Gary Dull: Well, the month of June has some very interesting and exciting events and facts associated with it ladies and gentlemen. For instance, it is officially known as the first month of the summer season. It is known as a great month to get married. As a matter of fact, my wife and I, Nancy, got married on June the first back in 1974. June is the month that the famous English tennis tournament Wimbledon takes place. It is the month that has the longest day of the year. That of course would be the 21st of June. It is also the month that America celebrates Flag Day, which of course we know is June the 14th and that’s just right around the corner. But in recent years, June has been designated as Gay Pride Month and for the most part is sponsored by GLSEN. That is the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, which according to their own words is, and I quote, “An organization working to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in K to 12 schools.”
Gary Dull: Well, on this day, June the 11th, 2019 we are just about halfway through Gay Pride week for this year and I don’t say that with any pride, I just say that by fact of recognition. Well, having said that, let me pause for a moment and welcome you to Stand in the Gap Today originating from the American Pastors Network. I’m Gary Dull and of course Sam Rohrer and Dave Kissler are off today. Sam is still over in Israel and matter of fact he may call in tomorrow from what I understand. So, you’ll want to be there by the radio listing then. Dave is off in Washington D.C. doing ministry down there today. But to help me to discuss the menace of Gay Pride month I have invited a good friend of mine, Diane Gramley, who is the Director of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania. Diane, welcome back to Stand in the Gap Today.
Diane Gramley : Well thanks for having me again. I appreciate it.
Gary Dull: And you were here in 2017 and so it’s about time you get back and spend some time with us on the radio.
Diane Gramley : Yeah there’s been some water under the bridge since then for sure.
Gary Dull: Yeah, but I’m certain that you have been busy. You haven’t watched that water go under the bridge you have been probably swimming upstream at sometime in that water, but you’ve been very, very busy and very active. Well, as I said, you are with the American Family Association of Pennsylvania. Why don’t you share with our audience a little bit about AFA of PA, if you would please.
Diane Gramley : Well, were the state affiliate of the American Family Association which is located down in Tupleo, Mississippi. It was founded by Dr. Donald Wildmon back in I believe it was ’72 or ’73 to at that point the main emphasis was to combat the proliferation of pornography. And it is still doing that and it’s basically the purpose of AFA National and AFA Pennsylvania is to educate and to protect the natural family cause we see the attacks on the natural family almost every day. So, we’re out there to proclaim the biblical truth of God’s Word and God’s plan for the family, and to warn of the attacks, and hopefully provide some good strategies as to how to combat and overcome those attacks.
Gary Dull: How long have you been involved with AFA Diane?
Diane Gramley : 2000. We incorporated in 2000. At that point I was just the director of AFA of northwestern Pennsylvania and well it’s expanded to the entire state so that’s been since 2003.
Gary Dull: And what are some of the things that you’re following statewide here in Pennsylvania?
Diane Gramley : Well, we have several issues and we get involved a little bit with the legislature following bills and with the legislature. We are very concerned about HB 1404 which would add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, which impacts employment, housing, and public education, I’m sorry public accommodations. And if that were to pass and be signed into law, which Governor Wolf would love to sign that bill into law, it would mean Pennsylvania florists, and bakers, photographers, et cetera. Christians would not be allowed, if they’re a Christian business owner, they would not be allowed to follow their religious conscience when it comes to the issue of homosexuality.
Diane Gramley : Such as the situation that was over in near the Louisburg area recently the last couple of years. We had the WW Bridal Boutique who turned away two lesbians who wanted to get “married” and they wanted their boutique to make their wedding gowns. And they said, “No, because of our Christian beliefs, our beliefs and what the Bible says marriage is we cannot do that.” If that law HB 1404 had been in place at that point those business owners would have been sued because they turned away the lesbian couple simply because of the owner’s religious beliefs. So that’s one example of that as well as we’re following very closely all the different “pride activities” across the state. And we delve into the pro life issues somewhat but there are a lot of good pro-life organizations in this state. So we don’t do that so much but mostly we’re combating the homosexual agenda cause there’s definitely an agenda and also trying to expose those sponsors of those activities as well as expose to the dangers of pornography also.
