The Florida "Gay" Bar

Started by Sabby, August 28, 2008, 05:47:05 AM

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Sabby

We all know Jack Thompson is not the brightest of people, and most of us know games are only his newest target. His arch nemesis is homosexuals. A friend just linked me this amusing chunk of his trade mark garbage, waving his 'Anti-Gay' flag pretty hard.

Quote from: Jack Thompson, Attorney at LawJohn B. Thompson, Attorney at Law
5721 Riviera Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-666-4366
amendmentone@comcast.net

August 27, 2008
The Honorable Peggy Quince
Chief Justice, Florida Supreme Court
500 South Duval Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399 Via Fax and Mail

Re: The Florida Gay Bar

Dear Chief Justice Quince:

I am repeatedly told that the Florida Supreme Court oversees the operations of The Florida Bar. Really? Note:

In the last two weeks I have found that the Florida Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is helping fund the Central Florida Gay and Lesbian Law Association, which is a political organization, as indicated by its 501(c)(6) IRS application. At this
Foundation-funded web site, http://www.cfglla.org/, there are links to adult sexual material. Isn’t it great that IOTA funds are being used to support that?

But wait, it gets worse. The president of CFGLLA is your Bar prosecutor Ken Bryk in the Orlando office, who was listing his name, his Bar address, Bar phone number, and Bar e-mail address on the lawyer advertising page of that web site. That stopped only because I complained about Mr. Bryk’s moonlighting there.

Now, today, I find that the Central Florida Gay and Lesbian Law Association actually meets at the Orlando office of The Florida Bar. Here’s the proof:

CENTRAL FLORIDA GAY & LESBIAN LAW ASSOCIATION
Phone: 407-838-4052
Email: LSmith@Cabaniss.net
Web: www.cflglla.org
Description: GLBT legal professionals. Meets third Monday of each month at The Florida Bar office on Edgewater Drive.
http://www.watermarkonline.com/content.php?action=listorgs&area=orlando

I’m sorry, Chief Justice Quince, but when did somebody at the Supreme Court give approval for voluntary bars to meet in the Bar offices all of us pay for? If the Christian Legal Society wanted to use Bar offices to meet, The Bar would rightly say “no.”
The Bar, of course, feels very comfortable promoting homosexuality (that is exactly what it does) because it is officially promoting “sexual orientation” as if it were a “suspect classification,” a “minority,” despite the fact that federal laws do not treat it as such. Not surprisingly, Jesse Diner and others have stripped “religion” as a diversity classification from our Diversity Symposiums because of The Bar’s formal stance that homosexuality is to be encouraged and religious impulses are to be discouraged and even punished.

Is that too harsh? Of course not. The Bar transferred my “disciplinary” cases up to the Orlando Bar Office so Mr. Bryk could participate in the fun and pursue his gay agenda at my expense. If you have been paying attention to what The Bar has been doing to me since 1989, you would be fully aware that I secured damages from The Bar you are supposed to oversee when I found a smoking gun document in The Bar’s files proving that radical homosexual rights advocates at the University of Wisconsin-Madison were collaborating with The Bar to harm me professionally through disciplinary proceedings and to further the “gay agenda.” Bar Governors Kuehne and Chaykin more recently used the disciplinary process to further their gay rights agendas at the expense of my career.

When I found out about Mr. Bryk’s heavy involvement in this political activism, I filed a complaint with The Bar about Mr. Bryk’s failure to disclose that fact during his prosecution of me for well over two years. Here is what The Bar’s Director of Lawyer Regulation, Ken Marvin, said to me to explain how inconsequential was The Bar’s failure to disclose this activism of Mr. Bryk: There has never been, Mr. Thompson, any suggestion at anytime that you were opposed to “gay rights.”

Let me tell you this categorically: Mr. Marvin would have to be the only person in the legal community in Florida who did not know that. Is he mentally ill or what?

What we have here, Chief Justice Quince, is a state regulatory entity whose name should be changed from The Florida Bar to The Florida Gay Bar. It is actively inimical to people of faith, and it actively promotes, financially and otherwise, the radical homosexual agenda. And what is worse, its officers, such as Ken Marvin, lie to cover this up. A jury of normal citizens is not going to be impressed with The Gay Bar.

