Pharyngula

Posted by: Alyson Miers | June 16, 2009 1:53 PM

Oh noes! They're hugging! *spontaneously combusts*

Posted by: Desert Son, OM | June 16, 2009 1:55 PM

Well, as we know, the Baptists have always eschewed sex in a standing position . . .

. . . too close to dancing, after all.

The kicker is the bit at the end where the article talks about adult supervision for responsible partying (e.g. no booze - y'all are underage) yet the event is still horrifying in the eyes of the spy (and seriously, how childish is that? Sending a spy . . . to a prom? Man, I've done some immature things in my time, but that's pathetic!).

No kings,

Robert

Posted by: Zeno | June 16, 2009 2:03 PM

Traumatized is the natural state of WND anyway. If it weren't an insult to head-trauma victims, I'd say that WND is the epitome of that condition.

Posted by: GMacs | June 16, 2009 2:18 PM

Saw the article. Here are some things I noticed:

-Reporter doesn't understand sarcasm (see picture of recruiter shirt).

-Reporter is probably breaking libel and privacy laws by showing faces and making allegations. It's especially sickening that they are invading the privacy of minors.

It seems the "godly" and "pro-family" folks are really the sick fuckers in this situation.

Posted by: TheNaturalist | June 16, 2009 2:23 PM

EVERYBODY PANIC!

Posted by: Jadehawk, OM | June 16, 2009 2:29 PM

"Why would 22-year-olds be mingling with 14 and 15-year-olds?" Camenker asked, troubled by the details of the event. "As we saw, they pay no attention to any age limit at all. It was full of all of these strange adults."

why the fuck not? what's wrong with mixed age gatherings?

As Max moved through the crowd, he said he observed several adult homosexuals wearing T-shirts with "recruiter" written in rainbow colors.

yup, they sell those at Hot Topic(the same place that sells "that's what she said" t-shirts). I'm sure they'll be glad to know they are having the desired effect of freaking out "normals"

A ton of people around her – that whole area of the room – just reeked of marijuana smoke.

and a good Christian boy like you would know hiw marjiuana smells like.... how?

"This movement has an obsession with kids, and there are no boundaries. It's worse than anybody thought."

says the organization that sent a spy to a prom

Posted by: Mike K | June 16, 2009 2:37 PM

Are we really, really sure that WND is not one big POE???

Posted by: SebastesMan | June 16, 2009 2:50 PM

Young people are more and more tolerant(tolerant? what's to tolerate?)enlightened as to the human condition so it won't be long before dances like this aren't even necessary, and those who rail against such things are the subject of scorn and ridicule by mainstream society.

Posted by: Darren Garrison | June 16, 2009 3:05 PM

Somebody captured some video from this prom on their cell phone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_zR1xFL8og

Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | June 16, 2009 3:14 PM

Somebody captured some video from this prom on their cell phone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_zR1xFL8og

Really? That's what you've got?

Posted by: eddie | June 16, 2009 3:18 PM

The guy in the 'recruiter' shirt has mostly been recruiting pies, and not in a nice way ;-)
I just now listening to Here She Comes by Drunktank.

Posted by: Vasha | June 16, 2009 3:21 PM

@18: There's quite a difference between the story you linked to and the one in this post. Orthodox Jews generally only create complications for themselves by their obsessive concern with modern technology; instances like this one where it forces them to pester other people are rare. Evangelicals, on the other hand, are greatly concerned with everyone's immorality, and want to enforce a code of conduct on everyone around them. Mind you, there are a few Orthodox who try to regulate sex, women's behavior, etc., in a way remarkably reminiscent of conservative muslims -- but even there they usually confine their concern within their own community.

Posted by: tsg | June 16, 2009 3:25 PM

OT crazy story on BBC site right now

"Light sensors cause religious row"

Now I've heard it all.

This one sentence from the linked article explains everything:

They also said that their solicitors told them they had a strong claim.

As far as I know (and it is entirely possible I am wrong)[1], orthodox judaism doesn't prohibit lights from being switched on during the Sabbath, it prohibits orthodox Jews from operating light switches (or doing other "work"). It would seem to me that walking into a hall where the light turned on all by itself wouldn't violate this principle. How do they feel about automatic doors, I wonder.

