Peter LaBarbera is a little bit too excited about a “homophobia test” he took, in which his [self-reported] answers resulted in a score of “not homophobic.”
Well, I just took the “Homophobia Questionnaire” promoted by PBS’ “Frontline” and it’s official: I am “non-homophobic.” The quiz is called the “Wright, Adams & Bernat Homophobia Scale” and it is — needless to say — biased toward the liberal side on homosexuality. Nevertheless, I “passed” by a comfortable margin – with any score 50 or below registering as “non-homophobic,” and any score 51 or above qualifying as “homophobic.”
Before we get started on the test, Peter would like you to know that he doesn’t “like” the concept of homophobia, because it doesn’t differentiate between his kind of hate [the religious kind, which he thinks should get a pass] and other kinds. Or something:
It should be noted — as we did in reporting pro-family advocates Mat Staver’s and Matt Barber’s “non-homophobic” scores – that we at AFTAH regard the entire concept of “homophobia” as: tendentious; non-scientific; overly-broad, especially due to its ever-expanding application in society (to cover opposition toward rather than irrational fear of homosexuals); subjective; manipulative; and – all too often — a bludgeon with which to demonize and belittle well-meaning opponents of homosexuality (including those motivated by their religion)
Oh, so sad! We who live in the fact-based world don’t consider religion a good reason to hate an entire group of people [but it's been the most consistent reason for prejudice throughout history!], and therefore lump it into the same categories as any other kind of hate. Sorry, but them’s the apples; how you like them?
Peter also does not understand that the word “homophobia” doesn’t merely include fear, but also rejection and hatred, since those emotions tend to stem from, ding ding ding, fear:
[E]ven though I would be greatly upset to learn that a good friend or relative considers himself a homosexual (because I believe homosexual practice is sinful and unhealthy), it does not follow that I would reject that person or treat him harshly – or be “fearful” of him, as the term homophobia implies.
So, since we have access to the same test, let’s take it on his behalf, using the correct answers [we'll use his SPLC-certified anti-gay hate website as a source], and find out whether or not Peter lied when he took it. Ready, set, go!
Now, the way it’s set up is that you rank on a scale of one to five how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the twenty-five statements. For those which we truly could not know about Peter, such as whether or not he’s ever keyed a gay person’s car, I gave him the benefit of the doubt by answering “disagree.” However, the answers to so many questions are easily found by reading his website that I have a feeling he’ll sail right into the homophobic zone without having to have complete answers on a few of them.
Anywho, here are the questions, and how I answered them, for Peter, with sources linked when available. Let me know if I mucked it up:
1. Gay people make me nervous. – Strongly agree.
2. Gay people deserve what they get. – Disagree.
3. Homosexuality is acceptable to me. – Strongly disagree.
4. If I discovered a friend was gay I would end the friendship. – Disagree
5. I think homosexual people should not work with children. - Strongly agree.
6. I make derogatory remarks about gay people. – Strongly agree.
7. I enjoy the company of gay people. – Neither agree nor disagree.
8. Marriage between homosexual individuals is acceptable. – Strongly disagree.
9. I make derogatory remarks like “faggot” or “queer” to people I suspect are gay. – Disagree [Here it should be noted that Peter has made a career out of making derogatory remarks toward gay people, therefore we have no reason to suspect he takes his work home and shouts "faggot" at the neighbors.
10. It does not matter to me whether my friends are gay or straight. - Strongly disagree.
11. It would upset me if I learned that a close friend was homosexual. - Strongly agree.
12. Homosexuality is immoral. - Strongly agree.
13. I tease and make jokes about gay people. - Strongly agree.
14. I feel that you cannot trust a person who is homosexual. - Strongly agree.
15. I fear homosexual persons will make sexual advances towards me. - Neither agree nor disagree.
16. Organizations which promote gay rights are not necessary. - Strongly agree.
17. I have damaged property of a gay person, such as "keying" their car. - Disagree. [Again, Peter's JOB is to bully gay people, so he doesn't have to resort to such provincial tactics as driving down to Boys Town and keying VW Bugs and Subarus.
18. I would feel uncomfortable having a gay roommate. - Agree.
19. I would hit a homosexual for coming on to me. - Disagree. [Again. Above.]
20. Homosexual behavior should not be against the law. – Strongly disagree. [He dances around this subject, but has stated his opposition to Lawrence v. Texas.]
21. I avoid gay individuals. – Disagree. [Peter goes to leathersex conventions and stuff!]
22. It bothers me to see two homosexual people together in public. – Strongly agree.
23. When I see a gay person I think, “What a waste.” – Strongly agree. [Peter believes that all people who are gay are merely "caught up in the homosexual lifestyle," and a corollary to that is that we are somehow wasting our lives by denying ourselves the heterosexual lives we do not want and would not be fulfilled by.
24. When I meet someone I try to find out if he/she is gay. - Disagree.
25. I have rocky relationships with people that I suspect are gay. - Disagree.
So let's tally it up! Is Peter LaBarbera homophobic?