If you and the rest of the Justices were serious about overseeing the operations of The Florida Bar, none of this would be happening. Instead, what are you knowingly doing? You and the rest of the court are approving of The Bar’s efforts to punish my whistle blowing in violation of Florida’s Anti-SLAPP statute FS 768.295 and federal civil rights laws. See you in federal court. Maybe you can hire Raoul Cantero to represent you.

Regards, Jack Thompson

RubySlippers

He has some important points this is a organization of a political nature being supported by the Florida Bar in a way a Christian or other religious organization couldn't. But I would think that simply having the Florida Bar stay neutral would suffice this man is a bit extreme in his views when its simply fair to sue that they stay out of anyones political agenda if there is any chance of such being biased.

ShrowdedPoet

Quote from: RubySlippers on August 28, 2008, 09:32:26 AM
He has some important points this is a organization of a political nature being supported by the Florida Bar in a way a Christian or other religious organization couldn't. But I would think that simply having the Florida Bar stay neutral would suffice this man is a bit extreme in his views when its simply fair to sue that they stay out of anyones political agenda if there is any chance of such being biased.

Sexual orientation has nothing to do with religion.  I think the comparison he made was bull.
Kiss the hand that beats you.
Sexuality isn't a curse, it's a gift to embrace and explore!
Ons and Offs


Sherona

I actually agree with Ruby on this one. I think he should have been a little less up in arms about the different organization and pointed out the real argument of staying nuetral and not supporting one group or the other.

Frankly supporting any one group, be it minority or religion, is not very ethical of a bar association. Which when I read his letter that is what I saw he was trying to say...now whether he is a homophobe or not I won't agree with but I do agree that nuetrality is key.

Sabby

Shrowded, everything he says is bull, fortunately. If half of what he said had any credibility, then a raid of the Florida Bar and any lawyers (and their firms) that have opposed his clients (most of which he's forced himself upon) then we would find an underground child pornography ring that has conspirators world wide.

And Sherona, he is most certainly a homophone. He's very proud of it too. 

ShrowdedPoet

Quote from: Sherona on August 28, 2008, 09:42:08 AM
I actually agree with Ruby on this one. I think he should have been a little less up in arms about the different organization and pointed out the real argument of staying nuetral and not supporting one group or the other.

Frankly supporting any one group, be it minority or religion, is not very ethical of a bar association. Which when I read his letter that is what I saw he was trying to say...now whether he is a homophobe or not I won't agree with but I do agree that nuetrality is key.

You can't always remain neutral.  Organizations like this support minorities all the time.  Religion is supposed to be seperate but to my knowledge there is nothing saying that minorities are.
Kiss the hand that beats you.
Sexuality isn't a curse, it's a gift to embrace and explore!
Ons and Offs


ShrowdedPoet

Quote from: Sabbat on August 28, 2008, 09:50:18 AM
Shrowded, everything he says is bull, fortunately. If half of what he said had any credibility, then a raid of the Florida Bar and any lawyers (and their firms) that have opposed his clients (most of which he's forced himself upon) then we would find an underground child pornography ring that has conspirators world wide.

And Sherona, he is most certainly a homophone. He's very proud of it too. 

o.O  Child Porn rings in the law offices?  *gets sick*
Kiss the hand that beats you.
Sexuality isn't a curse, it's a gift to embrace and explore!
Ons and Offs


The Overlord

#7

You know, I have to say as a hetero male with no homosexual leanings, I don't completely understand the concept and so I'm not 100% at ease with it; it will remain terra incognita for me but I have the recognition that people lead markedly different existences. End of story, get over it, get on with your own life. That being said, I'm all for gay/lesbian rights, including marriage, I think George Takei said it best two years ago at Dragoncon when I saw him speak there: This is the civil rights issue of our time. The conservative arguments I have heard (even from some of my own relatives that got poisoned by living too long in Florida) that gay marriage invalidates the sanctity of marriage are groundless, not provable outside of a theological delusion, and extremely naive.

Forty years ago, Roddenberry, Takei and his fellow cast members pioneered the portrayal of gender and ethnicity, and with their help we're better for it, but we got a lot of work to do still, and this A-hole is living proof.

Ever since seeing American Beauty, I wonder how many of these guys are like the psycho dad; the visibly anti-gay dude that collects Nazi memorabilia that's really hiding in his closet...

