Scanner : focus on the family

A New Book About Sex, Geared For Toddlers And Up

Brian Fairbanks — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:08:00 GMT

Last year, a 1992 book about sex for kids, written by Narelle Wickham, was re-released with little notice.

That's all changed now that Focus on the Family has found out it contains positive messages about same sex marriage, artificial insemination, and a whole host of other "adult" issues. Oh, and it's being marketed for toddlers...

One ad for the book describes it this way:

It includes simple age appropriate descriptions of sexual intercourse, donor insemination, In Vitro Fertilisation and Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer, as well as pregnancy, birth, adoption, surrogacy, and same-sex parented families. A pioneering book when first published to wide acclaim in 1992, this new edition is now printed in full colour and includes updated content.

That's not how Focus on the Family, America's greatest source of disturbing press releases, sees it:

The controversial publication, Where Did I Really Come From?, also features a drawing of two gay men holding a baby, in a chapter about surrogacy.

The publisher's marketing spruiks the book, which includes in-depth descriptions of sexual intercourse, as suitable to be read to two-year-old children.

"It devalues the traditional family unit and at the very least desensitises us," Focus On The Family spokeswoman Deb Sorensen said.

In a chapter on assisted conception, the book tells children: "Sometimes, a woman really wants to have a baby but she doesn't want to have intercourse with a man. Some women want to bring up a baby by themselves, or with another woman, so the baby gets two mums.

"A woman may go to a doctor who will arrange to get some sperm for her, or a special man she knows may agree to give her some of his sperm."

The book was... relaunched by Learn to Include [publisher of books with positive gay characters and messages.]

Learn to Include's website says the book's "simple, non-judgmental explanations of sexual intercourse, assisted conception, pregnancy, birth, adoption and surrogacy are "suitable for 2-12 year olds". [News.com.au]

The best part of this entire book are these lines:

A woman and a man hug and caress each other, and the woman accepts the man's penis into her vagina. After a while lots of sperm come out of his penis and into her vagina.

Of course, the book does not get into what happens when the man cannot make sperm come out of his penis. Because that would be too much for a two-year-old's brain to process.

Med Student Dies From Legal Party Drug

18-Year-Old Boy Arrested in Most Bizarre Sex Tape Bust Yet

Want A Happy Marriage? Here's the Solution

Sloppy Seconds: Amy Winehouse's Topless Problem

Brian Fairbanks — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:39:00 GMT

PETA is now protesting seal clubbing... in World of Warcraft.

We don't think this is the same story about a man having his penis bitten off (by another man!) that we told you about already. In this story, the attacker... swallowed.

Samantha Ronson has asked for a restraining order against Lindsay Lohan.

Great, we already own all these damn Beatles albums. Does that mean we'll get the remastered ones for free?

Man, some people will do anything for web traffic. Here's a really ridiculous Down Shirt (the new Upskirt?) on Taylor Swift. Good Lord, she's only 18, people...

Members of Congress met with Raul Castro in Havana today.

A guy who works for Focus on the Family in Colorado has been arrested for talking dirty with a 15-year-old girl, who was actually undercover cops.

The Bush shoe thrower's sentenced has been reduced and he'll be out of jail next year.

And Amy Winehouse went streaking "through a hotel after being told to cover up." Guests were shocked to see her racing by them in the nude, but they shouldn't have been surprised unless they didn't know she was staying there.

Related:

Sloppy Seconds: Amy Winehouse is "Back in the Saddle"

While You Were Sleeping: Diablo Cody's Super Porno Limo Rides

Amy Winehouse, Topless Again, Stars in Her Most Bizarre Adventure Yet

At Least Amy Winehouse Has Good Taste in Underwear

While You Were Sleeping: Jennifer Aniston Milking It

While You Were Sleeping: Blake Fielder-Civil's 16-Year-Old Girlfriend?

This Week In Gayness: Sean Penn vs. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Brian Fairbanks — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:31:00 GMT

Is former New York City Mayor Ed Koch gay? Does anyone even care at this point?

Scariest hate crime suspect of all-time? This guy: "So I killed somebody - that makes me a bad guy?" We're against the death penalty, so let's hope he gets brutally beaten in prison every day for the next fifty years.

Lesbians in Massachusetts are suing the US government because they aren't allowed to check "Married, filing jointly" to save money on their taxes. (See similar post from yesterday.)

The Family Resources Council thinks prosecuting hate crimes is the same as prosecuting people for thought crimes. Yes, because when you drag a lesbian out of her car, rape her repeatedly for being a lesbian, beat her up and leave her for dead, you're only thinking it.

James Dobson is retiring from Focus on the Family. But we won't forget about him.

Our idea of a good time might occasionally involve a gay bar, but never when we're in Galveston, Texas.

All Sean Penn wants is to make Harvey Milk's birthday Harvey Milk Day. It's the least Gov. Ahnuld could do, right?

