Radical Gay Activists Turn Traitor Into Military Martyr

When Jason Collins made sports history by becoming the first active-roster homosexual player to come out of the closet, the gay agenda gloried—and so did the mainstream media.

Much the same, the gay agenda and the mainstream media joined hands in celebration when Jodie Foster came out during the 2013 Golden Globes; when CNN anchor Anderson Cooper finally came out last year—and just about any other time a famous person has declared same-sex attractions. Of course, when pro-same-sex marriage laws are passed, there is hype and buzz (and sometimes even dancing in the streets), and the mainstream media is right there to capture it.

But the mainstream media and radical gay activists are seemingly at odds about a homosexual military man who turned out to be a traitor to his country.

According to a report from the Culture and Media Institute, just eight of the 125 mentions Bradley Manning—the U.S. Army private who was convicted of a massive intelligence security breach via Wikileaks—has received on ABC, CBS and NBC news programs between his arrest in 2010 and July 30, 2013, included references to his homosexuality. And only then were they made to help defend his case.

“Lawyers for Pfc. Bradley Manning began laying out a defense to show that his struggles as a gay soldier in an environment hostile to homosexuality contributed to mental and emotional problems that should have barred him from having access to sensitive material,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Indeed, as the Culture and Media Institute points out, Manning’s defense attorneys essentially argued that he leaked the critical intelligence because he was a gay soldier serving in the age of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and because he felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body. Nevertheless, the mainstream media downplayed his homosexuality, with only 6.4 percent of stories connecting the dots.

Glory in some sins, and sweep others under the rug. If that’s not a double standard, what is?

But what’s more disturbing is how radical gay activists showed their support of Manning at gay pride parades across the country on June 30. The agenda: to bring attention to his plight and to advocate for his release from prison.

“Bradley is a hero of the queer community, and we want him free,” explains Elias Holtz of the Freedom Socialist Party and a lead organizer of the New York contingent of gay pride parades.

In Chicago, Gay Liberation Network founder Andy Thayer credits Manning with contributing “more to human rights than probably any other American LGBT activist organizing today.”

The treatment of Manning as an LGBT hero demonstrates just how radical the radical gay agenda really is. Think about it for a minute. Even the mainstream media shied away from making a strong connection between Manning and gay rights. Yet the radical gay agenda is celebrating Manning as courageous and inspiring. Manning has effectively become a homosexual martyr who is facing oppression and abuse from the state.

Can you see the distorted thinking? Manning was found guilty of violating parts of the Espionage Act of 1917. Although Manning was acquitted of “aiding the enemy,” he confessed to leaking sensitive government files that put national security at risk in the name of sparking a debate about foreign policy.

Again, keep in mind his defense. According to the Washington Post, defense attorney David Coombs “portrayed Manning as a ‘young, naive but good-intentioned’ soldier who was in emotional turmoil, partly because he was a gay service member at a time when homosexuals were barred from serving openly in the U.S. military.”

Are we heading toward a day when homosexuals who feel oppressed can get away with breaching national security or worse? If the radical gay agenda has its way, we certainly are.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at  [email protected] or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.