Dan Savage Blasts Religious Right As Culpable In Rash Of Gay Teen Suicides

[TheAlexKiernan]

Dan savage is the best

[garycalgary]

i hate his snide advice in his advice column but Dan Savage is spot on in this interview.

[naybobdenod]

I`m 58 years old and my beautiful daughter is just 7.In some ten years time when she will have found her sexuality and she comes to me and says ` dad,i`m a lesbian` my only question will be ` are you happy `and if the answer is the one I want to hear then I`ll give her a hug and say `good for you sweetheart,as long as you are happy then so am I `

Only brainwashed idiots would think otherwise !

[henrybrice86]

He is a great man!

And he isn't the brainchild of IGB, IGB is *his* brainchild...

[YayShadow]

@plimbuff I'm a Gay Christian. When I found out I was gay I still believed in God because I know he's there. He answers prayer. He gives us signs. You atheist just don't see these signs. We sometimes are foolish enough not to see these signs too. We have a form of communication. Were not perfect so we don't always understand what's he's trying to communicate. That's why conservative christians are homophobic.

[silverkeen07]

@YayShadow whoa whoa whoa, i am gay and an athiest but the signs you speak of are totally something different to choose to believe. we need to pay attention to the signs to help one another and not just preach what a book says.

[plimbuff]

@SuperLonelyLife, because most Christians have blind faith in whatever their preacher tells them.

This problem stems from having unjustified beliefs. (For example, the belief that there is a god)

There is no evidence showing there is a god, yet people continue believe it because it's "comforting" to them.

Religion's entire system of belief is faulty at the core.

They value comfort over truth.

[colincoolness]

@SuperLonelyLife Yeah... that's exactly what I said, crazy-pants. I said throw Christians in jail. You really need to quit projecting you're shit on others. You're the one who seems to have a problem with differences, so do yourself and others a favor and deal with it. Good luck with that!

[MrSamaarl]

Bless you for doing this. Marbellous idea. It will save lives. Thank you also for giving people an easy way to help, to give hope. For making them aware. For speaking clear about what people don´t dare: Religion´s message of ostracism and death to the ones that are different. It is not God talking, but their own evil. Thank you for fighting the confusion between God and religion. It´s unholy how they seek to destroy us.

[EM0cupcakeD1N0rawrz]

I'm a 15yr old lesbian (whos out of the closet) and I go to a church that accepts lgbt ppl and they are really nice there so your just steryotyping churches and church ppl when you say that religion will never be our friend yes there's some bad chruches that say its horible to be gay and they shove god down our throaghts to try to change us but not every one is like that! The one I'm going to now is wonderfull and I'm really happy going there!

[plimbuff]

@EM0cupcakeD1N0rawrz , I'm glad you've found a church that accepts LGBT.

But, why do you believe in a god in the first place?

Do you have rational reasons, or is it just a "feel good" kind of belief?

[xaviqaz]

@plimbuff In Europe the most liberal churches are the emptiest churches. In scandinavian countries only 1% attend church an average of once a week; those churches survive only because they are state-owned (Denmark, Norway) or state-funded (Sweden). When a church goes liberal they lose the conservative members but at the same time they don´t win many new people.

[plimbuff]

@xaviqaz, sure obviously, but that doesn't address any of my points.

My point was that there is no rational justification to believe in a god in the first place.

Are you sure your not confusing me with someone else?

[bethnor]

when will the LGBT community wake up and smell the coffee.

religion will never be our friend. it has to be tamed and that is the best relationship we can have with it in our lifetimes.

that even one child who is gay has committed suicide because of the evil nonsense spread by the ignorant lies of bronze age palestinian sheepherders should be such a mark of shame on these crackpot monotheisms and indeed shamed them into silence.

but they keep going and going.

[colincoolness]

@SuperLonelyLife Dan never said all Christians are responsible for Teen suicides. He said the "religious right" meaning extreme conservatives who gain power and perpetuate hateful, ignorant rhetoric condemning gay people for being wrong and evil and choosing to be gay which is completely wrong on every single level. Basically, churches, these kids families, and their schools all ignorantly buy into this rhetoric and create an environment for those kids that reinforces this hell.

[colincoolness]

@SuperLonelyLife Just because there's not a law against hate speech doesn't mean it should be allowed to persist to the point where a child feels so attacked they kill themselves. And once again, you're projecting that I said I want to "throw Christians in jail." I never said that, dude. You've really gotta stop claiming that I and everybody else are saying what we're not saying at all. It's blatantly obvious to most rational, sane people on this thread anyway, though.