Gary Dull: Yeah very good. Keep up the good work. Ladies and gentlemen a moment ago I introduced the subject of today’s program which is the menace of gay pride month in America. And yes I am using the word menace not in a judgemental sense as it were but to describe what I believe to be is the threat that it has, that is gay pride month has on America and particularly on the youth of America. Diane, would you agree with me that gay pride month is a menace to America today and if so why?
Diane Gramley : It’s June and that this is because of, I think it was June 29th, 1969 there was a a raid on the Stone Wall. It was stone wall and there was a raid there by the police who were actually going in there trying to rescue a young boy who identified as transgender. But there were, he was being used sexually and the police were trying to rescue him. The background of this whole Gay Pride Day at that point and it has since expanded over the years to gay pride month. And it does definitely …. ‘Cause I’ve been to Philadelphia Gay Pride Parade and Festival several times just to document who was supporting it, take some pictures of what was going on. And it’s definitely a menace to children as well as to the adults who are all part of this, who are pushing this agenda. It’s very much a menace to Americans because they use these pride events to desensitize us to the dangers of their lifestyle, to the physical, psychological dangers of their lifestyle and the whole purpose is to desensitize us. So it’s a menace that doesn’t portray itself as a menace. So we have be very wary of situations like that.
Gary Dull: Well, welcome back to Stand in the Gap today ladies and gentlemen. I am Gary Dull, and Dave Kistler, and Sam Rohr are away today. But I’m delighted to have with us on the program today Diane Gramley of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania and we’re discussing what we believe to be a menace in America and that is Gay Pride Month which of course is June of each and every year. And as I said before we went into the break, we are just about halfway through this particular month of June and I can imagine that all across the nation they are going to be various parades and extravaganzas going on where those who support the Gay Pride Movement will be doing everything that they can to get out their message.
Gary Dull: Well, according to Wikipedia, gay pride or LGBT pride as it is referred to sometimes is and and I quote, “The positive stance against discrimination and violence towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to promote their self-affirmation, dignity, equality rights, increase their visibility as a social group, build community, and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance. Pride as opposed to shame and social stigma is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements throughout the world.” Now that’s quite a statement. That statement comes, as I said, from Wikipedia as it describes what gay pride or what LGBT pride is all about. And Diane Gramley you heard me read that and like I said, those are not my words. They come from Wikipedia. What are your thoughts on that description of gay pride?
Diane Gramley : The real goal is to indoctrinate and they are seeking to promote their deviant sexual behavior. And we see that definition being expanded even as back in the beginning it was just gay pride now to LGBTQ plus pride in some cases. And it’s again, Wikipedia … And so, homosexual activists in general have have distorted their purpose and it’s troubling but one thing you read was their self affirmation. They want us as Americans to affirm their lifestyle choice because that’s exactly what it is. It’s a lifestyle choice.
Diane Gramley : There’s been no scientific or there is no scientific proof that anyone’s born gay, or lesbian, or transgender. But they want us to buy into the lie, there lie that people are born gay, and lesbian, transgender and they want us to affirm their lifestyle choice. And one thing also you read that as opposed to shame is social stigma. They want us to celebrate how it all happened and have their pride, enjoy their pride with them or affirm their pride. And what they are defining social stigma as is anyone who doesn’t believe their lifestyle is a good choice, anyone who says anything negative about their lifestyle choice and that to them is a stigma, it’s not good. So they again have a distorted the definition of what pride really is.