67 - Your score rates you as "homophobic."
Quelle surprise! Though the test was not necessary to come to that conclusion. Gay activists have been monitoring Peter as one of the most unhinged, if marginal, figures on the anti-gay Religious Right, for years; the Southern Poverty Law Center has seen fit to add organizations to their anti-gay hate group list several times based on Peter's behavior; and indeed, the fact that Peter is breathlessly reporting the results of an online quiz to protest his designation as a homophobe is revelatory in and of itself. If he truly wasn't homophobic, he wouldn't be so excited about this test, on which he obviously fudged some of the answers.
So there you have it. No need to go back and do the same for Mat Staver and Matt Barber, who also took the test, because their beliefs are pretty much carbon copies of Peter's. [They also got excited when they took the test and their self-reported answers branded them "non-homophobic."] If Peter’s a ‘phobe, they are too. One thing that makes our jobs easier is that wingnuts rarely deviate from their script — if one of them believes something insane and incorrect about gay people, they all pretty much do.
Anyway, on to more important things, now that we have confirmed that our opponents are indeed homophobes.
Funny how they insist that “disagreement with homosexuality” doesn’t qualify as homophobia, but then turn and screech “Christian persecution” the second anybody questions, criticizes, or *merely disagrees with* Christians. What’s more, their idea of “disagreement with homosexuality” means active, sometimes violent, opposition to our basic rights, and even our very existence. But don’t you dare call them homophobes.
Simple test for Petie – a male couple should go to his office and start kissing (but not a make-out session) while a heterosexual couple does the same. If Petie asks the gay men to leave, he’s a homophobe.
That test has too many questions. The only one needed is number 3. “Homosexuality is acceptable to me.” Anybody who doesn’t find homosexuality “acceptable” is a homophobe.
I was hoping you guys would get to this, I figured Petey lied about his answers.
@Emma; AFTAH is solely based upon LIES ! And, of course, Petey lied about this; as he has about everything else !! He’s a sad, sick individual.
I personally feel doubtful about this because I am so skeptical and distrusting of anything Peter says….I would like to request that Peter (who we know will see this and read it) post his answers. If you are truly not homophobic, lets see what you clicked for answers to get the score of 50.
I took the test using answers I believed he might really say and the lowest number I could get it 62. I doubt he could get a 50 unless he has some big surprises for us in what he really thinks of gay people.
I would love for him to take the “Am I a closeted homosexual ?”test! I think we all know how he’d score on that one!
Thanks for taking the test on Peter’s behalf. I covered this bizarre story on my husband’s blog (http://hulshofschmidt.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/of-homophobia-and-hypocrisy/) the other day. Come on, guys: is homophobia a valid concept or not? Do you own your own behavior or not? I can (sadly, reluctantly) live with rabid opposition, but please at least be interally consistent!
Any purported heterosexual who has a blog or website dedicated to denying equality to lgbt people is automatically a homophobe; no test needed. That IS the test. Any non-homophobic heterosexual (the real ones) wouldn’t waste their time on this.
And Peter, I smile when people like you refer to it as ‘practice homosexuality’, as if we were all taking violin lessons. My ‘practice’ of homosexuality made it Perfect a long time ago and sorry to disappoint you, but I’m still healthy and doing just fine.
Peter said “[E]ven though I would be greatly upset to learn that a good friend or relative considers himself a homosexual (because I believe homosexual practice is sinful and unhealthy), it does not follow that I would reject that person or treat him harshly…”.
Yes it does follow that you would. You would deny them the right to marry, adopt, or not to be fired from their job or evicted from their home or denied service for who they are – that’s pretty damn harsh.
Scott said “That test has too many questions. The only one needed is number 3. “Homosexuality is acceptable to me.” Anybody who doesn’t find homosexuality “acceptable” is a homophobe.”.
Strongly agree.
Gary said “Any purported heterosexual who has a blog or website dedicated to denying equality to lgbt people is automatically a homophobe; no test needed.”.
Strongly agree.
I always like the comment that so many religious freakoids make that they are against homosexuals because the “activity” is “sinful and unhealthy”. Sinful in their eyes I can understand – it’s their thing. However, they give a rat’s a*s about our health? Yea, like the mental and emotional distress and conflict such personal and societal objection and condemnation sets up in a person, especially the young, is healthy! These people absolve themselves because of their religious indoctrination, which in their minds is not equivalent to lying. BUT it is a pack of lies and it is harmful. They do the harm and then offer the “medicine” to heal. What crap!
I have this feeling that after Mat, Petey and Bam Bam took the test, they all slapped each other on the back and then retired to some cave for a circle jerk.
Gary said “Any purported heterosexual who has a blog or website dedicated to denying equality to lgbt people is automatically a homophobe; no test needed.”
Actually, I would go so far as to say that anyone who is so fixated on railing against the “practices” of gay men that he has made a career of it is in all likelihood a closet case.