Savior to some, but at NIEU, a hate filled homophobic bigot

For the last few years, Lela and McCartney have brought their message and materials to the most hostile of territories: (local) colleges and universities, which, one would think, should champion freedom of speech. Ah, but we conservatives know better. In most of these so-called institutions of higher learning, freedom of speech applies to everyone EXCEPT pro-life and pro-family advocates.

Case in point: Lela and McCartney recently visited Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU). They set up their table of pertinent literature, and quietly sat behind it in order to speak with those who might be interested in the dangers of the homosexual lifestyle. Then the uproar came.

Students, some of whom were either associated with or sympathetic to NEIU's gay, lesbian and bisexual student organization, GLBA, converged upon the two men, ridiculing their message of "hate."

The NEIU student newspaper, the Independent, subsequently carried a story on the incident. Titled "GLBA demands address by university of hate speech," reporter Tim Robb wrote that, as a result of Lela and McCartney's presence, the homosexual student organization "outlined eight demands to the university. Further, they stated that they contacted Lambda Legal...and the ACLU, and would seek legal remedies with the help of those organizations if their demands were not met."

The first sentence of the first demand just about says it all: "An official condemnation of homophobic harassment and violence signed by NEIU President [Salme H.] Steinberg and other administrators...."

Tolerance in action, you see.

But what about freedom of speech? Well, to the libertine left, it's not an issue of "free speech," but rather "hate speech." As reporter Robb observed in the aforementioned story, "One of the most contentious issues was a demand for a ban on 'hate speech' and what that meant. The GBLA made literature available to the Independent on the subject that defines a 'Bias Incident,' and clarifies that hate crime laws use bias to elevate a crime to a hate crime.

"'A bias incident is conduct, speech or expression that is motivated by bias or prejudice.' Walt Summers, Dean of Student Activities, summed up the problem with [Lela and McCartney] and hate speech. 'This is their life work and they are very clever about what they say, and they say it in a way that will promote, as someone else said, an environment that creates somebody taking the next step....'"

I get it. Kinda like the pro-lifer who, by praying the rosary in front of an abortion facility, will somehow incite "somebody" else to bomb that facility, no?

And just what do the liberals at NEIU consider to be hate speech by Lela and McCartney? Here are a few examples from CFSH's web site (http://www.geocities.com/cfsh1/index.html):

"One fact the dominant media is censoring or ignoring is that the anal cancer rate for male homosexuals is way above normal, maybe as high as 50 times normal, according to a 1982 study. And a 1997 study again drew attention to the 'strong association between anal cancer and male homosexual contact.'

"You probably already know the homosexual community has been decimated by AIDS. But you may not know that, as another study has found: 1) 80% of syphilitic patients are homosexual; 2) about 33% of homosexuals are infected with active anorectal herpes simplex viruses; 3) chlamydia infects 15% of homosexuals; and 4) 'a host of parasites, bacterial, viral, and protozoan are all rampant in the homosexual population.'

"Regarding lesbians, they face a higher breast cancer risk. One study of lesbians found that: 'Sixty-three percent of the lesbians had never been pregnant....[And] Not having children increases a woman's breast cancer risk by between two to six times.' Not having children also 'may be a risk factor for ovarian cancer and may be implicated in endometrial cancer as well.'

"Another study of lesbians found 'a relatively high prevalence of the viral STDs, herpes simplex and human papillomavirus [HPV].' And according to another: 'Genital HPV infection and squamous intraepithelial lesions are common among women who are sexually active with women.'"

So THAT is considered "hate speech"?! I take it they'll be voting for Howard Dean.

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(Matt C. Abbott is the former executive director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee and the former director of public affairs for the Chicago-based Pro-life Action League, respectively. He is also a contributor to "The Wanderer" Catholic newspaper. He can be reached at mattcabbott@hotmail.com.)