZ, FLORIDA'S TN MISSNER, PRAISED THE CHANG, SAYG THAT “THIS IS SOMETHG THAT IS GOG TO SET THE NORM FOR STANDARDS OTHER STAT.”)TWTER NTENTTHIS NTENT N ALSO BE VIEWED ON THE SE ORIGAT OM.THE NEW STANDARDS E AS DESANTIS, A NTENR FOR THE 2024 REPUBLIN NOMATN, LAT HIS WAR ON SO-LLED “WOKE” TN, WHICH HAS CLUD BOOK BANS, THE REJECTN OF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT URSE ON AIN AMERIN STUDI, AND THE PASSAGE OF THE STOP WOKE ACT, WHICH PROHIBS THE STCTN OF MATERIAL THAT ULD MAKE SOMEONE FEEL “GUILT, ANGUISH OR ANY FORM OF PSYCHOLOGIL STRS.” HIS NCERN FOR THE POSSIBLE “ANGUISH” OF FLORIDA STUNTS DO NOT SEEM TO EXTEND TO BLACK STUNTS, WHO ULD BE FORCED TO LEARN ABOUT THE SUPPOSED “BENEF” OF SLAVERY, NOR DO SEEM TO EXTEND TO LGBTQ KIDS AND THEIR FAI, WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN TARGETED HIS BATTLE. DESANTIS EXPAND HIS “DON’T SAY GAY” LAW THIS YEAR, AND THE FLORIDA BOARD OF EDUTN VOTED WEDNDAY FOR L THAT TOOK EVEN FURTHER — CLUDG BY BARRG TEACHERS OM ASKG STUNTS THEIR PREFERRED PRONOUNS. DIAZ SAID THE MOVE WOULD PROTECT KIDS OM “UNWELE FLUENC AND DOCTRATN," PRAISG DESANTIS, THE LEGISLATN, AND THE BOARD FOR WHAT HE SCRIBED A STATEMENT AS THEIR “UNWAVERG MMENT TO THE HEALTH, WELLBEG AND SAFETY OF OUR STUNTS.” BUT, AS CRICS CHARGED, THE L NSTUTED AN LATN THE “POLILLY-MOTIVATED WAR ON PARENTS, STUNTS, AND TORS” FLORIDA. “OUR STUNTS SERVE CLASSROOMS WHERE ALL FAI ARE TREATED WH THE RPECT THEY SERVE AND ALL YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WELED,” JENNIFER SOLOMON, EQUALY FLORIDA PARENTS & FAI SUPPORT MANAGER, SAID A STATEMENT WEDNDAY. “INSTEAD, THE DESANTIS ADMISTRATN NTU TO WIELD THE STATE AGAST .”“STOP TURNG OUR KIDS’ CLASSROOMS TO POLIL BATTLEFIELDS TO SRE CHEAP POTS,” SOLOMON NTUED.BUT DESANTIS, OF URSE, SHOWS NO SIGN OF STOPPG: HIS RELENTLS CULTURE WAR HELPED LIFT HIM TO NATNAL PROMENCE, AND HE HAS MA HIS CENTRAL — NAY, HIS ONLY — PCH TO GOP VOTERS HIS SPUTTERG PRINTIAL MPAIGN. “WE’VE MA THE STATE OF FLORIDA THE PLACE WHERE WOKE GO TO DIE,” HE SAID AT A RECENT MPAIGN EVENT. “AND NOW, IS OUR MISSN AS AMERINS TO ENSURE THAT JANUARY 2025…WE LEAVE WOKE IOLOGY THE DTB OF HISTORY WHERE BELONGS.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMCAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARTE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMBY JULIE MILLER“DOPEY AND CONSTUTNALLY DUB”: LEGAL EXPERTS BLAST JUDGE AILEEN CANNON’S LATT PRO-TMP RULGSBY BS LEVRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHERIC LUTZ
• 'NOTHG WRONG WH BEG GAY': ROOT RERD RPONDG TO GABRIEL'S ABIVE LANGUAGE
• PART TWO: WHY THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHG WRONG WH BEG GAY
• 10 ANTI-GAY MYTHS DEBUNKED
• GAY UNSELOR'S FIRG BY INDIANAPOLIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL PERMTED BY FERAL APPEALS URT

THERE IS NOTHG UN-AIN ABOUT BEG GAY. MEVENI’S BIGOTRY WILL ST LIV

I know that my son and thoands of other children across Ai are both gay and fully, proudly our home and our neighbourhood Cape Town, South Ai, Lilha Mafu was always unique.

