{"id":908229,"date":"2024-06-17T11:49:36","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T15:49:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/?post_type=gap&p=908229"},"modified":"2025-03-07T16:03:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T21:03:16","slug":"massresistance","status":"publish","type":"gap","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/gap\/massresistance\/","title":{"rendered":"MassResistance"},"content":{"rendered":"

MassResistance is an anti-LGBTQ hate group that promotes discriminatory and harmful rhetoric against the LGBTQ community. The organization launched in 1995 as the Parents\u2019 Rights Coalition. It was renamed the Article 8 Alliance in 2003, and took on its current name in 2006. The organization’s director is Brian Camenker (pictured above), whose extremism in education dates back to at least 1995 as leader of so-called parents\u2019 rights and taxpayer rights groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Worked with legislators in <\/span>Idaho<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>North Dakota<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>South Dakota<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Michigan<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Montana<\/span><\/a> to introduce nearly identical resolutions challenging the Supreme Court verdict in <\/span>Obergefell v. Hodges<\/span><\/em><\/a>, claiming that marriage equality opponents are finally \u201cfighting back.\u201d In fact, the <\/span>vast majority<\/span><\/a> of Americans support same-sex unions. <\/span>Justice Clarence Thomas<\/span><\/a> suggested the court reconsider Obergefell<\/em> in an opinion accompanying the court\u2019s decision to <\/span>overturn Roe v. Wade<\/em><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Designated<\/span><\/a> as an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Published \u201cThe Health Hazards of Homosexuality,\u201d a 600-page compendium which has been called a tour de force by the President of the <\/span>American College of Pediatricians<\/span><\/a>, another SPLC-designated anti-LGBTQ hate group. The document contains discriminatory rhetoric, junk science, and numerous lies about LGBTQ people including: the claim that that LGBTQ people are “dangerous to kids”; linking homosexuality to pedophilia and sex with animals; grossly exaggerating and misrepresenting the health risks associated with being LGBTQ, baselessly claiming there is an \u201castoundingly disproportionate incidence of medical and psychological pathologies\u201d; and <\/span>blaming<\/span><\/a> \u201chomosexual and bisexual men\u201d for \u201cthe recent increases in STDs,\u201d and stating that there is a \u201cdisproportionate incidence of disease and mental disorders in the GLB community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014\u201c<\/span>Charged<\/span><\/a> that groups like the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which support school anti-bullying programs, actually want to lure children into homosexuality and, very possibly, sadomasochism,\u201d according to SPLC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Pushed<\/span><\/a> for an amendment of the 1996 statute that would have required that parents be notified of any discussion of gay or lesbian issues in the schools. According to SPLC, \u201cthe group proposed language that lumped sexual orientation (which includes heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality) in with criminal behaviors like bestiality and polygamy. During legislative testimony supporting the amendment, Camenker <\/span>falsely claimed<\/span><\/a> that no homosexuals died in the Holocaust and that the pink triangle the Nazis forced imprisoned gays to wear actually signified Catholic priests. The amendment did not pass.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Instrumental<\/span><\/a> in the banning of the Pride flag from city property in Downey, California.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Added <\/span>white nationalist Kenny Strawn<\/span><\/a> to its California chapter, which was formed in May 2016 by longtime anti-immigrant and nativist activist Arthur Schaper. Schaper says that his activism, which includes disrupting city council and other public meetings with election denialism and anti-immigration trolling, has been possible due to <\/span>financial support from MassResistance<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Campaigned<\/span><\/a> in Jamaica (with anti-LGBTQ activist Peter LaBarbera) to advocate for the preservation of the country\u2019s <\/span>criminal sodomy laws<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Condemned<\/span><\/a> the Boston Red Sox for hosting a Pride Night, which included former Boston Celtic and first out man to play in the NBA Jason Collins throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Camenker said<\/span><\/a>, without any supporting evidence, that the state of Massachusetts had had to spend more money every year since same-sex marriage became legal in that state. That, he said, was because of \u201cskyrocketing homosexual domestic violence\u201d and because of the \u201cextreme dysfunctional nature of homosexual relationships.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Camenker insisted<\/span><\/a>, without basis in fact, that gays were trying to get legislation passed to allow sex with animals, at a 2006 religious right gathering in Washington, D.C. \u201cOne bill in Massachusetts takes away all the penalties for bestiality,\u201d he claimed. \u201cThis is where this [homosexual] agenda is going.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":435,"featured_media":908230,"template":"","categories":[138754,139170],"tags":[],"region":[138586,138565],"hashtag":[138636,138639],"class_list":{"0":"post-908229","1":"gap","2":"type-gap","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"category-gaps","7":"category-hate-extremism","8":"region-massachusetts","9":"region-national","10":"hashtag-anti-transgender","11":"hashtag-organizations"},"aioseo_notices":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t