Gary Dull: You know Diane down through the years I have had times when I’ve had interaction with some folks of the homosexual community. I don’t always like to use that word gay because I don’t think it’s a good way to describe them. But I find that sometimes in dealing with those in the homosexual community that a lot of them face fear as well as guilt. I remember in the Altoona, Pennsylvania area where I live a number of years ago a couple were homosexuals and they put a fence around their house simply because, it was actually a wall. They put a wall around their house simply because of the fact that they said that they were afraid of their neighbors. And when I look at this particular description that has been given here at Wikipedia I wonder … Of course I’m certain that there were homosexuals behind this particular statement that helped Wikipedia put it together. I sometimes wonder if what they’re trying to do in a statement like this is to overcome their own personal fear and guilt about being involved in what we might call an adverse lifestyle. What are your thoughts on that?
Diane Gramley : I think that is very much, I think it’s part of it because I don’t know the situation that happened there in Altoona but did the homosexuals provide any evidence that they were being targeted by their neighbors? But yeah, I think that cause that there’s guilt there. In fact, I read several years ago a situation of a student who identified as homosexual in central PA. I can’t remember the county. He was well liked by the students. I mean he was open about his homosexuality. But then one morning about three o’clock in the morning, he stepped in front of a semi. And my thought is down deep he knew what he was doing was wrong but yet he was being affirmed in that lifestyle.
Diane Gramley : So yes, I believe there’s a lot of guilt and I think that’s one of the reasons we see so much anger coming from them when it comes to those who don’t agree with him that there’s anger. And because I think down deep, they know that what they’re doing is wrong. And that’s how it boils over in their anger. But you know the Lord made them and down deep they know that what they’re doing is against what the Lord wants them to do and against how God made them.
Gary Dull: And from a biblical perspective we would see that they have made that choice to go against God’s creation in their own life. There is, as you said in the last segment, there is no scientific proof that they have some sort of a gene that leads them into homosexual lifestyle.
Diane Gramley : Exactly. I think the silly thing is that they have been wise, I guess I could use the word wise in their approach because they started to use the word born gay several decades ago and they have infiltrated the American Psychological Association, they have infiltrated American Academy of Pediatrics, and infiltrated a lot of the institutions, American Medical Association. And such as that they’ve infiltrated those institutions, higher education, the public school system with their message. So we see these Medical Association, Psychological Association saying that they’re watering down the truth about the dangers of the lifestyle, they’re watering down the truth about the fact that no one is born homosexual, or lesbian, or transgender. And yeah, that’s frightening.
Diane Gramley : But the truth is God did not make anyone homosexual nor transgender. There may be those who have feelings and some of that, in fact a lot of that comes from the fact that they were molested as young children, that they were molested. And especially for homosexual men they were molested by men, by adult men, or maybe a neighbor boy. And this is how they become confused about their sexuality. And they don’t know how to respond to that confusion because they’re afraid to admit it to begin with. So, they struggle with these feelings and then as they get older, especially if they’re being affirmed in a public education system and they’re being encouraged to come out as homosexual, or go online. Especially, I’ve read a lot about transgenders, those who identify as transgender, they discovered that they were transgender because they went online to transgender websites and it explained their feelings. Yeah.
Gary Dull: The whole thing is built on a faulty premise. But you know, as we talk about Gay Pride Month I mentioned in a previous segment that it’s sponsored by GLSEN that is the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network. Which works to encourage the acceptance of homosexuality, lesbianism, and transgender in K to 12 schools all across America. And in your words, Diane, you said this, and this of course is in your newsletter that in reality, the GLSEN works to encourage schools to let boys in girl’s bathrooms, locker and shower rooms, and it gives special protections for LGBT students. Now to add to that GLSEN offers lessons. Listen to this folks. It offers lesson plans for elementary school children on gender neutral pronouns and terminology as a part of the common core curriculum as well as introducing gender ideology to third graders. So Diane, what we find is that the GLSEN is really working in the formative years of our young people to try to lead them into a homosexual lifestyle. Would you agree?
