By DHinMI
Anti-Gay 'Day of Truth' Signs Up 1,150
NEW YORK - The inaugural Day of Truth, seeking to mobilize students who believe homosexuality is wrong, attracted 1,150 participants Thursday at about 350 schools nationwide, according to the conservative group which launched it in response to the far larger, gay-supportive Day of Silence.
The New York-based Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, which coordinates the Day of Silence, said at least 450,000 students at more than 4,000 schools and colleges participated in the 10-year-old event — which took place Wednesday....
450,000 students come together in support of their gay classmates, but the lede and the headline are about 1,150 "participants" spread between 350 schools who opposed the position of the 450,000?
I guess the lesson for us is that sometimes, especially on gay issues, the side with 391 times fewer supporters gets the headlines.
Considering the incredibly high ratio of hype to turnout, maybe the Day of Truth should be renamed the Young Minutemen Project.
Posted by: Steve | April 14, 2005 at 18:48
Especially since the guys who signed up for it are probably "minutemen" in more ways than one...
Posted by: DHinMI | April 14, 2005 at 18:55
Glass half full analysis: It's the "man bites dog" headline?
I'm not actually that much of an optimist, though.
Posted by: Kagro X | April 14, 2005 at 19:12
I understand that the point is the misleading headline, but... The story itself is so pathetic that it's hard not to think it's sort of funny -- you can get better than 3 people on a school campus to do almost ANYTHING.
Posted by: NYSusan | April 14, 2005 at 20:49
Ahh yes. The liberal media strikes again. I suppose if you were to ask the editor about the headline s/he would say that the 450,000 kids part of the story is old, it has been going on for 10 years. However, the 1,150 students counter-protesting is the new and thus more important story. A weak justification to be sure, but I would be willing to bet that it is the one given.
Posted by: KansasNate | April 14, 2005 at 21:55
I'm willing to bet that next year's Day of Silence is the most popular ever. Maybe I'm being too much of an optimist, but this nonsensical "Day of Truth" could actually be a gift in disguise by bringing more attention to the cause. Also, yes, three students per school will be seen as a joke . . . and I'm also willing to bet that the particular students involved will be marginalized (or more marginalized) by their participation. When I was in high school, there was a group of three students who used the lunch hour to preach about pro-life issues. Everyone thought they were nutjobs.
Posted by: David | April 14, 2005 at 22:10
I'm shocked. They could only find 1150 homophobic high school students? I think there were that many on my high school's hockey team alone.
Posted by: Jumbo | April 14, 2005 at 23:21
Quelle surprise. On AOL recently the welcome page had a "mixed reviews on gay athletes" headline. I clicked on the link to find a poll that had a huge majority of people saying that gays should be allowed to participate in sports, whether or not they are closeted.
I'm not sure what to make of this 1,150 number. They can easily brag next year that their ranks have swollen, just like the numbers for Day of Silence, blah blah. I wouldn't be surprised if they did not push for a large number of people because they want to point out "growth" each year. If I am being overly pessimistic and they couldn't get the numbers they wanted, then the reason is probably because, as I said in my post on this issue, anti-gay attitudes are not exactly on the down-low in schools these days. They're probably worse than ever. Most kids would have little use for straining themselves over a "formal" version of things they already do all the time. It's not anything exotic, or forbidden, or a means to an end. It's probably boring to them. This type of thing is common in America. I remember reading about the fairly large crowd who showed up to cheer on scary Stephen Harper in his latest race-baiting, fear-mongering tantrum against equal marriage rights. In Canada, this type of hatefest may draw more of a crowd because it's forbidden or taboo among many Canadians. To Americans, it's old hat.
This was a great post, DHinMI. To the point, incisive, and not too self-involved. Far easier to digest than poor Coby losing his mind on Survivor last night and turning into some kind of Corky St. Clair...
Posted by: James | April 15, 2005 at 05:38
Corky St. Clair? Is that from Best in Show?
Oh, wait, that's from Waiting for Guffman, right?
Posted by: DHinMI | April 15, 2005 at 11:22
Yes.
"I hate you, and your stupid ass-face!"
Posted by: James | April 15, 2005 at 22:58
Hey if you plan any further coverage of the anti-gay "Day of Truth" this year I wanted to bring your attention to a Youtube video I made examining some of the more troubling aspects of the Day of Truth -- Specifically how the DOT is little more than a thinly veiled attempt to promote "pray away the gay" programs to queer youth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI4-eDG3Bb0
This video covers the little discussed founding of the DOT by Tyler Chase Harper, a high-schooler who told his gay classmates they should be ashamed and are condemned by God. The video also reveals a great deal of troubling material on the DOT's website including information discussing anal sex, bathhouses and a fake medical condition made up by the anti-gay right called "gay bowel syndrome." Some of this material is furnished by Mission America, an organization that actually includes in it's mission statement the need to defend the nation against witchcraft.
-Dan Gonzales
(I myself am a survivor of one of the "ex-gay" programs promoted by the Day of Truth)
Posted by: Daniel Gonzales | April 01, 2008 at 21:13