Won't Someone Please Think of the Grandmas?!

Liberty Counsel, a group comprised entirely of talking points (Restoring the Culture One Case at a Time by Advancing Religious Freedom, the Sanctity of Human Life and the Traditional Family), much to no one's surprise unleashes a press release decrying "so-called 'hate crimes' legislation," which also much to no one's surprise is full of lies, deceit and hate-mongering. Beside the usual anti-gay bigotry, what is the Counsel (ha! clever they) up in arms about? This bill includes no protection for veterans or the elderly! Seriously.

Last I checked, veterans and the elderly weren't groups commonly victims of hate crimes.

But what really gets their ire is that the law is just a way to protect pedophiles (emphasis mine):

H.R. 1913 (Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009) is not about stopping crime but is designed to give "actual or perceived" sexual preference or "gender identity" (which is still classified as a mental disorder) the same legal status as race. The DSM IVR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual used by psychologists and psychiatrists to diagnose mental disorders) lists more than 30 "sexual orientations" and "Gender Identity Disorders," including pedophilia. The hate crimes bill does not limit "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" and, thus, includes all these disorders and fetishes. The use of "actual or perceived" includes those with disorders or deviant sexual preferences and those who do not have such disorders or fetishes, so long as it is alleged that the person charged allegedly "thought" the other person had such disorder or fetish.

Which is, of course, bullshit.

I'm gonna tell you something I hardly tell anyone, but since we're friends, and no one really reads this blog, I figure it's no big deal: I keep a copy of the DSM IV under my bed. I like a little light reading before I wander off to dreamland. Plus I'm trying to memorize all the codes because A) it's central to the plot of my as-yet-completed novel and B) I believe it will someday come in handy should I appear on Win Ben Stein's Money. Anyway, my point being is that pedophilia is not listed as a sexual orientation or a gender identity in the DSM IV. In fact, the DSM IV doesn't include a list of sexual orientations at all.

The closest this comes to truth is that the DSM IV contains a section titled Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. This is broken down into two smaller groups, the paraphilias (wherein pedophilia resides) and the separate gender identity disorders (which would, presumably, be covered under the proposed statute) and are really only still considered mental health disorders so that trans people with insurance can get their treatment covered. It's only by applying a judicious dollop of mendacity that one can contend that the new Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a way for the government to protect "pedophilia and every imaginable deviant fetish" and promote "coercive pro-homosexual propaganda". (For those who don't keep their own copy, you can peek at relevant section of the DSM IV here.)

All of which is to say the Liberty Counsel are a bunch of lying, deceitful shitstains. A bunch of lying, deceitful shitstains using fear and bigotry to attack a group of people who desperately need protection. To wit:

Sexual orientation and gender identity include pedophilia and every imaginable deviant fetish. Cross-dressers and pedophiles find refuge in this so-called hate crimes bill, while veterans and grandmas are left to fend for themselves.

If there is an ounce of truth anywhere in that statement I'll not only eat my hat, but I'll show up for communion on Sunday and eat that too.

Obviously, this bill is not about the prevention of crime but is all about pushing a radical sexual anarchy. This bill will crush free speech and trample free exercise of religion.

As for radical sexual anarchy? We should all be so lucky.