Call onto the free press to stop publishing anti-Gay positions

Just imagine, a news site or newspaper that publisher positions “from both sides,” for and against feminism. So some will write that women are dumber and by nature docile and submissive and are naturally the best to take care of children and the dishes. They should be educated to this (so much for natural) and if needed forced to comply.

Just picture, a place that spreads an “open discussion” between anti-racism activists and white supremacists who “also have the right to be heard.” Surely, Neo-Nazis would like to add their “enlightening” views.

In the Netherlands, there is a leftwing newspaper that claimed to be evenhanded about Israel because it alternated pro-Israel articles with pieces by anti-Zionists (to call them by a euphemism). A superb way to spread lies and hatred against Israel.

None of this is a democratic discussion at all. These are all attempts by people who disagree with democracy (every vote counts equally), who claim the freedom of speech to spread anti-democratic ideas.

It’s the same as political parties who want democratic rights to win an election in order to erect a dictatorship. They are no democrats. They are anti-democrats and must be stopped. That is not anti-democratic. To stop anti-democrats is pro-democratic.

The same is true about anti-LGBTQ. We must stop people who demand a right to friendly and meekly explain that homosexuals or their sexuality are inferior, unhealthy, crazy, sinful, anti-natural or beastly.

The anti-Gay voices, who are as upset about “political correctness” as fascists are, don’t “enliven” or “enrich” the debate — they pollute it. This is not like the left and the right discussing financial priorities. This is like slaves explaining slavery and slave owners “nuancing the debate.”

When people come forward to report sexual abuse, we don’t invite abusers to “give their side of the story.” When we hear from the victims, why should promoter s of reparative therapy get the mike too?

When we hear of a childhood filled with terror and the relief of finding the Gay community, breaking shame and isolation and the greatness of marching in a Pride march, do we also need to hear from opponents?

Because of people like them, countless Gay youths commit suicide! These slanderers are not proponents in an academic debate. These are murderers with their lips. (I warned one rabbi. He sat on it. Then, one of the Gay kids in his community committed suicide. He went to the funeral and to the Shiva twice and spoke very warmly. He did not say sorry.)

Hate speech is not speech — it is hate. Bigotry is not an opinion — it is an attempt to limit the right to equality before the law and the state.

This includes people who say that they “can’t help” their convictions — that homosexuals are less — or that they should have this freedom of religion. This is a bogus argument. There is no freedom to hate speech.

We all can help what we believe. There are Orthodox Rabbis who secretly will tell you that they can’t believe that homosexuals should not be sexual. They know homosexuals. That’s it. We know the bigoted position. Why do they get the “honor” to rehears it for all to hear? It’s also a disgrace of Israel, Judaism, and G^d. Why give them respectability?

Spreaders of homophobia must be brought to court and forced to work for Gay organizations until they get it. If they nevertheless persist, they should be locked up. If they supposedly can’t help themselves, why should judges be able to control themselves? Every Gay kid should know that those people are freaks, not the religious leaders they pretend to be.

Most respectable publications don’t advertize cigarettes anymore. Bad for business but good for morality — and health. I want them also to stop the creeping homophobia that would not fly about other groups. Replace Gays by women or Blacks and see if you would publish that.

Be firm. So that your great-grandchild in the far future may proudly say: great-grandma did that. Being on the right side of history.

***

Talking of which, the news just broke that Alfred Turner, the UK father of computer science and artificial intelligence, who shortened WW II considerably saving countless lives by cracking the Nazi Germany code system, will have his portray grace Britain’s new bank notes. This homage is remarkable since only four years ago, his 1952 conviction for homosexuality was posthumously undone. He was not incarcerated but chemically castrated and died shortly afterward in an apparent suicide.

About the Author

MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, an almost daily blog contributor to the Times of Israel, and previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is (partly) generated by AI. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. He doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit about what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and education contribute to his visions. * If you don't know the Dutch, get an American peek behind the scenes here: https://youtu.be/QMPp6h6r72M * To find less-recent posts on subject XXX among his 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/. * Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. Yet, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people who don't deserve that. He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. * Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust, and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. * His most influential teachers (chronologically) are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. * One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. * He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. He loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, anti-elitism, anti-bigotry and supremacy, for Zionism, Intersectionality, and non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. * He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. * He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, empowering therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids non-violently. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's being a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. He lives with his library in Jerusalem. Feel free to contact him. * His writing has been made possible by a (second-generation) Holocaust survivors' allowance from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. * To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. * His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1