Diane Gramley : So absolutely, there’s no doubt about that. And one of their big things, GLSEN is definitely a very effective organization. And they started out with the day of silence, which is the last Thursday for now, last Friday in April. And that was just started out in high schools. And that’s just a day of [inaudible 00:17:47] supposedly to expose this violence that LGBT students are required, I mean they’re forced to be silent about their lifestyles. And this day of silence is a way in which they can become vocal. So, that was in high schools. They have gone down to middle schools and with no name calling week, which sounds good except you look at the lessons for no name calling weeks. Again, this is a GLSEN project and those lessons are highlighting the supposed discrimination that LGBT students have. They we’re down into elementary school with some other GLSEN activities. So it’s getting closer to where they incorporate K through 12.
Gary Dull: Yes it is. And of course the fact of the matter is if we were to try to get in to teach Bible classes during the school time they would not allow us to do that but they’ve got their influence there and it’s a sad dichotomy. We want to continue to talk about Gay Pride Month. And Diane it’s amazing to me to learn who really sponsors the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network. I refer to them as GLSEN or GLSEN. And I mentioned in a previous segment that this particular group works in schools with kids from K to 12 to see that they can within the lives of those young people get them to accept the LGBTQ lifestyle and that’s why we are referring to this as a menace. But who are some of the sponsors? I know Diane you’ve been working with this for a long time. Who are some of the sponsors of the GLSEN that may be a surprise to some of our listeners here today?
Diane Gramley : Well, sponsors of GLSEN include AT&T, Colgate-Palmolive, Delta Airlines, Dreamworks, Goldman Sachs, Iheartradio, JP Morgan Chase, Johnson and Johnson, McDonald’s, Morgan Stanley, the NBA, Target, Walt Disney, Wells Fargo, Wyndham Worldwide, and hat’s only 16 or so that I listed. There are more on their website but I just pulled out some of the better known ones. And it’s troubling because like you say GLSEN is targeting K through 12. I’ll just give us a quick example. Their main way of getting into the schools is they start student clubs called, most of them were called Gay Straight Alliance Club or GSA’s and some of them are changing the name to Diversity Clubs and such as that, but that’s always to me a red flag when you hear something about diversity or equality. To me that’s in most cases it’s true that they are homosexual clubs. But those clubs are in those schools, mostly high schools, middle schools somewhat, and they are pushing the LGBT agenda, especially the day of silence and the other days of action that GLSEN has.
Diane Gramley : There was a situation at Allentown just last year where for the entire week leading up to the day of silence, the kids were exposed to, the entire student body was exposed to pro LGBT, pro homosexual, pro transgender videos during home room every single day that week. Parents did not know about this until one father found out about it. And they asked the school for the links to these videos because they were just something they had taken off the internet and the school refused to comply with the request that the parents had. And they jumped through all the hoops, they put in the right to know request and all that stuff, and the school refused to until we contacted Liberty Council and took Liberty Council’s involvement to allow theq parents to know what their students have been exposed to. So, that’s just one example. And GLSEN has been involved in other states pushing their agenda, involved in lawsuits where parents have objected to boys in the girl’s bathrooms.
Gary Dull: Yeah, it’s quite serious. And you know, Diane, you mentioned that one of the sponsors is Target and a lot of people like the Target stores. But I have an article here that’s put out by Life Site News. It’s captioned “Target stores donate $100,000 to LGBT nonprofit that promotes inclusive K to 12 schools.” Let me read from this Life Site news release. It says this, and I quote, “Target department stores are not only offering clothing and accessories celebrating the gay lifestyle to adults and children but the company has also pledged to donate to a nonprofit that trains students and teachers in LGBT policies and advocacy.” On target’s official website it has several pages dedicated to merchandise that features the rainbow gay pride flag as well as messages intended to instill pride in the LGBT lifestyle. In addition, target proclaims that it is donating $100,000 to GLSEN, GLSEN, an organization founded in 1990 that claims to be, and I quote, “The leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for LGBTQ students.”
Gary Dull: And it’s interesting folks as I read down through this particular article that it talks about how it actually reaches into the lives of the young people in our schools. For instance, this article says as I continue to read, “The GLSEN provides training and resources to LGBTQ activists on school campuses while also advocating the homosexual cause in the political sphere.” According to its website it says and I quote, “We accomplish our goals by working in hallways across the country from Congress and the Department of Education to schools and district offices in your community.” And here they say, “To improve school climate and champion the LGBT issues in grades K through 12 education.” Diane, I don’t know if that doesn’t scare people and make them concerned number one about shopping at Target but also about what GLSEN is doing I don’t know what else would scare them. Your thoughts.
