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Gay bashing! Surprise!

Any one watching this right now?

It's on FX. Turn it on before you miss it.

Woah. HOLY COW. Thank you for the heads-up, GoodK, 'cause I would've missed it otherwise.

I only caught the last half hour of the program. Going off memory, and not any notes, here's what I saw:

I didn't see any mention of her Mormonism, although it must've been mentioned during the first half hour that I didn't see. Anyway, a blonde, overweight woman spent 30 days living in the household of a pair of committed gay men and their family of four foster and/or adopted children.

Maybe it was due to selective editing, but the homosexual people came across, in every last instance, as the very epitome of patience and decorum. Perhaps it's 'cause they're so used to being misunderstood and persecuted? The woman in question, though, couldn't handle ANY sort of disagreement, no matter how reasoned or polite. If anyone attempted to share their point of view, she automatically labelled it an "attack." She never, ever let up with the "my views are being attacked" routine. I never would've imagined it, but we here on the message boards are actually quite spoiled with our apologists and defenders. At least they'll put up a decent fight and try to tell you why you're wrong and/or they're right. Not so the Chapel Mormon on tonight's program, no sir-ee!

In order:

• I first saw her sitting in their living room with the kids playing all around her. It was quite obvious that she was a fish out of water. One of the men commented that the kids just aren't warming up to her. I wonder why?
  
• We next saw her passing out flyers for a meeting or rally in favor of gay rights--obviously the producers' idea, not hers--and she was none too pleased with having to do it. "I feel like I'm working against everything I believe in," she accurately stated.
  
• Next she was taken to an annual picnic run by the "Lesbian Moms" organization, or whatever it's called. On the back porch, a calm, reasoned woman in late middle-age asked her, "So you don't believe that I should be able to marry someone I love if she's a woman?" Our LDS mom got huffy and said, "I think marriage is between a man and a woman. I think two women or two men being together is wrong. You might not like it, but those are my beliefs." After a little more back-and-forth, she went into, "I feel like you're attacking me. I'm being attacked for my beliefs." Then she retreated to a back room and started crying, mascara smearing down her cheeks, lamenting about how she was attacked. Then she made a telling comment: "I didn't really realize it before, but now I see that there's like this entire army marshalled and working against everything I'm working for. It really makes me sad." At that, the floodgates broke open and she sobbed near-uncontrollably.
  
• In the next segment, she was taken to a meeting with two former foster kids--one man and one woman, now full-grown adults--who never were adopted. These people, too, were the very epitome of calmness and rationality. The man did most of the talking. One of the first things he discussed was, "If gay and lesbian couples are prohibited from adopting or becoming foster parents, then there will be a lot more kids in my situation." She went on with, "That might be true, but I think kids should be placed in homes with a man and a woman." Did she miss what the guy was trying to say??
  
  Later they drove to some of the spots where the man grew up. The first was a run-down neighborhood with boarded-up homes, trash littering the streets. She was like, "Oh my gosh!" Mouth agape. You'd almost think she'd never seen any movies before. He pointed out his former foster home (at least, the one in that particular neighborhood), and he said, "The house was firebombed. My foster mother was shot the same week." This totally blew her away (no pun intended), but later on, when the conversation returned to the gay/lesbian foster care/adoption issue, she said, "My beliefs are that kids should be placed in a home with a man and a woman."
  
• Later that night they had a campout with the gay couple and several of one of their kids' blood relatives, including his birth mother. The relatives were all straight. The birth mother and her sister talked about the initial reservations they had with the kid getting placed with a gay couple, but then talked about how they came around after seeing what a good home and environment he was finally getting to live in. Later, around the campfire, they talked about the dearth of adoptive parents. Mrs. LDS declared--wait for it--"I feel that children should be placed in a home with a man and a woman." You'd almost think it was rcrocket talking about internet anonymity.
  
  To this, one of the straight relatives replied, "So you'd rather they stay in foster care?" To which our Mormon mom replied, "Well, you don't know that that's what's going to happen to them." Sticking up for the gay couple, the straight people's voices got a little heated--although nowhere near the "heat" we see on these message boards--and she declared, "If you're just going to attack me for my beliefs, then I'm done." She got out of her seat and walked away, protesting to the cameraman-in-tow about getting attacked.
  
• Toward the end she seemed to come around a little. She said, more than once, that "These are decent and good people, I just disagree with what they're doing." At one point, however, she said something like, "I feel that if I give in on this issue even one inch, then I will be going against God."
  
• The last night she had a heart-to-heart with the gay couple. Always, again, the pinnacle of civility, one of the men said that although it's clear that she'll never change her mind, he understands that people will always disagree on things. He then said, quite aptly, that the only time he has a problem with anyone's beliefs is when those beliefs turn into actions. This seemed to silence her. He then added that if her beliefs cross over into actions, then he doesn't see a way for them to remain friends.
  
