FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Religious Extremism And Censorship Are Dangers To LGBT Equality
NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out expressed strong support for Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of Comedy Central’ South Park, after they faced calls for violent reprisals following an episode that showed the Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit. Such religious extremism and intolerance threatens all Americans, particularly the gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender community, says TWO.
“We stand in solidarity with the creators of South Park and strongly defend their freedom of speech,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “Our liberty demands that we fight back against intolerant fanatics — no matter what the religion – who believe they can bully and intimidate to get their way. If zealots have a problem with South Park, they can turn the channel. If we cave into their demands, the LGBT community will be one of the first to feel the chilling effects and suffer the consequences.”
Following the controversial episode, a fringe Islamic website, RevolutionMuslim.com, warned Parker and Stone that they could face retribution. The website included a graphic photo of Theo van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered in 2004 after making a documentary on violence against Muslim women.
“We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show,” the website reads. “This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them…They’re going to be basically on a list in the back of the minds of a large number of Muslims. It’s just the reality.”
“The goal of these extremists is to foment fear and create an atmosphere of self-censorship,” said TWO’ Besen. “This would essentially lead to an unwritten blasphemy law that would curtail creative freedom. We must not allow this to happen or other fringe religious organizations will view threats of violence as a legitimate strategy to meet their demands.”
Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that monitors religious extremism, fights anti-gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender misinformation campaigns, and educates about the lives of LGBT people.
We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid…
That may be (Parker and Stone have done a lot of things that I personally think are stupid), but we live in a country where we generally have the right and freedom to do stupid things. Otherwise, I would’ve been in prison long ago! ;)
Beatrice Hall put it best when she wrote in The Friends of Voltaire: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
As a follow-up, I should note that I have no opinion on whether the South Park episode (I haven’t seen it) was over the top or went too far. Instead, my only point is that my opinion on that matter is irrelevant to the fact that the creators had every right and freedom to create the episode exactly as is.
Exactly. If people don’t like it, they don’t have to watch it.
If we can’t satire Mohammad – the fundamentalist Christians will, in short order, extend this to criticizing fundamentalist Christianity.
An alternate viewpoint, from someone who used to work at Comedy Central, and is no hater of freedom of speech.
Hopefully, and probably, nothing will happen except a few hundred people having anxiety for a few weeks, but if god forbid something does, it is on Trey Parker and Matt Smith’[sic] shoulders.
I’m going to disagree with Ms. Robertson on that point. If something worse happens, it falls squarely on the people who resort to violence. Parker and Stone may be a******s, but that’s no excuse for violence.
If Comedy Central is concerned about the safety of their workers, they would have been well within their rights to refuse to air the show (assuming it didn’t constitute a breech of whatever contract they might have with Parker and Stone). After all, Parker and Stone’s right to free speech doesn’t obligate any particular network or individual to give them a platform from which to utter that speech.
But any attempts to blame the duo for the (possible) violence of other people is simply unacceptable.
I don’t like Muslims trying to determine what we see and hear any more than I like fundamentalist Christians doing so. This is a free country and those who do not like that fact can do one of two things:
1) Accept it and get on with your life
2) Move to a country where the rules are more to your liking.
The so-called alternative viewpoint with the idiotic link is incredibly naive, completely ridiculous, a threat to free speech and absolutely, positively, encourages terrorism.
How so?
Well, the good ole American Family Association – and groups like it – have been trying to stop shows they don’t like for decades. Now, a group of Muslim fanatics comes along and shows them that they had the wrong strategy. What they really needed to do all along is threaten the lives of the writers. Then in the name of security (or cowardice) the executives pull the show.
What message does this send?
Having come back from a trip to Lynchburg, I can already tell you that the Christian extremists are studying the Muslim zealots and are jealous of their success. It was a recurring theme in Lynchburg.
Anyway, I suppose that the next time Ellen is asked to host the Academy Awards and the Christian fanatics or the Muslims extremists or whatever nutjobs, don’t want a lesbian hosting the awards – they can threaten to murder the networks producers. And, then, we can shortsightedly blame Ellen or Neil Patrick Harris or Clay Aiken or whomever for wanting “attention”. (Even though they are all already super-famous and don’t need the attention, just like Parker and Stone don’t need the spotlight)
Once you give into these extremists and let them have veto power over the creative process it doesn’t stop.
Comedy Central sent a terrible message that bullying and terrorism work. If you think it will stop here, you are kidding yourself.
I see both sides, though I tend closer to your side, Wayne. It’s a conversation that needs to be had, and it’s absurd to give in to the religious convictions of people whose worldview is so frail that they’re offended by a picture of their prophet being shown on television.
That said, Trey Parker and Matt Stone ARE a******s, and not always in a good way, and it’s useful to remember that they’re not always on the right side of issues. I honestly wish Seth MacFarlane had done it, because his teachable moments tend to be more thought-provoking, and, well, teachable.
It doesn’t matter if the are wonderful people or total jerks. That is beside the point. The terrorists will do the same thing to MacFarlane. Anyone who upsets their fragile religious sensibilities will be targeted. That is why in fundamentalist areas – there are no Parkers, Stones or MacFarlanes.
The ideas pushed by this group stifle creativity and free speech.