Today he is 21, and when people ask him when he “me out of the closet”, he often says that there was no closet for him to e out of, as his fay accepted him om the begng, and ma him realise he had nothg to hi or be ashamed many other gay children, he faced stigma and discrimatn school and elsewhere, but he would lean on his fay and his rilient character to negotiate those, he is a strong advote for social jtice, believg that all human begs – Ain or not – mt have the opportuny to be who they are and to love whom they want. Due to the moral panic ed by creased homophobia, this has already started to settg asi this offensive bill, Meveni n reclaim his learship role the Aids rponse and help entrench health as a human right Uganda and beyond. He n give hope and meang to thoands of gay Ugandans who fear this law will stroy their the print rejects this bill, this will be another big w for those fendg Ain human rights, such as my son Lilha and me.

THERE IS NOTHG WRONG WH BEG GAY QUOT & SAYGS

As well as the events Uganda, our greatt fear is that if the homophobia epimic sweepg across east Ai is not curtailed, will spread and upend the liv of lns of gay men and women across our betiful ntent and permanently harm the fight agast Aids.

It very much appears that same-sex sexual attractn is not a choice but actg on is; so if you fe gay as the mere prence of same-sex attractn, then om everythg we unrstand, beg gay is not a choice.

WHY ARE PEOPLE GAY? GAY BY CHOICE OR IS BEG GAY GEIC?

Tyeha currently speaks at different church across the world exprsg the gospel a way that brgs tth to the LGBTQ muny as well as equips the body of Christ to effectively mistry to those fluenced by the spir of homosexualy. Tyeha has a different approach to her old liftyle where she opts not to bash or judge gay people but to tell her story to expose the tth behd beg gay and how the enemy ceiv so many to believg ’s not a s.