Sherona

The reason neutrality is needed in Politics and Legal organization is because frankly I would not want to think that I would lose an important case not on facts, but because a homosexual couple had an "in" with the florida Bar. I know that I wouldn't want an homosexual couple to lose an important case not on facts but on homophobia as well. Just because one is a minority does not mean that they should be given special treatment. They should be given EQUAL rights as to everyone else. Not better rights. *shrugs* But perhaps I am just reading things wrongly.

ShrowdedPoet

Quote from: Sherona on August 28, 2008, 09:56:42 AM
The reason neutrality is needed in Politics and Legal organization is because frankly I would not want to think that I would lose an important case not on facts, but because a homosexual couple had an "in" with the florida Bar. I know that I wouldn't want an homosexual couple to lose an important case not on facts but on homophobia as well. Just because one is a minority does not mean that they should be given special treatment. They should be given EQUAL rights as to everyone else. Not better rights. *shrugs* But perhaps I am just reading things wrongly.

. . .I may have read wrong.  I thought the judges weren't in on it the guy was just ranting and being paranoid. . .I may have read wrong myself though.
Kiss the hand that beats you.
Sexuality isn't a curse, it's a gift to embrace and explore!
Ons and Offs


Sherona

#10
QuoteThe conservative arguments I have heard (even from some of my own relatives that got poisoned by living too long in Florida) that gay marriage invalidates the sanctity of marriage are groundless, not provable outside of a theological delusion, and extremely naive.

hehe I agree here. Funny how people who claim that it invalidates and undermines the sanctity or marriage, and/or jeopardizes marriage can never say why.


Edit; SO I am not derailing I am adding ontopic thing.  I think it is unfortunate, and probably not-well-thought out that Thompson used another private association that is so inflammatory such as Christian as an example...kind of blindsided peopel into thinking this is another attack on homosexuality by christian fundamentalist when it really is just a call for neutrality.

ShrowdedPoet

Quote from: Sherona on August 28, 2008, 10:01:21 AM
hehe I agree here. Funny how people who claim that it invalidates and undermines the sanctity or marriage, and/or jeopardizes marriage can never say why.


Edit; SO I am not derailing I am adding ontopic thing.  I think it is unfortunate, and probably not-well-thought out that Thompson used another private association that is so inflammatory such as Christian as an example...kind of blindsided peopel into thinking this is another attack on homosexuality by christian fundamentalist when it really is just a call for neutrality.

. . .ACTUALLY!  We talked about this in Sociology the first day of class.  But it is VERY false. 
Kiss the hand that beats you.
Sexuality isn't a curse, it's a gift to embrace and explore!
Ons and Offs


Sabby

I think you both may have read it a bit wrongly. I believe he is right that religious belief isn't really a tick box on forms anymore where as sexual preference is, but he's simply doing everything he can to stall his lengthy disciplinary trial. That means jumping onto any issue he can to clog the Bar up. A small technicality with a paper his Judge signed was one of them.

Now the bar offers the use of their facilities to a Gay and Lesbian law group, where as a Christian law group now has to pay for those facilities. Its just something he can use to cause a fuss and delay the inevitable.

He does this all the time, but I just thought this letter in particular was amusing :) didn't intend to stir up a gay rights debate.

Celestial Goblin

Homosexuals in USA face intolerance, persecution and their very lives can be in danger. A close cooperation between a law and homosexual organizations doesn't make any less sense than cooperation with woman self-defense organizations, ethnic minority organizations, parents groups or anyone else who has something to fear.

Also, I don't think homophobia as an opinion deserves any 'neutrality'. It has been discredited and abandoned by sane people decades ago, the same way racism, gender segregation or a belief that only one(or none) religion should be legal. There are groups who stick to it and law lets them speak their mind, but there's no moral obligation for us to listen or show respect to such things.

QuoteThe reason neutrality is needed in Politics and Legal organization is because frankly I would not want to think that I would lose an important case not on facts, but because a homosexual couple had an "in" with the florida Bar.
Do you think there's a real possibility of such? For example, a more lenitient sentence for a car thief just because the car thief is gay? I'd assume that your typical gay rights supporter is still against murder, theft, rape, fraud and all the other little and big crimes, even if they are commited by gays.

Sherona

#14
I was actually thinking of more along the lines of Civil suites where illegal activities are not in question. I do think it is a very valid thought, and I don't think that any organization should get special treatment over any other organization. I think that if this were "Dog Lovers Bar" and the example thompson used was "Cats lovers bar" people would not be so much up in arms..but the unfortunate examples are two rather inflammatory groups.

