Students Walk Out After Anti-Bullying Speaker Dan Savage Calls Bible ‘Bulls–t’

Posted on | April 28, 2012 | 92 Comments

Two weeks ago, the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association sponsored a national conference for high school journalists in Seattle. They invited San Francisco-based sex-advice columnist Dan Savage as a speaker. Savage reportedly began his speech by announcing to the teenagers, “I hope you’re all using birth control,” and made lascivious comments about his “husband.”

More than 100 students reportedly walked out of the event after Savage, who founded the “It Gets Better” project — widely praised as part of the “anti-bullying” movement — used obscene language in attacking religious beliefs against homosexuality:

“People often point out that… they can’t help with the anti-gay bullying because it says right there in Leviticus, it says right there in Timothy, it says right there in Romans, that being gay is wrong,” Savage tells the crowd in a short video posted on Tumblr by a student attendee.
“We can learn to ignore the [expletive] in the Bible about gay people the same way we have learned to ignore the [expletive] in the Bible about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming, about menstruation, about virginity, about masturbation,” Savage said.
At this point, student Jenny Patterson yelled “That’s bull,” and walked out. As other students followed, Savage called them “pansies,” she said.
Patterson said she had put up with Savage’s cussing and “references to how good his husband looks in a Speedo and how he has to pry him off.” But his attacks on Catholics, Mormons, and Christians for their stance on homosexuality went too far.
“I didn’t come to hear someone preach to me about how wrong my beliefs are,” said Patterson, 17 . . . “I don’t know what the agenda was behind [Savage’s] session, but it was unnecessary.”

Here’s the video and notice how many of the students cheered and applauded when Savage called the Bible “bulls–t”:

Savage calls the Bible a “radical pro-slavery document,” thinking that this certainly makes him morally superior for his anti-Christian bigotry, but notice the student walking out at the 2:44 mark.

Ironically, Lisa Graas credits Savage with awarding “crown jewels.” Among other issues raised by this disturbing report:

Isn’t it time to admit that the “anti-bullying” movement is just another way to get gay-rights activism into public schools?
Can we also now admit that, insofar as the public education system is pro-gay, it must also be anti-Christian?
Why aren’t you home-schooling yet?

More from Karla Dial at Citizen Link and Todd Starnes at Fox News. Now a Memeorandum thread with commentary by Jawa Report and the Washington Examiner. Dan Savage and his “husband” were guests at last year’s “Gay Pride” Month reception at the White House, and Savage wore an “Evolve Already” button to the the event:

“I believe the president should evolve,” Savage told pool reporter Julie Mason from Politico at the reception to honor LGBT Pride Month. . . . “He says he’s evolving, I believe him.” Savage added, “I want to hurry him along.”

Since President Obama has invited Savage to the White House, perhaps someone should ask whether the president approves of Savage’s speech to the high school journalists. We know we’ll get an honest answer from Jay “I Never Lie” Carney.

BTW, Dan Savage: I stopped eating shellfish more than 20 years ago when I married a Seventh-Day Adventist. Don’t miss it at all.

Happy Sabbath!

UPDATE: Linked at Protein Wisdom, One Red Thread, Daley Gator and The Lonely Conservative — thanks! And also thanks to Bill Quick at Daily Pundit for resisting the urge to write a “searingly corrosive screed about religious bigotry, ignorance, hatred, and the thug life of homophobic high school fag beaters.” Jazz Shaw at Hot Air writes:

So you picked a raunchy sex advice columnist who publishes a column called “Savage Love” as your ambassador to help out at risk children. What could possibly go wrong?

More from the “Did You Know?” files: I played trombone in high school band and was a drama major in college. Obviously, I know nothing about “bullying” and am insensitive toward gays.

Perhaps schools should pay me to teach Advanced Bullying Survival Methods, such as: Drop out of the “gifted” program, develop a criminal attitude, and join a gang of adolescent hoodlums who will beat the crap out of anybody who lays a hand on you. Become one of the biggest dope dealers in high school. Learn how to play guitar. Also, if somebody calls you a “faggot,” overcompensate by becoming voraciously heterosexual.

UPDATE II: Linked by Donald Douglas at American Power.

For the benefit of the irony-impaired, I should admit that the proposed Advanced Bullying Survival Methods curriculum is intended as humor. Just because it worked for me doesn’t mean I would recommend it to anyone else.

The point of the joke: While I am not unsympathetic to victims of bullying, most kids either have the inner resourcefulness to figure out how to deal with it, or else they are hopeless losers anyway.