RON DESANTIS'S FLORIDA BOARD OF EDUTN: HEY, WHAT ABOUT THE “PERSONAL BENEF” OF BEG A SLAVE?FLORIDA’S NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI CURRICULUM STANDARDS WILL FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE SUPPOSED UPSIS OF SLAVERY.BY ERIC LUTZJULY 20, 2023RON DESANTIS SPEAKS DURG A MPAIGN EVENT IOWA JULY 14.RACHEL MUMMEY/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVERON DESANTIS’S WAR ON “WOKENS” SCHOOLS ASCEND TO DANGERO NEW HEIGHTS WEDNDAY, AS FLORIDA’S STATE BOARD OF EDUTN APPROVED NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI CURRICULUM STANDARDS THAT, AMONG OTHER THGS, WOULD FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE SUPPOSED UPSIS OF SLAVERY — A WHEWASHG OF HISTORY THAT THE STATE’S LARGT TEACHERS UNN CRIED AS A “BIG STEP BACKWARD” FOR TN.“GOV. DESANTIS IS PURSUG A POLIL AGENDA GUARANTEED TO SET GOOD PEOPLE AGAST ONE ANOTHER, AND THE PROCS HE’S CHEATG OUR KIDS,” ANDREW SPAR, PRINT OF THE FLORIDA EDUTN ASSOCIATN, SAID A STATEMENT BLASTG THE NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI STANDARDS. “THEY SERVE THE FULL TTH OF AMERIN HISTORY, THE GOOD AND THE BAD.”FLORIDA PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS MAY NOT GET THAT UNR THE NEW L APPROVED WEDNDAY, WHICH REQUIRE TEACHERS— A SECTN ON SLAVERY— TO NOTE THAT “SLAV VELOPED SKILLS, WHICH, SOME STANC, ULD BE APPLIED FOR THEIR PERSONAL BENEF.” IN A SECTN ON “RENSTCTN AND BEYOND,” A PERD MARKED BY JIM CROW AND ROUTE WHE TERRORISM ON BLACK MUNI, THE NEW L DICTATE THAT STUNTS MT BE TGHT ABOUT “ACTS OF VLENCE PERPETRATED AGAST AND BY AIN AMERINS,” WHICH, AS DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR GERALDE THOMPSON POTED OUT, SUGGTS CINTS LIKE THE OEE MASSACRE WERE “SPARKED BY VLENCE OM AIN AMERINS.”“THAT’S BLAMG THE VICTIMS,” SAID THOMPSON, WHO, AS THE WASHGTON POST NOT, HELPED PASS A 2020 LAW REQUIRG FLORIDA SCHOOLS TO TEACH ABOUT THE 1920 MASSACRE, WHICH A WHE MOB KILLED DOZENS OF BLACK RINTS OF OEE, FLORIDA, ELECTN DAY VLENCE. (MANNY DIAZ, FLORIDA'S TN MISSNER, PRAISED THE CHANG, SAYG THAT “THIS IS SOMETHG THAT IS GOG TO SET THE NORM FOR STANDARDS OTHER STAT.”)TWTER NTENTTHIS NTENT N ALSO BE VIEWED ON THE SE ORIGAT OM.THE NEW STANDARDS E AS DESANTIS, A NTENR FOR THE 2024 REPUBLIN NOMATN, LAT HIS WAR ON SO-LLED “WOKE” TN, WHICH HAS CLUD BOOK BANS, THE REJECTN OF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT URSE ON AIN AMERIN STUDI, AND THE PASSAGE OF THE STOP WOKE ACT, WHICH PROHIBS THE STCTN OF MATERIAL THAT ULD MAKE SOMEONE FEEL “GUILT, ANGUISH OR ANY FORM OF PSYCHOLOGIL STRS.” HIS NCERN FOR THE POSSIBLE “ANGUISH” OF FLORIDA STUNTS DO NOT SEEM TO EXTEND TO BLACK STUNTS, WHO ULD BE FORCED TO LEARN ABOUT THE SUPPOSED “BENEF” OF SLAVERY, NOR DO SEEM TO EXTEND TO LGBTQ KIDS AND THEIR FAI, WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN TARGETED HIS BATTLE. DESANTIS EXPAND HIS “DON’T SAY GAY” LAW THIS YEAR, AND THE FLORIDA BOARD OF EDUTN VOTED WEDNDAY FOR L THAT TOOK EVEN FURTHER — CLUDG BY BARRG TEACHERS OM ASKG STUNTS THEIR PREFERRED PRONOUNS. DIAZ SAID THE MOVE WOULD PROTECT KIDS OM “UNWELE FLUENC AND DOCTRATN," PRAISG DESANTIS, THE LEGISLATN, AND THE BOARD FOR WHAT HE SCRIBED A STATEMENT AS THEIR “UNWAVERG MMENT TO THE HEALTH, WELLBEG AND SAFETY OF OUR STUNTS.” BUT, AS CRICS CHARGED, THE L NSTUTED AN LATN THE “POLILLY-MOTIVATED WAR ON PARENTS, STUNTS, AND TORS” FLORIDA. “OUR STUNTS SERVE CLASSROOMS WHERE ALL FAI ARE TREATED WH THE RPECT THEY SERVE AND ALL YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WELED,” JENNIFER SOLOMON, EQUALY FLORIDA PARENTS & FAI SUPPORT MANAGER, SAID A STATEMENT WEDNDAY. “INSTEAD, THE DESANTIS ADMISTRATN NTU TO WIELD THE STATE AGAST .”“STOP TURNG OUR KIDS’ CLASSROOMS TO POLIL BATTLEFIELDS TO SRE CHEAP POTS,” SOLOMON NTUED.BUT DESANTIS, OF URSE, SHOWS NO SIGN OF STOPPG: HIS RELENTLS CULTURE WAR HELPED LIFT HIM TO NATNAL PROMENCE, AND HE HAS MA HIS CENTRAL — NAY, HIS ONLY — PCH TO GOP VOTERS HIS SPUTTERG PRINTIAL MPAIGN. “WE’VE MA THE STATE OF FLORIDA THE PLACE WHERE WOKE GO TO DIE,” HE SAID AT A RECENT MPAIGN EVENT. “AND NOW, IS OUR MISSN AS AMERINS TO ENSURE THAT JANUARY 2025…WE LEAVE WOKE IOLOGY THE DTB OF HISTORY WHERE BELONGS.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMCAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARTE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMBY JULIE MILLER“DOPEY AND CONSTUTNALLY DUB”: LEGAL EXPERTS BLAST JUDGE AILEEN CANNON’S LATT PRO-TMP RULGSBY BS LEVRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHERIC LUTZ

DeSantis expand his “Don’t Say Gay” law this year, and the Florida Board of Edutn voted Wednday for l that took even further — cludg by barrg teachers om askg stunts their preferred pronouns.

Durg the afternoon ssn footage om the Sky broadst emerged on social media that appeared to show the England pta tellg Gabriel “there is nothg wrong wh beg gay” d has emerged to clarify what prompted Root to say this. I challenge any homophobe to actually fd any tellectual, scientifilly-supported, jtified reason why society has the right to nmn or persecute those who are do you know if you're gay? If we're talkg stereotypilly, then all the signs I was gay were there; my supposedly 'mp' behavur, preference for performg over playg sports and my tenncy to gravate towards iendships wh femal.

'NOTHG WRONG WH BEG GAY': ROOT RERD RPONDG TO GABRIEL'S ABIVE LANGUAGE

Many of the greatt people on this pla -Bs Chief Executiv, Teachers, Doctors, Surgeons and Sports Stars - jt so happen to be gayYet the are nothg more than stereotyp - the were simply behavurs and ways of walkg and talkg that I had... Beg mp do not mean that you are gay any more than beg extremely mascule do not mean you are straight, as proment gby players who have recently 'e out' so clearly more I was mocked for beg 'mp' or stgglg to act more mascule, the more embarrassed and upset I would bee about beg labelled 'gay'.

