Washington Post Will Doggedly Pursue Both Sides Of 'Should Gay Teenagers Commit Suicide?' Debate

As I deeply enjoy hearing the tortured explanations behind the stupid editorial decisions made by the Washington Post, I have to applaud Pam Spaulding for this catch. See, previously, the WaPo thought it would be a good idea to run an editorial from anti-gay bigot Tony Perkins on National Coming Out Day, decrying the gay-agenda-baking behind organizations like GLSEN's stance against gay teenagers being hounded to suicide by homophobes. Apparently, the effort to keep members of the LGBT community from killing themselves amounts to political "exploitation," which is obviously much more terrible than teenage suicide.

GLAAD called out the Post for this, on Twitter:

The @WashingtonPost Gives Platform to Anti-Gay Activist http://bit.ly/crX6q5 #LGBT #gayless than a minute ago via TweetDeckGLAAD.org
glaad

Surprisingly, the paper decided to respond, witlessly:

Hi @glaad, we're working to cover both sides. Earlier, we hosted Dan Savage of It Gets Better in a live chat. http://wapo.st/aA8SXXless than a minute ago via HootSuiteThe Washington Post
washingtonpost

See, the Post is just diligently exploring both sides of the issue! You did know that there are two completely rational sides to the debate over teens committing suicide because of homophobic bullying, didn't you? On the one hand, Dan Savage wants such teenagers to know that "it gets better." But on the other hand, should it get better? Maybe it should get worse! Maybe more teenagers should kill themselves! The Washington Post hopes to figure this out, someday.

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Comments

[atodcunningham]

12:22 AM on 10/17/2010

Shame on the Washington Post. SHAME. SHAME. SHAME!

[cliffhammond]

07:16 PM on 10/15/2010

The most tragic and telling case I can remember is back when Oral Robert's gay son committed suicide. I'm sure a guy like that was an affirming, supportive father. Also one of Jerry Falwell's sons is/was bisexual/gay. Just goes to show you that it can happen even in "good" homes.

[TheRLeePost]

03:47 PM on 10/15/2010

The Post, and others who consider themselves 'insightful' journalists, should be covering the untold story of those who DID take their own lives after long suffering and feeling no hope. There were many, many who like Ann Frank were hidden away trying to be undetected in a world that despised them and wished them harm, while doing without the comfort of love, or a chance to pursue it, that most take for granted. And yet, unlike Ann, they were all alone in their hideout, no family with whom to endure the hardship.

I fear these people will never even get the sympathy they deserve, let alone the justice of a public acknowledgment that they were robbed of their lives by the gross ignorance and malicious indifference of the society around them. And their persecutors shall forever escape the sting of the guilt which should be upon them.

-RLee
http://therleepost.blogspot.com

[Kamen Gullberg]

04:51 PM on 10/14/2010

I know it's an old reference to the WaPo but it holds true more and more these days and as such I call thee the Washington Compost.

[cliffhammond]

07:27 PM on 10/15/2010

Lord, you must be as old as I am to remember that.

[Paddy Murphy]

12:55 PM on 10/14/2010

Truly disgusting.

"Today in the Washington Post, we'll discuss the rise of Neo-Nazi extremist groups. First up, Brock Gonad, editor of the Stormfront website, as to why this is a good thing."

[Lukester]

11:14 AM on 10/14/2010

Goodness gracious! And the world sits back and laugh at our stu pidity!

[aceshigh]

11:06 AM on 10/14/2010

The WaPo is a neocon joke.

Any paper that employs the fossilized "Dean" Broder isn't worthy of toilet paper.

[cliffhammond]

07:24 PM on 10/15/2010

It's also been "penetrated" by CIA and the Israel Lobby. You can count on them for just the right spin that is favorable to the national security state and to Israel.

[talkstocoyotes]

10:54 AM on 10/14/2010

What fair and balance reporting! Next January on Martin Luther King Day, they can debate whether lynching was really such a bad idea or not.

[cliffhammond]

07:25 PM on 10/15/2010

An irrefutable analogy.

[heroine addict]

10:32 AM on 10/14/2010

Loves me some Dan Savage! I'm not sure you could point to a bigger "game-changer" in sexual politics and gender issues.

If we replaced "sex ed" courses in high school with content created by him it would revolutionize ideas about sex and sexuality. For those not familiar with him he is just as brilliant with the straight community as he is with every other sexual niche, big or small.

[JustThisGuy]

01:29 PM on 10/14/2010

And he since posted that he never would have done the web-chat if he had known it was the WaPo's cover to publish Perkins' whatnot.

[LeftofTerry]

10:14 AM on 10/14/2010

Is the Earth round? Opinions vary. Some believe the Earth spins on an axis and orbits the sun, which is at the center of this galaxy. Others aren't so sure. They believe that Earth is a flat disc, with ocean dragons inhabiting the rim, which, if traveled across, will lead to a one falling off the edge into hell.

We present the facts, now YOU decide!

[LeftofTerry]

10:07 AM on 10/14/2010

I’ve looked at life from both sides now,
From win and lose, and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall.
I really don’t know life at all.

[Erik Larson]

03:01 PM on 10/14/2010

Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air.
Feather canyons everywhere;
I've looked at life that way.

But now they only black the sun,
They rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I could've done.
But clouds got in my way.

My favorite song by my favorite musician. When I came out at the age of 15 (5 years ago), this song was constantly played. It was one of the few songs I could relate to.

[LeftofTerry]

03:17 PM on 10/14/2010

nice. thanks for sharing!

[BadKitty]

09:48 AM on 10/14/2010

WTF is wrong with WaPo? They can't be serious, right? They were hijacked by the National Lampoon writers, right?

Wonder what would happen if we ALL emailed the editor to express how disgusting and outrageous this 'debate' is? I'm going to. In 3, 2, 1...

[NelsonC]

09:45 AM on 10/14/2010

Ironic that so often the conservative right's ideas get prominent display through a sort of affirmative action treatment. After decades of work crying "liberal media bias", editors and producers have been guilted into giving equal time to people who don't think all people are equal.

[ClareP]

09:57 AM on 10/14/2010

No, it's worse than that. The papers are owned/run largely by conservatives, and many of the journalists are themselves conservatives. Plus, the quality of education (particularly in many journalism/communications programs) has deteriorated to the point that a great many so-called journalists really lack critical thinking skills and a broad education about the world. They come out with ideas that balanced reporting means giving all sides a say and that's that, without any thinking or fact checking or limits set by basic humanity going into it at all. Mindless drones controlled by right-wing masters.

[keepemhonest]

09:42 AM on 10/14/2010

Debate suicide .... unbelievable.

My only suggestion - don't talk down a ChainE ... they aren't human anyway.

[ClareP]

09:37 AM on 10/14/2010

It's reprehensible to even suggest there are "two sides" to this. The Post ought to get called on the table over this one.