The current “anti-bullying” crusade is another one of those Ideas So Stupid Only Public School Teachers Could Think It Was Smart. Having gone to school in the 1960s and ’70s, I was a guinea pig in more than one of those “innovative” educational experiments, including an early attempt at a “gifted” program.

You know what any smart kid eventually figures out? Most of his teachers aren’t very smart. Putting an obviously mediocre teacher in charge of a “gifted” program? That’s really stupid.

I love education. It’s school I hate.

UPDATE III: Nice headline by Doug Powers:

Anti-bullying speaker teaches students all about irony

Category: Education, Gays, Religion, Sex

Comments

92 Responses to “Students Walk Out After Anti-Bullying Speaker Dan Savage Calls Bible ‘Bulls–t’”

Halei Long
April 28th, 2012 @ 10:08 am

… And then he mocks them.
Rose
April 28th, 2012 @ 10:21 am

What a nasty prick. And he is invited to speak to HIGH SCHOOL kids like this? Heads should roll. Not only does he bring his full enemies list, go off on a political rant, he uses the foulest language. Heads should roll. Whoever thought this was a good idea should be fired immediately. Not kidding.
eMatters
April 28th, 2012 @ 10:24 am

Dan’s anger issues show that if you are a Romans 1 poster child, mocking God by suppressing the truth in unrighteousness, then it doesn’t “get better.” It will continue to get worse, regardless of how much you indulge the flesh.

Savage is also known for creating the term “Santorum” to describe a disgusting by-product of gay sex. Dan’s blind hatred of Santorum kept him from realizing that calling your disgusting by-product by your enemy’s name doesn’t mock your enemy, it mocks you.
eMatters
April 28th, 2012 @ 10:25 am

“Isn’t it time to admit that the “anti-bullying” movement is just another way to get gay-rights activism into public schools?”
Exactly! These clubs are revolting and have no use in schools. They use the Trojan Horse of being anti-bullying to get them in. But why have sex clubs just for that? All you need is a simple and thoroughly enforced anti-bullying policy: “If you physically or verbally harass other students on or off school grounds you will have swift and serious consequences. It doesn’t matter if you are bullying because they are gay/straight/fat/thin/smart/dumb/pretty/ugly/etc., or if it is just because you are a mean jerk. Training over. Now go learn something!”
ThomasD
April 28th, 2012 @ 10:38 am

Nothing says tolerance like abusing and demeaning those who disagree with you. Dan Savage taught me that.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
April 28th, 2012 @ 11:00 am

Dan Savage is known for being an asshole. What bothers me is not Dan Savage’s opinions (those are well known) it is the group that thought it was appropriate for him to speak to high school students. WTF?

I am pretty much live and let live on the gay stuff. But people have the right to not like it. And PC bullying by Savage is bullying too.
Noted anti-bullying crusader bullies high school kids, calls them pansies « The Daley Gator
April 28th, 2012 @ 11:00 am

[…] worm their way in, and hijack these programs turning them into their own personal weapons. Stacy McCain notes such an instance. Dan Savage is supposed to be an anti -bullying expert. Well, if bullying and verbally abusing kids […]
Doug Hagin
April 28th, 2012 @ 11:01 am

Stacy, I hope Savage has not viewed that swim suit photo you post now and then IYKWIMAITYD
Got you linked BTW
lolvincitomnia
April 28th, 2012 @ 11:30 am

What Dan Savage proves, by his hateful, intolerant rantings is that it doesn’t get better, to be a sinner like Dan Savage means you reduce yourself to a festering, simmering pot of bile. His life is a misery, because his sinfulness, his corruption has reduced his life to one of stewing over imagined slights and desiring to harm others. He seeks to infect his hateful, diseased mindset on children, because he hates everyone and wants everyone to be as miserable as he is.
Rick_GraniteGrok
April 28th, 2012 @ 11:32 am

This is supposed to be about “Anti-bullying”? Clearly it is not…It’s more about attacking the foundations this country were founded upon. If Savage got hit by a bus, that is one obituary I might enjoy reading.
Students Walk Out After Anti-Bullying Speaker Dan Savage Calls Bible ‘Bulls–t’ : The Other McCain « 1RedThread
April 28th, 2012 @ 12:03 pm

[…] Students Walk Out After Anti-Bullying Speaker Dan Savage Calls Bible ‘Bulls–t’ : The Other McC…. Isn’t it time to admit that the “anti-bullying” movement is just another way to get gay-rights activism into public schools? Can we also now admit that, insofar as the public education system is pro-gay, it must also be anti-Christian? Rate this: Share this:SharePinterestFacebookTwitterEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]
DonaldDouglas
April 28th, 2012 @ 12:12 pm

