Letter to The Republican
Dr. Scott Lively
Ctescottlively@gmail.com
RE: http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/02/anti-lgbt_scott_lively_reporte.html
Lively to Journalists: Stop Using “Anti-Gay” Slur
Journalistic professionalism in America has declined apace with the print media industry itself, but Springfield’s sole daily newspaper has fallen further than most. News and editorials are supposed to be separate departments, but The Republican routinely editorializes in its news stories about me, and usually doesn’t even disguise its contempt.
The Republican is within its rights to adhere to leftist social values on the editorial page, but the news page is supposed to offer impartial fact-reporting for its readers to analyze and interpret for themselves. Instead, The Republican’s stories about me are often peppered with conclusory statements from a decidedly leftist perspective and deliberately poison the well against me by citing only facts that bolster the accusations of my opponents — even though I have a long history of doing good works in Springfield that have benefited the city.
Most irritating and misleading is that all or most of the stories identify me (often in the title) as “anti-gay pastor,” as if that were some sort of professional title rather than an editorial comment. I strongly object to that characterization, which deliberately misrepresents my opposition to the mainstreaming of homosexual conduct as hatred of homosexual persons.
The term “anti-gay” effectively mistranslates the pro-family motto “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin,” into “Hate the Sinner because of the Sin.” As such it is not an honest descriptor but a slur, and its use by the media is an act of complicity in a dishonest and manipulative LGBT political tactic. Much of what the public falsely believes they know about my views and actions in the culture war is the fruit of this tactic and similar manipulative spin by pro-”gay” journalists throughout the industry.
I am asking The Republican to stop using the term “anti-gay” in news stories entirely, but especially in stories about me. “Pro-family” would be best, but if you insist on framing my position in the negative, use “Anti-homosexuality.” Both of those are factual and accurate, in contrast to the slur, “anti-gay.” You clearly don’t agree with me that people can and should “love the sinner, hate the sin” but you have no right to inject your opinion into the news as if it were fact.