[MicahSps]

@Superlonelylife Well, there's the howling bigots and we all know what they do. Create a culture of hate and fear. But then there are the other folks in those churches who when the churches speak out about their gay pals, sit there and say nothing. They don't challenge the hate spewing from their brethren for whatever reason (Cowardice, deep seated Homophobia) and by their silence, are giving implied support for the culture of hate and intolerance.

[colincoolness]

@SuperLonelyLife Also, he's not bashing all Christians, and he never said every Christian hates gays. Sounds like you projected that to me, unless you're responding to someone else's comment on this thread. If so, it'd make more sense if you pointed that out.

[colincoolness]

@SuperLonelyLife He's not bashing the right people have to practice their religion. He's attacking extreme right-wing religious pundits who enforce their agenda of hate on gay teens by telling them they're inferior for being born gay, thus discouraging them to the point where they feel like the only option they have is killing themselves. When an 11 year kills themselves for being gay, the people re-enforcing that being gay is wrong need to be held accountable.

[MicahSps]

@SuperLonelyLife So when Someone goes home and kills their wife tonight cause his religion says she's only his property that's hunky dory? What if I enslave a whole bunch of people and make them do my work for me? Or I could go around killing everyone who eats shrimp, has a tattoo or wears blended fabrics. Cause the bible specifically says if you know of a sin (All those are outlawed by Leviticus) and allow it to continue, you're just as sinful as the person doing those things.

[TheStrong32]

JSasRays send me a message saying, "how can you say youre gay and a christian? its clearly says in the bible men with men is abominable in Gods eyes. if you want a bible verse ill give you some, that being said i dont hate gays. i just see this as a huge contradiction."

Do you actually think I don't know about those verses? I have agoinized and prayed over those verses for years. Then I actually started to study the Bible and saw that they don't say what the biggots are telling us they say.

[TheStrong32]

Speaking as a Christian, I want to say that there is an unfortunate (though understandable) tendency to confuse the religious right with Christianity. They do not represent all Christians. They don't even represent all Evangelicals. The rabid right are just like the Zealots during our Lord's day. And like the Zealots, if given free reign, they will drag this nation to its destruction.

[SeattleRexx]

As of today it is finally O.K. to be royally pissed off at the religious right-wing nut jobs who continue to push their hateful agenda against our children! For decades these people have spewed their hate unchallenged and without consequences, until today..... When you hear this crap being thrown around as "truth" or "gospel".. we can now challenge them to their faces and hold them responsible...I really don't care about your beliefs-you are free to believe as you want- but the minute that tur

[banshi68]

Jesus is dead and gays have rights. The end.

[TheStrong32]

@banshi68 As a gay Christian, I want to reach out to you and ask you please not to confuse Jesus and his teachings with the hateful, despicable things that are done by others in his name. Christ isn't the problem. We Christians are.

[leesagrrl]

@TheStrong32

I agree... sorta...

You might wanna talk to the Church Leaders and Priests and Pastors who advance the hateful rhetoric and lies against Gays...

And... worse of all, entire Churches, like the Mormons who spent something like 30 Million dollars to pass an Anti Gay Marriage Bill in California. These hypocrites should lose their Tax Exempt Status.

[colincoolness]

@upabittoolate Maybe you should consider redirecting your anger towards whatever source it came from instead of someone on youtube you'll never meet in real life. Also, don't expect to put any margin of responsibility on a 13 year old boy who was probably under intense shame from every part of his surroundings for being who he is for taking his own life and not receive a backlash. I'll say it again. Demonstrate humanity.

[colincoolness]

Thank God for Dan Savage. It's refreshing to see somebody in the public eye with a brain and a desire to affect positive change.

[wntoply6]

@TheAnonymousAspie oh, goodie, i fooled a young fool!

[Angelincognito]

You tell 'em! They are killing our LGBT children with their poison!

Now... I wish you had said "LGBT" more often vs. gay and lesbian because the trans children suffer just as much if not more...

Love this rproject...

[prixator]

@Angelincognito I'm not an apologist for Dan Savage, but I read his post on Stranger (his "home" blog) that he was severely ill with the flu when he did this interview (you can see how pale he looks) so I hope you can forgive him for his neglect of mentioning the T's enough this time- he never fails to include all queers when he is in good health. Go Dan!

[jdcinsf]

good job!

[upabittoolate]

Sorry Dan but I can't go with you on this 1. People who commit suicide already have some issues. At the end of the day, their making their own choices. Does evangelical, right-wing bullshit & peer buullying make that decision "easier"? Perhaps. But what about the gay kids that have the same pressures that DON't commit suicide?