Right, I agree with you on that. The way I saw it put earlier was “I obviously support Parker/Stone’s right to say what they want, but I hate the douchey way they do it sometimes.” Because when you take for granted support freedom of speech part, which we all do, I think, then you get down to a conversation about tactics and what kind of speech is more effective/less effective when it comes to countering the sort of idiocy that would lead to threats of violence over a picture of Mohammad, and I think that one of the biggest things to avoid is looking like an a*****e. That, of course, is far different from looking mean, looking angry, looking indignant, etc. All of those can be effective. For instance, GetEqual is doing a lot of good stuff right now to make indignant, pissed off noise about Obama shirking his promises to the LGBT community. But they’ve had one action where, in my opinion, they looked like a******s. (The Boxer protest.) No one (at least no one sane) is questioning the rightness of their message, but the tactics. Yelling at Obama while he was speaking about the economy (arguably the most pressing issue of the moment) at an event for a long-time Democratic senator who is more vulnerable than she should be, and who is a STAUNCH ally of the gay community, made them look like a******s in MY eyes, and I support what they’re saying, just like I support what Parker and Stone were trying to say
I’m just questioning tactics, that’s all.
Another example of something that really burned people, but which was turned into a VERY teachable moment, in the religious sphere, was when PZ Myers desecrated the eucharist on his blog. If you read his full post when he did it, he pissed a lot of people off, but he turned it into an object lesson for everyone reading, about the meaning of holding things as “sacred” to the point of idiocy. I just question what Parker/Stone’s move really will accomplish.
Yes, but our most ardent opponents don’t care about our message. They don’t care who is delivering it and how it is delivered. Given the option, they will just take the microphone away.
So, I don’t think it matters in this case who the messenger is or the message. It is the idea that we should never allow terrorism, or the threat of it, to diminish our freedom. No writer – good, bad or indifferent, should spend one second self-censoring, asking themselves, what will the religious nuts think about my skit.
What Parker and Stone will accomplish, is to teach people that freedom of expression and Enlightenment values and the right to ridicule and criticize in the country of Thomas Jefferson are sacrosanct. Human rights come before beliefs. And it’s absolutely appropriate that an organization such as TWO shows solidarity in this way.
It’s crucial we stand behind people who exercize that right to the freedoms that people fought hard and shed blood for, whether they are authors or cartoonists (if there is one reason to respect Margaret Thatcher, it is her determination to stand by Salman Rushdie.).
It’s time to avenge film director Theo van Gogh – who was murdered because of his film, produced in association with Ayaan Hirsi Ali (whose books I cannot recommend enough), ‘Submission’ about women suffering in the Islamic world. Murdered for giving a voice to the helpless, the battered, the abused, the oppressed. We cannot let the theocrats win, period.
Nothing like a “religion of peace” that responds to virtually every slight with death threats. Of course I could be speaking of either Islam or Christianity, really…..
As much as I hate South Park (for reasons that have nothing to do with this particular episode/incident), I also support Matt and Trey’s right to free speech. I have never seen a single episode of South Park that hasn’t made me walk away disgusted. But, am I going to threaten their lives? Of course not. What good is that going to do?
And as for religious extremism, as a deeply committed Christian, that really bothers me. I do not understand why anyone could ever use their religion as an excuse to harm others. It makes the rest of us, who DON’T harm others (and certainly don’t send death threats) look bad. I’ll leave it at this: religious extremists do NOT speak for me. They never have, and they never will.
Dont bow down to these deathworshipers ! The castration of this country is almost complete. If we give in to these seventh century throwbacks we deserve their wrath. I, for one, will do anything in my power to insure the nonexistance of a prayer rug in my, or my family’s future.
Evan said: “I honestly wish Seth MacFarlane had done it, because his teachable moments tend to be more thought-provoking, and, well, teachable.”
Seth McFarlane??? are you kidding me. Now that is one sexist, homophobic a*****e. Here’s a quote regarding the walking gay stereotype that the baby character embodies:
“He added: “Ultimately, Stewie will be gay or a very unhappy repressed heterosexual. It also explains why he’ so hell-bent on killing [his mother Lois] and taking over the world.
“He has a lot of aggression, which comes from confusion and uncertainty about his orientation.”
So gay people hate their mothers and and are aggressive due to their “orientation”. Yeah, he’s GREAT at teachable moments. Jackass…
@gaylib: I completely agree. Yes, I understand that Family Guy is satire, and thus not meant to be taken literally. But that doesn’t mean that everyone understands that they are not meant to be taken literally.
I think that anyone who will tell me that Family Guy is “just a joke” should consider this: in the early 20th century, Warner Brothers animators were also “just joking” when they consistently used negative stereotypes in their cartoon shorts to make fun of black people. Examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH4ivOyO0PQ&feature=related.
Well, I’m going to have to disagree on this one. Family Guy is so equal opportunity when it comes to offending people, that it can’t be taken seriously.
There are times when it crosses the line, for sure. I have been offended on occasions.
But, overall, the writing is brilliant and it is still the funniest show on TV. I can’t think of a show where I’ve laughed so much.
Exactly what I was going to say, wayne
I love South Park, in all honestly, because they are also equal opportunity offenders as far as I’ve seen. Have any of you seen episode 11×02, Cartman Sucks? It completely puts ex-gay ministries in their place. A little off topic, I suppose…
I like the Tome Cruise is in the closet episode. :)