Well, if you get the chance, here’s something on Mann and Ornstein’s idiocy: ‘The New Politics of Hostage Taking? Actually, Republicans Are Not the Problem’.
richard mcenroe
April 28th, 2012 @ 12:13 pm

Are Dan Savage’s ““People often point out that…” the same as people as Obama’s “some people” or are there two sets of faceless people out there?
Diamongem
April 28th, 2012 @ 12:14 pm

Whoever invited this atheist to speak to HS kids, should be FIRED immediately unless he/she is gay as well, and then he/she should be disbarred from teaching anyone.
Is RSM On the Right Track Here? Why, Or Why Not? | Daily Pundit
April 28th, 2012 @ 12:17 pm

[…] RSM On the Right Track Here? Why, Or Why Not? Posted on April 28, 2012 9:16 am by Bill Quick Students Walk Out After Anti-Bullying Speaker Dan Savage Calls Bible ‘Bulls–t’ : The Other McC… Among other issues raised by this disturbing […]
Chuck
April 28th, 2012 @ 12:24 pm

Why would Christians be at an event starring a renowned “expert” on buttseks?
Steve Kupillas
April 28th, 2012 @ 12:35 pm

When I was bullied because the thugs didn’t like the fact that the girls liked me, I resorted to beating them down until they realized that was a bad idea. Then I was everybody’s friend. Certain use of violence can be a tool for peace.
RegularGuyPaul
April 28th, 2012 @ 12:41 pm

“Gay Rights” and Christianity are at war in this country. One will win, the other must lose. Choose.
Adobe_Walls
April 28th, 2012 @ 1:33 pm

So Dan has to pay for “Santorum”.
John Higgins1990
April 28th, 2012 @ 1:35 pm

Why would Christians send their children to a public school?
ThePaganTemple
April 28th, 2012 @ 1:41 pm

It seems to me that if you wanted somebody to promote anti-gay bullying in schools, you might not want to invite a speaker that makes a large proportion of the attendees want to punch him in the nuts.
ThePaganTemple
April 28th, 2012 @ 1:44 pm

You know what would be cool? Dan Savage and Michael Savage locked in the same room together. Who would come out on top?
Ford Prefect
April 28th, 2012 @ 1:46 pm

Probably the mandatory “re-education” HS assembly.
Anti-Bullying Activist Bashed Christians During Speech | The Lonely Conservative
April 28th, 2012 @ 1:50 pm

[…] also invited to a White House anti-bullying conference.Read the whole thing. What a jerk.Update: The Other McCain has more, including video of the speech and students walking out.google_ad_client = […]
Matthew W
April 28th, 2012 @ 1:56 pm

And who was the complete idiot that thought that moron should be speaking to high school students??
Matthew W
April 28th, 2012 @ 1:57 pm

I’m taking Michael in that one
DonaldDouglas
April 28th, 2012 @ 2:13 pm

Nice posting, McCain!

I got you linked up: ‘Dan Savage, Gay Rights Extremist, Calls Bible ‘Bullsh*t’ During ‘Anti-Bullying’ Speech’.
Rose
April 28th, 2012 @ 2:16 pm

You don’t have to be Christian to see what’s wrong here. It’s wrong, flat out. No matter what religion you are (or aren’t).

Someone needs to tell this #!!@*$#! to LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE.

It’s time for adults with issues to get a grip and stop inflicting their issues on those who can’t reacts or respond. LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE, you frigging bullies.

I don’t know why, but that guy’s speech makes me want to respond by calling him every vile name in the basest of language. He is a worthless cull, and those who brought him in thinking they were performing some service need to be held up on charges – I don’t know what charges, but something.
Bob Belvedere
April 28th, 2012 @ 2:19 pm

He has nuts?
ThePaganTemple
April 28th, 2012 @ 2:21 pm

Remember, this wasn’t for just any high school students, this was for high school journalism students. Also, this was a national conference, so it probably required individual approval from any school district across the country that wanted to allow its students to participate.

Which, if somebody is studying to be a journalist, then you can make the case they should have access to all kinds of information and opinions. On the other hand, I doubt the promoters of this conference were in much of a hurry to invite a dissident view.