[1] I only know from my experience with Temples as clients that they often hire non-Jews to do things for them on the Sabbath.

Posted by: bric | June 16, 2009 3:30 PM

Actually this is quite relevant - Summer Heights High again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWBxFG3UZoI&feature=related

Posted by: Elwood Herring | June 16, 2009 3:37 PM

Vasha: I did specify OT (Off Topic).

Posted by: GMacs | June 16, 2009 3:46 PM

The "waterpipe or bong" picture looks like a waterbottle and a pack of gum or something. If that's a bong, I want to meet that person so I can learn.

It's not a bong [message from god / divine retribution], it's just a waterbottle [scorch-mark on your food / natural phenomenon]. Now shut up and go away [eat your sandwich / go away].

Posted by: Elwood Herring | June 16, 2009 3:54 PM

Time to start my own religion I reckon, then anything I dislike I can campaign to get banned as it "infringes on my religious beliefs". Sauce for the goose...

Posted by: Carlie | June 16, 2009 4:06 PM

"Why would 22-year-olds be mingling with 14 and 15-year-olds?" Camenker asked, troubled by the details of the event. "As we saw, they pay no attention to any age limit at all. It was full of all of these strange adults."

That sounds exactly like a church social to me.

Posted by: Matt | June 16, 2009 4:14 PM

Oh, no! Children mingling with adults? This never happens at a church social. Oh, no! Attendees at a gay event wearing advocacy clothing? This NEVER happens in a religious setting!

Seriously, these individuals went to a prom, used pictures of the attendees without approval, and endlessly exaggerated the nature of the prom. WND sees everything through a funhouse mirror.

Posted by: Brownian, Most Vicious & Petty of Pharyngulites | June 16, 2009 4:27 PM

Well, unlike most proms, nobody's likely to get pregnant.

Exactly. And that's the problem here: God created the Prom for the specific purpose of causing new life to be created against the backdrop of His love, a slow song, and the far end of the bleachers near the equipment storage room. That's why the Prom is meant to be celebrated by a guy and the girl he loves who's gonna leave him for a fine arts major when she leaves for college next year and God, or alternatively, a girl and the guy she's been dating since freshman year but who's been cheating on her with the drink cart girl at the local pitch 'n' putt and God. Since homosexuals cannot reproduce, and thus must recruit straights from Proms--usually via Tina Turner's music--gay proms are clearly against God's will.

Posted by: Carlie | June 16, 2009 4:32 PM

Oh dear, I think Marshall Nelson feels icky thinking about boys and boys dancing together.

Posted by: Cuttlefish, OM | June 16, 2009 4:39 PM

I never thought I'd see the day
When kids could dance while being gay--
It's Satan's work; there's Hell to pay!
God Bless the World Net Daily!

There is no way I'd take a chance
And show up at this High School Dance,
Cos if I got in someone's pants
I'd have to do it gaily!

This sort of thing is too complex--
I'm so perplexed by same-sex sex;
With both concave or both convex,
Just who does what with whom?

I'll stop my ears and shut my eyes
To girls with girls and guys with guys,
Ignore the tingle in my thighs
From being in this room!

Oh, no! Too late! For now, I find
I cannot (will not!) shut my mind
To thought of dancers intertwined
I want to join the throng!

I'll grab my camera, point and click,
And write the story, really quick--
Pretend the whole thing makes me sick--
But first... let's dance one song!

A bit more at http://digitalcuttlefish.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-blame-sigmund-freud.html

Posted by: Carlie | June 16, 2009 4:44 PM

OFFS. I replied to a Charlie Wagner comment? Now I feel dirty. And not in any of the good ways.

Posted by: Murgadroid | June 16, 2009 4:46 PM

I don't know. That's just what popped into my head when I read it.

Posted by: Anon | June 16, 2009 5:00 PM

If males were meant to wear dresses, they'd all be Popes.

Posted by: ZK | June 16, 2009 5:07 PM

Awww fuckit.

Jeebus wore a dress,
He didn't do girls,
Was keen on riding asses,
Surrounded by his closest boy friends,
Who also wore dresses,
One was his "rock" (oooer!),
He let Judas kiss him,
In public,
If he had any dance moves they appear to be unrecorded.