People see "Gay and Lesbian groups" against "Christian groups" and it all comes back dwn to "oh those nasty bigotted people" rather then thinking "Um why should One group recieve special treatment?"

Again, I am all for equal rights for homosexuals, and again I don't enjoy homophobic people, but like I said earlier, I really don't think this letter he sent was a "Gay and Lesbians are Bad. Christians are Good" type thing.

QuoteAlso, I don't think homophobia as an opinion deserves any 'neutrality'.

And I would like to add, that I don't think I ever said that Homophobia deserves Neutrality. I said that Political offices should have neutrality rather then singling out one organization over another to give special treatment to. That is all.

Jefepato

Quote from: Sabbat on August 28, 2008, 10:09:37 AM
Now the bar offers the use of their facilities to a Gay and Lesbian law group, where as a Christian law group now has to pay for those facilities. Its just something he can use to cause a fuss and delay the inevitable.

Are we sure that's really the case?  It sounds suspiciously like Thompson might be speculating -- he claims "The Bar would rightly say 'no.'"

Is there any record of the Christian Legal Society actually trying to schedule a meeting there and being rebuffed, or being told they have to pay?  (And if the latter, is there any reason to believe that the Central Florida Gay & Lesbian Law Association isn't also paying for their use of the facilities?)  I find it very unlikely that the Florida Bar keeps meeting space available and then only allows LGBT groups to use it.

That would be rather odd, even for Florida, and would also be a lawsuit just begging to happen.  (And if it really is true, I hope a more competent lawyer than Mr. Thompson takes the case.)

Celestial Goblin

Quote from: Sherona on August 28, 2008, 02:50:47 PM
I was actually thinking of more along the lines of Civil suites where illegal activities are not in question. I do think it is a very valid thought, and I don't think that any organization should get special treatment over any other organization. I think that if this were "Dog Lovers Bar" and the example thompson used was "Cats lovers bar" people would not be so much up in arms..but the unfortunate examples are two rather inflammatory groups.
Well, even in civil suits there is some sort of substance and there's someone claiming they are hurt. It would still require a judge to be able to say "disturbing neighbours with loud music is bad, but they were lesbians so I'll rule in their favor", which I think would require some very weird judge. (who'd probably get disbarred:P)
A bigger danger is actually people having 'ins' with the bar by simply being friends in private lives. I don't know how severe scrutiny there is over such matters, but I'd assume it would take care of both.

Quote from: Sherona on August 28, 2008, 02:50:47 PM
People see "Gay and Lesbian groups" against "Christian groups" and it all comes back dwn to "oh those nasty bigotted people" rather then thinking "Um why should One group recieve special treatment?"
From what I know about Christianity in general, a Christian group could just as likely be:
- homophobic and attacking homosexual rights
- anti-homosexual by doctrine but refraining from trying to make their beliefs law
- neutral on the issue
- accepting of gay members and gay marriages
- actively pro-gay and believing homophobia to be sinful

Of course the former groups are sometimes larger and almost always very loud, so there's the perception that Christianity and Homosexualism are some sort of 'opposing forces' that Thompson plays on.
Frankly I think he's being an ass both towards homosexuals and towards Christians by this and I believe that in a truly just society neither sexual orientation or religious conviction should need to be political.

Quote from: Sherona on August 28, 2008, 02:50:47 PM
And I would like to add, that I don't think I ever said that Homophobia deserves Neutrality. I said that Political offices should have neutrality rather then singling out one organization over another to give special treatment to. That is all.
I think that the way it works here is that the official organization gives support to those organizations that seem to need it the most. In this case, a group that is known for finding itself in many legal battles.
Personally I believe that a religious group that would face persecution of some kind should also get this sort of support if they'd ask for it. Of course I'd hope they wouldn't use an argument of "If gays got it than should too!" but just explain why are they in need.

On other hand, someone could theoretically argue that no organization ever should ever get this sort of assistance, no matter how just their cause is. But that's a pretty rigid, orthodox policy that I think might not be worth it.