Diane Gramley : Well, I agree, but you know, you see GLSEN uses, sugar coats their agenda again to provide safety. So they sugarcoat what their real goal is which is to promote and affirm those lifestyles. And as far as Target goes, AFA national is calling for a boycott of Target. Because not only do they donate to GLSEN but they also have an open door policy when it comes to the bathrooms and changing rooms, the fitting rooms. A man who identifies as a woman is perfectly allowed to go into a fitting room, a changing room in Target and use the women’s facilities, use the women’s fitting room. If he identifies as a woman, that’s perfectly okay. So yeah, GLSEN sugarcoats it all, Target’s very much a part of it, and I would encourage folks to find someplace else to shop then Target for sure. Because they are very much out there. I’ve been in, not been in but been observing various gay pride events and Target sometimes has a float or you have Target employees who are marching. You see the big Target that they’re proud to identify themselves as Target employees but they’re marching in those parades and have tables up in gay pride festivals and such.
Gary Dull: Well, in addition to those who sponsor GLSEN also the largest homosexual lobby group is HRC. That is the Human Rights Campaign. And there are a number of sponsors there including Amazon, American Airlines, Apple, the Carnival Corporation, Coca-Cola, Hershey, Macy’s, Microsoft, Nationwide Insurance, Nike, Pepsico, PNC, again, Target, Whirlpool. Diane, how should Christians respond to these types of groups that are supporting an adverse lifestyle that the Bible calls an abomination?
Diane Gramley : Well, they need to be careful where they shop. If you have children and you can’t live without at least you and I, and most Americans really cannot live without a computer and internet access. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place because we’re looking at Microsoft and Dell technologies which makes computers. So when it comes to technology we’re kind of stuck. But when it comes to other like Target and such, and even Walmart’s been known to sponsor. They sponsored New York Gay Pride a couple of years ago, they were the platinum sponsor. So, we have to be careful and we actually put out, prior to Christmas we put out a list because human rights campaign, HRC has a corporate equality index from what they call it and they grade corporations. And so, we go through the list and there’s good guys and bad guys. The ones that have lower scores we encourage folks to shop there. A lot of times just local stores are a good place to go rather than these big corporations.
Gary Dull: Folks the lesson to learn from this is know where you shop. Do you realize that there are also churches and denominations that are pro gay rights? When we come back I’m going to speak about some of those churches and then we’ll conclude our program. So stay tuned, don’t go away.
Gary Dull: Well, ladies and gentlemen on the program today we’ve been discussing what we’re calling Gay Pride Month which is the month of June a marked menace to America. And it is a menace because it’s a threat to our young people as those who were involved with this movement are doing everything not only in this month but throughout the course of the year to try to get people to accept the LGBTQ lifestyle. And it is a sad thing. It is a menace upon our nation. And we mentioned in the last segment some of the corporate sponsors of the movement.
Gary Dull: But what is even of greater concern, at least to me as a pastor, is to realize that there are churches that are very supportive of the gay rights movement. And according again to Wikipedia some of those churches include the Anglican Church of Canada, the Episcopal Church of the United States, the Evangelical Anglican Church in America, the Alliance of Baptists, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Catholic Apostolic Church in North America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the Reform Church in America, the Christian Church that is the Disciples of Christ, the Presbyterian Church USA, the United Church of Christ, the Mennonite Church, USA, of course the Metropolitan Community Church, the Moravian Church in America, and of course the list could probably go on and on.
Gary Dull: And if you are a part of one of those denominations, I would encourage you to do what you can to speak up and speak out against their support of gay rights and remind the leadership in your church what the Bible says. And we have with us today in the program Diane Gramley who is of course the director of the AFA here in Pennsylvania. And Diane, I’m wondering if you could just share some specific scripture concerning what the Bible has to say about homosexuality and how that would apply to the LGBTQ movement.