I would live fear of and anyone who might have - eher to my face or behd my back - ed the word to scribe word the world uld have ma me hate, spise and tt myself more, and this bullyg and name-llg stilled my thought-procs that there uld be nothg worse than beg 'gay'. I hated the fact that people thought I was 'gay' (whatever the word meant to them) and tried to avoid all thought of sexualy om g to my sexualy is unchangeable, is tegral to the personaly which I was born wh and I do thk is normal wh a diverse, large and geilly varied human if I was to fally tackle the issue of my sexualy - and then fd eedom and happs as a rult - I knew I simply had to tackle the issue head on, and this meant first of all nontg my fear of the word 'gay' once and for all. So I cid to embark on a ep perd of trospectn and soul-searchg, vtg a great al of time makg clear to myself that homosexualy is perfectly natural and that beg 'gay' is somethg about who you love and want to spend your life a relatnship a 'God' do exist, then surely you would say mt be God who has lovgly and purposefully ma people gay, and so surely homosexualy is part of God's plan?

I ma clear to myself that actually beg gay was nothg to do wh the rejectn and bullyg I had received for 'actg gay' - I'd never publicly said I "liked boys" or anythg of the sort - but that the name-llg was stead about societal stereotyp and ignorant children beg about how I walked and talked.

PART TWO: WHY THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHG WRONG WH BEG GAY

I then shifted my foc to why you shouldn't be ashamed to actually BE homosexual - beg gay no one else any harm whatsoever, is natural, normal and most certaly do not stop you om dog the same thgs as any other person on this pla.

Homosexualy is somethg natural and normal, not somethg to be repulsed by or ashamed ofI unrstand that many people our world will not be able to prehend or accept what I am sayg. I started to see the negative power the word 'gay' had over me dimish, and began to feel ready to start thkg about my sexual inty a really open, hont, reflective able to see that homosexualy is somethg natural and normal, not somethg to be repulsed by or ashamed of, has allowed me to realise that those who had been and mocked me for how I walked and talked had no right to be treatg me that way and allowed me to feel much more acceptg of the ia that I uld be gay.

I began to see that I wouldn't be 'nfsg' to beg gay like was some sort of crime, but that to accept I am gay would be about feelg empowered and openg myself up to relatnships and feelg thentic my everyday life. Three years earlier, while he was studyg journalism at Michigan State Universy, he had publicly e out as gay an say he wrote for the time of the say, he braced for a backlash, but nothg materialized.

10 ANTI-GAY MYTHS DEBUNKED

It was paful at the time — the worst thg that had happened to him as a gay man, he said — but has reced far enough to his memory that did not e to md an hourlong terview about his experienc as a gay broadster.

’”By the start of his sophomore year at Michigan State, Bach was ready to tell his parents that he was gay, tchg his father off guard but nfirmg what his mother had prevly assumed. “I feel like that’s the burn a lot of gay people live wh — tryg to be perfect for straight people, ” he job requir equent teractn wh the players and the achg staff — addn to his duti as play-by-play announcer, Bach also is the ma public relatns ntact for the team — and he said he hadn’t fully relaxed any of them.

Mrer/Frericksburg NatnalsThat feelg is somewhat “self-flicted, ” Bach said, but he believ the solutn is to brg more openly gay people to sports and create a safe environment for those who are already there but have felt necsary to hi their League Baseball has touted self as a place of clivy.

GAY UNSELOR'S FIRG BY INDIANAPOLIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL PERMTED BY FERAL APPEALS URT

Billy Bean, an openly gay former player, was named the league’s first ambassador for cln 2014 and has sce been promoted to senr vice print and special assistant to Commissner Rob Maned. In Febary, Anrson Comás, a mor leaguer the Chigo Whe Sox anizatn, me out as gay wh a post on Instagram, and the announcement was met wh public support om his club and some people around the cints suggt there is more work to be done. The Boston Red Sox lled up a mor leaguer, Matt Dermody, who had posted an anti-gay msage on Twter 2021, and Anthony Bass, a reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays, reposted a vio on social media that lled for boytts of L.

“Those of that are this very small mory sports have to keep on havg the nversatns, keep on workg really ick’ hard to earn your spot this space, ” he aspir to be a gay person at home a big-league booth.

McCoy for The New York TimA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 27 of the New York edn wh the headle: A Gay Broadster Climbs the Ladr, But It’s Been Lonely.