  She said, "I think we're done here" and retired to her room, venting to the cameraman yet again her "attacked" and her "my beliefs" routines.

So, what did we learn? We learned that A) We critics are a bit spoiled by how good we have it with our LDS defenders and apologists here on the Morminternet, B) the LDS church doesn't look too good when the average Chapel Mormon is given a camera and a microphone, and C) there's more than one Mormon out there suffering from "rcrocket syndrome."

What I don't understand is why this woman agreed to go on this show to begin with. You can't tell me that Ms. Attention Whore didn't know what she was getting into.

Give me a break!

Perhaps she saw herself as such a shining example, that her mere presence would turn all those people to the path of "true and right".

???...??

Did anyone ask this woman the question of what terrible thing she's afraid will happen to the kids who are placed with the dreaded Gay Menace? I really wonder what the fear is.

Are people afraid the kids will
1) be gay-molested (because we all know gays are really NAMBLA members in disguise),
2) turn gay themselves (it is a choice after all), or
3) become "libbruls" who accept gays as normal and support the Evil Gay Agenda?

Dr. Shades wrote:Woah. HOLY COW. Thank you for the heads-up, GoodK, 'cause I would've missed it otherwise.

I only caught the last half hour of the program. Going off memory, and not any notes, here's what I saw:

I didn't see any mention of her Mormonism, although it must've been mentioned during the first half hour that I didn't see. Anyway, a blonde, overweight woman spent 30 days living in the household of a pair of committed gay men and their family of four foster and/or adopted children.

Maybe it was due to selective editing, but the homosexual people came across, in every last instance, as the very epitome of patience and decorum. Perhaps it's 'cause they're so used to being misunderstood and persecuted? The woman in question, though, couldn't handle ANY sort of disagreement, no matter how reasoned or polite. If anyone attempted to share their point of view, she automatically labelled it an "attack." She never, ever let up with the "my views are being attacked" routine. I never would've imagined it, but we here on the message boards are actually quite spoiled with our apologists and defenders. At least they'll put up a decent fight and try to tell you why you're wrong and/or they're right. Not so the Chapel Mormon on tonight's program, no sir-ee!

In order:

• I first saw her sitting in their living room with the kids playing all around her. It was quite obvious that she was a fish out of water. One of the men commented that the kids just aren't warming up to her. I wonder why?
  
• We next saw her passing out flyers for a meeting or rally in favor of gay rights--obviously the producers' idea, not hers--and she was none too pleased with having to do it. "I feel like I'm working against everything I believe in," she accurately stated.
  
• Next she was taken to an annual picnic run by the "Lesbian Moms" organization, or whatever it's called. On the back porch, a calm, reasoned woman in late middle-age asked her, "So you don't believe that I should be able to marry someone I love if she's a woman?" Our LDS mom got huffy and said, "I think marriage is between a man and a woman. I think two women or two men being together is wrong. You might not like it, but those are my beliefs." After a little more back-and-forth, she went into, "I feel like you're attacking me. I'm being attacked for my beliefs." Then she retreated to a back room and started crying, mascara smearing down her cheeks, lamenting about how she was attacked. Then she made a telling comment: "I didn't really realize it before, but now I see that there's like this entire army marshalled and working against everything I'm working for. It really makes me sad." At that, the floodgates broke open and she sobbed near-uncontrollably.
  
• In the next segment, she was taken to a meeting with two former foster kids--one man and one woman, now full-grown adults--who never were adopted. These people, too, were the very epitome of calmness and rationality. The man did most of the talking. One of the first things he discussed was, "If gay and lesbian couples are prohibited from adopting or becoming foster parents, then there will be a lot more kids in my situation." She went on with, "That might be true, but I think kids should be placed in homes with a man and a woman." Did she miss what the guy was trying to say??
  
  Later they drove to some of the spots where the man grew up. The first was a run-down neighborhood with boarded-up homes, trash littering the streets. She was like, "Oh my gosh!" Mouth agape. You'd almost think she'd never seen any movies before. He pointed out his former foster home (at least, the one in that particular neighborhood), and he said, "The house was firebombed. My foster mother was shot the same week." This totally blew her away (no pun intended), but later on, when the conversation returned to the gay/lesbian foster care/adoption issue, she said, "My beliefs are that kids should be placed in a home with a man and a woman."
  
• Later that night they had a campout with the gay couple and several of one of their kids' blood relatives, including his birth mother. The relatives were all straight. The birth mother and her sister talked about the initial reservations they had with the kid getting placed with a gay couple, but then talked about how they came around after seeing what a good home and environment he was finally getting to live in. Later, around the campfire, they talked about the dearth of adoptive parents. Mrs. LDS declared--wait for it--"I feel that children should be placed in a home with a man and a woman." You'd almost think it was rcrocket talking about internet anonymity.
  