Offer support & outreach to the kids. Call the evangelical what they are: assholes. But don't make them into a red herring. That's gives them too much power.

[fauxindigo]

@upabittoolate so if the evangelicals are just a red herring- then who's to blame for the 'climate of hate' towards gays??

[colincoolness]

He never said that all gay children that are subjected to persistent bullying end their own lives. However, the fact that there are any suicides whatsoever that could have been totally prevented if somebody had intervened is unacceptable. Do you really have no understanding of that? These are lives that were snuffed out, upabittolate. Is there any kernal of humanity you can muster up for them?

[fauxindigo]

@upabittoolate anyone who is uncomfortable w/homosexuality is just uneducated and ignorant. what don't you 'understand' about homosexuailty-- girls like girls, guys like guys.. all sexuality is complex, but i really don't understand straight pp that can't understand it. it is what it is.. not everyone is straight.

[rbjnla]

Bullying and suicides not new, I was bullied, teased, harassed every day of my Jr High and High School from 1976 - 1982. It makes me so sad that this still goes on and kids are suffering, and it brings back all the sickening feelings I experienced. What kid would "choose" to have this happen to them. So much ignorance. Now I have a family of friends, laughter and happiness.

[skipalidon]

WOW -- Thank you Dan!!!

[BrentonSteinhilber]

Man, conservatives must HATE this guy. He's smart, successful, eloquent, handsome, a strong opponent of religion, a champion of gay rights-- And he has a husband! Gotta love it.

[BrentonSteinhilber]

@BrentonSteinhilber

Forgot to add-- He can also probably kick most of their asses.

[upabittoolate]

@BrentonSteinhilber Conservatives just hate. The only thing 1 needs to do to be an object of that hate is disagree or be different. Handsome, smart, eloquent... you better believe he's different from neo-cons.

But I have an issue with him scapegoating the bullies as opposed to empowering the victims.

[SubmarinerAndroid]

@BrentonSteinhilber Dan is one of the true gay leaders in this country

[blainebill39]

@SuchlsLifeVideos

My friends, let no one tell you that in G-Ds' eyes you are anything but beautiful

and precious! You are part of his creation, gay or straight and I care

deeply for your well being! For I am my brothers' keeper!

Had I possessed the wherewithal to speak these words to my boyfriend,

[blainebill39]

@SuchlsLifeVideos

Bobby (Prayers for Bobby) when we were young, he might be among us today!

So I’m sure you can imagine that I give a damn, and want it to get better now!

May G-D Bless You!

Blaine

[blainebill39]

@SuchlsLifeVideos

This is part of what "Bloody September, 2010" , ended up looking like

Billy Lucas (15) September 9, 2010. Indiana

Cody J. Barker (17) September 13, 2010. Wisconsin

Seth Walsh (13) September 19, 2010. California

Tyler Clementi (18) September 22, 2010. New Jersey

Asher Brown (13) September 23, 2010. Texas

[blainebill39]

@SuchlsLifeVideos

Harrison Chase Brown (15) September 25, 2010 Colorodo

Raymond Chase (19) September 29, 2010 Rhode Island

Felix Sacco (17) Septmber 29, 2010 Massachusettes

Caleb Nolt (14) September 30, 2010 Indiana

These are of course the names of those children reported in September of 2010

to have taken their own lives after having been bullied for being gay! Disgusting!!!

Blaine



[svaugine]

Is there a way to put this on TV for the 40 and over crowd they need to hear this message. Most of the people in this age group do not use or know what youtube is.

[timothy51886]

was the guy at 0:24 the same guy on the history channel's pawn shop show?

[sedecim]

I really think this campaign is positive and great but where are the jocks and athletes? Where are the guys that bullies look up too!!

[johnnietracy]

I was looking for it

[peculiarparrot]

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Straight or Gay.

It is unAmerican to bully someone for who they are, at least, fundamentally.

[snackmanta]

If someone thinks being gay is a choice, they probably sit on the fence with their own sexuality. I see being bisexual and making a choice different than being totally gay with out having one.

[Realjhad]

Jenny McCarthy your speech causes autism

[mathmexican4234]

Wow some pretty fucking strong language from Dan, I love it.

[Wolfbloodvamps171]

Ian Somerhalder from Vampire Diaries so awsome he is with the "It Gets Better" channel. Awesome how these celebrities are reaching out to the LGBT youth.

[DJPaulV]

@freedombase

What day did you wake up, and "choose" your "heterosexual lifestyle"?

