Follow-up on the Zombie News The previous BTW reported on an anti-gay group calling itself the “Gay Zombies Cannabis Consumer’s [sic]Association” infiltrating Toronto’s annual Pride parade wearing ridiculous outfits that they thought would bring discredit to the GLBT community; and we laughed at their naïve stunt. What we didn’t know was that the Zombies were handing out pamphlets filled with truly vicious messages; and now they’re being sued by the march organizers for $104 million for hate speech. If that figure sounds overblown, the plaintiffs point out that the material, which was being distributed by the notorious Bill Whatcott and his band of deplorables, was filled with graphic photos of emaciated AIDS patients and fake medical claims about the dangers of gay sex. Commented Whatcott after the parade: “If you try to give out a Gospel pamphlet, they swear at you, but give them some whackadoodle thing that looks like a condom and they really can’t grab it fast enough. I had 3,000 out in twenty minutes.” Which is pretty much the textbook definition of demagoguery, assuming the recipients were at all swayed by what they saw. But probably not, as these were people at a gay Pride parade on a hot summer day. In all probability, all 3,000 promptly found their way (this being Canada) into the nearest recycling bin.
Three Photo Ops from the 2016 Rio Olympics:
The first is from a New York Times piece titled, “Q: Why Do Gay Men Love the Olympics? A: Isn’t It Obvious?” And if it wasn’t obvious before, one needed only to look at the impressive spread of photos accompanying the piece, showing mostly male athletes in Speedos or performing gymnastics. The piece even got a little down and dirty, referring twice to the “shirtless and lubed flag-bearer from Tonga” who became a media sensation. But it wasn’t just an excuse for soft-core porn. The point was made that the gay demographic is a reliable booster to Olympics ratings, and also that there were 49 openly gay Olym-pians in Rio. And it cautioned against “stereotypes” that might lead one to assume that gay men were only watching for the half-nude hunks. Surely some were tuning in because they really like sports, right? Which, however, is far from the “obvious” answer to that opening “Q.”
- The second photo shows two British divers, Jack Laugher and Chris Mears, sharing a moment of victory and mutual admiration by the pool, because who hasn’t jumped into the arms of a fellow athlete on international TV a
fter a great dive? In truth, Jack and Chris aren’t just teammates but also great friends. They live together and just co-signed a mortgage on a house. But Jack and Chris are totally straight and even have girlfriends—well, former girlfriends. They were fodder for the tabloids even before the Games, but it was that joint mortgage that put them on the front page. - The third is an undoctored photo of two members of the German field
hockey team, Linus Butt and Florian Fuchs, whose names and proximity created this risible effect. Germany defeated Canada 6–2, and the double entendres flew: The Canadians “took a pounding,” Germany was “on top of Canada,” but there were “no sore losers.” You get the idea.
Handwriting on the Wall This may be one time when it’s best just to stick with the facts. Tony Perkins is a rabidly anti-gay crusader of the religious Right, president of the Family Research Council (FRC), and a pastor who has frequently blamed GLBT people for catastrophes like hurricanes and floods. Perkins lives in Louisiana, right in the area that was devastated by flooding last August. He and his family of seven had to commandeer a canoe to escape their swamped home. Arriving at a shelter, they were turned away at the door (“just like Mary and Joseph!” Perkins would later declare) before being taken in by a parishioner. The house was heavily damaged and will have to be rebuilt while the family lives in a trailer. Back on the FRC’s radio station, a cheery Perkins told his Louisiana listeners that they should feel grateful for the flood, as it means that God chose them as “worthy of suffering for His sake.” Because who doesn’t want to be seen as deserving of God’s holy wrath?
Check In! The anti-gay American Family Association (AFA) is putting Hilton Worldwide on alert 
concerning an ad that the hotel chain ran in Travel + Leisure magazine showing two guys waking up together in bed. “Stop Clicking Around,” the ad admonished, whatever that means. The AFA complained that T+A is “a mainstream publication that can be found in many public places such as doctors’ or auto repair waiting rooms.” A boycott was threatened; gay groups rushed to the ad’s defense. And yet, as incomprehensible as the AFA’s grievances usually are, this one we kind of get: Wow, did Hilton Worldwide really put this ad in Travel + Leisure magazine? And thank you, AFA, for bringing it to our attention!