Diane Gramley : Well, Leviticus is clear that, which activities is an abomination before the Lord and to me that pretty much tells it all. But I know that Romans, the first chapter of Romans also mentions that God will … And I think of America when I read this chapter every, whenever I read this chapter that God will allow them to give in to their perverse inclinations. That’s it in a very short nutshell. But we can only shake our fist at God so much and we can ignore his working in our heart so much before he just allows those who are seeking to walk away from him, he just allows him to do so.
Diane Gramley : So, I think Romans one pretty much describes what’s happening in America where he’s taking his hand off and allowing those who are shaking their fist at him, allowing them to become involved in [inaudible] I can’t say you know what we’re talking about anyway. You know, that they’re engaging in this lifestyle that is an abomination to the Lord. But yet there’s hope because I know over, I’m going to be real quick cause in First Corinthians six it talks about a list of sins and homosexuality is listed there, but it says, “And such were some of you.” So, there’s still hope for anyone who is involved in sinful activity including those who identify as LGBT.
Gary Dull: Yeah. Let me reiterate that ladies and gentlemen, that Leviticus 18 and 22 and chapter 20 verse 13 refers to homosexuality as an abomination under the Lord which means it violates his law. Of course, we know that all sin violates the law of God. The Bible says, “We’ve all sinned and become short of the glory of God.” And as Diane referred there, Romans chapter one talks about the fact that when people put God out of the picture that God gives them up to vile affections. It says, “For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the women burned in their lust one toward another.” And he goes on there and he says that those who get involved with the LGBTQ lifestyle are really without understanding in verse 31. And so you see, it’s a very, very serious thing from a spiritual perspective. It is a sin. And those who promote the LGBTQ lifestyle are really shaking their fist in God’s face and he will bring judgment.
Gary Dull: Now, let me just pause here to say and Diane mentioned that there is hope. We are talking today about how that the LGBTQ movement is doing everything that it can during Gay Pride Month of June to get the whole country to accept the homosexual lifestyle. But I also realize that there are many people in the homosexual lifestyle who are depressed, are discouraged, they want out of it. And I want to say a couple of things. Number One, we here at APN and Stand in the Gap radio, we are not homophobes, we are not afraid of homosexuals or anything like that, but we also believe that homosexuality, like any other sin, like any other sin displeases God. And if you happen to be involved in the homosexual lifestyle and you’re discouraged, you’re depressed, there is hope in the Lord.
Gary Dull: I remind you that the Bible says we’ve all sinned and have come short of the glory of God. And the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, which means to be delivered from sin, all sin, any sin, its power, its penalty, and its presence. And so, if you are involved with any sin, and particularly the sin of not trusting Christ as savior, I would encourage you to call upon the name of the Lord and ask him to save you today. But particularly if you’re involved in the homosexual movement I remind you it is a sin against God. And if you want to go to heaven, you need to trust Christ. So, I would encourage you to repent of that sin. Turn to the Lord, allow him to give you the peace that passes understanding and the hope of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with him in heaven, in a land without tears and in the time without end.
Gary Dull: Sometimes people say, “Well you evangelical fundamentalists hate homosexuals.” No, we don’t. We don’t at all. We don’t at all. We’d love to see every one of them come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and that is our prayer, that is our desire. Would we do everything that we can to stand against a movement that stands against God? Absolutely. But please don’t accuse us of hate speech or hating the homosexual. We do not. It is our concern that they find eternal and abundant life in Jesus Christ the Lord. Well, Diane Gramley thank you very much for spending time with us today. Thank you for all that you do through AFA and maybe sometime in the future we can have you back with us again if that would be all right with you.
Diane Gramley : Yup, that’d be fine. I appreciate the opportunity with you today
Gary Dull: And we encourage you to keep up the good work there not only with AFA National, but also AFA in Pennsylvania.
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