Was it a Monday, or a Thursday? What year was it? I'm just asking, because I was thinking of choosing the "homosexual lifestyle" - you know, just to switch things up - and want some pointers on how to achieve it successfully.

And yeah, this comment is as ASININE as you are

[AziraLevana]

@DJPaulV You rock. These are the very same questions I have been asking homophobes for years - and I'm straight! They don't tend to expect it coming from a straight person; almost like it's a "club" and I'm supposed to be on "their team". What ARE these bigots so afraid of? Just what is it about someone else being gay that has so much control over them? It doesn't affect them if someone else is gay, and it made no difference before the bigots knew - why should it matter now? Very sad.

[MoMacDo]

@freedombase They're committing suicide because they've been harassed and bullied at a particularly fragile time in their life.

And the word you're looking for is 'chose' as you were speaking past tense. But again you're wrong. People don't choose to be straight or gay. Sexuality isn't a choice. Assuming that you're straight... did you just decide one day that you liked the opposite sex?

[lc1715]

@muzikman182 What's wrong with flamboyancy? If a man has feminine characteristics and you dislike him for it, how is that not homophobic? How is a woman with masculine characteristics a threat to you or anybody else? If you're going to respond, use logic.

[sylsam]

Good on you Dan :-)

[TimEastonPA]

God bless you for breaking the isolation of these vicitimized non-heterosexual young Americans who have lost hope due to the big campaigns to destroy them by their families, churches, professional politicians, etc.

[yankskiller34]

@TimEastonPA Too bad God was too busy to bless the kids.

[wntoply6]

don't ever think for a second the religious right, including the likes of pat robertson, james dobson, tony perkins or any god damned "holier than thou" preacher or priest have anything to do with family values, love, truth, or the teachings of some sort of savior!

they're the vessels in which ignorance & intolerance pass. their hate & bigotry divide otherwise loving families!

their hands are covered with the blood of those gay children who they sent to their suicidal death!

they are true EVIL!

[stainshield]

@wntoply6 Don't forget that intolerant asshole Jack T. Chick of Chick Publications and the late fat ass Jerry Falwell who left a legacy of hate and intolerance before he died in 2007.

[wntoply6]

@stainshield falwell learned midway thru his career targeting pro choice people & the gay community would increase his wealth beyond his wildest dreams.

once the money rolled in by demonizing good people, he was off & running, claiming a moral high ground & hijacking the once honorable republican party (now it's an embarrassment to liberty)!

i'm not familiar with Chick, but i am aware falwell successfully perpetuated the history & legacy of southern ignorance, intolerance, bigotry & hate!

[stainshield]

@wntoply6 Jack Chick is an Independent Fundamental Baptist who writes comic books called Chick Tracts by Chick Publications, His tracts label Catholisim, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and any other religion as being Satanic and abominations to God. His company is labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He doesn't do that many interviews, because he believes that the Roman Catholic Church will kill him like Alberto Rivera.

[wntoply6]

@stainshield thanks, i looked him up immediately after you told me about him.

what i'll never understand is how these bastards use the bible as their license to hate. worse, they get away with it. with that hate running thru their veins you'd think the vast majority of humans would run from these liars, bigots & fear mongers...but they don't.

just goes to show how fragile the human mind is when the average joe will believe anything a sly orator tells em as he steals the underwear right off em!

[stainshield]

@wntoply6 most of these assholes are two faced, for example they claim to be Pro-Life yet they support war and against health care that could help women that are pregent from dying with the baby. The scary thing about them is they would rather have a woman or 12 year old child who was raped by a freak out on the street to have the baby, because they claim that the baby is innocent and that God planed for them to get raped so they can have a baby and these people scary the hell out of me.

[aropeofsand]

Bi people and Trans people are welcome to submit videos for this project. Stop complaining and submit a video yourself. You can't expect everyone to talk for you all the time.

[masdrex]

One of the big problems with LGBTs coming to terms with their sexuality in a conservative religious home or community is the conflict between identity and their faith. The 'religious right' is a driving force but it also needs to be taught that not all houses of worship are homophobic. LOVING A PERSON OF THE SAME SEX DOESN"T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOSE YOUR FAITH OR RELIGION. Why compound the LGBT issues with forcing a person to question their faith as well!....and this is said by an aethist!

[FreedomUSA1]

That's the best segment on anything LGBT I've ever seen.

[shanrodru]

Dan Savage 2012!

[krypt0nian]

Someone needed to say this.

[ShaiBoiFTM]

and as you hear he only mentions gay and lesbian were is the bisexual and transgender's in this?