So, that'll be it, it's the dancing that the xtian wingnuts find so offensive. Yeah. Sussed it.

Stupid sods.

ZK

Posted by: Paul Lundgren | June 16, 2009 5:13 PM

I've said this before, but damn, Cuttlefish, I've missed you.

Posted by: Qwerty | June 16, 2009 5:45 PM

Marella S @ 50 - This guy that Marella refers to in post # 50 is Peter LaBarbera who often attends glbt events to take pictures. I would call him a "voyeur for Christ."

Also, MassResistance and Peter LaBarbera (of his own organization, Americans for Truth) love to cover and glbt events in Mass. as it gives them another opportunity to bring up Fistgate which is their title to an event in which a teacher explained "fisting" to an underage student and another spy for Christ caught it on audio tape. (Note: The teacher just explained it, but didn't do it.)

You'd think this happened yesterday as they squeal about it constantly, but it happened in 2000.

Posted by: Tor A H | June 16, 2009 5:50 PM

This reminds me of a joke I read the other day about some christian parents and their son...

The son: "Mom, dad, I have murdered eight male lovers and buried them in the garden."

The christian parents: "YOU'RE GAY?"

Posted by: Kobra | June 16, 2009 5:52 PM

Cuttlefish, you are fucking awesome.

Posted by: Zeno | June 16, 2009 6:14 PM

For those who suspect that WorldNetDaily might just be a big intentional joke (as opposed to a gigantic unintentional joke), please note that Joseph Farah has been doing his schtik for a long time. Back in 1990, Farah became one of the last editors-in-chief of the Sacramento Union. He pushed a conservative paper right into the right-wing fringe and drove circulation down by 30% in only 15 months. Then he left the wreckage behind him as he sought new triumphs. WorldNetDaily is Farah's proudest accomplishment and he's deadly (and insanely) serious about it.

Posted by: Eyeoffaith | June 16, 2009 6:27 PM

"Note: This story contains material that readers might consider graphic and offensive."

I am glad they had a warning there that may have stopped some people from reading it. One of the first pictures was of a young boy. We know what effect young boys have on the highly religeous.

Posted by: Bill S | June 16, 2009 7:51 PM

Jadehawk-I figured it out at around 11 or 12. I was called "fag", "Queer" and "Gay" growing up throughout my school years. I had no idea what those words meant until a teacher noted that "gay" used to be a harmless word, but "now it means homosexual". So I went to a dictionary and looked up the word "homosexual".
That's how I found out.
I'll bet these wackaloons would ban the dictionary if they heard that story.
But of course, they wouldn't have done shit about me being picked un all those years.
And Tor A H, that joke's funny, but, unfortunately, not far from the truth about the way some people view homosexuality. I remember in the early 90's, on "The Jenny Jones Show", she had a panel of teenage girls who had crushes on serial killers. (The fact that the producers were able to assemble such a panel is itself unnerving). One girl revealed she had a crush on Jeffrey Dahmer (EWWWWW). Jenny looked at her and said with a straight face, "Now...you know he's GAY, don't you?"
At that point, I changed the channel.

Posted by: dude | June 16, 2009 8:24 PM

eyeoffaith, that was the single most shocking statement you have ever said. I love you.

Posted by: Liveliest Crib | June 16, 2009 8:28 PM

Ouchimoo @ 46:
I am offended that I saw a picture of a guy dressed up in a dress. Really. If god wanted that boy to wear a dress, he would have made him a girl!

If god wanted you to comment here, he'd have given you a brain.

;)

Posted by: Brain Hertz | June 16, 2009 11:13 PM

Man, that's hilarious (mostly). I did see the link referenced on Ed's blog this morning, but didn't get around to reading the original article until just now. Some of the tut-tutting observations had me laughing out loud. This one, for instance:

One of the men reportedly wore exceptionally tight pants and eyeliner while calling the children "sweetie" and everything around him "fabulous."

Really terrible timing on my part; I had a mouthful of beer when I got to that line, and promptly gagged on it before snorting it all over my desk.

