Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Okay, I know I took David Noebel to task yesterday for saying that after decriminalizing sodomy, the gays got all uppity and started demanding other things. But after seeing this article from Agape Press, I'm beginning to come around. Would you believe that those damn gays think they actually have a right to buy products from Walmart? And Walmart thinks they have a right to sell products to gays? I know it sounds crazy, but it's true, I assure you. But Randy Sharp, the director of special projects for the American Family Association, did some crack research on the Walmart website and found out that - you're not going to believe this - Walmart actually sells books that gay people might read:
In an "Action Alert" to its supporters on Monday (October 23), AFA identifies several book titles available through Walmart.com that it says relate to the promotion of homosexual marriage -- among them are: What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage; Legalizing Gay Marriage; Gay Marriage and Democracy: Equality for All; Defending Same-Sex Marriage; and Gay Marriage, Real Life: Ten Stories of Love and Family.
The nerve of these people, thinking they have a right to sell books that say things that the AFA disagrees with! Of course, you can also get all kinds of books by James Dobson, Phyllis Schlafly, Alan Keyes, Robert Bork and many others, so there's no shortage of anti-gay books as well. I mean, it's almost as if Walmart has this crazy idea that different people have different opinions and might buy different books on the subject. But how could they think that? I mean, that's just insane.
Sharp also notes that Wal-Mart is now considering same-sex "partner" benefits, bolstering AFA's notion that the retailer has moved from neutrality to actively promoting the homosexual lifestyle.
Well that's even more outrageous. They think that they might be able to recruit and retain good employees by offering health benefits to gay and lesbian partners of their employees? Gays and lesbians aren't supposed to have healthcare! The next thing you know, they'll want homes and cars and even jobs! It's just like Walmart to cave in to the Gay Agenda in this way. The next thing you know, their pharmacies will sell drugs to treat people with AIDS. And you just know that'll make them gays all uppity.
AFA is urging consumers to register their complaints with both their local store manager and Wal-Mart president Scott Lee. "I think Wal-Mart shoppers would disagree with where their money is going to when they buy a product at Wal-Mart," says Sharp.
LOL. Can you imagine being a Walmart manager and having some mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, milk-toothed imbecile come up to you saying, "I don't like it that you sell books to gay people"? The only possible response is "get a life."
Comments
Well, that's not the only *possible* response, but it is one of the more polite ones.
Posted by: MJ Memphis | October 25, 2006 10:39 AM
So does this mean that when you go in for your new employee orientation, Walmart sits you in a room and tells you the advantages of changing from hetero? I can hear it now, "Really, going gay is just like hanging out with your buddies all day, except you have sex with them. It's much better than being married to a woman."
Um, yeah. That's what's happening.
Posted by: Salad Is Slaughter | October 25, 2006 10:46 AM
Another world-shattering end result might be tastefully decorated trailers and trailer-parks, as the WalMart shopper evolves to embrace the anti-christian homosexual agenda and turns away from the Jesus mandated tires in the front yard and spandex on 250 lb women.
Posted by: J-Dog | October 25, 2006 11:05 AM
Wait just a minute, Ed: Are you trying to suggest that gay people might BUY things? Where will this end?
First (it's bad enough) we find out that they exist even though God says they shouldn't, but that wasn't too bad, because they were mostly in San Francisco and women have to get their hair done and all. But then we find out there are female homosexuals who don't even engage in anal sex or insert various objects in certain orifices. Leather objects, yes, black leather....excuse me for a moment, need to wipe up a bit.
And then some of them go and pretend that they have real families, with actual human children too young to even understand the gay and how it is warping their innocent young minds.
You know, I could go on like this, but it is nowhere near as stupid as Randy Sharp's article. Not that reading it didn't cost me half a dozen points of IQ.
Still, I thought the fundies were big fans of capitalism?
Posted by: kehrsam | October 25, 2006 11:09 AM
The Agape Press article includes a link to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), and includes a warning: "Caution: This is a pro-homosexual website". As I click the link I'm thinking to myself, "probably has some ads for gay match-makers, or something similar to startle a cloistered fundie". Strangely, I can't find anything at the site that might be considered offensive. The site is very professionally done, really a classic non-profit site with information about the organization and what they do. Who needs to be cautioned about this? I'm not asking this rhetorically, I am really curious to know what sort of person would have to be cautious about visiting this site and why?
Posted by: bobz | October 25, 2006 11:18 AM
Time and time again, comments like these come from the religious right homophobes. And every time, these comments just make them look more and more pathetic. If they are so right and so graced by god, why are they so terrified of things like this?
