That's the question this column by Wayne Besen brings up. Besen writes about his unpleasant experience dealing with PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays) and discusses the recent non-incident that Executive Director Regina Griggs claimed happened just down the road form me in Arlington, Virginla"
PFOX recently outright faked a hate crime at the Arlington County Fair in Virginia. The unthinkable started on Aug. 28, after PFOX sent out a press release with the headline, "Gays Assault Ex-Gays At County Fair." According to the release:
"As happens every year, gay activists disrupted our booth activities. They screamed obscenities, threw our materials from the exhibit table to the ground, insisted we recognize their same-sex 'spouses,' demanded that PFOX leave, and hit a PFOX volunteer because he is ex-gay."
The website Ex-Gay Watch investigated the claims and found that a slight disagreement occurred between a woman and a male PFOX representative (much like what happened to me in Orlando.) However, Ex-Gay Watch's David Roberts contacted Jackie Abrams, Vice Chair of the Arlington County Fair. Abrams said that no physical altercation occurred, police were never called and no one was ejected from the fairgrounds, as PFOX had claimed."
I was in radio contact with the other board members during the Fair, and definitely would have known if the police had been summoned. It did not happen," Abrams said.
Jay Fisette, a member of the Arlington County Board, backed this version of events.
Updated: Here is a detailed news story from the Washington Blade.
How does an organization that claims on their website to "show families how to love their homosexual child unconditionally, and how to be a positive presence in their child's life" reconcile that high-minded mission with their leader fabricating a news release trying to attract sympathy and, most certainly, use their victim status to raise money.
Sadly, groups like this seem to have a nearly infinite ability to rationalize, justifying the means with the end, which is their bigotry toward the GLBT community and their goal of preventing social equality.
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The statements made in the press release from PFOX about an assult on an ex-gay volunteer from PFOX at the Arlington county fair, have now been confirmed by the Arlington police department. So shame on Exgaywatch for mocking a victim of a hate crime!!! And shame on you for bringing Wayne Besens and Ex-gay watchs biased versions of what happened. They can´t even get their facts STRAIGHT, Because of Their NARROW mindedness. Here is the email I got from Arlington PD verifying the incident:
ReplyDeleteMr. Loewe:
Because you inquired about the alleged incident at the Arlington County Fair, I wanted to let you know that I have now spoken to two officers who are familiar with an incident similar to what has been described.
One officer told me today he was on patrol at the Fair when a woman approached him and told him a man had knocked over pamphlets at the PFOX booth and assaulted another man there.
The officer then spoke to the alleged victim. He did not want to press charges and therefore no written report was filed.
Based on the description the officer was given, he located the suspect at the Fair. Another officer escorted that gentleman off the Fair grounds.
If you have any additional questions please let me know.
John Lisle
Media Relations Office
Arlington County Police Dept.
1425 N. Courthouse Rd.
Arlington, VA 22201
703-228-4311 phone
703-524-3674 fax
www.arlingtonva.us/police
From PFOX's press release:
ReplyDelete"gay activists disrupted our booth activities. They screamed obscenities, threw our materials from the exhibit table to the ground, insisted we recognize their same-sex 'spouses,' demanded that PFOX leave, and hit a PFOX volunteer because he is ex-gay."
Gay activists, plural.
From Mr Lise's reported e-mail:
"One officer told me today he was on patrol at the Fair when a woman approached him and told him a man had knocked over pamphlets at the PFOX booth and assaulted another man there."
Just one man, according to what PFOX told the officers actually present.
Maybe PFOX should try to get their story straight before publicly blaming anonymous hordes of "gay activists" for the alleged activity of a single man.
So there still aren't any neutral eye witness to these attacks????? The police didn't actually witness anything and were just going by what the "good" people at PFOX said...........interesting
ReplyDeleteWhy did the PD put out a press release?
WHY YOU SHOULDN'T TRUST BLOGGERS WHO CAN'T ADMIT THE TRUTH
ReplyDeletePFOX said they would protect the privacy of their ex-gay volunteer and did under withering attacks by Besen and others. Other incidents by gay activists incurred that same day of verbal abuse and intimidation. A bystander at a nearby booth had to step in.
But instead of apologizing to PFOX for calling them liars, fakers, etc., people like Z try to squirm out of the truth.
PFOX nor any "ex gays" should be trusted. After all, these are so-called "former homosexuals" who treats the BS book "The Pink Triangle" as if it were the bible.
ReplyDeleteSo was the alleged incident performed by a group of "gay activists" as PFOX publicly claimed, or just "one man" as PFOX told the police? Actually explaining the contradiction rather than attacking the person pointing it out would be a more productive use of time, no?
ReplyDeleteUntil PFOX can get their own story straight, I don't see why they should get the benefit of the doubt, especially in the light of their most recent attempt to fabricate a "hate crime" as documented by Wayne Besen