I also was particularly impressed with the photograph captioned "man dressed as woman" (thanks for the heads up).

What did disturb me about the article, though, was that WND doesn't seem to have any problem having photographs of kids from which their identities are clearly distinguishable published with the article up on their website. There's a picture of a kid with a caption (referring to the "undercover reporter") "Boy appearing to be about 14 invited Max to dance". What's wrong with these people? Bastards.

Posted by: Ichthyic | June 16, 2009 11:23 PM

See what homosexual religious indoctrination is doing to you.

The kids You can't even speak sanely have a normal prom nowadays.

Posted by: Mary | June 16, 2009 11:38 PM

Another gay marriage poll to pounce on! This time it is on Stockholm News. There seem to be a lot of busybod fundies that are commenting on this. So we need some busybody liberals to counteract.

http://www.stockholmnews.com/more.aspx?NID=3244

In the top centre column.

Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | June 16, 2009 11:43 PM

What was the theme of this prom? "A night to pack fudge?"

See what homosexual indoctrination is doing to our schools. The kids can;t even have a normal prom nowadays.

They should have told homo erectus and homo diseaseus to stay in San Fran Sicko.

Spoken by a true Homo dumbfuckus

Posted by: Autumn | June 17, 2009 12:05 AM

Holy Shit!
If you go to the actual WND article and scroll down to the list of links to other articles, there is actually one that reads, "California Christians Urged to Yank Kids".

I couldn't make that up if I tried.

Posted by: Jadehawk, OM | June 17, 2009 12:20 AM

maybe it's because real normal gays are more tolerant than your bigoted ass is?

Posted by: Zar | June 17, 2009 12:26 AM

seriously, when do these idiots thing puberty starts? at 18? I knew I was interested in boys before I was 12; at 14, there was absolutely no doubt about that!

Don't you know that people aren't born gay? They catch it when they go away to secular college, or by reading too much.

Anyway, this prom sounded fun. Back in college we used to have a Big Gay Homocoming dance in the fall and a Gender Bender Ball in the spring. They were awesome! I loved seeing the straight guys ask each other to the dance or worry about not having a date. The whole school usually participated, because the gay club was the only group on campus that could throw a fun party.

Fortunately for social progress and human justice, it seems like most younger people are not raging homophobes like many of the oldsters. They're growing up in a time when gay people can be themselves in public, so they see gays as people instead of some boogeyman their pastor dreamed up after watching a bad porno.

Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | June 17, 2009 12:27 AM

What is a "normal gay"?

Posted by: Rev. Bigdumbchimp | June 17, 2009 12:30 AM

I wonder where this gay rulebook is? I must get my hands on it.

Posted by: topher | June 17, 2009 12:52 AM

One thing that really pisses me off is the whole 'alleged 14-15 year-olds" and "looked 15" I mean I looked 15 until I was 22. Ho does this guy know what he is talking about. I also think the saddest caption is the one where the about 15-yr old boy asked the to dance...did our spy reject him? how sad is that.

Posted by: troy | June 17, 2009 1:00 AM

No,Brain Hertz. It's just like I said, nothing more and nothing less.
Faggy gays are just faggy, normal gays like me just don't like them.

Posted by: Lunacrous | June 17, 2009 1:21 AM

Troy, kindly eat shit and die.

Posted by: Kobra | June 17, 2009 1:47 AM

@94: Gay Lifestyle Choice™?

(Yes, it's a trademarked phrase. Just like True Believers™.)

Posted by: Liveliest Crib | June 17, 2009 2:16 AM

Troy @ 76:
Although I'm gay, I don't like the transsexuals and transvestitism that was at that party.

The LGBT intra-community prejudice is astonishing. One would think that the experience of marginalization would make gay people empathize with transgendered people, but it's not universally true. In my experience, I'm sad to say, there is a large faction of gays and lesbians who genuinely despise trans-people, a smaller faction of trans-people who dislike gays and lesbians, some gay men who hate lesbians and some lesbians who hate gay men. Sheesh.

Margaret Meade put it best: Instead of being presented with stereotypes by age, sex, color, class, or religion, children must have the opportunity to learn that within each range, some people are loathsome and some are delightful.