I would imagine you can trace the genesis of this project beyond the two listed sponsors back to members of the NEA working in conjunction with officials of Obama’s Education Department. Things like this just don’t happen on a whim.
Bob Belvedere
April 28th, 2012 @ 2:23 pm

Sadly, Rose, the kind of people who run these kind of organizations are proud of being ‘subversive’.

Never let you child join one – or at least fully vet them before you let your kid be subjected to this Leftist propaganda.
Bob Belvedere
April 28th, 2012 @ 2:26 pm

At least Fredo was normal and ‘was banging cocktail waitresses two at a time!’
Bob Belvedere
April 28th, 2012 @ 2:28 pm

Stacy has nothing to fear now because I’m sure his Speedo is rusted onto his body.
Bob Belvedere
April 28th, 2012 @ 2:30 pm

In other words, he, like so, so many on the Left, is a Nihilist.

If I checked the news reports one morning and found out that he had committed suicide [or a murder/suicide], or OD’d, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.
Bob Belvedere
April 28th, 2012 @ 3:00 pm

RE: Your Update, Stacy…

Bill who?

Could you mean the semi-obscure sanctimonious old fart whose one claim to fame is only partially true and who ‘mindlessly regurgitates’ the religious-hating party line of the ideology known as Libertarianism?

Scratch an Ideological Libertarian [notice the qualifier] and you will find someone who hates religion.
rcocean
April 28th, 2012 @ 3:06 pm

No Bob, scratch an “Ideological Libertarian” and you’ll find a leftist who wants to smoke pot and not pay taxes.
robertstacymccain
April 28th, 2012 @ 3:20 pm

This is not a good time for internecine warfare on the Right. As a matter of fact — I haven’t mentioned this on the blog yet — Rick Santorum’s campaign manager just joined Team Mitt.

My rule in such matters has always been, “Love me, hate me, just as long as you link me.” When I was on Team Santorum and Bill Quick was on Team Newt, he never stopped linking me. So this is a point worth considering: If the object of the game is to reach the widest possible readership, then even our “enemies” are doing us favors, so long as they keep linking us.
Michelle Malkin » Anti-bullying speaker teaches students all about irony
April 28th, 2012 @ 3:56 pm

[…] RS McCain has lots more here. […]
ThePaganTemple
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:00 pm

Waiting to come aboard that old Romneylan Bird of Prey-one Robert Stacy McCain. Beam him up.
Adobe_Walls
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:02 pm

Yeah there’s a couple of hands full running around.
JollyMan
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:04 pm

I guarantee you this guy wouldn’t have the balls to take on Islam and the Koran in this way.
ThePaganTemple
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:15 pm

He probably has, and will continue to do so.
Anti-bullying speaker teaches students all about irony | Conservatives for America
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:15 pm

[…] RS McCain has lots more here. […]
ThePaganTemple
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:19 pm

If Islam ever became the law of the land, guys like Savage couldn’t find a closet to hide in fast enough, yet they would be among the first ones to help make it happen. Disgusting.
Rose
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:32 pm

Hopefully, I have given my kids a strong enough sense of self that they would have walked out as well, not been held hostage by the PC police, and given them a good enough bullshit detector to recognize abuse when they see it .

‘Cause what this guy did there was abusive, inflicted on a young and innocent audience who lack the world perspective to be able to toss him out on his ear.

Let’s see him say it directly to, oh, say Ahmadinejad. Let him go somewhere where real intolerance reigns, and see how far he gets. He won’t because he is the kind of coward who inflicts it on good people, in this country, where he can get away with saying anything he wants.

No matter how inappropriate, disrespectful and vicious it is.

Adults with issues need to LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE.
Infecting Children With The Nihilist Virus « The Camp Of The Saints
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:36 pm

[…] Do click here for the details and a video of the incident [those details of what he said are vile and disgusting, so be forewarned]. […]
JollyMan
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:37 pm

I don’t consider myself to be a SoCon, but this type of stuff boils my blood like no other. Savage is really the bully here.

I hope the conservative blogosphere broadcasts this day and night, gay activists need to be exposed for the evil they truly are.
PhillyCon
April 28th, 2012 @ 4:57 pm

And PC bullying by Savage is bullying too.

EXACTLY.
ThePaganTemple
April 28th, 2012 @ 5:32 pm

I consider myself maybe about half a SoCon give or take an inch, but you don’t have to be one to know this shit is just flat wrong.
MediaiteMatters
April 28th, 2012 @ 5:46 pm

Don’t forget that this vile human being bragged about smearing his infected bodily fluids all over everything which he thought would come into human contact so that he could spread illness and disease.