Author: Wayne Besen

There are days when I am infatuated with Obama’s very existence. These moments usually coincide with vivid reminders of our previous president. For example, GQ magazine revealed recently that Donald Rumsfeld’s presidential defense briefings began with warrior Bible verses. Here is a sample: “Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the …

In an online discussion forum, a respected activist recently lamented the decentralization of gay community advocacy. He made a powerful case that we would be better off if our efforts were more regimented and unified. “Our communal problem is that the LGBT community is so fragmented that we are constantly a cacophony of voices rather …

The latest alleged anti-gay terrorism in Iraq is gluing shut the anuses of homosexuals, while forcing the victims to ingest a form of Ex-Lax. The special glue can only be removed by surgery — thus often leading to a painful death. It is challenging to know if such information is accurate. But, confirming the latest …

George W. Bush longed to escape his daddy’s shadow, while Barack Obama has turned to shadowy preachers in his long search for a father figure. His filial approach to faith began with Rev. Jeremiah Wright and has now taken a sharp turn right. The New York Times reports that the president has surrounded himself with …

In pandering to the fanatical and the fearful — both religion and Republicanism may have compromised their future. First, the Republican Party seems in an awfully big rush to implode with Rush Limbaugh as its mercurial mouthpiece. The GOP’s other savior, Michael Steele, is just a big mouth who seems more suited to Limbaugh’s talk …

It is an odd time to be gay in America. Whether you are celebrated or despised depends on where you stand at any given moment. The most dramatic example of this dichotomy occurred on Sunday, Feb. 22 at the Academy Awards. To attend the glamorous event, one had to drive past anti-gay protesters shouting vile …

It would be wrong to say that the majority of Republicans are racist. But, it is fair to say that racists have comfortably nested in the GOP for quite some time. Since President Richard Nixon employed his infamous “Southern Strategy,” bigots, xenophobes and homophobes have been sought-after Republican constituencies. Beginning in the late 1960s and …

Portland’s openly gay mayor, Sam Adams, correctly decided to remain in office after acknowledging that three years ago he had a brief affair with an 18-year-old man. Calls for his resignation were politically motivated, homophobic and cheap shots dressed in the guise of morality. Sadly, many gay and lesbian leaders got sucked into the sexual …

[Ed. Note —After a lengthy hiatus, Q-Notes resumes publication of Wayne Besen’s column with this issue.] The gay Log Cabin Republicans are broke and their party is seriously broken. The group’s $100,000 debt comes at a time when the GOP is indebted more than ever to extremists. Instead of learning from Election Day, the party …