Guess what, Troy. You're loathsome.

Posted by: strange gods before me | June 17, 2009 3:07 AM

Guys like Troy are the reason the Log Cabin Republicans stay in business. "Shut down the parades. Stay in the closet. What will the neighbors think?"

Internalizing homophobia won't make your fellow conservatives welcome you.

Posted by: Citizen of the Cosmos | June 17, 2009 7:12 AM

Something tells me it is going to take a while before we can accept people even though they are different in an irrelevant way. So they are gay or bi or transsexual or whatever.

Seriously, this is what people are worried about? Not that the upper class represented by the corporations and the rich are screwing us all over. Not the fact that we pollute the air we breathe and poison the water we drink. Not the fact that we are well on our way to change the climate so much it might make life really difficult for a long time. Not racism, sexism, religious and political oppression, torture, slavery, diseases and war.

No, if only we pray in school, harass some kids who just want to have fun being themselves, destroy what little is left of science education, everything will be fine.

Posted by: Bill S | June 17, 2009 8:20 AM

People like troy are an embarrassment to the LGBT community.

Posted by: KI | June 17, 2009 9:47 AM

I've had gay and lesbian friends who were astoundingly prejudiced and bigoted towards each other. I never understood it and trying to debate with them got too emotional and irrational to come to any reasonable conclusion. I guess that all the hate one receives has to go somewhere, and projection is a standard human default setting, so it gets spewed out in an illogical attack on people who are in the same boat, rather than the originators of that hate.

Posted by: Cuttlefish, OM | June 17, 2009 10:27 AM

So the closet-living homos hate the homos who are out
And the bulls and femmes are enemies, of that there is no doubt;
Bi-curious are furious, and don't know what to do--
Seems everyone hates everyone, and everyone hates you.

The Catholics and the Protestants, for centuries, have fought
And the Sunnis and the Shia are a little overwrought;
From the Hindu to the Mormon to the Buddhist to the Jew
Seems everyone hates everyone, and everyone hates you.

The white folks hate the black folks, and the black folks hate the white,
The brown and red and yellow folks are also apt to fight
We'll treat you like an animal, for skin a different hue--
Seems everyone hates everyone, and everyone hates you.

Posted by: marilove | June 17, 2009 11:10 AM

It's really strange to see transsexuals and transvestites put together with gays at that party since normal gays don't like that sort of people.

I'm calling troll.

Posted by: Bill Dauphin, OM | June 17, 2009 1:19 PM

Jadehawk (@11... yeah, I know I'm late to the party):

Hot Topic?? Really??? 14yo goth-lite mallchick was so not how I pictured you! ;^)

Posted by: Bill Dauphin, OM | June 17, 2009 2:12 PM

Cuttlefish (@106):

Brilliant! You must hook up with a musician (Roy Zimmerman?) and set that to music. Reminds me of Tom Lehrer's "National Brotherhood Week":

Oh, the poor folks hate the rich folks,
And the rich folks hate the poor folks.
All of my folks hate all of your folks,
It's American as apple pie.

....

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics,
And the Catholics hate the Protestants,
And the Hindus hate the Muslims,
And everybody hates the Jews.

Posted by: Alexis | June 17, 2009 3:16 PM

How did Max know which were boys and which were girls? Did he grope crotches feeling for "tucks". Did he lift dresses to see what type of goods were hidden there? The "boy in a dress" photo was rather ambiguous. And if Max wasn't asking for a date, why should he even care?

Posted by: dance teacher | June 18, 2009 6:35 AM

Some funny comments on here!

Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | June 18, 2009 1:29 PM

I'll totally admit it - I used to not 'care' for transsexuals... I have no idea what I was THINKING, but... there it was. Yes, there is sincere division in certain places (Arizona State, for one) when it comes to gays/lesbians vs. everyone.

Transsexuality was a 'yuck' factor. Then we got it in our heads that to a ton of straights, WE were the 'yuck' factor, and that we should probably band together with all the members of our community to help all of us, together.

Am I still mildly uncomfortable around transsexuals? Yes. But that's my problem, and at least I realize it is one.

Troy better recognize.

Hell, you can get over yuck factor. My wife obviously hod to with me.