  To this, one of the straight relatives replied, "So you'd rather they stay in foster care?" To which our Mormon mom replied, "Well, you don't know that that's what's going to happen to them." Sticking up for the gay couple, the straight people's voices got a little heated--although nowhere near the "heat" we see on these message boards--and she declared, "If you're just going to attack me for my beliefs, then I'm done." She got out of her seat and walked away, protesting to the cameraman-in-tow about getting attacked.
  
• Toward the end she seemed to come around a little. She said, more than once, that "These are decent and good people, I just disagree with what they're doing." At one point, however, she said something like, "I feel that if I give in on this issue even one inch, then I will be going against God."
  
• The last night she had a heart-to-heart with the gay couple. Always, again, the pinnacle of civility, one of the men said that although it's clear that she'll never change her mind, he understands that people will always disagree on things. He then said, quite aptly, that the only time he has a problem with anyone's beliefs is when those beliefs turn into actions. This seemed to silence her. He then added that if her beliefs cross over into actions, then he doesn't see a way for them to remain friends.
  
  She said, "I think we're done here" and retired to her room, venting to the cameraman yet again her "attacked" and her "my beliefs" routines.

So, what did we learn? We learned that A) We critics are a bit spoiled by how good we have it with our LDS defenders and apologists here on the Morminternet, B) the LDS church doesn't look too good when the average Chapel Mormon is given a camera and a microphone, and C) there's more than one Mormon out there suffering from "rcrocket syndrome."

So, let's see if I get this.

SHE can criticize other people's beliefs carte blanche.

BUT, when they same people question her, they are 'attacking her beliefs.'

How sadly typical of religious (we are entitled to respect for our bigoted beliefs) traditionalists.

I like Lewis Black's response to the bigots. His "Gay Banditos" monologue is 100% Gold!

Dr. Shades wrote:The woman in question, though, couldn't handle ANY sort of disagreement, no matter how reasoned or polite. If anyone attempted to share their point of view, she automatically labelled it an "attack." She never, ever let up with the "my views are being attacked" routine.

I heard this all the time from my family as i went through the process of telling them that I no longer believed. It's amazing how defensive TBM's can be. I even tried to point out the ludicrousy of it - by trying to get them to think of it in reverse (ie., when they're bearing their testimony to non-mormons). It's good to know my family's not the only ones with the persecution complex.

B) the LDS church doesn't look too good when the average Chapel Mormon is given a camera and a microphone, and C) there's more than one Mormon out there suffering from "rcrocket syndrome."

I don't see how you can come to that conclusion based on one (or even a few dozens) of events such as this. What is rcrocket syndrome?

It seems like you caught most of it, Shades. But you missed some of the more painful parts in the beginning. Here I will attempt to summarize the first half, without the gift of elequence and the command of written word that you posess, going off of memory, less than 6 hours sleep, and no notes.

The portly pioneer gal introduced herself as "a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" and disclosed that her beliefs aren't representative of the church, but what "she knows is right" (I wonder if the church executives and Morgan Spurlock's producers had some sort of agreement as to what was off limits. Actually, I'm sure they did.The "church" was not mentioned again in the hour long program. The word "Mormon" was never used).

She went to live with the gay couple (who must have been the most kind, tolerant gay guys they could find) and begins to criticize the couple for forcing the children to deal with and accept homosexuality as normal as pancakes are being cooked.

She sits in with a support group for children with gay parents and bellicosely questions a young girl who's parents are lesbians.

They interview two people from some god-Awful christian coalition - I think it was the Family Research Institute or some deceitful name like that.

A scary looking man overly dressed and posing in some kind of library - says that research shows children raised in gay households are more likely to suffer from sexual deviancy and a variety of behaviour disorders.

Then some horrid old bag, apparently a spokeshole for this "institute" goes on to describe her horrific childhood - being raised by a homosexual man (she fails to call him what he really was - a pedophile) and all the pyscologocial abuse she suffered as a result of "gay parenting" The old crow then rallied on for too long about how their organizations persecution of gay Americans was simply a righteous crusade in the defense of children.

Morgan Spurlock brilliantly animates and discusses the differences between civil unions and marriages, and how states with civil union laws offer less than 25% of the legal benefits married couples are entitled to, which leads to the scene of her passing out of the fliers that so went against her beliefs.

The best part, by far, is the end when the gay man tells her about beliefs becoming actions. The poor lady really believes and says that her actions- actively seeking to restrict his ability to adopt children - are just as obtrusive as his actions - trying to adopt kids and being gay. This is why she just walks away crying that people are "attacking her beliefs". She must have had a moment of clarity and realized how stupid she made herself sound.

Who Knows wrote:I heard this all the time from my family as i went through the process of telling them that I no longer believed. It's amazing how defensive TBM's can be. I even tried to point out the ludicrousy of it - by trying to get them to think of it in reverse (ie., when they're bearing their testimony to non-mormons). It's good to know my family's not the only ones with the persecution complex.

This is too funny, too true, and too sad all at the same time.