[MegaMissaA]

@ShaiBoiFTM

I'm not really familiar with him, but from what I have read, Savage is somewhat bi- and trans-phobic. He probably thinks he doesn't have to mention them specifically for them to feel included.

[ShaiBoiFTM]

dan savage is a rich basterd it got better for him because he grew up in a non poor or middle class household his project may include gay lesbian and bisexual but it does not include transgender's he is well known for being anti trans it sickens me how the gay com unity there are a lot of people against trans when they should be by our side i know now why trans ftm's and mtf's fade away from the gay community.

[jiggleitalittle]

@ShaiBoiFTM - Really? You're going to attack someone who has put together a project that will potentially save hundreds or thousands of lives? If you can do it better, then STFU and do it better. 

[MegaMissaA]

@jiggleitalittle

I think trans people are allowed to be mad at Savage for excluding trans people from his efforts, when it would have been so easy to include them.

[citizengotto]

@MegaMissaA they don't need his permission. i'm sure he, and everyone else, would be happy to hear from them.

[MegaMissaA]

@citizengotto

Permission to be mad at him or permission to participate in the project? Either way, Savage is known to be transphobic.

[ShaiBoiFTM]

@jiggleitalittle i will not stfu and people need to relize telling kids it will get better does not helping showing that you care and are there for them does I know that as a fact if I did not have my best friend I would not be alive so do not judge me if you do not know me please and thank you.

[MegaMissaA]

@ShaiBoiFTM

Savage said that the whole reason he started this as a YouTube campaign is because it's hard to reach a lot of LGBT youth. Do you think if it was accompanied by something like a safe (ie. heavily moderated) web forum, or something like that, that would be better?

[SeparateisntEqual]

@ShaiBoiFTM Gee I guess that's why BUCK ANGEL did a video for this project. Apparently you should do some research before spouting claims of bigotry. This is a project trying to do good for all LGBT people. Check it out before throwing stones.

[ShaiBoiFTM]

@SeparateisntEqual I do and did I know a lot of info about this I have every right to say what i said.

[SeparateisntEqual]

@ShaiBoiFTM you do? so where's your proof? You ask people not to judge you if they don't know you yet you have no problem judging everyone involved in this project and Dan Savage and you don't know them! I know you're young (obviously) but really, get a clue. The message is a positive one for all LGBT people.

[ShaiBoiFTM]

@SeparateisntEqual it is not a positive for the lgbt community for the lg community maybe but for the bisexual and transgender community no. 

[SeparateisntEqual]

@ShaiBoiFTM just because you keep saying that doesn't make it so. again, you have no proof of that. there are messages on the project that include the entire LGBT community, and messages made by all kinds of different people, lgb&t. Apparently you're mad and not going to recognize facts when it's so much easier to rant and rave about something. Grow up.

[ShaiBoiFTM]

@SeparateisntEqual just look at who makes the videos for this it is mainly gay and lesbian white women and men. and the video about the project does not mention bisexual or trangender people find the video and tell me if I am wrong and agree to disagree and do not tell me to grow up I am not as young as you thing I am.

[SeparateisntEqual]

@ShaiBoiFTM so...now race is an issue? not as young as I "thing" you are? My comment to you to grow up had little to do with your age or my perception of it, frankly, and much more to do with your communication skills and the immaturity of your comments. Perhaps you don't understand that you're fighting against something that just plain isn't true. Good luck with that! Peace out.

[MegaMissaA]

@SeparateisntEqual

ShiaBoiFTM's comment's aren't immature, they're angry. And he has every right to be angry. If you're not trans, then you can't really say what effect Savage's treatment of trans people will have on your experience with this project. If someone from a disadvantaged group - like trans people - say they've been discriminated against, it's important to listen instead of dismissing them and making things worse.

[ChaosAngel667]

@ShaiBoiFTM I am an heterosexual latin male and I love this videos.

Your point is a fallacy.

[MegaMissaA]

@SeparateisntEqual

Yeah, he's Savage is trying to do something good, and it's having a positive effect on a bunch of kids. But that doesn't mean that we have to ignore the ways that he messes up - like be excluding bisexual and transgender kids.

[MegaMissaA]

@ShaiBoiFTM

I didn't read this before I wrote my reply to your other comment. Oops.

Yeah, it's distressing that even in a project like this, there's exclusion.

[MisterDoctorE]

Fuck religion/religious dogma.

Praise humanity

[tipofmytongue1024]

@MisterDoctorE You got it! I believe that this country was built on the ideal to escape the yolk of religion. People will say that this country was built on Religious Ideals when infact it's the total opposite.

Humanism should be the priority.