JUNE 25, 1993
GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
9
PSYCHED OUT
Getting to know the fundies really well
by Mike Radice
Trying to convince a fundamentalist Christian that gay people deserve civil rights is like trying to teach a three-year-old to tie his shoes. Trying to educate them using logic and reason doesn't work. Like the three-year-old, they lack the intellectual maturity to process what we tell them, and they prefer the ripping sound of Velcro. Also, using anger and tears doesn't work. Whenever we express strong emotions, they hide behind their father's coattails.
Well my friends, the fundies have grown up and there's a shift in the wind. Unfortunately, they still aren't potty trained and their diapers haven't been changed in several years. Also, they've learned to effectively argue the advantages of Velcro fas-
teners.
To learn more about their activities in Ohio, I attended the Christian Coalition's Leadership Training Seminar using a fictitious name and address. The Coalition is a nationwide fundamentalist Christian political organization founded by Pat Robertson, and brags 360,000 members in 31 states. Ohio has a statewide chapter, headquartered in Mentor. Currently, 39 Ohio counties have local Coalition chapters. Five of those are in Greater Cleveland.
Since Clinton's election, the fundie stench has become more potent and subtle. Fundies are being told to leave the Biblethumping at home, get educated on "fundie approved" statistics and American history, and to "come out" to their neighbors as normal, hamburger-eating folks.
Fundies have come to realize that the general public is rejecting the biblical rhetoric. They now recognize that the public is basing their opinions about homosexuality on statistics, expert opinion, and personal experiences with lesbian and gay people. Fundies report feeling threatened by the "liberal" research that refutes their beliefs, and by the number of mainstream homosexuals coming out and winning over the hearts and minds of the American public.
To counter the "liberal" research results, and to appeal to the public's thirst for good, hard data, fundies have established their own quasi"research centers" and have given them believable names such as: "The Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality," "Empower America," "The Heritage Foundation," and "The Free Congress Foundation."
Some of the purposes of the centers include: laundering fundamentalist beliefs by translating them into professional-appearing language; providing a launching point for fundamentalist Christian "experts" to present their laundered views to the general public; and to generate a large body of fundamentalist "professional literature." It's paying off.
The American Psychological Association recently reported that the opinions of the Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, an Encino, California group that researches "homosexual reparative therapy" (sic), were admitted as evidence in the Denver case of Evans v. Romer, the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Colorado's anti-gay rights amendment.
the followers will fill their ignorance of American history with the revised version. The new fundie literature sites "evidence" that the country was founded by Christians, for Christians, and that the constitution was written to establish a Christian country. So, now what do we do?
First, don't fret when you can't convince a fundie about the worth of gay and lesbian people. They are psychologically trained to ignore you. Focus your efforts on winning over the undecided, and maintaining the faith of supporters.
Second, get educated quick. The fundies are correct about the public's thirst for good, hard information presented in a mature fashion. Don't let them fill in the history and the Constitution, and be preinformation gap. Learn about American pared to counter fundie lies by presenting the truth.
Also, read publications and books that present summaries of reasoned research and opinions. Some of those include the New York Times, the New York Native, the Advocate, USA Today, Psychology Today magazine and the APA Monitor.
In addition, consult with an openly gay, or gay supportive, minister or rabbi. She or he can help you can gain a better understanding of the relationship between religious teaching and homosexuality. You might also want to read the book The Church and the Homosexual, by John J. McNeill.
Third, learn how to interpret research. A random sample of thousands of people, representative of a cross-section of American people, is an ideal research sample. Also, be sure to "beg the question" when interpreting research. Was the question valid and unbiased? Questions like: “Should homosexuals have special rights?" and, "Should gay people be free from employment discrimination?," will elicit two very different responses from the same research subjects.
Also, find out who conducted the research and how it was conducted. A homophobe conducting in-person interviews about peoples' opinion on gays and lesbians would likely insert his or her views into the questioning; thus making the results invalid. In addition, interviewing subjects on homosexuality in person would prohibit honest responses from subjects, thus making the results unreliable.
Fourth, learn more about fundies and their views. It will forewarn you of what's coming, and will help you speak more intelligently to the absurdity of their preaching. You can get a subscription to the Christian American by sending $24 to: Christian American, P.O. Box 1990, Chesa-
peake, VA 23327. If sending money to fundies offends you, remind yourself that they buy our stuff, so it's probably a wash.
You might also want to attend a meeting of your local Christian Coalition chapter. You can contact your local chapter for meeting information, as follows: Cuyahoga County, 521-4797; Erie County, 626-3217; Huron County, 935-0336; Lake County, 352-2383; Lorain County, 967-2173; Medina County, 723-2972; Stark County, 453-9616; and Summit County, 896-9309. Last, continue your coming-out process.
It is the most effective tool you have, and is what scares them the most.
Next issue: the emergence of gay-bashing gangs.
Rewriting American history is also a fundie strategy. They recognize that Americans, including fundie Americans, are ignorant of American history. To capitalize on this ignorance, they've created a body of fundamentalist Christian-centered, allegedly nonfiction, historical literature (sic). Their purpose is to arm followers with their version of American history, betting that gist, specializing in working with children.
Mike Radice is a Cleveland psycholo-
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