Sherona

Quote from: Celestial Goblin on August 28, 2008, 03:21:00 PM
Well, even in civil suits there is some sort of substance and there's someone claiming they are hurt. It would still require a judge to be able to say "disturbing neighbours with loud music is bad, but they were lesbians so I'll rule in their favor", which I think would require some very weird judge. (who'd probably get disbarred:P)
A bigger danger is actually people having 'ins' with the bar by simply being friends in private lives. I don't know how severe scrutiny there is over such matters, but I'd assume it would take care of both.
From what I know about Christianity in general, a Christian group could just as likely be:
- homophobic and attacking homosexual rights
- anti-homosexual by doctrine but refraining from trying to make their beliefs law
- neutral on the issue
- accepting of gay members and gay marriages
- actively pro-gay and believing homophobia to be sinful

Of course the former groups are sometimes larger and almost always very loud, so there's the perception that Christianity and Homosexualism are some sort of 'opposing forces' that Thompson plays on.
Frankly I think he's being an ass both towards homosexuals and towards Christians by this and I believe that in a truly just society neither sexual orientation or religious conviction should need to be political.
I think that the way it works here is that the official organization gives support to those organizations that seem to need it the most. In this case, a group that is known for finding itself in many legal battles.
Personally I believe that a religious group that would face persecution of some kind should also get this sort of support if they'd ask for it. Of course I'd hope they wouldn't use an argument of "If gays got it than should too!" but just explain why are they in need.

On other hand, someone could theoretically argue that no organization ever should ever get this sort of assistance, no matter how just their cause is. But that's a pretty rigid, orthodox policy that I think might not be worth it.


It actually sounds like I might be confusing what group he is talking about.

Celestial Goblin

My understanding is that the group is an association of lawyers that get involved in cases concerning GLBT rights and are willing to provide free advice in matters concerning those. If that's not that, I might be misunderstanding as well.

Sherona

#19
Quote from: Celestial Goblin on August 28, 2008, 04:04:13 PM
My understanding is that the group is an association of lawyers that get involved in cases concerning GLBT rights and are willing to provide free advice in matters concerning those. If that's not that, I might be misunderstanding as well.

*grins* My understanding was it was the actuall Bar of Florida, the one that administers the testing and giving out licenses to practice law, as well as determines punishments for lawyers such as disbarments. Which is why I thought the need for neutrality was there.

If it is a private association that are there to specifically get involved with cases concerning GLBT rights then I stand corrected and reverse my opinions :)

Celestial Goblin

QuoteNow, today, I find that the Central Florida Gay and Lesbian Law Association actually meets at the Orlando office of The Florida Bar. Here’s the proof:

CENTRAL FLORIDA GAY & LESBIAN LAW ASSOCIATION

Description: GLBT legal professionals. Meets third Monday of each month at The Florida Bar office on Edgewater Drive.

I’m sorry, Chief Justice Quince, but when did somebody at the Supreme Court give approval for voluntary bars to meet in the Bar offices all of us pay for? If the Christian Legal Society wanted to use Bar offices to meet, The Bar would rightly say “no.”

The way I parse this is that Thompson complains about the 'Central Florida Gay & Lesbian Law Association' is allowed to use the Bar offices free of charge. But the 'Association' is not a Bar and Thompson just calls it a 'voluntary bar' at one point.

He also accusses the organization of manipulating the Bar against him, which is easy to get mixed up. (I'm quite sure it's baseless, since like Sabbat suggested, it looks like a stalling tactic after the trouble he made for himself)

BTW, Sherona, sorry if you felt my tone is too agressive. I was writing in anger, but my anger is directed Jack Thompson and stuff he wrote.

Sherona

I have never felt that you have ever been aggressive towards me CG *smilles* I knew you were angry, but I also knew it was not directed at me. I mistook which offices he was speaking of which is why I was more or less defending the letter -not his homophobia-. TRUE debate leads to true understanding in my opinion.

Sabby

The main reason I found this funny and decided to post was his entire letter just came across as a little baby crying that the other kid got two chocolates :P all the topics he attacks in his rantings, crusading and clogging up of law systems could be debated endlessly and never shift anything, so I just laugh at the sheer stupidity of it ^__^

By the way, I found this letter the way everyone finds his letters... posted as a comment to a news story NOT related to him :P he trolls through JAABlog and looks for topics that can somehow link to him (and that can be by the smallest keyword) and then will post his letters there and threaten for all parties involved to hire defense attorneys.

Trieste

I don't know who this guy is; haven't been following, but it seems kinda shady to post others' contact info in the comments of random blogs...

Sabby

Trieste, if you'd prefer, I can black out his contact details, but he throws them around like confetti, so it would be like censoring a tigers stripes...