Lewis Black has a great take on the controversy over gay marriage on one of his albums: On the list of shit to worry about, gay marriage is on page six, right after 'Are we eating too much garlic as a people?'.
Posted by: Jason I. | October 25, 2006 11:21 AM
I'm more surprised that Walmart offers healthcare to any employees.
Posted by: Matthew | October 25, 2006 11:53 AM
bobz wrote:
They were warning their good God-fearing readers to make sure their virus scan was up to date so they wouldn't catch The Gay.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | October 25, 2006 11:56 AM
Bobz, have you really no clue as to why it's necessary to place notices warning people when they might be exposed to something that is not unremittingly anti-gay? Well, it's obvious!
Homosexuality is so irresistably seductive that ANY sort of exposure to less-than-negative depictions of them will subvert and then pervert good christians (especially children)into becoming licentious homosexuals themselves. I'm sure that ALL the heterosexuals who read Ed's multiple pro-gay postings are now feeling the irresistable urge to make the switch. Right?
Don't deny it! You want it now, don't you? Well, you HAVE to, because if you don't that'll just destroy the whole argument that gayness is both a choice and inherently evil.
Posted by: gary l. day | October 25, 2006 11:58 AM
Shhhh, don't tell anyone I told you this, but gays already shop at Walmart.
Posted by: Will | October 25, 2006 12:11 PM
See now this has just completely destroyed one of my most firmly held beliefs. I always thought that gays had more taste than to shop at Wal-Mart.
Posted by: jba | October 25, 2006 12:33 PM
Bobz,
Visiting the site and learning about gays will make you gay. Just like giving gay people jobs, healthcare, books, and marriage certificates will balloon the gay population by turning more people gay. Sorry, I can't explain how that happens, but I hear it involves differential equations and "fairy dust".
It's all in the Homosexual Agenda. I'd send you a copy if I can find one. Hmmmm...come to think of it, my gay brother has never seen it. In fact, I don't recall hearing that any gay people have ever seen it. I guess the AFA, FRC and CWA bought all the copies. Oh well, at least that makes them the experts on teh gay.
Posted by: King Spirula | October 25, 2006 12:36 PM
First (it's bad enough) we find out that they exist even though God says they shouldn't, but that wasn't too bad, because they were mostly in San Francisco and women have to get their hair done and all. But then we find out there are female homosexuals who don't even engage in anal sex or insert various objects in certain orifices.
LOL. Many of my relatives are mouth-breathing idiots, and I went with some of them on a trip to San Fran about 10 years ago. At the first restaurant we visited, our waiter was flaming, like Big Gay Al flaming. After we left, I saw several glances between relatives, followed by one person commenting "That's one restaurant I'm never going back to if I'm out here again."
Posted by: steve s | October 25, 2006 1:03 PM
gary day wrote:
Heck, how do you think it affects me to write those posts? I get halfway through a good rant in favor of gay rights and inevitably I start rethinking my irrational hatred of Cher. Next thing you know I'll be doing showtunes in the shower.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | October 25, 2006 1:24 PM
The NGLCC site uses the word "gay" without sneer quotes. For people used to reading Agape Press, that could be quite a shock.
Posted by: Alex | October 25, 2006 2:13 PM
But after seeing this article from Agape Press, I'm beginning to come around.
Nooooooooooo, say it ain't so! Dude, get a hold of yourself man. (Have some coffee or somethin.)
Posted by: 386sx | October 25, 2006 2:41 PM
Doesn't the AFA advocate ghettos for gays? You know, NYC, San Francisco, Venice CA, and Dennis Hastert's closet?
Posted by: Keanus | October 25, 2006 4:08 PM
Wal-Mart had better be careful. The AFA has real power, y'know. They and their brethren are responsible for Ford's $5.8 billion loss in the 3rd quarter, according to this article.
From the article:
So beware, Wal-Mart. Supporting gay marriage is what has brought the American auto industry to its knees.
Posted by: Jason I. | October 25, 2006 4:15 PM
I thought what brought the American Auto Industry to its knees was continuing to build gas-guzzling cars that people don't want to buy.
Posted by: Stogoe | October 25, 2006 4:22 PM
On a more serious note, I can sympathize with Agape's 'warning' label: the fewer people who know that gay people exist, the fewer people realize 'Hey, you know what, I might be gay'.
Posted by: Stogoe | October 25, 2006 4:24 PM
I don't know about that Randy Sharp guy pictured on that website. Those "come hither" eyes, that three-day, French looking beard, that sly smile...
Looks kinda gay to me.
Posted by: Joe Max | October 25, 2006 10:05 PM
Agape Press clearly doesn't overestimate the average IQ of its readership :-)
Posted by: Nebogipfel | October 26, 2006 4:54 AM