Meanwhile, California is doing what it can to stop Prop 8. First, the legislature did this. Tomorrow, the state will be in court to do this and hopefully help these people.

The next Mormons versus the gays battle? This time it'll be over civil unions in Illinois.

Related:

The Gays Fought The Law, Too Early to Tell Who Won

This Week in Gayness: Don't Ask... Just Don't Ask

This Week in Gayness: The Homecoming Drag Queen

Barack Obama's "Gay Sex Scandal" Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving

This Week in Gayness: The Homecoming Drag Queen

Brian Fairbanks — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:38:00 GMT

Some gay rights bloggers were concerned about the presence of Jerry Lewis on the Oscar stage.

Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District Supreme Court decision, which upheld free speech rights for students. The Gay News blog looks at how much has changed since then (spoiler: nothing.)

According to the Guardian, some evangelicals appear to be growing more receptive to the gays and lesbians in their midst.

More on that Focus on the Family vs. Charlotte, North Carolina story we mentioned last week.

The Log Cabin Republicans are going after that slimy new RNC chairman. Here's hoping for a split.

George Mason University senior Ryan Allen was awarded the title of Homecoming Queen at a sold-out basketball game on Saturday, thanks to his 12-inch heels and infamous local drag queen act.

As we mentioned earlier, Sean Penn was named Best Actor and Dustin Lance Black won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Milk. Both made speeches related to the Prop 8 fight in California. Here's a story about Dustin's speech airing in India, where it may have been censored in a rebroadcast of the ceremony.

Related:

Monk Sex Scandal Proves Forced Celibacy Won't Work

Your New Favorite Mexican Boy (and Man) Band

This Week in Gayness: Don't Ask... Just Don't Ask

This Week in Gayness: How to Tell Your Boyfriend Is Closeted

This Week in Gayness: Don't Ask... Just Don't Ask

Brian Fairbanks — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:40:00 GMT

Good As You alerted us to Focus on the Family's hilariously awful anti-gay conference in Charlotte. They also put a human face on Jeff Johnston, an "ex-gay" who is obviously not human because it's not possible for anyone to change their sexual orientation.

This guy would be Keith Olbermann's worst person in the world if anyone knew who he was: a gay Minnesota Republican who is against gay rights. Paul Koering will vote against "the Marriage and Family Protection Act, a bill that would make Minnesota's marriage laws gender-neutral, allowing same-sex couples many of the rights currently denied by Minnesota statute."

The roles have been cast and the parents approved of the script. And then a high school principal decided to cancel a student production of Rent due to prostitution and homosexual" content. (There are gay characters, but no prostitution.)

To one Utah Republican, the greatest threat to America is: conspiratorial Chinese economists [no], Osama Bin Laden [no], the gays. 12% of ABC.com readers agree.

A young gay Army vet was killed by another young gay man who appears to have been upset at his own sexuality.

First of all, a guy has to go from being a gay porn star to working at Subway. Worse, he has to endure getting fired from his job at Subway when his previous career choice is discovered. Queers United takes up his case.

While most of the country is still stuck in this ridiculous debate about gay marriage, Massachusetts is trying to implement transgender equality.

And, at last, a straight veteran speaks out in favor of abolishing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and letting gays serve openly.

Homophobic Phelps Clan to Picket/Pick-On High School Students

Enterprising Teenager Amasses Collection of Solicited Nude Photos

This Week in Gayness: The Homophobic Celebrity Ad You Missed

This Week in Gayness: Portland Mayor's Sex Scandal Heats Up

Brian Fairbanks — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:40:00 GMT

A gay candidate for Mayor in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, is not helping the cause by being a "fiscal conservative" who runs up astronomical debts to small businesses and then refuses to pay.

If you're gay and want to be on Tyra, you'd better be a "queeny."

Ted Haggard's former superchurch may have bribed a 20-year-old man into keeping mum about his sexual relationship with the preacher man.

ABC is the top network for gay themes, if GLAAD Media Award nominations are an indicator.

New York was thrilled to hear that its LGBT nemesis Joe Bruno has been indicted.

Bobby Griffith, a gay man, committed suicide at the age of 20 because pressure from the world around him was too much to take. His mother was a hardcore Christian and had fought with him over his sexuality, but after his death, she realized her mistake and became a crusading activist for the gay cause. Now, Lifetime is airing a movie starring Sigourney Weaver about this story. Of course, Focus On (Breaking Up) The Family objects.

And Sam Adams, newly minted Mayor of Portland, Oregon, has been unable to dog sex scandal rumors. He has returned to work at City Hall while a probe looks into whether Mr. Breedlove, his possibly underage lover, was indeed underage at the time of their affair. Breedlove says the couple kissed twice when he was only 17, but that was it.

This Week In Gayness: Two Major Male Movie Stars Make Out

The Very Best Thing About This Inauguration...

