A very queer music festival in Sarasota, Florida

I use the word queer not as a pejorative but rather as the best description of how the Harvey Milk Festival in Sarasota, Florida is being billed.

K. Barnes from Sarasota Day reports:

“Now in its fifth year, the annual Harvey Milk Festival (HMF) is fast upon us. Most Sarasota folk know the event as a big, badass all-day music festival that takes place downtown at Five Points Park and hosts some of our hardest working local talent alongside big name out-of-town and national acts… But let’s get some perspective: it’s not a Pride festival, it’s a music festival. You probably won’t find leather daddies in rainbow thongs at HMF. I mean, you might – there aren’t any guidelines on who can and cannot attend the festival or restrictions on what to wear, and the climate is such that an appearance by an oiled up stud with a bright pink riding crop would only add to the day’s lighthearted tone of acceptance – but just as much as the festival promises to “foster emerging talent in musicians and artists who support diversity and reject discrimination,” it is also an increasingly family-centered event. So instead you’ll probably find Sarasotans under the age of 60 attending with their kids, and maybe even their grandkids, too.” [Emphasis added]

If this is not a gay pride festival then what is it?

If you go to the Harvey Milk Festival website it states, “The Harvey Milk Festival supports the mission of ALSO Out Youth to end all forms of violence, harassment and discrimination based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. ALSO Out Youth’s mission is to enhance self-esteem, promote healthy dialogue, and increase awareness of sexual minority issues. For more information, visit www.ALSOYouth.org.”

HARVEY MILK FESTIVAL MISSION STATEMENT:

The mission of the Harvey Milk Festival is to honor the life of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay Americans elected to public office, by fostering emerging talent in musicians and artists who support diversity and reject discrimination, and to promote equality for LGBTQ people through supporting equal rights legislation.

The 2014 festival is sponsored by among others: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Planned Parenthood, the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, Starbucks and Sarasota Day.

Who and what is ALSO Youth?

ALSO Youth is affiliated with the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN). GLSEN was founded by Kevin Jennings. GLSEN is a national homosexual organization that targets children in the public schools, and has formed “gay straight alliance” clubs in schools across the country. ALSO Youth is the gay straight alliance club in Sarasota County. In 1995 Jennings gave a speech titled “Winning the Culture War“. Jennings stated:

“If the Radical Right can succeed in portraying us as preying on children, we will lose. Their language — “promoting homosexuality” is one example — is laced with subtle and not-so- subtle innuendo that we are “after their kids.” We must learn from the abortion struggle, where the clever claiming of the term “pro-life” allowed those who opposed abortion on demand to frame the issue to their advantage, to make sure that we do not allow ourselves to be painted into a corner before the debate even begins.

“In Massachusetts the effective reframing of this issue was the key to the success of the Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth. We immediately seized upon the opponent’s calling card–safety–and explained how homophobia represents a threat to students’ safety by creating a climate where violence, name-calling, health problems, and suicide are common. Titling our report ‘Making Schools Safe for Gay and Lesbian Youth,’ we automatically threw our opponents onto the defensive and stole their best line of attack. This framing short-circuited their arguments and left them back-pedaling from day one. [Emphasis added]

That is the true story behind those involved and supporting the Harvey Milk festival in Sarasota. This is all about re-framing the issue of homosexuality and bringing in grand kids to a seemly innocuous concert to mix and mingle with those who are most interested in little boys – older homosexual men.

In both Sarasota County and Florida 70% of known HIV/AIDS cases are due to men having sex with men and boys. The FloridaHeath.gov reports:

Florida has been heavily impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The state continues to rank third in the nation in the cumulative number of AIDS cases (126,581 in 2012) and second in the nation in the cumulative number of HIV cases (49,058 in 2012). The Florida Department of Health estimates that approximately 130,000 individuals are living with HIV disease in Florida. Of those persons living with HIV disease, 49% are black, 29% are white and 20% are Hispanic. Men represent 70% of the cases. Persons over the age of 45 years represent 60%. More information on Florida data.

This event is happening as Hollywood is rocked by a scandal involving men raping under aged boys. Among the notables named so far is Bryan Singer, director of X-men. CBS reported on what the victim Michael Egan III, now 31, faced as a boy actor in Hollywood. CBS states, “At a press conference last week, Egan said men in the sex ring plied young teens with alcohol and drugs and promised them work in TV and movies. He likened the alleged behavior as being treated like ‘a piece of meat.’ He also said he was threatened with physical violence to keep quiet.”

Perhaps Sarasotans need to understand what is really happening to our youth. Perhaps it is time to tell the truth about the agenda of homosexual organizations like GLSEN and ALSO Youth. Perhaps it is time to push back against this not so subtle taking of the innocence of our most vulnerable – little boys?

Video: ‘X-Men’ Director Bryan Singer Accused Of Sexual Abuse, Participating In Hollywood Sex Ring Involving Boys