This Week in Gayness: Being Gay Is A Choice, Say Repuglicans

We Thought Hotel Rooms Were For Porn, Like the Internet

Emily Farris — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:07:00 GMT

But we were wrong.

According to The Smart Set, porn videos get rented in hotel rooms about once a month. So why are some Christian groups trying so hard to eliminate even the option of renting a dirty movie when you're sleeping away from home?

Tom Minnery, the senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family, claims it's because pornography is "especially dangerous in hotels because it can become addictive and create a sexualized climate that puts men, women and children at risk."

That's why his organization met recently with the higher ups at Marriott International to convince the hotel behemoth to keep all viewing, paid or not, family friendly.

We, of course, would like to see something else eliminated from hotel rooms. You see, when we were kids, every hotel we stayed in had either The Bible or The Book of Mormon in the nightstand drawer, and we know that's still the case in many rooms across the country.

As Greg Beato writes:

[F]or the last 20 years or so, hotel rooms have presented their occupants with a quintessential test of free will, the spirit or the flesh. The contest isn't exactly a fair one, because the Bible is free and the porn is ridiculously expensive. But even with that advantage working in the Bible's favor, the decency advocates apparently have so little faith in Western culture's most revered book they don't believe it can hold the average person's attention — at least when pitted against the likes of Spring Break Pantyhoes. That may not be the greatest blasphemy one can commit, but surely it's amongst the saddest.

Amen, Brother Greg.

[The Smart Set: A Room With No View]

Related:

Hey Honey, Where's the Remote for the Porn Box?

Undercover Journalist Learns: In Fancy Hotels, "Extra Pillow" Equals Prostitute

Anti-Gay Video From Your Friends At Focus On the Family

You Can't Drink Beer, Look at Porn and Vote at Home; You Have to Drink Beer, Look at Porn Then GO Vote

(Thanks, Eva!)

[Image]

Anti-Gay Video From Your Friends At Focus On the Family

Brian Fairbanks — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:45:00 GMT

The anti-gay rights movement is still beating that whole talking point to death. You know the one: "Gay marriage, yuck. What next, my sister can marry my dog?" Yeah, that angle.

Now the fire and brimstone folks at Focus On The Family have released a video basically saying after gay marriage comes, um, children growing up to marry gay penguins? In any case, their humor is lost on us.

Scanner : focus on the family

A New Book About Sex, Geared For Toddlers And Up

O Canada! Teen Girls Trading BJs for Merchandise

Med Student Dies From Legal Party Drug

18-Year-Old Boy Arrested in Most Bizarre Sex Tape Bust Yet

Want A Happy Marriage? Here's the Solution

Sloppy Seconds: Amy Winehouse's Topless Problem

Sloppy Seconds: Amy Winehouse is "Back in the Saddle"

While You Were Sleeping: Diablo Cody's Super Porno Limo Rides

Amy Winehouse, Topless Again, Stars in Her Most Bizarre Adventure Yet

At Least Amy Winehouse Has Good Taste in Underwear

While You Were Sleeping: Jennifer Aniston Milking It

While You Were Sleeping: Blake Fielder-Civil's 16-Year-Old Girlfriend?

This Week In Gayness: Sean Penn vs. Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Gays Fought The Law, Too Early to Tell Who Won

This Week in Gayness: Don't Ask... Just Don't Ask

This Week in Gayness: The Homecoming Drag Queen

Barack Obama's "Gay Sex Scandal" Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving

This Week in Gayness: The Homecoming Drag Queen

Monk Sex Scandal Proves Forced Celibacy Won't Work

Your New Favorite Mexican Boy (and Man) Band

This Week in Gayness: Don't Ask... Just Don't Ask

This Week in Gayness: How to Tell Your Boyfriend Is Closeted

This Week in Gayness: Don't Ask... Just Don't Ask

This Week in Gayness: How to Tell Your Boyfriend Is Closeted

Homophobic Phelps Clan to Picket/Pick-On High School Students

Enterprising Teenager Amasses Collection of Solicited Nude Photos

This Week in Gayness: The Homophobic Celebrity Ad You Missed

This Week in Gayness: Portland Mayor's Sex Scandal Heats Up

Scanner Roundtable: If Gay Marriage Is Legal, What About Polygamy?

This Week In Gayness: Two Major Male Movie Stars Make Out

The Very Best Thing About This Inauguration...

This Week in Gayness: Being Gay Is A Choice, Say Repuglicans

We Thought Hotel Rooms Were For Porn, Like the Internet

Hey Honey, Where's the Remote for the Porn Box?

Undercover Journalist Learns: In Fancy Hotels, "Extra Pillow" Equals Prostitute

Anti-Gay Video From Your Friends At Focus On the Family

You Can't Drink Beer, Look at Porn and Vote at Home; You Have to Drink Beer, Look at Porn Then GO Vote

Anti-Gay Video From Your Friends At Focus On the Family